Early Monastic Buddhism v1.c22.s2.7

v1.c22.s2.7

The *sanghatthera* was generally selected from among the older monks. In the account of the Second Council⁴ Sabbakāmi is described as a *sanghatthera* as he was the oldest ordained monk at the time. Generally the *sanghatthera* presided over the functions of *Pātimokkha*-assemblies, but in the deliberations of the Second Council, Revata thera took the lead, perhaps because he was more learned⁵ than Sabbakāmi, though spiritually he did not rise as high as the latter.⁶ The *sanghatthera* was given the highest position in an assembly of monks and it is enjoined in the *Mahāparinibbāna-sutta*¹ that he must be respected by all the monks.