Early Monastic Buddhism v2.c31.s2: Time & site of the Council

Early Monastic Buddhism v2.c31.s2

Language: English

Time & site of the Council

v2.c31.s2.1

All the traditions state that a Council was held about a century after Buddha’s death to suppress certain un-Vinayic acts practised by a group of monks of Vesālī. The Council was held at Vesālī, but the traditions differ about the name of the monastery where the scene of the session was laid. In Pāli the name of the monastery is given as Vālukārāma, and this is corroborated by the Mahāsanghika Vinaya.¹ According to Buston, the name of the monastery was Kusumapura,² but it is not corroborated by any other text. Buston probably confused the capital of the province with that of the seat of the Council, or it may be that the Mahāsanghikas after their defeat in the Vesālian Council held another Council at the capital.

v2.c31.s2.2

¹ Watters, *op. cit.*, II, p. 73.

v2.c31.s2.3

² Buston. II, p. 96.

Linked texts (1)

Mahāsāṃghika-vinaya — Classical Chinese