A History of Indian Literature v2.c19.s5.34

v2.c19.s5.34

A work which is probably as early as the earliest portions of the Milindapañha, and which also possibly dates far enough back to have been written in India, is the Netti-Pakaraṇa, also called Netti-Gandha, or simply Netti, "The Book of Guidance" (*viz.*, to the True Religion).¹ This is the earliest work which offers a connected treatment of the whole of the teaching of Buddha; it is possibly earlier than the last two books of the Abhidhammapiṭaka,² and is ascribed to no less a person than Mahākaccāna, the disciple of Buddha, who, as far back as in the Majjhimanikāya, was proclaimed to be the best expounder of the word of Buddha.³ The same Mahākaccāna is also said to have composed the Peṭakopadesa, "Instruction of the students of the Piṭakas,"⁴ a continuation of the Netti, and most likely not much later than this last-named work. A commentary on the Netti was written by Dhammapāla (probably in the fifth century A. D.).