Early Monastic Buddhism v2.c37.s1.4

v2.c37.s1.4

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.