A collection of Early Buddhist material not found in the Pali Nikayas and Chinese Agamas

The Sūtra of Questions Regarding Death & Transmigration (pg. 36) contains interesting details and 8 analogies regarding rebirth that do not appear to be found in the Nikayas. It would be helpful if you could provide references or information showing how the content relates to EBT so that we may compare with the Nikayas and Agamas. From the online translation (84000 Reading Room | Questions Regarding Death and Transmigration), the translator’s introduction states:

Questions Regarding Death and Transmigration is a short sūtra set in Kapilavastu that explains Buddhist views on death via a dialogue between the Buddha and his father, King Śuddhodana. King Śuddhodana observes the brahmanical funeral rites for a fellow member of the Śākya clan called Nandaja.1”

Note 1 states: “ A natural reconstruction from the Tib. dga’ skyes. However, there seems to be no information on this individual. There is, for example, nothing relevant in G.P. Malalasekera’s Dictionary of Pali Proper Names or in Negi .”

A search of SuttaCentral shows ‘0 results for Nandaja’.

Any clues for linking this Tibetan sutra with the Nikayas or Agamas?

1 Like

The main reasons where: 1. the location of the sutra in the Tibetan canon (its in a cluster of texts which are mostly EBTs), 2. I read it and did not see anything that was totally alien to the EBTs.

Like I said in the introduction, I chose to err on the side of inclusivity.

4 Likes

Thanks for your response. Professor Skilling points to a link to Nagarjuna in note 9.
"Skilling (1997), p. 255: “The eight similes are not only identical to those of the Pratītyasamutpādahṛdaya-kārikā, but also occur in a very similar order: this is
sufficient to establish a relationship between the two texts. We may therefore conclude that one of the texts is referring to the other. Since the similes are not only listed in the sūtra, but also described at length, and since the similes are only a part of the long sūtra, of which they form a natural component, I suggest that it is Nāgārjuna who has based his verse on the sūtra, and not the composer or editor of the sūtra who has adapted Nāgārjuna’s verse into his text. **It is **
indeed characteristic of Nāgārjuna’s style to give brief paraphrases of canonical passages in his important works, such as the Madhyamaka-kārikās, the Ratnāvalī, and the Suhṛllekha.” Skilling points out that Sanskrit and Tibetan texts of Nāgārjuna’s verse 5 have the eight analogies in slightly different orders, but that the order in the sūtra is exactly the same as that in the Tibetan of verse 5.

4 Likes

Fascinating, I did not know this sutra was referenced by Nagarjuna!

I really wish I had access to the Skilling translations and study of the Mahasutras!

3 Likes

Thanks, Bhante!

I typed Nandī dukkhassa

19

…and the Wheel is still turning. :hourglass:

The site looks very promising however!

1 Like