On Yuan Chwang's Travels in India, 629–645 A.D. v2.c18.s2.51

v2.c18.s2.51

Our pilgrim here makes the Council of 700 to have met at a place some distance to the south-east of Vesāli. But Fa-hsien describes the tope of the Council as being three or four *li* to the east of the Thousand-sons-submission Tope which he places to the north-west of the city. The name of the place or establishment in which the Council was held is given in the Mahāsanghika Vinaya as the *Sha-tui* (沙堆) Sanghārāma or Sand-heap Monastery.¹ In other Chinese versions of editions of the Vinaya the place is called the *P'o-li-ka yuan*, or the *P'o-li-yuan*, or *P'o-li-lin*.² The words *P'o-li* and *P'o-li-ka* in these names represent the Vālikā of the Pali scriptures, and this word (the Sanskrit Bāluka) means *sand*.³ This Vālikārāma or *Sha-tui* monastery was a quiet retired place, cool and pleasant, and adapted for peaceful meditation and serious conversation.