Early Monastic Buddhism v1.c23.s5.4

v1.c23.s5.4

Gavāmpati and Purāṇa were distinguished and old arhats of the time, hence an attempt was made by Mahākassapa to have the results of the deliberations of the Council approved by them. Gavāmpati however kept himself aloof, indicating neither his approval nor disapproval of the same while Purāṇa, who lived with a large following at Dakkhiṇāgiri, a place near Rājagṛha (perhaps a forest), preferred not to associate himself with the decisions of the Council but he requested Mahākassapa to incorporate seven rules regarding restrictions about storing and cooking food indoors, taking food of one's own accord, etc.² Prof. La Vallée Poussin has traced some of these rules in the *Mahāvagga* (vi. 17-19, 20). It should be observed that while speaking of Purāṇa, Cullavagga does not refer to his seven rules though they appear in the Mahāvagga, while the Vinayas of the Mahīśāsakas and Dharmaguptas mention them in detail. This shows that the Pāli version of the Vinaya accepted the opinion of Purāṇa. The dissenting voice of Purāṇa¹ and to a certain extent of Gavāmpati indicates that even at that early date the germs for saṅghabheda had already appeared and within the following century they sprouted up, resulting in the appearance of the Dharmaguptas, the Mahīśāsakas, the Haimavatas, and others.