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菴羅樹經

Pronunciations

Basic Meaning: Ambaṭṭha-sutta

Senses:

  • A text by this name is referenced in “The All-pleasing Commentary on the Vinaya” 善見律毘婆沙, saying "There are three kinds of knowledge 三知. There are also eight kinds of knowledge 八知. [The three kinds of knowledge] are explained in the Bhayabherava-sutta 三界經. You yourselves should know the eight kinds of knowledge , which furthermore are [explained in the] Ambaṭṭha-sutta 菴羅樹經. The knowledge of samādhi, the knowledge of supranormal power, and [the knowledge of each of] the six supranormal cognitive abilities together constitute the eight kinds of knowledge."  知者三知、亦有八知。於三界經中說有八知。汝自當知、復次菴羅樹經。三昧知神通知六通、合爲八知。 The BDK translation above says the text mentioned here in the Commentary, the Anluoshu jing 菴羅樹經, refers to a text called the Ambaṭṭha-sutta. Information from the Online Sutta Correspondence Project (SuttaCentral.net) says a text named Ambaṭṭha-sutta found in the Dighā Nikāya, at DN i 87 corresponds to two different texts. The first is in the Chinese translation of the Dīrghâgama  長阿含經 found at T 1.1.82a6 called the Amozhou jing or Ambaṭṭha Sūtra 阿摩晝經, the second is a text called the Sutra on the Buddhaʼs Enlightening of Ambaṭṭha 佛開解梵志阿颰經, found at T 20.1 259c. The title of the text mentioned in the Commentary (i.e. Anluoshu jing 菴羅樹經) and title of these extant translated texts seem to be similar enough that we might assume they refer to the same text.

    As seen above, the Commentary mentions that this Anluoshu jing 菴羅樹經 explains 'eight types of knowledge' 八知, and so if the Anluoshu jing 菴羅樹經 indeed was a reference to the Ambaṭṭha-sutta, we would assume that their content would be similar, and that the Ambaṭṭha-sutta would mention eight types of knowledge. Although the Ambaṭṭha-sutta is mostly known for how the Buddha depicts the caste system and what it means to be 'noble,' based on the translation by T.W. Rhys Davis in PTS (Pali Text Society) Vol. I, the text does in fact mention several kinds of 'wisdom,' therefore, we can preliminarily say that the Anluoshu jing 菴羅樹經 mentioned in the Commentary does seem to refer, or at least be related to the Pāli Ambaṭṭha Sūtra. The relationship the text may have to the texts found in the Chinese translation of the Agamas still needs to be researched. 〔善見律毘婆沙 T 1462.24.696a27

    [Thomas Newhall]
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    Entry created: 2013-02-27

    Updated: 2015-08-03