Assaji's Beautiful Brief Restatement: To Dr Desmond Chiong

Dear Dhamma Friends,

The following post is my reply to Dr Desmond Chiong who kindly shared
important information with us regarding Mahakassapa and Ananda from
the Mahayana perspective.

The post contains my translation of a Vinaya Atthakathaa quote, and
some observations.

I hope that you also find the post useful.

Suan


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Dear Dr Des

Thank you for your kind comments on the post (Assaji's Beautiful
Brief Restatement), and for filling in more details for the post.

You also wrote:

"BUT ACCORDDING TO THE MAHAYANA
THE BUDDHA'S TWO MAIN DISCIPLES ARE:
MAHAKASAPA AND ANANDA."

I found this information new and very exciting.

In one very important way, the Mahayana acceptance of Mahakassapa and
Anada as Two Main Disciples of the Buddha is very significant.

The reason?

The whole of the Pali Tipitaka we now have is the version of
Mahakassapa and Ananda because these two senior Arahants, together
with Upaali, the Best Expert in Vinaya Practice (Vinayadhara
Etadaggam), and other four hundred and ninety seven senior Arahants,
recited, compiled and approved the Pali Tipi.taka at the First
Congress Recital (Pathama Sangaayanaa). 

The Five Hundred Senior Arahants chosen by Mahakassapa for the First
Congress Recital were the highest Arahants with Superhuman powers as
the following quote shows.

"Thero ... tipi.takasabbapariyattippabhedadhare
pa.tisambhidaappatte   mahaanubhaave   yebhuyyena   bhagavataa 
etadaggam aaropite   tevijjaadibhede   khii.naasavabhikkhuuyeva 
ekuunapañcasate  pariggahesi."

"Mahakassapa Thero … selected 499 ascetics who had to be Arahants
only, experts in all the fields of Tipi.taka instructional matters,
specialists in analysis, superhumanly powerful, most of them elevated
as the Best In Their Fields by the Buddha Bhagavataa in the
distinctions such as Three Knowledges and the like."

The above statement was made before Mahakassapa selected Ananda who
was yet to become an Arahant just prior to the First Congress Recital.

The above quote can be found in Pathamasangiitikathaa,
Parajikaka.n.dha Atthakathaa, Vinayapi.taka Atthakathaa, Vol. 1, page
6.

The followers of the Pali Tipitaka are called Theravaadiis because
the Pali Tipitaka was compiled, recited and approved by the Senior
Arahants headed by Mahakassapa Thero.

The Buddha himself was also a Senior Arahant. For example, Namo Tassa
Bhagavato, ARAHATO, Sammaasambuddhassa.

Therefore, Theravaada means the Teaching or Doctrine Of the Senior
Arahants.

Similarly, Theravaada Buddhism means Buddhism of the Senior Arahants.
A Theravaada Buddhist is someone who follows the Teaching of the
Senior Arahants.

In passing, though, I must say that some scholars regarded Pali
Buddhism as one thing and Theravada Buddhism as another.

In my opinion, those scholars were misguided.

Only Theravaadiis preserved and looked after Pali Tipi.taka, and
regularly conducted Congress Recitals of Pali Tipi.taka, now already
six times, twice in Myanmar.

Thank you again for your kind information on Mahakassapa and Ananda
from the Mahayana perspective.

With kind regards,

Suan

http://www.bodhiology.org