Buddha: His Life, his Doctrine, his Order c8.33

c8.33

∗ Moreover, there is in the external form of the Sûtra, and Vinaya texts a point which essentially contributes to explain this receding of narratives of Buddha’s youth. Inasmuch as these texts, with inconsiderable exceptions, do not contain arbitrary communications, couched in a freely chosen form, but always an instructive speech of Buddha or an ordinance prescribed by Buddha for his disciples, it was only occurrences in his career as Buddha which could be chosen for the introductory narratives on the occasions which called for these utterances of Buddha; his youth could only be touched on in occasional allusions or by putting in his own mouth communications regarding that period of his life.