Early Monastic Buddhism v1.c4.6.2

v1.c4.6.2

The third evidence is the list of places suggested by Ānanda as desirable for Buddha's parinibbāna, viz., Campā, Rājagaha, Sāvatthi, Sāketa, Kosambi and Benares.¹ Though the list is not expected to be exhaustive, it gives an idea of the area wherein resided the largest number of Buddhist lay-devotees. The fourth and last evidence that we can adduce regarding the early home of Buddhism is the list of countries, the rulers of which claimed a share of Buddha's relics for the purpose of worship. They are Licchavis of Vesālī, Sakyas of Kapilavatthu, Bulis of Allakappa, Koliyas of Rāmagāma, Brāhmaṇas of Veṭhadīpa, Mallas of Pāvā, Mallas of Kusinārā, Moriyas of Pipphalivana. It is further mentioned that besides the above who wanted to worship the relics there were other worshippers, in Rāmagāma, Gandhārapura, Kaliṅga,² but this seems to be a later interpolation. Though Buddhism was confined mainly to the territories mentioned above, the geographical knowledge of the Buddhists extended all over India; they were acquainted with the sixteen mahājanapadas and one suttanta, viz., the Mahāgovinda,³ relates how India was divided into eight dominions, thus, the Central kingdom of Reṇu and around it Kaliṅga (Dantapura), Assaka (Potana), Avanti (Māhissatī), Sovīra (Roruka), Videha (Mithilā), Aṅga (Campā), Kāsī (Bārāṇasi). There were, however, adherents hailing from distant countries like Madda and Gandhāra¹ in the north, Paithān in the south and Avanti in the west.