ニカーヤにおける菩薩誕生記事の問題点

抄録

The purpose of this paper is to point out that the description of the Bodhisatta's birth scene including “the gatha at birth” in the Nikaya is that of the former Buddha's birth scene. In the Nikaya, the Bodhisatta's birth scene of this type is contained in the Acchariyabbhutadhammasutta (MN. 123, MN. III pp. 118-124.=Acch). It is similar to the Bodhisatta Vipassin's birth scene in the Mahapadanasuttanta (DN. 14, DN. II pp. 1-54.=MAP). If we compare the two birth scenes more minutely, we notice that the introductory portion in Acch which contains “the conversation about the former Buddhas among the bhikkhus” is related to the description of “the characteristics of the former Buddhas” in MAP. In addition, a parallel description of the Acch introduction is found in MAP, and its Sanskrit and Chinese versions, but the location of the parallel description is different. From this, we can comprehend that the introduction in Acch was originally the introduction to “the characteristics of the former Buddhas”. Thus, it can be said that the Bodhisatta's birth scene in Acch is that of the former Buddha's in MAP, and that the Bodhisatta's birthscene including “the gaha at birth” had been handed down as the former Buddha's birth scene in the Nikaya.