Suggestions, pending @Brahmali’s approval.
###DN 16 Mahāparinibbāna
Much of this text presents a realistic account of the Buddha’s last days. It is presumably based on the recollections by Ānanda following the Buddha’s death. As it stands, however, it is a highly composite text, with many later additions. The length and complexity of the text, as well as the wealth of parallels, make it hard to generalize. However, later portions include:
- Certain extensions to the doctrinal passages appear to have had extra material added from elsewhere in the nikayas, such as the lists of things preventing decline and the lists of “eights” following the causes of earthquakes.
- The Buddha’s predictions about Pataliputa seem a little too politically convenient, as well as being uncharacteristic.
- The section on the Buddha’s hints to Ānanda has been expanded with many places added.
- The miracle of the Buddha’s transfiguration is probably late.
- The summary verse at the end of various sections are certainly late additions by the redactors: DN 16#428-429, DN 16#463, DN 16#466-468.
- The Buddha’s advice to Ānanda on women is late. See Sujato’s note here.
- The story of Mahākassapa’s late arrival appears to have been inserted to provide mythic authority for him as the transmitter of the Dhamma.
- The closing verses, which introduce the tooth relic, are certainly a late addition, as stated by the commentary.
###DN 17 Mahāsudassana
This discourse was expanded from the small core on King Mahāsudassana found in DN 16#541-544.
- Style: elaborate and fanciful, reminiscent of later literature.
- Parallels: The Sanskrit text of this is much shorter, and remains within the Mahāparinirvāna Sūtra itself. Note that the Pali text has significant parallels within the Pali canon, notably SN 22.96.
- Genre: The expanded text has been made into a Jātaka.
- Trumpishness: Okay, this is not normally a textual criterion, but seriously, all that gold and silver? So tacky!
###DN 18 Janavasabha
Like DN 17, this has been expanded from a short passage in DN 16, namely the explanation of the rebirths of the people of Nādika. (DN 16#165ff) Again like DN 17, this has a parallel in the Samyutta, namely SN 55.8.
- Doctrine: The basic idea seems odd to start with, as the Buddha is not usually depicted making such wholesale statements about rebirth destinies. But DN 18 expands this to extremes.
- Geography: Contains an unusual description of ten janapadas. While staying within the realm of the EBTs, this indicates a more precise and comprehensive geography than we normally find.
- Vocabulary: uses the term paricāraka to describe lay followers, which is apparently unique in the EBTs. The term means “servant”, “devotee” and expresses a different attitude to the lay community than does upāsaka, “one who sits close”. The parallels in DN 16 and SN 55.8 use upāsaka.
- Narrative: the narrative structure is clumsy and labored.
- Consistency: As noted by Maurice Walshe, the Buddha makes heavy weather of answering questions that elsewhere in the suttas he answers immediately.
- Coherence: Despite the laborious narrative setting up a simple question, the fate of the Magadhan devotees is not actually answered. The text diverts into a lengthy discussion among the gods.