Age of the Nandas and Mauryas c12.s10.3

c12.s10.3

This action was not however approved by other monks and hence a council was called at Vaiśāli. This council after a long deliberation appointed a committee of eight elders, four of them hailed from the east and the other four from the west. Among the former was Sabbakāmi, thera of Vaiśāli who, it is said, had received his ordination 120 years earlier and among the latter was Sambhūta Śāṇavāsa of Mathurā who was probably the same as the teacher of Upagupta. The ten points of the monks of Vaiśāli were declared to be against the rules. In a plenary session of the council, the Vinaya was rehearsed. The Bhikṣus who were excommunicated are also said to have convened another meeting which was a great council (Mahāsaṅgīti). Henceforth the followers of the wrong views who were then most probably more numerous came to be known as the Mahāsāṅghika.