Beginnings: The Pali Suttas is written by S. Bodhesako. All factual information in this essay comes from the Pái Suttas and their companion component, the Vinaya unless otherwise stated.
We can find accounts of the first months after the Buddha's awakening, the final months before his death, the events leading up to the First and Second Councils, as well as an account of those Councils, and incidental information and clues about the Buddha's ministry Later texts, such as the Classical Commentaries, contain a wealth of supplementary material.
