Learning Objectives:

• list the main steps of the life of the Buddha
• find the references to the stories given by the Pali Canon

Note: the original idea of such a table came from Access To Insight, we just completed it with other references (see below).

SUTTA	DESCRIPTION	REF
_	Young prince Gotama
Snp III.11	Asita, the seer, visits the newborn prince	[1]
AN 3.38	The young prince grows disenchanted with his life of luxury	[1]
_	The noble search through Magadhan
MN 26.5-12	Two kinds of search, ignoble and noble	[2]
MN 26.13	Gotama begins a noble search.	[2]
MN 26.14, MN 36.12-13	Gotama is going forth into homelessness.	[1][2]
Snp III.1	Passers-by take notice of his serene radiance and mindfulness	[1]
Snp III.1	A king wonders: “Why have you gone forth?”	[1]
MN 26.15, MN 36.15	Gotama is being taught by Alara Kalama.	[1][2]
MN 26.16, MN 36.16	Gotama is being taught by Uddaka Ramaputta.	[1][2]
MN 26.17, MN 36.17	[short] Gotama wanders through Magadhan and arrives at Uruvela.	[2]
_	Ascetic practices, at Uruvela
MN 12.44-51	Gotama goes through ascetic practices and mortifications.	[2]
MN 12.52-61	There is no practice professed by Brahmins that Gotama hasn’t done.	[2]
MN 36.20-29	Gotama goes through ascetic practices and mortifications (other account).	[1][2]
MN 4.3-21	Gotama abides in the forest, facing fear and dread.	[1][2]
Snp III.2	Mara, the personification of evil, pays a visit.	[1]
MN 36.30-31	Gotama progressively realizes this doesn’t lead to Enlightenment.	[2]
MN 36.17-19	Gotama thinks of three similes to explain why ascetic practices and mortifications are don’t lead to Enlightenment.	[2]
MN 36.32-34	Gotama stops ascetic practices, the five bhikkus leave him.	[1][2]
DN 21	TODO	[3]
_	The night of Enlightenment, at Uruvela
MN 26.18	Attainment of Nibbana (short version)	[2]
MN 4.22-26, MN 36.34-37	Gotama abides successively in the four jhanas.	[1][2]
MN 4.27-28, MN 36.38-39	Gotama contemplates his own past passing away and reappearing, attains first true knowledge.	[1][2]
MN 4.29-30, MN 36.40-41	Gotama contemplates all beings past passing away and reappearing, attains second true knowledge.	[1][2]
MN 4.31-33, MN 36.42-44	Gotama contemplates the four noble truths, attains the third true knowledge and arahantship.	[1][2]
_	In a period of seven days after Enlightenment, at Uruvela
Ud 2.1	Nāga King Mucalinda protects the Buddha from the rain for seven days while he dwells in samadhi.	[3]
Ud 3.10	Upon arising from samadhi, the Buddha looks around in the world to see the conditioning of beings.	[3]
Ud 1.1	The Buddha investigates the laws of cause-and-effect in forward order.	[3]
Ud 1.2	The Buddha investigates the laws of cause-and-effect in backward order.	[1][3]
Ud 1.3	The Buddha investigates the laws of cause-and-effect in forward and backward order.	[3]
SN 12.65	The Bodhisatta Gotama realizes the nature of dependent origination.	[2]
Ud 1.4	The Buddha talks to a brahmana.	[3]
AN 4.22	A group of brahmins come to the Buddha to talk about what an elder is.	[3]
SN 4.1	Mara appears to the Buddha, Mara challenges him on abandoning austere practices.	[3]
SN 4.2	Mara appears to the Buddha in the form of a giant king elephant.	[3]
SN 4.3	Mara appears to the Buddha, displays lustrous shapes, both beautiful and hideous.	[3]
SN 4.24	Mara had been pursuing the Buddha for seven years, Mara appears and incites him to follow the path alone.	[3]
SN 4.25	Mara’s daughters Tanha, Arati and Raga, approach the Buddha.	[3]
DN 16.23	Mara appears to the Buddha, urges him to attain Nibbana now. The Buddha argues that he will not attain Nibbana until his disciples live in conformity to the Dhamma.
SN 47.18, SN 47.43	The Buddha contemplates the four establishments of mindfulness, Brahma Sahampati praises him.	[3]
SN 6.1, MN 26.19	He wonders: Should I teach this Dhamma to others?	[1][2]
SN 6.1, MN 26.20-21	Brahma Sahampati pleads for the Buddha to teach the Dhamma, the Buddha accepts.	[1][2]
SN 6.2, AN 4.21	The Buddha wonders: who should I revere as my teacher?	[1]
MN 26.22-24	He wonders: To whom should I teach this Dhamma first? - The group of five bhikkus.	[1]
_	Setting in motion the wheel of Dhamma, at Benares
MN 26.25	On his way to Benares, the Buddha meets Ajivaka Upaka.	[2]
MN 26.26-28	The Buddha meets the five bhikkhus who are at first reluctant in hearing his Dhamma.	[2]
MN 26.29-30	Every now and then, the Buddha teaches the five bhikkhus (non-specific).	[2]
SN 56.11	Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta (first sutta)
SN 22.59	Pañcavaggi Sutta (aka Anattalakkhana Sutta, second sutta)

[1] Access To Insight.
[2] Bhikkhu Bodhi’s systematic study of the Majjhima Nikaya.
[3] found by a search for “Uruvela” on suttacentral
[4] Bhikkhu Nanamoli, Life of the Buddha according to the Pali Canon