Buddha proselytizing

[Nicholas Weeks]

Not only did Buddha travel about India to share the Dhamma, but he told some of his disciples to go forth to all directions and do the same.

But which sutta(s) have that direction from Him to go beyond India to share Dhamma?

[Volo]

But which sutta(s) have that direction from Him to go beyond India to share Dhamma?

Which sutta says they should go only in India?

From Vinaya:

Kd.1.11.1 Then the Lord addressed the monks, saying146: “I, monks, am freed from all snares, both those of devas147 and those of men. And you, monks, are freed from all snares, both those of devas and those of men. Walk, monks, on tour for the blessing of the manyfolk, for the happiness of the manyfolk out of compassion for the world, for the welfare, the blessing, the happiness of devas and men. Let not two (of you) go by one (way.)148 Monks, teach dhamma which is lovely at the beginning, lovely in the middle, lovely at the ending.149 Explain with the spirit and the letter the Brahma-faring completely fulfilled, wholly pure. There are beings with little dust in their eyes, who, not hearing dhamma, are decaying, (but) if they are learners of dhamma, they will grow. And I, monks, will go along to Uruvelā, to the Camp township,150 in order to teach dhamma.”

[Nicholas Weeks]

But which sutta(s) have that direction from Him to go beyond India to share Dhamma?

Which sutta says they should go only in India?

From Vinaya:

Kd.1.11.1 Then the Lord addressed the monks, saying146: “I, monks, am freed from all snares, both those of devas147 and those of men. And you, monks, are freed from all snares, both those of devas and those of men. Walk, monks, on tour for the blessing of the manyfolk, for the happiness of the manyfolk out of compassion for the world, for the welfare, the blessing, the happiness of devas and men. Let not two (of you) go by one (way.)148 Monks, teach dhamma which is lovely at the beginning, lovely in the middle, lovely at the ending.149 Explain with the spirit and the letter the Brahma-faring completely fulfilled, wholly pure. There are beings with little dust in their eyes, who, not hearing dhamma, are decaying, (but) if they are learners of dhamma, they will grow. And I, monks, will go along to Uruvelā, to the Camp township,150 in order to teach dhamma.”

Thanks Volo, that is a good passage, but could be interpreted to mean only all over India.

I have read that Buddha sent 'missionaries' to the West as far as Greece or Egypt etc. Any source that says that? Or maybe I am confusing Buddha's advocates with Ashoka's missionaries as the ones who went far afield?

[Srilankaputra]

There is the story of ven punna. Who went to a country named sunaparanta. Some say this was in the middle East. Afghanistan perhaps.

https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitak ... .than.html

[Nicholas Weeks]

There is the story of ven punna. Who went to a country named sunaparanta. Some say this was in the middle East. Afghanistan perhaps.

https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitak ... .than.html

Seems that Sunaparanta was part of ancient Burma and Buddha visited there himself.

https://www.archive.org/stream/notesona ... h_djvu.txt

[Volo]

Thanks Volo, that is a good passage, but could be interpreted to mean only all over India.

Difficult to say whether they perceived India as one thing at that time, since it was divided into many countries. Moreover people probably thought they were living on a Jambu island, and three other islands were probably considered to be virtually inaccessible.

I have read that Buddha sent 'missionaries' to the West as far as Greece or Egypt etc. Any source that says that? Or maybe I am confusing Buddha's advocates with Ashoka's missionaries as the ones who went far afield?

I remember there is a mention in the sutta (MN 93) about Yona (Ionia) and Kamboja (~Pakistan/Afghanistan), but I don't remember anything about Buddha sending missionaries there, except of Asoka's time.

Seems that Sunaparanta was part of ancient Burma and Buddha visited there himself.

Sunāparanta nowadays is identified with Aparanta, which capital was around modern Mumbai.