Early Monastic Buddhism v2.c27.s1.1

v2.c27.s1.1

According to the Buddhist and Jain traditions, though not according to the *Purāṇas*,⁴ Ajātasattu was succeeded by his son Udāyibhadda. He ruled for 16 years.¹ The *Mmk.* says that like his father he was not only enthusiastic about the religion but also had the sayings of Buddha collected.² In the same text³ again, it is stated that the religion would decline after Buddha's death, the kings would be fighting with one another, and the monks would busy themselves with various secular matters, find fault of one another, and lack in self-restraint. The monks and men would be demoralised, indulge in false disputations, and become jealous of one another. The non-Buddhists would gain the upper hand and the people would revert to Brāhmanism and take to animal killing and such other evil practices. If this self-contradictory statement of the *Mmk.* be considered along with the discreet silence of the Ceylonese chronicles about the activities of Udāyibhadda, it seems that the cause of Buddhism found little favour with the king. The text adds that there would be, however, some good men, gods and beings other than human, who would continue to worship the relics, and though the religion would be on the wane, there would be at least eight distinguished monks¹ with Rāhula as the chief to protect the religion.