Rushibhashit Sutra

Author(s): Vinaysagar, Sagarmal Jain, Kalanath Shastri, Dineshchandra Sharma
Publisher: Prakrit Bharti Academy

Page 203

tradition there is a mention of a Brahman named Pingiyani, who lived in Vaishali and was a follower of Buddha. Sanyutta Nikaya also mentions a Pingi Bhikshuk who attained Arhathood. Suttanipat also mentions Maharshi Pingi. In the Parayan Vagga of Suttanipat, initially Maharshi Pingi is said to be a disciple of Bavari. Maharshi Pingi is one of the sixteen disciples of Bavari. He has been addressed with adjectives like-Lok Vishrut (famous), Dhyani (mendicant), having refined past life Karma, Gani (leader). In the Pingi Manavak Puccha Sutta of Parayan Vagga the dialogue between Buddha and Pingi has been narrated. Here Pingi describes his old age to Buddha and says that he is delapidated, weak, bad complexioned; his eyes and ears are not fully functioning. Stating thus he seeks discourse from Buddha so that he may be rid of life and death and does not, in process, beget death with attachment.
Buddha preaches Pingi to be alert and end desires. These details from Suttanipat clearly indicate that Ping was contemporary of Buddha but senior to him in age. The information about his being a disciple of Buddha, available in Suttunipat, is for the purpose of glorifying Buddha's field of influence. As such the description available in Suttanipat, cannot be accepted verbatim. Prof. C.M. Upasak253 has conveyed the possibility of Pingi or Pingiyani of Pali literature being a different person and not the Ping of Rishibhashit. According to him, Ping of Rishibhashit was an ancient Rishi who started the tradition of Pingi or Pingiyani monks.
I have no objection agreeing to the inference drawn by Prof. Upasak. It is a possibility that some Pingiyani of the tradition of Ping Rishi may have been converted into Buddhism. But, probably, Prof. Upasak has not noticed the above mentioned narration from Suttanipat. He is probably refering to the Pingiyani of Anguttar-Nikaya and Samyutta-Nikaya. Suttanipat has mentioned that he was a disciple of Bavari, as such here Ping indicates person not sect. Also the adjectives like leader of the people, famous in the land, mendicant and others have been given to his name as an individual. He was certainly elder to Buddha.
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