DN14 Mahāpadāna, by Alexander Duncan

[thomaslaw]

@josephzizys

… the 4 principle Nikayas are universally regarded as “early”. …
As far as I am aware there is no scholarly work that asserts that any part of DN is significantly later than the rest of the material in the 4 principle Nikayas

@sujato

Yes, but of course, the scope of the EBTs covers a fairly wide range. In one sense they are all “early” (compared to later texts), but they obviously don’t all stem from the time of the Buddha. In the case of DN 14, I haven’t really studied the dating in depth.

Even though DN/DA is part of the four principle Nikayas/Agamas, Ven. Yin Shun in his findings suggests that DN/DA was developed and expanded from the Geya (祇夜) anga portion of SN/SA.

Stratification of the Suttas

Regarding DN/DA (長阿含), Ven. Yin Shun states it was developed and expanded from the Geya (祇夜) anga portion of SA/SN. The following is the quotation, in Chapter 10, Section 4, from the book The Formation of Early Buddhist Texts by Ven. Yin Shun: 第四節 結說 經上來的比對研究，「四阿含」（「四部」）的成立，可得到幾點明確的認識。1.佛法的結集，起初是「修多羅」，次為「祇夜」、「記說」——「弟子所說」、「如來所說」。這三部分，為組成「雜阿含」（起初應泛稱「相應教」）的組成部分。「弟子所說」與「如來所說」，是附編於「蘊」、「處」、「因緣」、「菩提分法」——四類以下的。這是第一結集階段。 在「雜阿含」三部分的集成過程中，集成以後，都可能因經文的傳出而編入，文句也逐漸長起來了。 佛教界稟承佛法的宗本——「修多羅」，經「弟子所說」的學風，而展開法義…

Having checked on the DN/DA texts (e.g. DN 14 = DA 1), I can see the connection between Geya-anga portion of SN/SA and DN/DA texts.

Cf. Ven. Yinshun: Samyutta/Samyukta Buddhism