Studies in the Origins of Buddhism c9.64

c9.64

Sutta 144.—Sutta 144 relates the last moments of Channa, who commits suicide. That custom is an old one finding its parallel among the Jinists.³⁰ It is true that the sutta contains a section in catechistic style on the "Anattahood" of the senses, the sense-perceptions and the "sense-perceptible" objects. But that is far from being any certain indication of lateness. On the other hand, the following words of Mahācunda addressed to Channa seem to contain a quotation with a decidedly archaic imprint “Tasmātiha, āvuso channa, idaṃ pi tassa Bhagavato sāsanaṃ niccakappaṃ manasikātabbaṃ; nissitassa calitaṃ anissitassa calitaṃ natthi; calite asati passaddhi,* passaddhiyā sati nati na hoti; natiyā asati āgatigati na hoti; āgatigatiyā asati cutūpapāto na hoti; cutūpapāte asati n’en’edha na huraṃ na ubhayamantarena es’evanto dukkhassāti.”³¹ The style of this passage may be compared with that of the passage in the Devadaha sutta³² which summarizes the Jinist doctrine. Again, the following sentence of Buddha, who does not condemn the action of Channa,³³ is hardly harmonious with the Anatta doctrine as understood later—“Yo kho Sāriputta, imañca kāyaṃ nikkhipati aññañca kāyaṃ upādiyati, tamahaṃ sa-upavajjoti vadāmi.”³⁴