Early Monastic Buddhism v2.c30.s1.5

v2.c30.s1.5

Yasa, the most active figure in the account and the one who started the commotion, hailed, according to Hiuen Tsang, from Kosala. He left Vesālī for Kosambī, where he organised a party with sixty monks of Pāvā (Pāveyyakā)² and eighty monks of Avantī, all of the Western countries.³ He proceeded with them first to Sambhūta Sāṇavāsī of Mathurā and met him at Ahogaṅga.⁴ Accompanied by him they went to meet Revata, another Westerner, belonging to Kanauj and met him at Soreyya. The fourth Western monk was Sumana. Thus we see that there was a clear geographical division among the monks. The opposition to the Vesālian practices was started by Yasa of Kosala,¹ and supported by Revata of Soreyya (Kanauj),² Sambhūta Sāṇavāsī of Mathurā, and Sumana, whose native place is not mentioned anywhere. This testifies to the fact that the monks of the Western countries, viz. Kauśāmbī,³ Avantī Mathurā were more orthodox in their observance of the Vinaya rules as adopted by the Theravādins. In the deliberations of the Council, Sabbakāmī, though the Saṅghatthera, was not given the lead, and this also proves the lack of his whole-hearted support to the agitation started by Yasa. Sāḷha's attitude, as mentioned above, was at first indecisive and similar probably was also the view of Khujjasobhita of Pāṭaliputra.