Contents

I.

Introduction about Tipitaka.................................................1

II.

The first Buddhist council.....................................................2

1.

Causes conduced the first Buddhist council.....................3

2.

Process of the first Buddhist council.................................4

3.

The results of the first Buddhist council...........................5

III.

The second Buddhist council.............................................6

1.

Causes conduced the second Buddhist council................7

2.

Process of the second Buddhist council............................8

3.

Results of the second Buddhist council.............................9

IV.

Conclusion...........................................................................9

Reference.......................................................................................10

I.

Introduction about Tipitaka

Foremost, we must know, what is meaning of Tipitaka ?

Tipitaka is the Pali word and literal meaning is three Baskets:
Ti=three; pitaka=basket, a container; one of the three main divisions of
Pli Canon1. But it dont has only meaning to be basket, it also has
another meaning to be injunction or propagation, like some worker
spread something form one by one or step by step. Therefore Tipitaka
also have meaning that they are the valuable assets which are propagated
from past period to now and future.
Tipitaka is a collection all doctrines of Biddhism. It consists of
three parts:
Vinaya (rule): Rules and regulations of monastic life that range
from dress code and dietary rules to prohibitions of certain personal
conducts
Nikaya (suttanta): The Buddha delivered all His sermons in local
language of northern India. These sermons were collected during 1st
assembly just after the death of the Buddha. They may contain
descriptions of Buddha and parables which may help lead to
enlightenment of the reader.

1 http://www.buddha-vacana.org/toolbox/dico.html,
13/7/2014.

view

9h,

Abhidhamma (commentary): Philosophical and psychological

discourse and interpretation of Buddhist doctrine.

The Pli Tripiaka known as the doctrine of Elders (theravda).

There are hundreds of discourses recited by the bhikkhus at the first
Buddhist council. After that there were several councils because of
various controversial ideas about the Buddhas teachings but according to
Pli tradition or Canonical and non canonical Pli literature, three
Buddhist councils were held. Although, we always say that Buddhism has
tipitaka or three baskets but they have a long process came from
establishing to development. So if we want to know what is Tipitaka?
we should research the origin and the development of it. Especially, we
must know about some Buddhist councils that collected Vinaya, Suttanta
and Abhidhamma in order to establish Tipitaka.
II.

The first Buddhist council

Took place 3 months after the Buddhas Passing (c. 486 BCE).

Held at Rajagaha (the modern city of Rajgir), in the Sattapanni cave.

Sponsored by King Ajatasattu, son of the King Bimbisara.

Presided over by Venerable Maha Kassapa with 500 monks.

The first Buddhist council was held immediately after three months
of Buddhas parinirvna. All of these Buddhist councils or collective
recitations by the Bhikkus are known as Dhamma sangitis. 2 According to

2 . Dhammasamgti is the term for assembly of the church, council.

The original meaning is general recitation of the canonical texts which,
indeed, takes place in an assembly of the church and in the following

3
the 11th chapter of Cullavaggapli of Vinayapiaka (Pacasatikakkhanda)
a detailed account of this historical incident can be found. Other different
accounts can be found in Dpavamsa and Mahvamsa chronicles in Sri
Lanka about this historical event. According to the records; the first
council was held after three months of the Buddhas demise in the rainy
season under the patronage of King Ajtasatthu in sattapai cave at
Vebhra Mountain in Rajagaha.
1. Causes conduced the first Buddhist council
There were some important causes conduce the first council.
Especially, that is the proclaiming of young Bhikkhu Subhadda:
"Enough, sirs! Weep not, nor lament. We are well rid of the great
samana. We used to be annoyed by being told, 'This beseems you,
and this beseems you not.' But now we shall be able to do what we
like, and what we do not like, that we shall not do."3
ala, vuso, m socittha; m paridevittha, Sumutt maya
tena mahsamanena

upaddut ca maya homa ida vo

kappati, ida vo na kappatti.

Idni pana maya ya

manner: an eminent thera recites the texts sentence by sentence and the
assembly repeats them after him in chorus. In this way dhammasamgiti is
connected with dhammasamgaha, by which we understand a settling or
redaction of the canonical texts, which also can only be carried out in the
manner stated.Comp. J.P.T.S. 1909, pp.31, 32.
3 . T. W. Rhys Davids, Dialogues of the Buddha (London, 1910),
p.184.

4
icchissma ta karissma, ya na icchissma na ta
karissmti 4
When venerable Sariputta heard these evil words, he was very sad
and worried about the existent of Buddhas teaching. So he decided to
gather 500 Arahant monks in order to collect or recite the buddhas
teaching. Because the obligation protect the Dhamma is the important
task that the Buddha also advised to his disciple at Buddhas time:
Cunda, those of you to whom I have taught the truths that I have
realized, must come together and recite the teaching together without
quarrelling, comparing meaning with meaning and sentence with
sentence, on order that this pure doctrine may exist and continue for a
long time for the profit and happiness of the many out of compassion for
the world and for the benefit, profit and happiness of gods and men
(DN. 29.I7)5. Therefore, the first Buddhist council is the council in order
recite all Buddhas teaching for help every monks can review also
remember the Buddhas dhamma and keep it exist for a long time in order
to conduce the benefit for everybody.
In addition, in order to abstain the wrong thinking about the
Dhamma and also preserver the Dhamma and Vinaya existent for a long
time, venerable Maha Kassapa promoted the first council that classified
all doctrines and enliven the Buddha teachings. This council also refine

4 . Mahparinibbnasutta, Dganikya
5 H.W.Schumann, The Historical Buddha, (London, 1989), p.258.

5
and complement some doctrine that were not remembered exactly,
therefore it help abstain the separation or wrong meaning in Dhamma.
2. Process of the first Buddhist council
The first council was held after three months of the Buddhas
demise in the rainy season under the patronage of King Ajtasatthu in
sattapai cave at Vebhra Mountain in Rajagaha.
In the course of the following seven months, Maha Kassapa asked
the bhikkhu Upali about the rules of Order (Vinaya) and the Bhikkhu
Ananda about the Buddhas discourses (sutta). Especially, in this council,
the formal to record the Vinaya and Dhamma was conducted by this way:
If the assembly remained silent, the statement of the Master, as
conveyed by Upali and Ananda, was considered to be reported correctly
and was thus recognized and canonical. Each monk present was
encouraged to make objections or additions, or to declare any utterances
of the Buddha that he remembered, for the record6.
In this council, venerable Maha Kassapa had commented venerable
Ananda eight things but there is one thing pertain to the Vinaya and the
dhamma. That Anada recite the Buddhas words that after Buddha get
into Parinibbana, the monks might, if they wished, abolish the minor
disciplinary rules (sikkhpadni)7. But venerable Ananda didnt ask the

6 Ibid., p.260.
7 Ibid., p.260.

6
Buddha what are the minor disciplinary rules? therefore, all
disciplinary rules must be preserved all.
And the language had been used in the Rhagaha council that was
Pli language. Because the Northern Indian used Pli as the language of
administration and the courts, so that Siddhattha Gotama, the Rjas son
was familiar with it form youth. pali and nanda, too,
presumably spoke it fluently8. But in this time the
language was only used to speak because had not yet
alphabet. Therefore this council only recited the Dhamma
and Vinaya by the way that is speaking and then
remembering.
3. The results of the first Buddhist council
According to some things that were mention above, the first
council had collected the Vinaya by venerable pali reciting, Dhamma or
Five Nikya by venerable nanda reciting and some problem
pertain with the Buddha teaching:
1. The settlement of the Vinaya under the leadership of Upali.
2. The settlement of the texts of the Dhamma under the leadership
of Ananda.
3. The trial of Ananda where all minor and lesser rules were
retained.

8 Ibid. Loc. Cit.

7
4. The punishment of Channa, which spurred him on to
Arahantship.
Vinaya Pitaka comprises the following:
1. Parajika Pali Major Offences
2.

Pacittiya Pali

Minor Offences

3.

Mahavagga Pali Greater Section

4.

Cullavagga Pali Lesser Section

5.

Parivara Pali

Summary and Classification of Vinaya

Sutta Pitaka comprises of the following 5 Nikayas (collections)

1. Digha Nikaya: Collection of Long discourses 34 discourses.
2. Majjhima Nikaya: Collection of Middle length discourses 152
discourses.
3. Samyutta Nikaya: Collection of Related discourses 7,762
discourses.
4. Anguttara Nikaya: Collection of Numerical discourses 9,557
discourses.
5. Khuddaka Nikaya: Minor Collection
III.

The second Buddhist council

Took place 100 years after the Buddhas Passing (c. 383 BC)9.
Held at Vesali.
Patronage of King Kalasoka.
Presided over by Venerable Revata with 700 monks.

1. Causes conduced the second Buddhist council

The second Buddhist council was held at Visali under the
patronage of king Klsoka after hundred years of the Buddhas demise.
It is recorded in Cullavaggapli that this council was held in order to
settle ten serious dispute points (dasa akepa vastu) which Monks of vajji
country were practicing. Ven. Kkan d aputta yasa declared that the Vajji
monks are wrong doers and their practices are illegal and extremely
immoral. According to the Cullavaggapli the ten indulgences can be
explained as follows.
Ven. Yasa reported these breaches to the highly respected Ven.
Revata, who advised that a council should be called. Ten disputed points
were brought before a council of the most senior monks at the time.
1/ Using salt in horns.
2/ Eating after mid-day.
3/ To eating once and then going again to a village for more food.
4/ Holding the Uposatha Ceremony in a separate building (in a
large sima).

9 Ibid., p.261.

9
5/ Performing a Vinaya ceremony first, then getting consent from
absent monks.
6/ Following a certain practice because it was done by a monks
tutor or teacher.
7/ Drinking sour milk after the mid-day meal.
8/ Drinking unfermented palm wine.
9/ Using a mat that has fringes.
10. Accepting and using gold and silver.
2. Process of the second Buddhist council
The Council passed a verdict against the Vajjian monks and
declared their conduct unlawful. A total of 700 monks present then
reaffirmed the teachings of the Buddha by reciting the Dhamma and
Vinaya together.
The form of the second council that venerable Revata ask asked the
questions and Sabbakami answered them10. After discussion they gave a
decision against the Vajj ian monks. They concluded that the ten rules
followed by the Vajjian monks were unlawful and were not permissible.
Although, the council decided ten rules of Vajjian monks are
unlawful, but Vajjian monks didnt agree with this decision of council,

10 L. H. Kanai, History of Theravada Buddhism in South-East Asia,(Munshiram

Manoharlal,New Delhi, 1982), p.27.

10
therefore, they arranged another council for themselves. They discussed
the matter and gave a decision what they wanted in their favour. This
council was known as the Mahiisangha or Mahasanghika11.
In addition, this council also was the day having the separating
between the Order. According to this council Vajjian monk did not want
to remain in the Sangha of the Theravadins or Sthaviraviidins and they
formef of the new sangha know as the Mahasangha. The second Buddhist
council marked the first division in the sangha that began from the
different opinion about the rules and disciplines of monks12.

3. Results of the second Buddhist council

The Second Buddhist Council made the unanimous decision not to relax
any of the rules, and censured the behavior of the monks who were accused of
violating the ten points. This Council recited the Dhamma and Vinaya. This
council also was recited by speaking and remembering. This council is one
more time confirmed the Buddhas dhamma exactly.

IV.

Conclusion

Two Councils keep the Buddhas Dhamma and Vinaya speech and
protect forever. The Buddhas teaching preserved and practiced in the

11 N.Dutt, Early Monastic Buddhism, II, (Calcutta, 1941), p.33.

12 L. H. Kanai, Op. Cit., p.28.

11
Sagha. But the First and Second Buddhist Council are recited by the
learn hearts method that better than written record. Often written records
are mistranslated additions and deletions occur like they would in oral
transmissions. The Dhamma is no place for prayer, ceremonies and
sacrifices. This Path conduce to attain true happiness. The Buddha said
that: I have expounded, what Dukkha is, I have expounded what is the
origin of the Dukkha; I have expounded what is the cessation of Dukkha:
I have expounded what is the method by which one may reach the
cessation of Dukkha.13
The Dhamma is societys fundamental and essential. Dhamma is
righteouness which means right relations between man and man in all
spheres of life.
The Ten Points were against minor (dukkata or sekhiya) rules. Before
the Buddha's Parinibbna he told Ven. Ananda that the community may
relinquish the minor rules of the Vinaya but at the First Buddhist Council there
was uncertainty about which rules he was referring to and it was unanimously
decided to keep the Vinaya as it was during the Buddha's lifetime. However,
100 years later some monks felt that certain rules could be relaxed.
Nowaday, the dhammas essential still keep by the Buddhas disciplines.
But some rules in the Vinaya are changed for model society, when you
understand the ten points that reference to claims of some new monks. The
monks of Vesali had taken to wandering for alms with the specific goal of

13 B. R. Ambedkar, Buddha and his Dhamma, (Bombay: Education Department, Government

of Maharashtra, 1992), p.18.

12
collecting money, to which the visiting monk Yasa objected. Some of the other
points are also important, for example point 6, which would allow monks to not
follow the Vinaya on any point which their teacher did not follow or practice.
The Dhamma likes a boat to helps pass over the river, not cling and attach. If
you have right view the Dhamma, you have true happiness and purification of
own mind.

Reference
1. Ambedkar B. R., Buddha and his Dhamma, Bombay: Education
Department, Government of Maharashtra, 1992.
2. Dutt N., Early Monastic Buddhism, II, Calcutta, 1941.
3. Kanai L. H., History of Theravada Buddhism in South-East Asia,
Munshiram Manoharlal,New Delhi, 1982.
4. Mahparinibbnasutta, Dganikya
5. Rhys Davids T. W., Dialogues of the Buddha London, 1910.
6. Schumann H.W., The Historical Buddha, London, 1989.
7. http://www.buddha-vacana.org/toolbox/dico.html, view 13/7/2014.