[Buddha-l] A Different Take on Devadatta

[Richard Hayes]

On Wed, 2008-08-27 at 12:36 -0600, jkirk wrote:

> I see that I shouldn't have accused Hocart of a causation theory.
> However, his conjecture about Devadatta's behavior as perhaps
> being originally a cousin-joking relationship maybe gone bad, or
> miscontrued as bad in later times, doesn't cut it with me because
> there is nothing in the tales of Devadatta to indicate an
> original good nature of any sort.

In the Dictionary of Pali Proper Names, Mallalasekera lists numerous
passages in which Devadatta is portrayed as an exemplary monk and a
brilliant teacher. Centuries after the Buddha died, Chinese pilgrims
reported that there were monasteries who followed Devadatta rather than
the Buddha. So there is quite a bit of evidence available that he was
regarded as a fine teacher and a leader. This suggests that the
portrayal of him as a traitor were politically motivated. The specific
political issue apparently had to do with laxity in discipline. 

-- 
Richard Hayes
Department of Philosophy
University of New Mexico