The Document Research Methods Case Study: The Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta

Abstract

Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta (Sanskrit: Dharmacakrapravartana Sūtra) is regarded as one of the most important and influential Buddhist Sutras. However, within a few hundred years of the Buddha’s passing, there
arose a number of different schools or sects. Although all of these schools claimed to have preserved the original teachings of the Buddha, the fact that there are 23 versions of this Sutta raises doubts about which version might be authentic.
This article applies vertical and horizontal methods of text-critical research to the Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta and its various versions. This research suggests two basic conclusions:
1. In general, it seems that the Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta originated during the early Buddhist period, as a record of the Buddha’s first teaching; given the widespread agreement between the different verisons of the Sutta, it would seem to have belonged to a pre-sectarian Buddhist canon.
2. Considering the structure and content, the Sarvastivāda version of the Sūtra, with its adjusted sections on the darśana-mārga, bhāvanāmārga, and aśaikṣa-mārga, seems to be a later revision of the early tradition.