2. Sources of the study
Scriptures in this research can be divided into 5 groups
Name of the Group Scriptures Date of Composition Place of Composition
1 Original Theravāda Pāli Vinayapitaka circa 6th-5th century B.C.
(1st-2nd Buddhist Council)
Magadha Region
2 Proto-Mahāyāna Vinaya of
Mūlasarvastivāda
(Approx. Kusāna
Dynasty)
Northwestern India
(Gandhāra Region)
3 Mahāyāna Mahāvastu
Lalitavistara
4 Sri Lankan Theravāda
Commentaries
Samantapāsādikā
(Commentary of
Vinayapitaka)
Nidānakathā
(Commentary of Jātaka)
Circa 5th century A.D.
(Anurāthapura Period)
Anurāthapura Sri Lanka
5 Southeast Asian
Theravāda Scriptures
- Sambhāravipāka
- Pathamasambodhi
- Jinamahānidāna
15th-18th Centuries A.D. - Lānnā Kingdom
(Northern Thailand)
- Ayutthayā and
Bangkok Kingdom
(Central Thailand)
3. Evolution of the sequential
arrangement
1) Pāli Vinayapitaka
4 meditative weeks
Only sitting mode of meditation
This is the most “Archaic” Sapta.
in Buddhist Literatures
4. 2) Mahāvastu and Lalitavistara
7 meditative weeks
Standing + walking modes of meditations were
added
“Mahāyāna” concept → Buddha = The
Superhuman → Miraculous scenes were added
5. 3) Samantapāsādikā and Nidānakathā
Mixture between the Pāli Vinayapitaka’s
influence and the influence from Mahāvastu +
Lalitavistara
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Pāli
Vinayapitaka
Mahāvastu and
Lalitavistara
Pāli Vinayapitaka
The first Theravāda scriptures → complete 7
weeks
The first scriptures → locations of meditative
stations.
6. Saptamahāsthāna Stations and the
Locations
Firstly Mentioned in Sri Lankan Commentaries
Continued to SEA scriptures
Scriptures 2 3 4 5 6 7
Samantapāsādikā NE Between
1 & 2
W E S S
Nidānakathā NE Between
1 & 2
NW - - -
Bangkok
Pathamasambodhi
NE N NW E E -
7. 4) Southeast Asian scriptures
The sequential arrangement → becomes fixed
(because of influence from Sri Lankan
commentaries)
The stories → become much elaborated
8. Evolution of each Saptamahāsthāna
(some of which will be presented)
Miraculous
Congratulation by
uncountable divinities
(inf. Mahāvastu or
Lalitavistra)
Jinamahānidāna
and Bangkok
Pathamasambodhi
Consideration of his
previous merits
Sambhāravipāka
Miraculous
congratulation by
uncountable
divinities
Mahāvastu
and
Lalitavistara
Consideration of his
previous merits
Nidānakathā
Congratulation by
two deities
Vinaya of
Mūlasarvāstiv
āda
Consideration of
Paticcasamuppāda
(inf. Pāli Vinayapitaka)
Samantapāsādikā
Consideration of
Paticcasamuppāda
Pāli
Vinayapitaka
Bodhi Pallanka
9. Unblinking Gaze
towards Bodhi tree
- standing
- Mv.= 2nd week
Mahāvastu
Lalitavistara
Unblinking Gaze towards
Bodhi tree
- standing + 2nd week
- thought that the Bodhi
tree is the benefit factor for
his enlightenment → paid
respect with his eyes
unblinking.
Southeast Asian
Scriptures
Genesis of Unblinking
Gaze towards Bodhi
tree
(no specific the posture
of meditation)
Buddhacarita
Unblinking Gaze towards
Bodhi tree
- standing + 2nd week
(inf. Mv.)
Nidānakathā
-
Vinaya of
Mūlasarvāstiv
āda
Unblinking Gaze towards
Bodhi tree
- standing + 2nd week
(inf. Mv.)
Samantapāsādikā
-
Pāli
Vinayapitaka
Animisacetiya
10. walking meditation
becomes “miracle”
- walked through 3 worlds
- temptation by 3
daughters of Māra
(walk up and down)
Lalitavistara
Genesis of walking
meditation
- 3rd week
- temptation by 2
daughters of Māra by
transforming themselves
to various women
(walk up and down)
Mahāvastu
- jeweled walkway is
extremely elaborated
- pillars = Mt. Meru
- lanterns = suns + moons
- pavement = sand from
oceans of countless cosmos
Southeast Asian
Scriptures
walking meditation becomes
“miracle” (inf. Lv.)
- Buddha create a jeweled
walkway miraculously
Nidānakathā
-
Vinaya of
Mūlasarvāstivā
da
walking meditation
- no miracle
- no Māra’s daughters
Samantapāsādikā
-
Pāli
Vinayapitaka
Ratanacankamacetiya
11. Conversation between
Buddha and Brahmins +
Jain monks
Lalitavistara
Mahāvastu Continue the story originated
from Nidānakathā
Southeast Asian
Scriptures
First scripture that inserts
“Temptation of 3 Māra’s
daughters” (inf. Mv. Lv.)
Nidānakathā
-
Vinaya of
Mūlasarvāstiv
āda
Conversation between Buddha
and Brahmin
“Hunhungajātika”
(inf. P.V.)
Samantapāsādikā
Conversation between
Buddha and Brahmin
“Hunhungajātika”
Pāli
Vinayapitaka
Ajapālanigrodha
Temptation of Māra’s daughters
In the week 3rd of
Mahāyāna scriptures
