Early Monastic Buddhism v2.c30.26

v2.c30.26

Prof. Raichaudhury and other scholars place king Nanda after the reign of the sons of Kālāsoka, Jayaswal, on the basis of the Mmk., places Śūrasena after Kālāsoka. It may be that Śūrasena was another name of Bhadrasena, the first son of Kālāsoka. In the history of Buddhism we know that, after the session of the second council during the reign of Kālāsoka, dissensions arose in the Buddhist Saṅgha. Mahādeva’s five propositions were regarded by Vasumitra and others as one of the causes of the dissensions. Mahādeva was followed by Nāga, who, in his turn, was followed by Sthiramati in the propagation of the five propositions. In view of this succession of teachers, it is quite probable that Kālāsoka was succeeded by Śūrasena, and Śūrasena by Nanda. Buston writes that troubles arose in the Buddhist Saṅgha 137 years after Buddha’s parinibbāna.² This date coincides with the reign of Nanda and therefore his information as also of Tāranātha that Śūrasena intervened between Kālāsoka and Nanda appears to be historical. It is quite likely that the Tibetan historians mistook the name Mahāpadma Nanda as names of two personages. Nanda and Mahāpadma, and made the latter a son of the former. It may be that king Nanda took the appellation Mahāpadma some time after the commencement of his reign.