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Dai Tang 1 - Southern Transmission No. 5, 3rd December
The first sutra of the Dīrgha Āgama records the seven previous Buddhas, in which the story of Buddha Vipassī is told in detail from his birth to his teaching and liberation, while Buddha Shakyamuni is preserved as a historical human being, without the aura of mythology. The seven Buddhas mentioned in the sutra are:
- Buddha Vipassī
- Buddha Sikhī
- Buddha Vessabhū
- Buddha Kakusandha
- Buddha Koṇāgamana
- Buddha Kassapa
- Buddha Shakyamuni
In the Mahāpadāna Sutta, the Buddha explains that through the practice of concentration and insight, he was able to remember past lives, and devas would come to recount ancient stories. The miraculous aura was first bestowed upon Buddha Vipassī and only later upon Shakyamuni, marking the beginning of the mythologization of the Buddha’s life.
The Mahānidāna Sutta (the thirteenth sutra of the Dīrgha Āgama) discusses the principle of dependent origination and non-self. At first, it mentions only nine links of dependent origination, but in the Chinese version, all twelve are present, among which three important links that were previously omitted are:
- delusion (avijjā)
- formations (saṅkhāra)
- six sense bases (saḷāyatana)
The Buddha also taught about the seven abodes of consciousness:
- the realm of gods and humans (where there are countless forms and perceptions)
- the Brahma realm
- the Radiant realm
- the Pure Abodes
- the Realm of Infinite Space
- the Realm of Infinite Consciousness
- the Realm of Imperturbability
Following that are the two meditative attainments (the attainment of non-perception and the attainment of neither perception nor non-perception) and the eight relative liberations, from contemplating the body to transcending the meditative realms, opening the path to peace and freedom.
In the Mahaparinibbāna Sutta (the Great Nirvana Sutra), the Buddha’s final days are recorded by Venerable Ananda, detailing his journey through places such as Vesali, Pava, Kushinagara, the moment of his passing, and his final teaching: “Be a lamp unto yourselves.” The last meeting with King Pasenadi, advice on harmony within the Sangha, the warning not to take refuge in the two meditative attainments, and the earthquakes that signaled Nirvana—all express the compassion, wisdom, and spirit of self-reliance in the Dharma.