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No. 33.]
A NOTE ON THE PRATITYA SAMUTPADA SUTRA.
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It is however clear that the Nālandā text did not exactly belong either to the Samyukta or to any other Agama. Though the translation of Hiuan Tsang is included in the Agama volume of the Chinese Tripitaka, it does not precisely form part of any of the Agamas there. It is printed there at the end of the Samyuktāgama. It probably shows that Hiuan Tsang himself as well as the later Chinese writers on the Tripitaka had some doubts about the canonical character of the text. As Vasubandhu in all probability flourished towards the beginning of the 5th Century A.D. and commented on the text, it must have been in existence before that time.
The Pratītyasamutpāda formula is mentioned in very ancient texts. The Sūtrālaṁkāra of Ašvaghosha, now preserved only in a Chinese translation made by Kumārajīva, narrates the story of the conversion of the Brahman Kausika of Pătaliputra. This Brahman while searching sacred texts in the house of his relative came upon a Buddhist text called the "Sūtra of the twelve Nidānas," a study of which impressed him so much that he adopted the Buddhist faith.
The chronology of the texts therefore stands thus :
Kurram text (Pratītya-samutpäda) . . . . . Circa 100 A.D. Sūtrālamkāra Text (Pralityasamutpāda and Nirodha) . . Circa 100 A.D. Chinese Samyukta text (Pratio and Vibhanga) translated by
Guņabhadra in . . . . . . . 414 A.D. kasiã text (Pratityasamutpāda and Nirodha). . . . Circa 450-475 A.D.
Nālandā text (Pratio and Vibhanga) . . . . . Circa 500 A.D. This analysis, it seems to me, throws some light on the formation of the Canon. It shows that the Agamas were still in the process of formation, even shortly before the time of Vasubandhu (fifth century A. D.). In that case we must assume that the formation of the Pāli Nikāyas had not then been completed, as the Samyutta text of Desanā and Vibhanga not only embodies all the elements of the texts just analysed (viz. Pratītyao, Nirodha and Vibhanga) but its Vibhanga is much more developed than in the Sanskrit text. The late date of at least parts of the Pāli canon, as established in this case, has also been hinted by other scholars.
I give below an English rendering of the Chinese text (No. 628 Yuan ki king of Nanjio's catalogue) which closely corresponds to the Sanskrit text recovered from Nalandā.
The discourse on the chain of Dependent Production,
Thus have I heard. Once upon a time the Lord was staying at Srāvasti and residing in the garden of Anāthapindada in the Jēta forest with innumerable. Srāvakas, Bodhisattvas, gods and men. At that time the Lord said to the assembly of monks, I will (Oh monks) promulgate to
1 The text ran thus—“ The ignorance produces the samskåras, the samskäras produce the knowledge, the knowledge produces námarüpa, the latter produce the six senses, tho six senses contact, contact thirst, thirst attachment, attachment existence, existence birth, birth old age, death, suffering and sorrow. I ignorance is suppressed, the sathskaras are suppressed, the samsbāras suppressed the knowledge is suppressed, the knowledge suppressed the nämarüpa is suppressed, the ndmarüpa suppressed the six senses are suppressed, the six sensee suppressed contact is suppressed, contact suppressed thirst is suppressed, thirst suppressed attachment is suppressed, the attachment suppressed the existence is suppressed, the existence suppressed the birth is suppressed, birth, death, suffering and sorrow, all are suppressed" (E. Huber, Satralan kara, Paris, 1908).
* For Prakrit text Inscribed on the Kurram Casket, see Sten Konow, Kharoshthi Inscriptions, C. I. I., VOL. I, pt. 1, No. LXXX.
! [Tho Skt, text refers to 860 mtonka, bat not to śrävakas, Bodhisattvas, gods and men.'-Ed.)
