Thursday 6 June 2019

Title of Sutra Three from Yì Zú Jīng

Sutra Three - Sundari

須陀利經第三
xū tuó lì jīng dì sān

Parallel: The Pali Sutta Nipata, Atthakavagga, Dutthattaksutta - Chapter 3. The Corrupt

Discussion: The title of the sutra refers to the prose story where a woman called Sundari was the the victim of the Brahmans who’s had conspired to discredit the Buddha and his followers by killing her. Before this however she had been told by them to visit the Buddha daily. Soon after they killed her and buried her in the the grounds of Sravasti, after which the people thinking the buddha and his followers had committed the crime refused to give them alms.
Eventually the people released the Buddha and his followers could not have done such a thing based on there good reputation. Thereafter, one of the Brahmans informs on the other Brahmans confessing they had committed the crime and so the Buddha's reputation was fully restored with a visit from King Pasenadi along with apologies.

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