Early Monastic Buddhism v1.c14.s3.1

v1.c14.s3.1

The kingdom of Kosala is next in importance to Magadha in the history of the spread of Buddhism. It is counted as one of the sixteen mahājanapadas and is included among the countries scanned by the Bodhisattva before his descent to the mortal world.¹ In Buddha's time it was ruled over by Pasenadi, and then by his son Viḍuḍabha. Politically and commercially Kosala stood on the same level as Magadha, containing, it is said, 80,000 villages. From the point of view of culture only, Kosala might be pointed out as more brāhmanic than Magadha. But as far as Buddhism is concerned, Kosala could not boast of as many monasteries and hermitages as could Magadha. At the same time, however, it must be admitted that it was at the capital of Kosala that Buddha spent the latter part of his career as a teacher,² delivered the largest number of discourses and framed the largest number of Pātimokkha rules;³ and it was here that the religion, which had passed its infancy in Magadha, developed into its full stature as found in the Nikāyas.