Early Monastic Buddhism v2.c28.1

v2.c28.1

If the suttas in the Nikāyas and the rules in the Vinaya, the compilation of a greater portion of which may be placed during the reign of Ajātasattu and his successors, be scrutinised, it will be found that the disruptive forces were already at work within the Saṅgha even at the time of Ajātasattu, *i.e.*, soon after Buddha's death. These forces were not totally absent during the life-time of Buddha as is evidenced by the story of Kauśāmbī and the episode of Devadatta. In the Nikāyas¹ also appear a few apprehensive statements regarding the possibility of dissensions in the Saṅgha and the condemnation of *saṅghabheda* as one of the five extreme offences like patricides, matricides and so forth. In the Vinaya, there are elaborate directions as to when a dissension among the monks should be regarded as a regular or an irregular *saṅghabheda*. In the proceedings of the First Council also, is noticeable a rift in the lute in the refusal of Purāṇa of Dakkhiṇāgiri to accept *in toto* the texts adopted by Mahākassapa and his followers as *Buddhavacana*. His insistence on the introduction of a few disciplinary rules clearly shows a lack of unanimity among the monks immediately after Buddha's death.²