Themes and Repetitions

Below are themes and repeating passages from the six chapters of the Mahāparinibbāna sutta. The blue text signifies a shared section or theme, the red text indicates a unique section or theme, and the green text connotes a theme that is both shared and unique.

THEMES IN MAHĀPARINIBBĀNA SUTTA

THEMES IN SHARED SECTIONS	THEMES IN UNIQUE SECTIONS	THEMES IN BOTH SHARED AND UNIQUE SECTIONS
Imparting teachings to royalty to prepare for the Buddha’s passing Politics 1:1-5 Shared; indication of political and historical significance in wider context of Indian Buddhism/India Imparting teachings to brethren to prepare them for the Buddha’s passing Bikkhu codes of conduct/life; welfare of bikkhu community 1:8 1:16-17 Outlines very specific bikkhu codes of conduct/life - shared because well-accepted, meant to be widespread doctrine; applicable to future monastic order Discourse on karma and morality 1:23-24 The doctrine of being mindful and thoughtful 2:13-15 Four truths 4:2-3 Four Great References 4:7-11 Imparting teachings to individuals to prepare them for the Buddha’s passing "Religious discourse" 2:16-17 (Ambapâli) 2:21-22 (Likkhavis of Vesâli) Imparting teachings to Ânanda to prepare him for the Buddha’s passing “Be refuge to the truth" 2:27-35 Prompting of Ânanda, Eight Causes of Earthquakes, Eight Assemblies, Eight Fields of Mastery, Eight Liberations, Understanding delusion, accepting impermanence, the stages of deliverance, and the cessation of sensations and ideas 3:1-42 These final teachings and stories about them are repeated likely due to the great weight given to the last teachings the Buddha ever imparted, which are apparently corroborated and thus accepted by a multiplicity of Pâli canonical texts Gods/spirits preparing for the Buddha’s passing Don’t block the Buddha 5:10 Preparing all for the Buddha’s passing; imparting final teachings Sites for Pilgrimage 5:16-22 Persons worthy of a dâgaba 5:27-31 Praise of Ânanda 5:36 Proclaiming Kusinârâ worthy to be Buddha’s final passing place 5:41-44 Important in broader context of Buddhist traditions, as this becomes a pilgrimage site as well; explains why this is the location at which he attains parinirvâna The Last Convert 5:60, 63 Reactions following the Buddha’s final passing Sakka 6:16 Pâvâ Brethren 6:39 Subhadda 6:40 Mahâ Kassapa 6:41	Imparting teachings to brethren to prepare them for the Buddha’s passing COMPREHENSIVE RELIGIOUS TALK ON the nature of upright conduct, earnest contemplation, and intelligence ("faith, reason, and works”) 1:12-15 1:12 Vulture’s Peak 1:14 Ambalatthikâ 1:18 1:18 Pavârika mango grove 2:4, 11 2:4 Kotigâma 2:11 Nâdika 2:25 2:25 Ambapâli's mango grove in Vesâli 4:4 4:4 Bhanda-gâma 4:12 4:12 Bhoga-gâma PATTERN: MPNS COMPILER SPRINKLES OTHER PALI TEXTS WITH FORMULA OF “COMPREHENSIVE RELIGIOUS TALK” AND THEN MOVING ON TO NEW CITY Four Noble Truths 2:2 Mirror of Truth 2:8-10 Four earnest meditations, the fourfold great struggle against sin, the four roads to saintship, the five moral powers, the five organs of spiritual sense, the seven kinds of wisdom, and the noble eightfold path” 3:64-66 Last request for enquiries; the brethren are ready 6:5-10 Imparting teachings to Ânanda to prepare him for the Buddha’s passing Explaining to Ânanda that the Blessed One’s Passing has always been coming 3:43-63 Consoling Ânanda 5:32-35 Reminder that the truths and rules of the order are now the Teacher; further codes for the brethren 6:1-4 Gods/spirits preparing for the Buddha’s passing Heavens honor Buddha with raining flowers, music, and song 5:1-9 Some gods and spirits lament, some understand impermanence and look on with calm self-possession 5:11-15 Preparing all for the Buddha’s passing; imparting final teachings Teachings on Women 5:23 What to be done with the body of the Buddha 5:24-26 Praise of Ânanda 5:37-40 Visiting of the Kusinârâ Officials (Mallas) 5:45-51 The Last Convert (Subhadda) 5:52-59 5:61-62 The Buddha’s Final Nirvana Buddha attains nirvana 6:11-13 Reactions following the Buddha’s final passing Earth 6:14 Brahmâ 6:15 Anuruddha 6:17 Ânanda 6:18 6:15-18: “The way in which the death of the Buddha would be regarded, as the early Buddhist thought, by four representative persons” (Davids 118) Brethren 6:19-21 The Mallas and their families 6:24 Cremation of the Buddha and the Distribution of Relics Cremation and Relic Distribution 6:42-62	Overall categories of themes are in both shared and unique sections, but sub-themes appear in SHARED or UNIQUE sections only OVERALL THEMES IN BOTH SHARED AND UNIQUE SECTIONS: Imparting teachings to brethren, Ânanda; gods/spirits preparing; and preparing all for the final passing of the Buddha

REPETITIONS IN MAHĀPARINIBBĀNA SUTTA

REPETITIONS IN SHARED SECTIONS	REPETITIONS IN UNIQUE SECTIONS	REPETITIONS IN BOTH SHARED & UNIQUE SECTIONS
“So long may [they] be expected not to decline, but to prosper.” 15 total repetitions, all in Chapter 1: 1:4-5 3 repetitions 1:6-11 12 repetitions	“[The Blessed One] held that comprehensive religious talk with the brethren on the nature of upright conduct, and of earnest contemplation, and of intelligence.  ‘Great is the fruit, great the advantage of earnest contemplation when set round with upright conduct.  Great is the fruit, great the advantage of intellect when set round with earnest contemplation.  The mind set round with intelligence is freed from the great evils, that is to say, from sensuality, from individuality, from delusion, and from ignorance.” 8 total repetitions, spanning from Chapter 1 to 4: 1:12 1 repetition each 1:14  1:18  2:4  2:11 2:25 4:4 4:12 PATTERN: MPNS COMPILER SPRINKLES OTHER PALI TEXTS WITH FORMULA OF “COMPREHENSIVE RELIGIOUS TALK” AND THEN MOVING ON TO NEW CITY “Whosoever has thought out and developed, practiced, accumulated, and ascended to the very heights of the four paths to saintship, and so mastered them as to be able to use them as a means of (mental) advancement, and as a basis for edification - he, should he desire it, could remain in the same birth for a kalpa, or for that portion of a kalpa which has yet to run." 5 total repetitions, all in Chapter 5: 3:54 1 repetition each 3:56  3:59 3:60 3:62 The Buddha has always been destined for this; helping Ânanda to understand that it his time to finally pass away “When the Blessed One died, the venerable ___, at the moment of his passing away from existence, uttered these stanzas: 3 total repetitions, both in Chapter 6 6:15 6:17 6:18	“Then the Blessed One instructed and aroused and incited and gladdened ___ with religious discourse" 7 total repetitions, spanning from Chapter 2 to 4: 2:16-17 (Ambapâli) 2 repetitions 2:21-22 (Likkhavis of Vesâli) 2 repetitions 4:20 (Kunda) 1 repetition 4:46 (Pukkusa) 2 repetitions Also includes formula of meal invitation, dining and religious instruction/discourse, except in case of Pukkusa (4:46); present for Ambapâli (2:16-17), Likkhavis of Vesâli (2:21-22) and Kunda (4:20) “‘[Of those spirits/brethren who were not yet free from the passions,] some stretched out their arms and wept, and some fell headlong on the ground, rolling to and fro in anguish at the thought: “Too soon has the Blessed One died!  Too soon has the Happy One passed away from existence!  Too soon has the Light gone out in the world!'  But of those [spirits/brethren] who were free from the passions bore their grief collected and composed at the thought: 'Impermanent are all component things!  How is it possible that [they should not be dissolved?’" 5 total repetitions, spanning from Chapter 5 to 6: 5:12-14 (Gods; Buddha speaks to Ânanda prior to his death) 1 repetition 6:19 (Brethren; after Buddha's death) 1 repetition 6:21 (Spirits; Anuruddha speaks to Ânanda after the Buddha’s death) 1 repetition 6:24 (the Mallas and their families; after the Buddha’s death) 1 repetition; this one lacks the counter-side/duality of those who understand impermanence 6:39 (Pâvâ Brethren; after Buddha's death) 1 repetition (nearly identical phrasing but not entirely verbatim)