Studies in the Origins of Buddhism c8.79

c8.79

There is another circumstance that deserves to be noticed; on p. 28 (DN. II Nāg ed.) para 21 (Ib) ends thus—“Nirodho nirodho ti kho bhikkhave Vipassissa Bodhisattassa pubbe ananussutesu dhammesu cakkhum udapādi, ñāṇaṃ udapādi, paññā udapādi, vijjā udapādi, āloko udapādi.” After this we have yet another para before the Bhāṇavāra ends, and it proceeds thus—“Atha kho bhikkhave vipassī Bodhisatto aparena samayena pañcasu upādānakkhandhesu udayabyayānupassī vihāsi: iti rūpaṃ etc. . . . Tassa pañcasu . . . viharato na cirasseva anupādāya āsavehi cittaṃ vimucci.” The implication is that “freedom” does not follow immediately from “knowledge”. This is in direct contradiction to other more authentic reports of the doctrine; and is in itself quite untenable. The explanation would seem to be that we have here an interpolation by some over-enthusiast of the Five Khandha theory who, finding all reference to this doctrine missing in what precedes, thought it to append it here as a remedy.