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    The four major Buddhist Councils were important milestones that helped shape Buddhism after the Buddha's passing. The First Council established the Buddhist scriptures known as the Tipitaka. The Second Council addressed disputes over monastic rules. The Third Council reconciled different Buddhist schools and purified doctrines. The Fourth Council dealt with conflicts between philosophical schools and finalized the division of Buddhism into Mahayana and Hinayana sects.

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    The four major Buddhist Councils were important milestones that helped shape Buddhism after the Buddha's passing. The First Council established the Buddhist scriptures known as the Tipitaka. The Second Council addressed disputes over monastic rules. The Third Council reconciled different Buddhist schools and purified doctrines. The Fourth Council dealt with conflicts between philosophical schools and finalized the division of Buddhism into Mahayana and Hinayana sects.

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    Buddhist Councils Everything You Need To Know

    Uploaded by

    NITHIN SINDHE
    The four major Buddhist Councils were important milestones that helped shape Buddhism after the Buddha's passing. The First Council established the Buddhist scriptures known as the Tipitaka. The Second Council addressed disputes over monastic rules. The Third Council reconciled different Buddhist schools and purified doctrines. The Fourth Council dealt with conflicts between philosophical schools and finalized the division of Buddhism into Mahayana and Hinayana sects.

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    of 4

    Buddhist Councils: Everything you need to know!

    clearias.com/buddhist-councils/

    ClearIAS Team October 12, 2016

    Following the death of the Gauthama Buddha, several assemblies were convened to
    settle doctrinal disputes and to recite Buddhist texts. These Assemblies were known as
    Buddhist Councils. This post will help readers to memorize the details of each Buddhist
    Council, much faster.

    Buddhism
    Founded by Gautama Buddha (Sakyamuni) known originally as Siddhartha.
    Teachings of Buddha:
    1. Four Noble Truths (Arya satyas) – Dukkha, Samudaya, Niroda, and Magga.
    2. Eight-Fold Path (Ashtangika Marga) – Right view, Right resolve, Right speech,
    Right action, Right livelihood, Right effort, Right mindfulness and Right
    samadhi (“concentration”).
    3. Three Jewels (Triratnas) – the Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha.
    4. Code of Conduct.
    5. Belief in Nirvana.
    6. Belief in Ahimsa.

    1/4
    Buddhist Sangha: It consisted of monks and nuns, who acted as torchbearers of the
    dhamma. The worshippers were called upasakas.

    Also read:
    1. Indian Philosophy: Orthodox and Heterodox Schools
    2. Ancient India: Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism (NCERT)

    Buddhist Councils

    There were four Buddhist Councils. These Buddhist Councils are considered as the four
    milestones in the history of Buddhism. In order to address the issues during that period in
    Buddhism. They are as follows

    First Buddhist Council


    Venue: In Sattaparnaguha Cave situated outside Rajgriha (the modern city of
    Rajgir).
    Year: 486 BC.
    King: Ajatasatru, son of King Bimbisara (Haryanka Dynasty).
    Presiding Priest: Venerable Maha Kasyapa with 500 monks.
    Took place 3 months after the Buddha’s Passing.
    The First Buddhist Council collected together and arranged the Buddhist Scriptures
    known as the Pali Tipitaka.
    Resulted in:

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    1. Vinaya Pitaka which mainly contains the rules of the Buddhist order. This was
    recited by Upali.
    2. Suttapitaka was recited by Ananda. It contains the great collections of Buddha’s
    sermons on matters of doctrine and ethical beliefs.

    Second Buddhist Council


    Venue: Vaishali.
    Year: 386 BC
    King: Kalasoka (Shisunaga Dynasty).
    Presiding Priest: Sabakami.
    Took place 100 years after the Buddha’s passing.
    In order to settle a serious dispute on Vinaya.
    The dispute arose over the ‘Ten Points.’
    This is a reference to claims of some monks breaking ten rules, some of which were
    considered major.
    The specific ten points were:
    1. Storing salt in a horn.
    2. Eating after midday.
    3. Eating once and then going again to a village for alms.
    4. Holding the Uposatha Ceremony with monks dwelling in the same locality.
    5. Carrying out official acts when the assembly was incomplete.
    6. Following a certain practice because it was done by one’s tutor or teacher.
    7. Eating sour milk after one had his midday meal.
    8. Consuming a strong drink before it had been fermented.
    9. Using a rug which was not the proper size.
    10. Using gold and silver.

    The key issue was the use of ‘gold and silver’, which is an Indic idiom that includes
    any kind of money.

    Resulted in:

    1. The split of the Buddhist order into Sthaviravadinis(Theravada)


    and Mahasanghikas. The split was over small points of monastic discipline.
    2. The Second Buddhist Council made the unanimous decision not to relax any of the
    rules and censured the behaviour of the monks who were accused of violating the
    ten points.

    Third Buddhist Council


    Venue: Pataliputra (today’s Patna).
    Year: 250 BC.
    King: Ashoka (Maurya Dynasty).
    Presiding priest: Mogaliputta Tissa (Upagupta).

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    Its objective was to reconcile the different schools of Buddhism and to purify the
    Buddhist movement, particularly from opportunistic factions which had been
    attracted by the royal patronage.
    The responses to doctrinal questions and disputes formulated at the Third Council
    were recorded by Moggaliputta Tissa in the Kathavatthu, one of the books of the
    Abhidhamma Pitaka.

    Resulted in:

    1. Made Sthaviravada School as an orthodox school – believed that the past, present,
    and future are all simultaneous. They may have contributed some formative
    influence to Mahayana.
    2. Codification of Abhidhamma Pitaka, dealing with Buddhist philosophy written in Pali.

    Fourth Buddhist Council:


    Venue: Kundalavana, Kashmir.
    Year: 72 AD
    King: Kanishka (Kushan Dynasty), was a patron of Buddhism and was instrumental
    in spreading the religion in north-western borders of India.
    Presiding Priest: Vasumitra; deputed by Asvaghosha.
    The fourth Buddhist Council had to deal with a serious conflict between the
    Sarvasthivada teachers of Kashmir and Gandhara.

    Resulted in:

    1. Sarvasthivada doctrines were organized into three large commentaries on the


    Pitakas.
    2. Final division of Buddhism into Mahayana & Hinayana sects.

    Note:
    The Theravada Buddhist council in 1871 and Theravada Buddhist council in 1954 are
    known as Fifth and Sixth Buddhist Councils respectively.

    Article by: Jishnu J Raju

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