A STUDY OF THE DIGHA NIKAYA OF THE SUTTAPITAKATHE YOUNG EAST

·期刊原文
A STUDY OF THE DIGHA NIKAYA OF THE SUTTAPITAKATHE YOUNG EAST
4:4
1928.09
pp.112--120

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p.112
TRIPITAKA or Tipitaka as the southern Buddhists
call it means three baskets; really it means the
three broad divisions into which the literature of
the southern Buddhists is dealt with, viz, the
Vinaya, the Sutta and the Abhidhamma pitakas. The
Pali Buddhist literature is immense and no
systematic attempt has yet been made to treat it.
Undoubtedly it contains the Buddha vacanam which is
precious. The literature is written in Magadhanam
bhasa or the dialect of the Magadhas known as Magadhi
or Pali.
Suttapitaka is divided into five Nikayas: I.
Digha, II. Majjhina, III. Samyutta, IV. Anguttara and
V. Khuddaka.
The Diaha Nikaya is a collection of long
discourses. It is the first work of the Sutta pitaka
and contains thirty-four suttas, each of which deals
fully with one or several points of Buddhist
doctrine. The first of these is called the
Brahma-jala Sutta which may be translated as the
excellent net. Prof. Rhys Davids explains it as the 'Perfect net'
or the net whose meshes are so fine that no folly of
superstition, however subtle, can slip through.
(American Lectures, p. 30). This sutta is of very
great importance for the history not only of
Buddhism, but of the whole religious life of ancient
India. It deals with cula-sila, majjhima-sila and
maha-sila. It further deals with sassata-vada
(eternalists), Khidda-padosika (eternalists and
non-eternalists), mano-padosika (semi-eternalists),
antanantika (extentionists), amara-vikkhepika
(eel-wrigglers), adhicca-samupannika (fortuitous
originists), Uddham-aghatanika (believers in future
life), Uccheda-vada (annihilationists) and
ditthadhamma-nibbana-vada (perfect net). In dealing
with the topics just mentioned, a large number of
occupations of Brahmans and ascetics is enumerated
and Buddhist monks are asked to refrain therefrom.
Numerous references to precepts, effect of monkhood,
miraculous power, knowledge of
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other people's former birth, asceticism,
thirty-two signs of a great man, soul, higher
morality, true wisdom, duty of spreading truth, arts,
handicrafts, sports and pastimes and different kinds
of sacrifices are to be found in this sutta.
The second is the Samannaphala Sutta, or
'Discourse on the reward of asceticism.' It furnishes
us with valuable information about the views of a
number of non-Buddhistic teachers and founders of
sects, viz., Purana Kassapa, Makkhali Gosala,
Ajitakesakambali, Pukudha Kaccayana, Sanjaya
Belatthiputta and Nigantha Nathaputta.
The third is the Ambattha Sutta which deals
mainly with the subject of caste. Thirty-two signs of
a great man also find mention in this sutta. They are
detailed in the thirtieth Sutta.
The fourth is the Sonadanda Sutta which deals
with the question of what constitutes the essential
quality which makes a man a Brahman.
The fifth is the Kutadanta Sutta in which the
Buddha describes the wrong and the right sacrifices
to a Brahman.
The sixth is the Mahali Sutta which deals with
the means of the attainment of divine eye and ear. It
contains discussions whether body and soul are the
same or different. The Buddha holds that they are
different.
The seventh is the Jaliya Sutta which also
contains a discussion on soul and body.
The eighth is the Kassapasihanada Sutta which
contains Buddha's discussion with a naked ascetic
regarding asceticism.
The ninth is the Potthapada Sutta which contains
a discussion on the mystery of trance and
incidentally deals with the question of soul.
The tenth is the Subha Sutta which is a short
one and is almost identical with the Samannaphala
Sutta, differing with it only in dividing the states
of mind under three heads of Sila, Samadhi and Panna.
The eleventh is the Kevaddha Sutta which deals
with the practice of wonders or miracles, and traces
the means whereby the manifestation of gods gradually
becomes clear to a self-concentrated man.
The twelfth is the Lohicca Sutta which discusses
some points on the ethics of teaching.
The thirteenth is the Tevijja Sutta in which the
Buddha criticises the three Vedas with a view to
prove the unsoundness of their contents. It deals
with various kinds of Vedic Brahmans. The Buddha
refutes the three vijjas of Brahmans and explains his
own three vijjas.
The fourteenth is the Mahapadhana Suttanta. The
word Apadana used in the title signifies legend or
life-story of a Buddha. It is also used as the title
of the thirteenth book of the Khuddaka Nikaya of the
Suttapitaka and it means the legend or life-story of
an Arahant. In later books, Apadana is never used to
mean the legend of a Buddha. The Mahapadhana may mean
the story of the Great Ones (seven Buddhas). It is
rendered into English by Rhys Davids as the
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sublime story. This suttanta gives an account of
the previous Buddhas. A detailed account of the birth
of Buddha Vipassi, thirty-two marks of a great man,
explanation of the paticcasamuppada or dependent
origination are dealt with herein.
The fifteenth is the Mahanidana Suttanta which
explains fully the doctrine of paticcasamppada
(dependent origination), and discusses soul, seven
kinds of beings and eight kinds of vimokkhas.
The sixteenth is the Maha-parinibbana Suttanta which
is one of the most important suttas in as much as it
furnishes us with Buddha's insight into politics,
sociology, ethics and other subjects dealing with
the problems of man's every day life. Buddha himself
says that he taught the Vajjians to live in amity and
concord which are the colossal columns of a body
politic. The several sets of the seven conditions of
the welfare of a community taught by the Buddha to
the mendicants bespeak the developed ideas of
perfect organizations, in the history of social,
political or religious thought at the time of Gautama
Buddha. The Pali passages clothing Buddha's teachings
contain reiteration of certain words; but the
symphony of these repetitions does not make them an
unpleasant reading. In the third chapter of the
Mahaparinibbana Suttanta Buddha gives us a
description of his visit to Vaisali. His explanation
of the causes of earthquake is far from satisfactory
and reveals his lack of scientific knowledge, The
"figurative expressions," as used by the Buddha,
according to Rhys Davids, "have become a fruitful
soil for the outgrowth of superstitions and misunder-
standings. The train of early Buddhist speculation in
this field has yet to be elucidated." (Dialogues of
the Buddha pt.II., p.115, f.n. 2).
The sixth chapter of the Mahaparinibbana Suttanta
records the most important of all events affecting
the fate of Buddhism. In it we find the passing away
of the Founder of the Faith. The wailings described
in Ch. V of men and women of countries far and near
on hearing that the Exalted One would pass away too
soon, and the honour with which the relics of Buddha
were received and cairns made over them as found in
Ch. VI, go to show how deeply were the people moved
by the preachings and personality of the Buddha. The
last word of the Tathagata, viz., "Decay is inherent
in all component things! Work out your salvation with
diligence, " (Vayadhamma Samkhara, appamadena Sampa-
dethati; Digha Nikaya, P.T.S, Vol, II, p. 156)
strikes the keynote of Buddha's philosophy and
mission.
The Mahaparinibbana Suttanta deals with Vassakara
Brahman's visit to the Buddha, seven conditions of
welfare of the Bhikkhusamgha, lineage of faith, eight
causes of earthquake, eight causes of subduing
others, Buddha's visit to Cunda, four places of
pilgrimage of any faithful householder, efficiency of
erecting dhatucaityas, former greatness of Kusinara,
visit of Subhadra to Buddha
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and his conversion by the Lord, passing away of
the Lord, homage of the Mallas, cremation of Buddha's
dead body, quarrel for the relics, the amicable
distribution of relics by Dona and erection of stupas
over the relics.
The seventeenth is the Maha-Sudassana Suttanta.
There is a Jataka known as Mahasudassana Jataka no.
95 in Mr. Fausboll's edition of the Jatakas but it
differs from the Suttanta in some important
particulars. The Suttanta begins with a long
description of the riches and glory of Maha-Sudassana
and " reveals in its details," says Rhys Davids, "the
instructive fact that the legend is nothing more or
less than a spiritualised sun-myth." The
Maha-Sudassana Suttanta seems to afford a useful
example both of the extent to which the theory may be
accepted and of the limitations under which it should
always be applied. It must at once be admitted that
whether the whole story is based on a sun-story, or
whether certain parts or details of it are derived
from things first spoken about the sun or not, it is
still essentially Buddhistic" (D.B. pt. II. pp. 196-
197). The Mahasudassana Suttanta is like a fairy tale
which describes the greatest glory and majesty of the
greatest king, the royal city and its Palace of
Righteousness. It describes the extent of his
kingdom, and his enjoyment. The object of this
Suttanta is perhaps to show that all is vanity except
righteousness. To attain this object the author had
recourse to rhetorical phrases and other figurative
expressions the use whereof was not peculiar to
Buddhist literature. M. Senart in his valuable work,
" La Legende du Bouddha," has traced the rhetorical
phrases used in the description of the seven
treasures mentioned in this Suttanta to their
earliest appearance in the Vedic hymns. But this
does not exhaust the interesting bearing of Buddhist
literature on the history of Philology so far as
Buddhist forms of speech are concerned.
The eighteenth is the Janavasabha Suttanta in
which important topics such as rebirths of the
faithful upasakas of Gautama, effect of name, great
kings of four quarters, joy of the gods, the four
ways to iddhi, the three ways to bliss and the seven
requisites of Samadhi have been mentioned.
The nineteenth is the Maha-Govinda Suttanta which
is of great importance from the standpoint of
historical and geographical aspects of Ancient India.
It introduces us to the Sudhamma or Mote Hall of the
gods of Tavatimsa Heaven, where all the gods with
Sakka, king of gods, as President, are found to have
assembled and rejoiced at the increase in their
numbers "through the appearance, in their midst, of
new gods produced by the good Karma of the followers
of the new view of life put forward by Gotama."
Sakka uttered eight paragraphs in eulogy of the
Buddha. The exchange of views in the Mote Hall of
gods regarding the advent of supreme Buddhas in the
world, reminds us of the business done in the
executive
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Council of a Government, and speaks of the
political development of the age at which the
Maha-Govinda Suttanta was composed. Next we find
Maha-Brahma's views of an ideal Brahmin. The facts
of the Maha-Govinda Suttanta are found in different
phraseology and order in the Mahavastu (Govinda
Sutta). In the absence of sufficient materials it is
still a difficult task for historians of literature
to ascertain with exactitude the relation between the
Digha Nikaya and the Mahavastu, a Sanskrit Buddhist
work. The possible explanation of the most astounding
fact yet known about the Mahavastu is given by Rhys
Davids in his Dialogues of the Buddha wherein it is
stated, "Now we do not know exactly when and where
Buddhists began to write in Sanskrit, though it was
probably in Kashmir sometime before the beginning of
our era. They did not then translate into Sanskrit
any Pali book. They wrote new books. And the reason
for this was twofold. In the first place, they had
already come to believe things very different from
those contained in the canon; they were no longer in
full sympathy with it. In the second place, though
Pali was never the vernacular of Kashmir, it was
widely known there and even very probably still used
for literary work; translations were therefore not
required." (Pt. II. p. 256).
The Mahagovinda Suttanta also deals with Nirvana,
the path leading to it, practice of piety, danger of
delay, the lower and higher ways, and the great
divisions of India by Govinda. It also gives us an
account of Mahagovinda renouncins the world with a
large numbers of followers and his seven wives.
The twentieth is the Maha Samaya-Suttanta which
is of special importance to the historians of
religion in so far as it bears testimony to the
continual change in animistic belief prevalent in
India at the time. In this connection Dr. Rhys
Davids says, " The poem is almost unreadable now.
The long list of strange names awakes no interest.
And it is somewhat pathetic to notice the bopeless
struggle of the author to enliven his unmanageable
material with a little poetry. It remains, save here
and there, only doggerel still. There are three parts
to the poem * * * The third, the prologue, has been
preserved as a separate episode in the Sainyutta, 1,
27. The way in which the list is fitted into the
frame-work in sections 4, 5 and 6 is very confused
and awkward; and the grammar of the frame-work is
inconsistent with the grammar of the list. It is
highly probable therefore that the list itself, and
also the epilogue, had been handed down as
independent works in the community before our
Suttanta was composed. The frame-work may be the work
of the editor * * * The legends here told were
intended to counteract the animistic delusions about
them (names contained in the Suttantas) then so
prevalent in the Ganges Valley. They are almost the
only evidence we have as yet outside the priestly
books."
p.116
(Dialogues of the Buddha, Pt. II. pp. 282-283).
This remark of Dr. Rhys Davids does not seem to be
wholly tenable. A careful study of the Suttanta will
surely convince one of the fact that all the names
are not strange. Take for example, the guardian
angels of the four quarters, Dhatarattha, Virulhaka
Virupakkha, and Kuvera, which are familiar names.
Besides, we find the names of many other gods who
came to see the Buddha at Mahavana near Kapilavatthu.
The twenty-first is the Sakkapanha Suttanta which
is, in some respects, the most interesting of all
mythological dialogues. It is quoted by name at
Samyutta III, 13; Mahavastu, I, 350; Milinda, 350,
Sumangalavilasini, I, 24 (where it is called
vedalla). The last passage is repeated at
Gandhavamsa, 57.
Sakka, king of the Thirty-three, finding it
difficult to approach the Buddha who was then
in deep meditation, sought the aid of a Gandhabba
named Pancasikha who by the sweet play of his lyre
recited verses in praise of the Awakened one, the
Truth, the Arahant and the Love. The verses
sung by the Gandhabba were addresses to a lady by one
who received no return for his love for her who was
then in love with another. The verses are didactic
and simple though erotic to some extent. The Buddha
being moved by the music conversed with the Gandhabba
who in the course of conversation informed Buddha of
the advent of Sakka. Then Sakka came forward and paid
homage to the Exalted One. He put to the Buddha
several questions mostly bearing on ethics and
psychology. Buddha answered the questions to the
great satisfaction of Sakka who was thereafter
converted to the Buddhist faith. The conversion of
the king of the Thirty -three appears at first sight,
to be preposterous, but the analysis of the meaning
in which the word 'Sakka' is used leads us to hold
that the king of gods is not free from the three
deadly evils,--lust, ill will and stupidity (A.N. I,
144; S.N.I, 219), nor from anxiety (S.N. I, 219). Heis
still subject to death and rebirth (A.N. I, 144: Cf. A.N.
I, P. 105), and as such, he desires to be reborn in
some higher planes* of celestial beings.
Some other topics are discussed in this Suttanta:
(1) causes of malice and avarice.
(2) causes of favour or disfavour.
(3) path leading to papanca, sanna
(consciousness), sainkharanirodha (cessation of
confections).
(4) how a bhikkhu can be said to follow the rules
of patimokkha.
The twenty-second is the Maha-Satipatthana Sutta.
In it the Buddha urges his disciples to set up
mindfulness (Sati). The doctrine expounded in this
Suttanta may be said to be very important in early
Buddhism. The Aryan Path is obtained by practising
mindfulness only. Rhys Davids says " Sati does not
occur in any ethical senses in pre-

----------------------
* There are twenty-six planes of celestial beings.
p.117
Buddhistic Literature. It is possible that the
Buddhist conception was, in one way, influenced
by previous thought. Stress is laid in the Upanishad
ideal on Intuition, especially as regards the
relation between the soul, supposed to exist inside
each human body, and the Great Soul. In the Buddhist
protest against this, tile doctrine of Sati,
dependent not on Intuition but on grasp of actual
fact, plays an important part. This opposition may
have been intentional. On the other hand, the ethical
value of Mindfulness (in its technical sense) would
be sufficient, without any such intention, to
explain the great stress laid upon it.'' (Dialogues
of the Buddha, II., p. 323). In brief, the four kinds
of meditation on impurities and impermanency of body
and on impermanency of Vedana (sensation), Citta
(thought) and Dhamma (condition). The exposition of
the Mahasatipatthana Suttanta about the four-fold
aspect falls within the proper category of Abhi
dhammapitaka. But there is no justification to
include this Suttanta within the Digha Nikaya but at
a time when Dhamma and Abhidhamma could not be
distinguished from the dhamma, this one must be
regarded as one of the pioneers of all psychological
expositions. It that case, Abhidhamma must come
later. And the subject, namely Sati, has various
implications. One of these implications is 'Minful-
ness' whether the Abhidhamma accepts it or not or
adds to it something more, it is interesting to note.
The twenty-third is the Payasi Suttanta. Payasi was a
chieftain of Setavya. He entertained doubt as to the
existence of another world, of beings reborn
otherwise than from parents and of results of good or
bad deeds. Touching these questions, Payasi had a
long discussion with Kumara Kassapa. He had recourse
to similies and advanced childish arguments to
establish his doubt depending on analogy, the most
dangerous of all snares, put forward counter
arguments to prove the futility of Payasi's arguments
and at length succeeded in dispelling his doubt
altogether. Payasi became Kassapa's disciple. The
second part of the dialogue which is a sequel to the
first is similarly a dialogue between Payasi and his
disciple, Uttara, in which the latter succeeds in
persuading the former to set up gifts in faith. The
dialogue closes with a reference to the heavens where
the teacher and the pupil were reborn after death.
The third part which is a sequel to the second is
also a dialogue between the Venerable Gavampati and
the god Payasi in the lonely Serissaka Mansion. The
story of Payasi's conversion and pious gifts with
their heavenly reward, "seems to have been invented
in order just to allay the fear caused in theological
circles by atheistical propaganda of the powerful
chieftain and philosopher."
(Heaven and Hell in Buddhist Perspective,
Appendix P. XVI). It deals with moon god and sun god,
message from the dead, escape of the soul, search for
the soul, and right and wrong sacrifice.
The twenty-fourth is the Patika
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Suttanta. Prof. Rhys Davids gives a fair and
uncontroverted comment on the style and contents of
this Suttanta. In his introduction to this Suttanta,
he writes that this Suttanta is concerned really
with only two topics, firstly that of mystic wonders
and secondly that of the origin of things. The former
has been dealt with much better and more fully in the
Kevaddha Suttanta, the latter, here treated quite
curtly and by way of appendix only, is fully
discussed below in the Agganma Suttanta.
The treatment here is clumsy. It is no doubt
intended to be both humorous and edifying. But the
humour is far removed from the delicate irony of the
Kevaddha and the Agganma. The fun is of the
pantomime variety; loud, and rather stupid. It is
funny perhaps to hear how a corpse gets slapped on
the back, wakes up just long enough to let the cat
out of the bag, and then falls back dead again; or
how an incompetent medicine-man gets stuck fast to
his seat, and wriggles about in his vain endeavours
to rise. But this sort of fun would appeal more
strongly to a music-hall audience, or to school boys
out for a holiday, than to those who are likely to
read it in this volume. And the supposed edification
is of the same order, As an argumentum ? ad
hominem, as propunded fort he enlightenment of the
very foolish Sunakkhatta (and this is just, after
all, what it purports to be), it may pass muster.
Whether it can have appealed to (or was even meant to
appeal to) wiser folk is very questionable. One gets
rather bored with the unwearied patience with which
the Tathagata is here represented as suffering fools
gladly. And it is difficult to bear with an author
who tells stories so foolish merely to prove that the
Tathagata is as good a magician as the best, and who
has the bad taste to put them into the mouth of the
Tathagata himself. Not only in style and taste does
this Suttanta differ from the others, but in doctrine
also it is opposed to them (Dialogues of the Buddha,
pt. iii,
The subject matter is that Sunakkhatta, a
Licchavi, was at first a pupil of the Buddha.
Thereafter he left Buddha's order and misinterpreted
the doctrine of the Buddha. The Master refuted his
arguments and himself explained his own doctrine.
The twenty-fifth is the Udambarika Sihanada
Suttanta which deals with different kinds of
asceticism. The Buddha explains the evil effect of
them. He explains the life of a real brahmacari.
The twenty-sixth is the Cakkavatti Sihanada
Suttanta which describes that Buddha instructs his
disciples to practise four satipatthanas and it deals
with the life of Dalhanemi, a universal monarch. It
is rather like a fairy tale the moral whereof is the
use and influence of the Norm. The moral has been
proclaimed in a thoroughgoing and uncompromising
manner, but not in so argumentative a way as is
found in modern treatises on ethics or philosophy.
The authors have stated their views merely leaving
the gospel to be accepted or rejected by the hearers.
"The
p.119
Buddha is represented in this Suttanta as setting
out his idea of conquest (not without ironical
references to the current ideas) and then as
inculcating the observance of the Dhamma-- the
Norm--as the most important force for the material
and moral progress of mankind." (Dialogues of the
Buddha, pt. III, p.53).
The twenty-seventh is the Agganna Suttanta. In
dealing with the claims of the Brahman, this Suttanta
establishes that good conduct is higher than caste.
The evolution of the world man and society has been
treated of herein but the treatment does not appear
to be satisfactory in the face of the scientifically
developed modern ideas on the subject. This suttanta
also deals with the origin of the four castes,
Brahmanas, Ksatriyas, Vaisyas and Sudras, and
concludes by preaching that righteousness is above
lineage.
The twenty-eighth is the Sampasadaniya Suttanta
which speaks of the excellences of the Buddha in a
manner edifying and comprehensive.
The twenty-ninth is the Pasadika Suttanta. The
notable feature that is of some importance to a
student of religion is the conditions of a perfect
religion. Interesting reading is the mention of the
characteristics of the Tathagata. The treatment of
wrong views about the past and the future appears to
be commonplace and has no special importance from a
literary point of view.
The thirtieth is the Lakkhana Suttanta which
mentions in detail thirty-two signs, the possessor
whereof is marked as a great man or superman as
termed by Rhys Davids.
The thirty-first is the Singalovada Suttanta
which deals with the duties of a householder. It has
been translated into English by Grimblot in Sept
Suttas Palis (Paris, 1876) by Gogerly in J.R.A.S.
Ceylon Branch, 1847, and by R.C. Childers in the
Contemporary Review, London, 1876.
We agree with Rhys Davids when he says " Anyway,
the Buddha's doctrine of love and goodwill between
man and man is here set forth in a domestic and
social ethics with more comprehensive detail than
elsewhere. In a Canon compiled by members of a
religious order and largely concerned with the mental
experiences and ideals of recluses, and with their
outlook on the world, it is of great interest to
find in it a Sutta entirely devoted to the outlook
and relations of the layman on and to his
surroundings. And the discourse was felt to possess
this interest in the long past by Buddhaghosa, or by
the tradition he handed on, or by both. In this
Sutta, he writes,'nothing in the duties of housemen
is left unmentioned. This Suttanta is called the
Vinaya of the Houseman. Hence in one who practises
what he has been taught in it, growth is to he looked
for, and not decay.' And truly we may say even now of
this Vinaya, or code of discipline, so fundamental
are the human interests involved, so sane and wide is
the wisdom that envisages them, that the
p.120
utterances are as fresh and practically as
binding to-day and here as they were then at
Rajagaha. 'Happy would have been the village or the
clan on the banks of the Ganges, where the people
were full of the kindly spirit of fellow-feeling, the
noble spirit of justice which breathes through these
naive and simple sayings. The object of the young
Sigala's open-air matins will seem unfamiliar to the
readers who are more accustomed to the names of Vedic
deities surviving in the allusions scattered
throughout these dialogues--to Brahma and Prajapati,
Indra and Soma, Varuna and Isana. (Dialogues of the
Buddha pt. III, pp. 168-169).
The thirty-second is the Atanatiya Suttanta which
mentions gods, gandhabbas and yakkhas who are not
pleased with the Buddha. It treats of driving them
away if they attack Buddha's upasakas, and upasikas.
It is a manta to get rid of evil spirits.
The thirty-third is the Sangiti Suttanta which
deals with the teachings of the Buddha in numerical
order.
The thirty-fourth is the Dasuttara Suttanta which
narrates the teachings of the Buddha, ten in a group.