Long Discourses
The Long Discourses is the Dharmaguptaka version of the original Dirgha Agama of early Buddhism, as it was translated to Chinese ca. 415 AD by Buddhayasas et al.
Contents
Table of Contents and Parallels
Below is a list of all the sutras contained in this Dirgha Agama.
Parallels listed in () are either only similar or they share templates with the subject but don't appear to be direct parallels.
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 and that any gifts given to Buddha would be property placed in stupas or cetiyas. 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 instructs Ambapali to direct her gift to the sangha at large rather than to the Buddha alone so that she would gain merit from it. She then does so, saying the words that the Buddha suggests to her (in the Dharmaguptaka Vinaya version). 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 (T1.1.14b12-25) |
Dh Vin: Ambapali's Gift (T1428.22.856c3-c18) |
Dh Vin: Bimbisara's Gift (T1428.22.798b16-28) |
|---|---|---|
| 時，菴婆婆梨女即設上饌，供佛及僧。食訖去鉢，并除机案。時，女手執金瓶，行澡水畢，前白佛言：「此毘耶離城所有園觀，我園最勝，今以此園貢上如來，哀愍我故，願垂納受。」 | 時婆提飯佛及比丘僧，種種多美飲食。[12]食飲足已，置鉢於地，持金澡瓶水洗佛手，前白佛言：「毘舍離國有諸園觀，此最第一，今奉世尊，在中住止，唯願哀愍見為受之。」 | 時瓶沙王持金澡瓶水授如來令清淨，白佛言：「今羅閱城諸園中，此竹園最勝，我今施如來，願慈愍故受。」 |
| [English] | Example | Example |
| 佛告女曰：「汝可以此園施佛為首及招提僧。所以然者？如來所有園林、房舍、衣鉢六物，正使諸魔、釋、梵、大神力天，無有能堪受此供者。」 | 佛告言：「汝可奉佛及四方僧。何以故？若佛園園物，若房舍、房舍物、若鉢、若衣、若座具、針筒，如佛塔廟，一切世間諸天龍神、梵天、沙門、婆羅門、諸天及人，無有能用者。」 | 佛告王言：「汝今持此竹園，施佛及四方僧。何以故？若如來有園、[7]園物、房舍、房舍物、衣鉢、尼師[8]檀、鍼筒，即是塔，諸天、世人、魔、若魔天、沙門、婆羅門所不堪用。」 |
| [English] | Example | Example |
| 時，女受教，即以此園施佛為首及招提僧。佛愍彼故，即為受之， | 婆提言：「今以上佛及四方僧，願為受之。」 | 王言：「我今以此竹園，施佛及四方僧。」 |
| [English] | Example | Example |
| 而說偈言： | 時佛哀愍故，為呪願受之： | 時世尊以慈愍心受彼園已，即為呪願： |
| [English] | Example | Example |
| 「起塔立精舍， 園果施清涼； 橋船以渡人， 曠野施水草。 |
「若為作寺廟， 種植諸果樹； 橋船以度人， 曠野施水果， |
「種植諸園樹， 并作橋船梁； 園果諸浴池， 及施人居止。 |
| [English] | [tk] | Example |
| 及以堂閣施， 其福日夜增； 戒具清淨者， 彼必到善方。」 |
兼復施屋舍。 如是之人輩， 日夜福增長； 如法能持戒， 彼人向善道。」 |
如是之人等， 晝夜福增長； 持戒順正法， 彼人得生天。」 |
The story of Bimbisara giving the Bamboo Grove is repeated at T1428.22.936c8-21 with only minor translation variations. There is also another parallel episode that can be compared to these: That of Anathapindada's gift of Jeta's Grove (T1428.22.491b18-c1). The same basic formula is applied there as well, complete with parallel gathas. Thus, we can see that, while simpler, the story of Ambapali's gift in DA 2 is treated in a standard way that similar gifts were treated throughout the Dharmaguptaka Vinaya.
When Bareau compared these passages to the equivalents found in the Chinese translation of the Mahisasaka Vinaya and the Pali of the Theravada Vinaya and DN 16, he found that each sect appears to have had their own formulaic way of describing these events. This indicates that intentional positions were taken by each sect regarding whether donors gained merit from gifts to the Buddha as well as the Buddha's status as a member of the sangha. These issues likely arose because of the shift towards docetic notions about the Buddha as time separated Buddhists from their founder's life. Some sects embraced Docetism while others rejected it.
Another issue that may played a part, too, was that the practice of visiting Buddha stupas to worship the Buddha may have become so popular that is it prudent to remind lay Buddhists to give to the sangha and not just to the Buddha's relics. This would make sense from the Dharmaguptaka line about such gifts being like stupas. No one can make use of them because they were given to a shrine rather than a person. The Buddha's words in the sutra passage may actually be the attendant at the stupa site speaking to the Buddhist audience, as it were.
The parallel episodes in the Mahisasaka Vinaya read in this way:
| Mahi Vin: Ambapali's Gift (T1421.22.136a10-15) |
Mahi Vin: Bimbasara's Gift (T1421.22.110a28-b4) |
|---|---|
| 即皆就坐，[2]㮈女手自斟酌，歡喜無亂。食畢行水，却住一面，白佛言：「毘舍離諸園觀中，此園第一。我修此園本欲為福，今奉世尊，願垂納受！」 | 佛與大眾隨次而坐，王手自斟酌，歡喜無惓。食已行水，在一面立，白佛言：『今以此竹園奉上世尊！』 |
| Example | Example |
| 佛言：「可以施僧，得大果報。」 | 佛言：『可以施僧，其福益多！』 |
| english | Example |
| [＊]㮈女重以上佛，佛言：「但以施僧，我在僧數。」 | 王復白佛：『願垂納受！』佛言：『但以施僧，我在僧中！』 |
| english | Example |
| [＊]㮈女受教即以施僧， | 王便受教，以施四方僧； |
| english | Example |
| Example | Example |
| Example | Example |
The parallels found in Theravada sources, on the other hand, read is this way:
| DN 16: Ambapali's Gift () |
Thera Vin: Ambapali's Gift () |
Thera 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 |
Notes
- ↑ Bareau, A. (1966). L’origine du Dīrgha-Āgama traduit en chinois par Buddhayaśas. Artibus Asiae. Supplementum, 23, 49–58.
