The Discourse about the Great Emancipation
(Mahāparinibbānasuttaṁ, DN 16)

An English translation of one of the longest discourses in the canon, detailing the last year of the Buddha’s life, and his final teachings (with an embedded reading of the text).

translated by
Ānandajoti Bhikkhu
(first published, July 2008)

different version of the work:
Text and Translation

 

eBooks

 PDF  MOBI EPUB

Cover

Html Table of Contents (outline)

Preface

 

 

The First Chapter for Recitation

The Second Chapter for Recitation

The Third Chapter for Recitation

The Fourth Chapter for Recitation

The Fifth Chapter for Recitation

The Sixth Chapter for Recitation

Html Table of Contents (detail)

 

Preface

 

The First Chapter for Recitation

1: King Ajātasattu

2: Seven Things which Prevent Decline in the Vajjians

3: Seven Things which Prevent Decline in the Community (1-7)

4: Seven Further Things which Prevent Decline in the Community (8-14)

5: Seven Further Things which Prevent Decline in the Community (15-21)

6: Seven Further Things which Prevent Decline in the Community (22-28)

7: Seven Further Things which Prevent Decline in the Community (29-35)

8: Six Things which Prevent Decline in the Community (36-41)

9: The Story of the Teaching at Ambalaṭṭhikā

10: Sāriputta’s Lion’s Roar

11: The Advantages of Virtue

12: Building up Pāṭaligāma

 

The Second Chapter for Recitation

13: The Four Noble Truths

14: The Mirror of (the True Nature of) Things

15: The Courtesan Ambapālī

16: The Fortunate One’s Sickness

 

The Third Chapter for Recitation

17: Ānanda’s Failure

18: The Relinquishment of the Life Process

19: Eight Reasons for Earthquakes

20: The Eight Assemblies

21: The Eight Means of (Mind) mastery

22: The Eight Liberations

23: Ānanda’s Fault

24: Ānanda’s Fault at Rājagaha

25: Ānanda’s Fault at Vesālī

26: The Thirty-Seven Things on the Side of Awakening

 

The Fourth Chapter for Recitation

27: The Four Noble Things

28: The Four Great References

29: The Last Meal

30: Bringing Drinking Water

31: The Story concerning Pukkusa Mallaputta

32: Cunda’s Great Gain

 

The Fifth Chapter for Recitation

33: Worshipping the Realised One

34: The Visit of the Divinities

35: The Four Places that Produce Enthusiasm

36: Ānanda’s Marvellous Qualities

37: Kusinārā’s History

38: The Mallas Worship the Fortunate One

39: Subhadda, the Last Direct Disciple

 

The Sixth Chapter for Recitation

40: The Last Instructions of the Realised One

41: The Final Emancipation

42: The Preparation of the Body

43: The Story concerning Mahākassapa

44: The Distribution of the Relics

 

Preface

In preparing this text and translation for publication I have divided it into a number of versions. In the Buddhist Texts and Studies section will be found the Pāḷi Text together with the variant readings. This is a more technical work dealing with the establishment of the text, and considers the text from the point of view of its grammar, prosody, and how the material has been collected.

In the Texts and Translations section I present the full Text and Translation with annotations which help to explain matters that may not be clear from the text itself. I have therefore translated sections from the Commentary, added notes on the history and geography, and explained points of doctrine whenever it seemed necessary.

In the English section there is the Translation Only, with somewhat less notes than in the Text and Translations section, which is intended for the casual reader who wants a reliable translation but is not interested in the technical matters concerning the original text itself.

The Text and Translation also has an Introduction which gives an outline of the text and discusses certain issues regarding its chronology; and the Pāḷi Text has a study of the Establishment of the Text, and the additions that have been made to it.

I am very grateful to Dhammacārī Chittapāla for reading through the translation and making many valuable corrections and suggestions for improvement, his knowledge of Pāḷi and the teaching, and his willingness to help with this work, are greatly appreciated. If anyone else has any corrections please let me know at .

Ānandajoti Bhikkhu
July 2008