Explaining the astounding lack of interest by other schools in the Parayanavagga

[sujato]

The non-Pali traditions that we have are almost all northern in origin. That’s why they have Upagupta (from Mathura), while we have the Parayanavagga and Atthakavagga.

Was the Suttanipāta compiled in the south?

Normally we assume that the EBT collections were compiled in the central regions of the Middle Country, around Rajagaha, etc. But the Suttanipāta is somewhat unusual, in that it has no counterpart in the northern collections. Certain portions of it are found, but as independent texts, and there seems to be no equivalent to the text as a whole. One of the most striking portions of the text is the Vatthugatha of the final chapter, which is set in Assaka, which is further south than anywhere else …