Early Monastic Buddhism v2.c37.s1: Centres of popularity
Early Monastic Buddhism v2.c37.s1
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Centres of popularity
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The Tibetan traditions ascribe the foundation of this school to Mahākaccāyana¹ who was a native of Ujjeni, son of the priest of king Caṇḍa Pajjota of Avanti. The Pāli traditions, however, give prominence to Upāli, and speak of the succession of his disciples, the chief of whom was Dāsaka. The latter’s disciples were Siggava and Caṇḍavajji who were young at the time of the Second Council.²
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¹ See also Mahākarmavibhaṅga, p. 61-2.
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² Aṭṭhasālini (p 32) however gives prominence to the disciples of Sāriputta, the chief of the Ābhidhammikas thus: Sāriputta-Bhaddaji-Sobhita-Piyajāli-Piyapāla-Piyadassi-Kosiyaputta-Siggava-Saṇḍeva-Moggaliputta, etc. Moggaliputta Tissa was a disciple of Siggava and Caṇḍavajji. See Samantapāsādikā, I, p. 40.
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The events of the Second Council, in which the Theravādins became separated from the main body, indicate that the monks of the west, specially of Kauśāmbi and Avanti, formed the nucleus of this sect. The biography of Mahinda, who is mainly responsible for the propagation of this school of Buddhism in Ceylon, also shows that this school was more popular in the west than in the east. Taking into consideration all these facts, it may be stated that the Theravādins had one centre at Pāṭaliputra along with other schools but were chiefly concentrated in and around Ujjeni, which became its second but more important centre.
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In the Sarnāth inscription, there is a reference to the existence of the Theravādins at that place in the early days, while in the Nāgārjunikoṇḍa inscriptions, mention is made of the activities of this sect in the propagation of Buddhism. In the Maṇimekhalai, we find that it had its popularity in countries around Kāñcī, which became one of their principal centres in the post-Christian eras.¹ The fact that Buddhaghosa and Dharmapāla had their training at Kāñcī goes to show that Kāñcī became later on the educational seat of the Theravādins. After Mahinda’s demise the school obtained a firm footing in Ceylon and made the Mahāvihāra its chief academic centre. Hiuen Tsang saw one hundred monasteries of the Sthavira school in Drāviḍa, and also in Samaṭaṭa. He says that Dharmapāla was born in the Drāviḍa country.² From this survey, it may be stated that the school originated at Pāṭaliputra, became popular in the western countries, making Ujjeni its second centre and then it gradually made headway towards the south, settling in and around Kāñcī, and was ultimately established in Ceylon.
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¹ See Aiyangar, ‘A Buddhist School at Kāñcī (Proceedings of the 4th Oriental Conference, Allahabad).
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² Watters, II, p. 226.
Cites (2)
- Samantapāsādikā — Sanskrit
- Mahākarmavibhaṅga — Sanskrit