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Partial parallel to MA 116?

Kongmu Shi 10 years ago updated by Sujato Bhikkhu 10 years ago 4

Hi there Ajahn Sujato! 


Hope things are very well for you.


I have a quick question about partial parallels on Sutta Central.


I just came across a section in the《大智度論》that quotes MA 116 (

T01n0026_p0607b10 -b15 = 阿難。當知女人不得行五事。若女人作如來.無所著.等正覺。及轉輪王.天帝釋.魔王.大梵天者。終無是處。當知男子得行五事。若男子作如來.無所著.等正覺。及轉輪王.天帝釋.魔王.大梵天者。必有是處。) about a woman's inability, among other things, to become a Buddha. 


The Pali parallel cited on Sutta Central is AN 8.51 (Gotami). However AN 8.51 seems to lack this particularly important passage. 


A parallel passage can be found in MN 115, the Bahudhātuka Sutta - 15. “He understands: ‘It is impossible, it cannot happen that a woman could be an Accomplished One, a Fully Enlightened One—there is no such possibility.’ And he understands: ‘It is possible that a man might be an Accomplished One, a Fully Enlightened One—there is such a possibility.’ He understands: ‘It is impossible, it cannot happen that a woman could be a Wheel-turning Monarch…that a woman could occupy the position of Sakka [66]…that a woman could occupy the position of Māra…that a woman could occupy the position of Brahmā—there is no such possibility.’ And he understands: ‘It is possible that a man might be a Wheel-turning Monarch…that a man might occupy the position of Sakka…that a man might occupy the position of Māra…that a man might occupy the position of Brahmā—there is such a possibility.’


I don't know what you are doing regarding partial parallels, but thought I'd bring this up here. I'm not qualified to do much in the way of textual comparisons, so I may be missing something. Just that this passage is fairly unique and important, I wondered if it may want to be included in MA 116's citations.


With much mettā,


--Kongmu

With apologies for my lack of thoroughness, here's another Pali reference to that passage at AN 1.279-283:  “It is impossible and inconceivable, bhikkhus, that a woman could be an arahant who is a perfectly enlightened Buddha … (280) … that a woman could be a wheel-turning monarch … (281) … that a woman could occupy the position of Sakka … (282) … that a woman could occupy the position of Māra … (283) … that a woman could occupy the position of Brahmā; there is no such possibility. But it is possible that a man could occupy the position of Brahmā; there is such a possibility.” 

Hi Ven,


Thanks for this suggestion, I will pass this on to Rod Bucknell, who is our "master of parallels."

Ok. Thanks, Bhante... 

Just had the chance to meet Rod a few weeks ago here in Taiwan, and spent a very pleasant couple of hours with him and a few other visiting scholars. Super nice man...

+1

That he most certainly is. A true gentleman, and an excellent scholar.