Summaries of Shared Sections

Below are the chapters, sections, summaries, quotes, and topics/themes found in the sections of the  Mahāparinibbāna sutta that are shared with other texts in the Pāli Canon. The section titles are taken from this website, as a helpful and more concise summary of these lengthy passages.

NOT UNIQUE TO MAHĀPARINIBBĀNA SUTTA; SHARED

CHAPTER 1

SECTION	SECTION TITLES (from website)	SUMMARY	QUOTES	TOPICS/THEMES
1-11	Part One: In Magadha Conditions of a Nation's Welfare Welfare of the Bhikkhus Seven Good Qualities Seven Factors of Enlightenment Seven Perceptions Six Conditions to be Remembered	(Chapter: Sections) 1:1-5 The king of Magadha sends Brâhman Vassakâra to the Buddha to receive Buddha’s prediction; king wants advice re: whether to attack the Vaggians; Buddha advises to not attack for the welfare of both sides involved 1:6-11 Buddha speaks to the bhikkus, or beggars/monks/“brethren,” residing in Râgagaha.  Buddha teaches bikkhus five sets of "seven conditions of the welfare of a community”/“seven conditions of welfare” and one set of six.  The conditions: (1) brethren meet in frequent assemblies, carry out duties in concord, establish no new rules of the order, honor/esteem elders, do not fall under influence of craving, live a life of solitude, and train their minds so that other holy men shall come to them; (2) do not engage in business, idle talk, slothfulness, indulgences of society, sinful desires, befriend sinful people, or stop on path to Nirvâna due to attaining “any lesser thing”; (3) be full of faith, modest in heart, afraid of sin, full of learning, strong in energy, active in mind, full of wisdom; (4) exercise sevenfold higher wisdom; (5) exercise sevenfold perception - perception of impermanency, of non-individuality, of corruption, of the danger of sin, of sanctification, of purity of heart, of Nirvâna; (6) kindness among saints, share equally with all brethren, live with the saints, by conduct of the saints, in the faith of the saints	“So long may they [the Vaggians] be expected not to decline, but to prosper.” - repeated end of Buddha’s advice, 1:4-5 (repeated thrice) “So long may the brethren be expected not to decline, but to prosper.” - 1:6-11 (repeated twelve times)	1:1-5 Royalty; advice regardingpolitics 1:8 Community; advice to bikkhusregarding welfare of bikkhu community(pre-monk order);bikkhu codes of conduct/life
16-17	Sariputta's Lion's Roar	1:16 Sâriputta professes utmost faith in the Buddha as the wisest being to ever exist; Buddha reminds Sâriputta that he has not witnessed all past and present beings, so he cannot make this broad claim; Sâriputta reiterates codes of conduct Buddha discloses to monks in 1:6-11 and proclaims that the Buddha, who has fully and wholly practiced these, has accordingly received the full fruition of Enlightenment		1:16-17 Sâriputta repeats lessons from1:6-11, reiterates that bikkhu codes of conduct/life, when followed to perfection, lead to the “full fruition of Enlightenment"
20-34	The Fruits of an Immoral and a Moral Life Crossing the Ganges	1:20-22 Buddha joined by disciples at Pâtaligâma 1:23 Buddha describes the “Fivefold loss of the wrong-doer through his want of rectitude" 1:24 Buddha describes the “Fivefold gain of the well-doer through his practice of rectitude" 1:25 Buddha retreats into private chamber 1:26-32 Chief ministers of Magadha were building a fortress to repel the Vaggians; they dine with the Buddha, the Buddha thanks them and mentions giving gifts to gods for attaining merit 1:33-34 Buddha and brethren miraculously cross the Ganges River instantaneously, “vanishing” from one side and appearing on the other		1:23-24 Buddha outlines the losses and gains that result from the want or practice of rectitude;discourse on karma and morality(wrong-doers are reborn into an unhappy state of suffering/woe, well-doers are reborn into a happy state in heaven)

CHAPTER 2

SECTION	SECTION TITLES (from website)	SUMMARY	QUOTES	TOPICS/THEMES
13-24	Part Two: The Journey to Vesali Mindfulness and Clear Comprehension Ambapali and the Licchavis	2:13-15 Buddha instructs brethren on how to be mindful and thoughtful 2:16-24 Buddha provides religious instruction for Ambapâli and the Likkhavis of Vesâli, then dines with Ambapâli upon being invited for a meal the following day, sweet rice and cakes		2:13-15 The doctrine of being mindful and thoughtful(NOTE: according to Davids 29, “this doctrine of being ‘mindful and thoughtful’ is one of the lessons most frequently inculcated in the Pâli Canon, and is one of the ‘Seven Jewels of the Law’.”) 2:16-17, 22 Imparting teachings to individuals to prepare them for the Buddha’s passing
27-35	The Blessed One's Deadly Sickness	2:27-35 Buddha arrives in Vesâli during rainy season, becomes very ill (close to death!), then “by a strong effort of the will,” he “bends this sickness down again and [keeps his] hold on life”; Buddha heals self of illness to teach his final teachings before passing on; tells Ânanda he will die soon, and that all must “be lamps unto themselves” and “be refuge to themselves” and “be refuge to the truth”; preparing Ânanda, other disciples, self for the death of the Buddha	2:35 “‘And whosoever, Ânanda, either now or after I am dead, shall be a lamp unto themselves, and a refuge unto themselves, shall betake themselves to no external refuge, but holding fast to the truth as their lamp, and holding fast as their refuge to the truth, shall look not for refuge to anyone besides themselves - it is they, Ânanda, among  my bhikkus, who shall reach the very topmost Heigh! - but they must be anxious to learn.’"	2:27-35 Healing self of deathly sickness and instructing Ânanda; Preparing Ânanda/others for the Buddha’s passing

CHAPTER 3

SECTION	SECTION TITLES (from website)	SUMMARY	QUOTES	TOPICS/THEMES
1-42	Part Three: Relinquishing the Will to Live The Blessed One's Prompting Mara's Appeal The Blessed One Relinquishes His Will to Live Eight Causes of Earthquakes Eight Assemblies Eight Fields of Mastery Eight Liberations Mara's Former Temptation	3:1-6 Buddha tells Ânanda that he could live for the entirety of this kalpa if he so desired (if he were asked), but Ânanda failed to ask him to do so, for his mind was possessed by Mâra (“the Evil One"); this occurs thrice 3:7-10 Mâra tells Buddha to die now; Buddha proclaims he will not die until the brethren, sisters of the order, and lay-disciples are trained, taught, and equipped to carry on the teaching without the Buddha; Mâra gives allotted three months until Buddha will die, which the Buddha responded to by “deliberately and consciously rejecting the rest of his allotted sum of life,” causing an earthquake; relinquished his will to live 3:11-20 Buddha teaches Ânanda the eight causes of earthquakes 3:21-23 Buddha teaches Ânanda the eight assemblies 3:24-32 Buddha teaches Ânanda "the eight positions of mastery over the delusion arising from the apparent permanence of external things" 3:33-42 Buddha teaches Ânanda the eight stages of deliverance “from the hindrance to thought arising from the sensations and ideas due to external forms"		3:1-42 Preparing Ânanda/others/self for the Buddha’s passing, warding off Mâra/Evil, relinquishing will to live,transmitting final teachings (to Ânanda) 3:24-42 Final teachings re: understanding delusion, accepting impermanence, the stages of deliverance, and the cessation of sensations and ideas

CHAPTER 4

SECTION	SECTION TITLES (from website)	SUMMARY	QUOTES	TOPICS/THEMES
2-3	Part Four: The Last Meal The Elephant's Look	4:2-3 Buddha tells brethren that they continue on the path of transmigration due to not understanding the four truths (NOT four noble truths); states what these are: “the noble conduct of life, the noble earnestness in meditation, the noble kind of wisdom, and the noble salvation of freedom"		4:2-3 Preparing brethren for the Buddha’s passing,imparting final teachings to brethren (four truths)
7-11	The Four Great References	4:7-11 Buddha teaches brethren the “four Great References”: all teachings, words of the elders, words attributed to the Buddha, words claimed to be “truth" must be verified teachings of the Buddha, as cross-checked with scripture and the rules of the order	4:8-11 The Great References: “Every word and syllable should be  carefully understood, and then put beside the scripture and compared with the rules of the order.” (repeated four times)	4:7-11 Preparing brethren for the Buddha’s passing,imparting final teachings to brethren (Four Great References)

CHAPTER 5

SECTION	SECTION TITLES (from website)	SUMMARY	QUOTES	TOPICS/THEMES
10	Part Five: At Kusinara The Grief of the Gods	5:10 Buddha explains that the gods and spirits have assembled in great numbers to witness the Buddha before his final passing, such that no one should stand in front of him to block the view		5:10 Buddha is revered by the gods and spirits of the heavens, preparation for his final passing
16-22, 27-31	Four Places of Pilgrimage	5:16-22 Ânanda describes the four places which men should make pilgrimage to after the Buddha passes: where Buddha was born, where Buddha attained nirvâna, where Buddha began his path of teaching to disciples (where the “ kingdom of righteousness set on foot by the Tathâgata”), and where Buddha attained final nirvâna  5:27-31 Buddha explains the four men worthy of a dâgaba (honorary funerary mound): a Tathâgata, a Pakkeka-Buddha, a true hearer of the Tathâgata, and a king of kings; meant to make the hearts of the living “calm and happy” that they will be reborn after death in the heavens		5:16-22 Buddha proclaims sites for pilgrimage; Preparing all for the Buddha’s passing,imparting final teachings
36	Praise of Ananda	5:36 Buddha praises Ânanda to all brethren, proclaims that all Arahat-Buddhas have had and will have servitors just as devoted as Ânanda has been to him		5:36 Adresses brethren and praises Ânanda;preparing all for the Buddha’s passing, imparting final teachings to the brethren
41-44	The Past Glory of Kusinara	5:41-44 Ânanda tells Buddha he should not die in “this little wattle and daub town,” to which Buddha replies that this town was once a mighty kingdom, the city of Kusinârâ; a note on impermanence		5:41-44 Buddha proclaims Kusinârâ worthy as his place of passing, once a royal center;proclaiming site worthy to be final passing place
60	The Last Convert	5:60 Subhadda visits the Buddha, questions regarding whether those who claim to understand (like brahmans, founders of schools of doctrine) actually do understand		5:60 Subhadda questions the Buddha
63, 68	The Lion's Roar	5:63 Subhadda proclaims his faith in the Buddha and requests to be his final disciple		5:63 Buddha gains his final disciple,the last convert

CHAPTER 6

SECTION	SECTION TITLES (from website)	SUMMARY	QUOTES	TOPICS/THEMES
16	Part Six: The Passing Away The World's Echo	6:16 Sakka, the king of the gods, speaks a stanza (reaction of the “Jupiter of the multitude”)	6:16 “When the Blessed One died, Sakka, the king of the gods, at the moment of his passing away from existence, uttered this stanza: ‘They’re transient, all, each being’s parts and powers, Growth is their nature, and decay.  They are produced, they are dissolved again: And then is best, when they have sunk to rest!'	6:16 the king of the god’s reaction to the final passing of the Buddha; reactions following the Buddha’s final passing (Sakka) Sakka's reaction/ stanza is shared while Brahma’s reaction/stanza is unique
36-41	Partition of the Relics	6:36-39 Brethren lament or understand impermanence;repetition from UNIQUE sections 6:40-41 Last convert, Subhadda, reminds the brethren not to lament; as does Mahâ Kassapa(repetition of 6:20)	6:39 “And immediately of those of the brethren who were not yet free from the passions,some stretched out their arms and wept, and some fell headlong on the ground, and some reeled to and fro in anguish at thethought: '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 those of the brethren who were free from passions (the Arahats) bore their grief collected and composed at the thought:'Impermanent are all component things!  How is it possible that they should not be dissolved?'” (fifthrepetition, from5:12-14, 6:19, 6:21 and 6:24; nearly identical phrasing)	6:36-41 reactions following the Buddha’s final passing (brethren, Subhadda, and Mahâ Kassapa)