Long Discourses
[intro TK]
Contents
Indications of Sectarian Affiliation
It has been well documented through comparative study of parallels texts with known sectarian provenances that the Long Discourses was part of the Dharmaguptaka canon.
Gifts Made to the Buddha
One example argument made by Bareau[1] relied on a comparison of a passage from the Mahaparinirvana Sutra (DA 2) which depicts the laywoman Ambapali giving her Mango Grove to the Buddha. This episode carried an important doctrinal significance for three early sects of Buddhism: The Mahisasaka, Dharmaguptaka, and Theravada. This doctrinal divergence is one piece of evidence that all three canons are related, with the Dharmaguptaka and Theravada canons being descendants of the Mahisasaka line of transmission.
The doctrinal issue was whether gifts to the Buddha were the same as gifts given to the sangha as a whole and whether any merit was gained from them. The Dharmaguptaka position was quite distinct and perhaps extreme compared to the other two canons. They believed the Buddha was not a part of the sangha he created and that any gifts given to him were the same as gifts placed in stupas or cetiyas dedicated to his relics. They could not be used by any other sentient beings and therefore would yield no merit to the donor. On the other hand, a donor would gain merit for gifts given to the sangha. Therefore, in the passage in DA 2, we find that the Buddha carefully instructs Ambapali to direct her gift to the sangha at large rather than to the Buddha. She then does so, saying the words that the Buddha suggests to her. This procedure, Bareau notes, is replicated in the case of Bimbisara donating the Bamboo Grove to the Buddha. Again, the Buddha tells Bimbisara to instead direct his gift to the sangha. Both of these episodes are found in the Chinese translation of the Dharmaguptaka Vinaya.
| DA 2: Ambapali's Gift | Dh Vin: Ambapali's Gift | Dh Vin: Bimbisara's Gift |
|---|---|---|
| Example | Example | Example |
| Example | Example | Example |
| Example | Example | Example |
| Example | Example | Example |
| Example | Example | Example |
| Example | Example | Example |
| Example | Example | Example |
| Example | Example | Example |
| Example | Example | Example |
| Example | Example | Example |
| Example | Example | Example |
| Example | Example | Example |
| Example | Example | Example |
| Example | Example | Example |
| Example | Example | Example |
| Example | Example | Example |
| Example | Example | Example |
| Example | Example | Example |
| Example | Example | Example |
| Example | Example | Example |
Table of Contents and Parallels
Below is a (work-in-progress) list of all the sutras contained in the Dirgha Agama.
Parallels listed in () are either only similar or they share templates with the subject but don't appear to be direct parallels.
Notes
- ↑ Bareau, A. (1966). L’origine du Dīrgha-Āgama traduit en chinois par Buddhayaśas. Artibus Asiae. Supplementum, 23, 49–58.
