“Contributions
of Buddhist councils for the propagations of Buddhism with reference to the
first second and third councils”
Contents
Ø Introduction
to the first three Buddhist councils
Ø First
Buddhist council
· Reasons
effected for the first council
· Outcomes
of the first council
Ø Second
Buddhist council
· Reasons
effected for the first council
· Outcomes
of the first council
Ø Third
Buddhist council
· Reasons
effected for the first council
· Outcomes
of the first council
Ø Conclusion
Ø Bibliography
Ø Introduction
to the first three Buddhist councils
It
is a well-known fact that the councils were the major effected reasons for the
safeguarding and propagating of Buddhism around the world. According to the
Buddhist history council the term has been rendered into English as Saṅgīti.
The term “saṅgīti” means ‘to chant together’ and refers to the manner in
which the early monks chanted in unison the teachings they memorized. Although
many schools are have expressed doubts about these councils were actually held,
since it is mentioned in many sources as
meeting of some kind must have been at this time. According to the first three
councils which was held at the past period of the India, they have done a
discussable duties for the propagation of Buddhism. As a matter of fact that it
was easy to transmit the Buddhism for the generation to generation and was
protected from the various kinds of wrongs views and from impious monks.Ø First
Buddhist council
·
Reasons effected for the first council
·
Outcomes of the first council
When
we discuss the first Buddhist council there are most important can be found.
According to the Buddhist history the first Buddhist council has took place
three months after the great demise of the Buddha and which was held in
Rajagaha in the the Saptapannī cave in about 487 B.C. Most importantly this
council had been run with the patronage of king Ajāstta, son of the King
Bimbisāra. At the same time presided over by Venerable Mahā Kassapa and five
hundred monks at this very first council which was held in this dispensation
·
Took
place 3 months after the great demise of the Buddha
·
Held
at Rajagaha in the Saptapannī cave
·
Sponsored
by King Ajāsatta who was son of the King Bimbisāra
·
Presided
over by Venerable Mahā Kassapa with 500 monks
Effected reasons for the first Buddhist
councilThe Buddha addressed his disciples
and told them as “after my great demise, dhamma and Vinaya would be the
teacher” as a result of this great statement done by the Buddha was the major
reason holding the first council.At the time of the Buddha there were
some impious monks holding wrong views and interpreted as Buddha Vacana. Among
them Devadatta, Sunakkatta, Aritta and Sāti can be known as impious monks.
Protect Dhamma and Vinaya from them was another reason.It was like a flower table the
teachings of the Buddha. All the teachings were here and there. To collect them
together was another reason.A monk called Subaddra resented the
strict rules and rejoiced at not having to follow them anymore.
Due to the fact that these reasons
are more danger for the safeguarding the teachings of the Buddha, it was
decided to call the first Buddhist council. As a result of this council the
Buddha’s teachings could get together and divided into two parts. At the first
council Venerable Ananda who was the Buddha’s attendant and constant compassion
recited Dhamma and rules and regulations on monastic order were recited by
venerable Upāli. At the end of this council Buddha’s teachings had been
separated into two parts as Vinaya pitaka and Suttapitaka.Vinaya pitaka, there are five particular
books can be seen.
|
|
Mahā
vagga pāli Khandaka
Parivāra
pāli Parivāra
Pārājikā pāli Vibhaṅga
Pācitya pāli
Culla vagga pāli
As well as
suttapitaka also categorized into five Nikāyas
Dīgha nikāya - venerable Ananda and his students or
followers
Majjhima nikāya-
Venerable Sāriputta and students
Saṅyukta nikāya -
Venerable Kassapa and followers
Aṅguttara nikāya-
venerable Anurudda and followers
Khuddaka nikāya-
this collection was collectively divided to the all followers
Ø Second
Buddhist council
· Reasons
effected for the first council
· Outcomes
of the first council
It is very
important to note that here the an importance of the second Buddhist council
which was held at Vesalī with the patronage of king kālāsoka after the hundred
years of the great demise of the Buddha. Venerable Revathe was the president of
this council and seven hundred monks attended for this council.
Took place 100
years after the great demise
Held at Vesalī
Patronage of king
kālāsoka
Presided over by
Venerable Revatha with 700 monks
After the hundred years of
the great demise of the Buddha, again the teachings of the Buddha and his order
started declining. The main reason behind this problem was impious people came
to the order and the expected their own rules to lead a monkhood life. But
their own rules completely damage to the pure order and his disciples. They
expected ten disputed points or (Dasa akapa vasthu) and these ten disputed
points were followed by Vajji monks. These are the closer reason behind the
calling of second Buddhist council. The ten disputed points are
1.
Singilona
kappa: using salt in horns
2.
Dvangula
kappa: eating after midday
3. Āvāsa kappa: holding the uposata in a separate
building
4.
Gāmāntara
kappa: to eat once and then
going again to a village for more food
5.
Anumati
kappa: performing a vinaya
ceremony then getting consent from absent monks
6.
Ācinna
kappa: following a certain
practice because it was done by monks tutor or teacher
7.
Āmtita
kappa: drinking sour milk
after the midday
8.
Jalogipāna
kappa: drinking unfermented palm
wine
9.
Adasaka
nisīdana kappa: using a mat
has fringes
10.
Jātarūpa
rajata patiggahana kappa: accepting
and using gold and silver
As result of this
second Buddhist council Buddhist order was divided into two sects and Theravāda
and Mahā sāngika or mahāyāna. When the third Buddhist council starts it had
been expanded in to eight sects. At the same time again mahāsāngika can be
divided into five parts as
1.
Gokulīya
2.
Ekabbhohārikaya
3.
Cetiyavādī
4.
Paññattiyavādī
5.
Bāhulikaya
At the same time
theravāda also can be divided into eleven parts as
1.
Mahiṅsāsaka
2.
Vajjiputtaka
3.
Dhammottariya
4.
Sammitiya
5.
Sabbattiyavādī
6.
Dhamma
guttikaya
7.
Badra
yānikaya
8.
Cannāgariya
9.
Kassapīya
10.
Saṁkāntikaya
11.
Suttavādī
At the second
council it was able to reject or expel the ten disputed points and again the
order was pure and it was able to protect the order from the impious people.
Ø Third
Buddhist council
·
Reasons effected for the first council
·
Outcomes of the first council
It is true that
the third Buddhist council have done a major influence for the propagation of
the Buddhism and the Buddhist order. According to the Buddhist history after
the two hundred year of the second Buddhist council third Buddhist council was
held at Asokārāma in pātalīputta under the patronage of king Asoka and presided
over by Venerable Moggalīputta tissa with thousand monks. When we look at the
effected reasons behind this council there are number of reasons could be found
in which,
Impious people
entered the order with greediness of material benefits
Emerging the
various views on Buddha vacana
Separating monks
into the sects
Not having a
powerful king
These are the
closer effected reason when discussing the third Buddhist council.
As well as when we
look at the benefits of the third council it is also proved that there are very
important advantages was arose as a result of this council.
Katāvatthūpakarana
which was compiled at the first Buddhist council was able to be completed under
the guidance of Venerable Moggaliputta tissa as a result of third Buddhist
council. This is the book which expelled the five hundred wrong views and
accept five hundred right views.
As a result of the
third Buddhist council, it was able to expel 60.0000 impious monks who had
wrong views on Buddha vacana and Vinaya was able to be protected.
As a result of
third Buddhist council theravāda tripitaka was completed at the end of the this
council.
Due to the fact
that king was a righteous person, who helped to the Buddhist order and monks
Buddhism was propagated with the patronage of King Asoka.
Finally as a
result of the third Buddhist council Buddhism was spread within nine countries
with the patronage of King Asoka. The Nine countries are as follow
Kāsmeera: Venerable Majjhantika /
āsivisopama sutta
Mahisa: Venerable Mahādeva / devadūta
sutta
Vanavāsa: venerable Rakkhita / anamatagga
sutta
Aparanta: Venerable Yonaka dhamma rakkhita /
aggikkhandhopama sutta
Mahāratta: venerable Mahā dhamma rakkhita /
mahā nārada kassapa jātaka
Yonaka: Venerable Mahā rakkhita / kālāma
sutta
Himavantha: Venerable Majjhima /
Dhammacakkapavattana sutta
Suvarnabhūmi: venerable Sona and Uttara / Brahmajāla
sutta
Tambhapannī: venerable Mahinda /
Chullahattipadopama sutta
These are the
advantages that we can see from the third Buddhist Council.
Conclusion
Authentic teachings of the Buddha Gotama have been preserved and
handed down to us and are to be found in the Tipitaka. All of the Buddha's
teachings were divided into three parts. The first part is known as the
Suttanta Pitaka and it contains the Discourses. The second part is called the
Vinaya Pitaka and it contains all the rules the Buddha laid down for monks and
nuns. The third part is known as the Abhidhamma Pitaka and comprises the
Buddha's teachings on his psycho-ethical philosophy. It is known, that whenever
the Buddha gave a discourse to his ordained disciples or lay-followers or prescribed
a monastic rule in the course of his forty-five year ministry, those of his
devoted and learned monks, then present would immediately commit his teachings
word for word to memory. Thus the Buddha's words were preserved accurately and
were in due course passed down orally from teacher to pupil. Some of the monks
who had heard the Buddha preach, in person were Arahants, and so by definition,
'pure ones' free from passion, ill-will and delusion and therefore, without
doubt capable of retaining, perfectly the Buddha's words. Thus they ensured
that the Buddha's teachings would be preserved faithfully for posterity. Even
those devoted monks who had not yet attained Arahantship but had reached the
first three stages of sainthood and had powerful, retentive memories could also
call to mind and word for word what the Buddha had preached and so could be
worthy custodians of the Buddha's teachings. One such monk was Ananda, the
Buddha's cousin and chosen attendant and constant companion during the last
twenty-five years of the Buddh's life. Ananda was highly intelligent and gifted
with the ability to remember whatever he had heard spoken. Indeed, it was his
express wish that the Buddha always relate all of his discourses to him and
although he was not yet an Arahant, he deliberately committed to memory and
word for word all the Buddha's sermons with which he exhorted monks, nuns and
his lay followers. The combined efforts of these gifted and devoted monks made
it possible for the Dhamma and Vinaya, as taught by the Buddha to be preserved
in its original state. All these were as a result of these three Buddhist
councils.
Ø Bibliography
