On Yuan Chwang's Travels in India, 629–645 A.D. v2.c20.82

v2.c20.82

The pilgrim proceeding with his description tells us that at the side of Ajātaśatru's tope was one over the half-body-relics of Ānanda. He continues—About five or six *li* south-west from the Bamboo Park, on the north side of the South Mountain in a great Bamboo wood, was a large cave. Here Mahā-Kaśyapa with 999 great arhats after the Buddha's death compiled the Tripiṭaka. In front of the cave were the foundations of the large Hall which king Ajātaśatru built for the arhats. Yuan-chuang then proceeds to give a short account of the summoning and composition of this Council and of its work. He adds that the Tripiṭaka then drawn up was called the "President's Collection" because Kaśyapa was president of the Brethren. To the north-west of this cave, was a tope on the spot where Ānanda attained arhatship before joining in the formation of the canon. Above twenty *li* to the west of this was an Asoka tope at the place where the canon of the Great Congregation was compiled. Those Brethren, arhats and others, some myriads in number, who were not admitted to Kaśyapa's Council assembled here. They said among themselves—"While Ju-lai was living we all had one Teacher, now he is dead we are put aside as strangers; to requite Buddha's kindness we must compile a canon". So the common brethren and Arhats united and drew up a fivefold Canon of Sūtras, Vinaya, Abhidharma, Miscellaneous, and Dhāraṇīs; this was called the "Great Congregation's Collection" because Arhats and common brethren formed the assembly by which it was drawn up.