THE BUDDHIST COUNCILS

Saṅgīti
First Council
Venue: Rājagaha (Rajgir) three months after the Mahāparinibbāna. Ajātaśatru was the patron.
Venerable Kassapa was the president.
What exactly was the Buddhavacana? What exactly were the rules of discipline?
500 senior monks= arahant/Thera
Trial of Ānanda

1. He did not ascertain the lesser and minor precepts, the abrogation of which was
permitted by the Buddha.
2. He had trodden on the rainy season garment of the Master while sewing it.
3. He allowed women first to salute the dead body of the Master.
4. He did not request the Master to enable him to continue his study for a kalpa (aeon).
5. He had successfully pleaded for the entry of women into the Saṃgha.

According to the Tibetan text, Dulva, two more charges were brought against Ānanda:

6. He failed to supply drinking water to the Buddha though he had asked thrice for it.
7. He showed the privy parts of the Buddha to men and women of low character.

Ānanda replied to all these charges as follows:

1. As he was overwhelmed with grief at the imminent death of the Master, he could not
formulate the lesser and minor precepts.
2. As there was no one to help him, he had to tread upon the garment of the Master.
3. As he did not want to detain women, he permitted them to salute the body of the Mater
first. He also did this for their edification.
4. He was under the influence of Mara when he forgot to request the Master to enable him
to continue his study for a kalpa.
5. He had to plead for the admission of women into the Saṃgha out of consideration for
Mahāpajāpati Gotamī who had nursed the Master in his infancy.
6. As the water of the river was muddy, he did not supply the same to the Buddha.
7. He showed the privy parts of the Buddha to men and women of low character with a
purpose to rid them of their sensuality.

Verdict: Exoneration.

As per the tradition, both the Vinaya Piṭaka and the Sutta Piṭaka were are said to have been
formalized at this council.
Buddhaghosa in the Samanta-pasadika gives a detailed account of the constituent parts of the
Vinaya and the Sutta Piṭaka that were recited at the Council.
Evaṃ me sutaṃ.

Trial of Channa
The Buddha’s charioteer.
The Brahmadaṇḍa (highest penalty) was passed on Channa as he had insulted each and every
member of the Saṃgha, high or low, through his extremely insolent demeanour. When this
punishment was divulged to Channa, he was struck with intense sorrow and repentance. As result
of this, he was cleansed of all his faults and he became an Arhant. As he became an Arhant, the
punishment automatically lost its meaning and application.

The Second Council was held at Vesālī a century after the Mahāparinibbāna of the Buddha.
According to the Cullavagga, the monks of Vajji region had got the habit of following the Ten
Extravagances (dasavatthūni) mentioned below:

1. Siṅgiloṇakappa: It was the practice of carrying salt in a horn for use when needed. This practice
is contrary to Pacittiya 38 which prohibits the storage of food.
2. Dvaṅgulakappa: This was the practice of taking meals when the shadow is two fingers wide i.e.
taking meal after midday. This is against Pacittiya 37 which forbids the taking of food after
midday.
3. Gāmantarakappa: This was the practice going to another village and taking a second meal
there on the same day. This is opposed to Pacittiya 35 which forbids over-eating.
4. Avāsakappa: This was the practice of observing Uposatha ceremony in various places in the
same parish (sīma). This practice contravenes the Mahāvagga (II,8.3) rules of residence in
a parish (sīmā).
5. Anumatikappa: This was the practice of obtaining sanction for a deed after it is done. This also
amounts to breach of monastic discipline (Mavavagga.IX,3.5).
6. Aciṇṇakappa: This was the practice of using customary practices as precedents. This also
amounts to a breach of monastic discipline.
7. Amatitthakappa: This was the practice of drinking buttermilk after meals. This practice is in
contravention of Pacittiya 35 which prohibits over-eating.
8. Jalogiṃ-Pātuṃ: This was the practice of drinking toddy. This practice is a violation of
Pacittiya 51 which forbids the drinking of intoxicants.
9. Adasakaṃ-ṇisidānaṃ: This was the practice of using a rug which has no fringe. This is a
violation of Pacittiya 89 which forbids the use of borderless sheets.
10. Jātarūparajataṃ: This practice was the acceptance of gold and silver which is forbidden by
rule 18 of the Nissaggiya-Pacittiya.

Venerable Yasa that these Ten Extravagances were unorthodox and proclaimed such actions to be
outrageous, unlawful and iniquitous.
The Vajjian monks imposed the paṭisaraṇiyakamma (Act of Reconciliation) punishment upon
him. This punishment required the offender seeking pardon from the laity. Yasa successfully
defended his own view before the laity and through his persuasive argument convinced them to be
on his side. This further incensed the offending monks who proclaimed the penalty of
ukkhepaṇīyakamma (Act of Excommunication) upon him, which meant his literal banishment
from the Saṃgha.

Both sides got busy gathering support, culminating in the Second Council at Vesālī.
In order to avoid further waste of time and irrelevant discussion, the matter was referred to an
arbitrating committee. The Ten Extravagances were put to vote one by one and they were declared
unlawful. The questions were stated again and the same decision was arrived at in the full
assembly of the Council. The unanimous verdict of the assembly declared the conduct of the
Vajjian monks to be unlawful.

The Dipavamsa points out that the bhikkhus of Vesālī convened another Council in which ten
thousand monks participated. It was called the Mahāsaṅgīti (Great Council).

In the Samanta-pasādikā, Buddhaghosa observes that after the final verdict the Vinaya and the
Dhamma were recited afresh and consequently, fresh editions of the Piṭakas, Nikāyas, Aṅgas and
Dhammakhandhas.