The University of Nalanda c8.10

c8.10

In the sixth century B.C., when Gotama, the Śākya Prince returned enlightened to this world there existed many wandering religious saṅghas. The one that is often spoken of in the Vinaya Texts was called Sangha of Titthiya Schools.¹ The Buddhist Bhikkhus were known as Śākyaputtiya Samanas. The Buddhist Sangha was, perhaps, moulded on this existing one. Especially, the one feature, viz., the rain-retreat which afterwards led to the foundation of monasteries seems to have been borrowed from this School. For we are told in Mahāvagga that Bhikkhus went on their travels alike during winter, summer and the rainy season. Because the retreat during the rainy season had not yet been instituted by the Blessed One.² The story how Buddha happened to prescribe the rain-retreat is very interesting. The ascetics of the Titthiya School observed the rain-retreat, while the Buddhist Bhikkhus did not. The people began murmuring that the Buddhist Bhikkhus by wandering even in the monsoon, crushed the green herbs and destroyed vegetable and many other small lives. The complaint was reported to Buddha. Since, then, Buddha prescribed that the Bhikkhus should enter upon the Vassā.³ Buddhaghoṣa, the commentator upon the Vinaya Texts tells us how this ceremony was gone through. "They are to look after their Vihāra," says he, "to provide food and water for themselves, to fulfil all due ceremonies, such as paying reverence to sacred shrines, etc., and to say loudly once, or twice, or thrice: 'I enter upon Vassā in this Vihāra for three months.'" Thus they are to enter upon Vassā'.¹ In this custom of staying at one fixed place, we find the seeds of the future Saṅghārāmas and vihāras.