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Buddhist Era 2547 Wap Second Quarter - Saturday, October 18,2003
The Development of Buddhist Sects
by Rekadahene Chandajothi
Nayake Thera
Buddhism, its history and civilisation
As a result of the clashes among the Maha Sangha after the Buddha’s demise
and also owing to the unwarranted and unwelcome words of Bhikkhu Sabbaddra, the First Great Council of Buddhist monks was summoned under
the leadership and patronage of Ven. Mahakashyapa Upali and Ananda.
At this time, the Buddhist Bhikkhus were scattered all over India and for
this reason could not be controlled by a single individual from one centre
alone. Owing to the difficulties connected with the problem of centralised
control of the Sangha, many undesirable practices that were taboo for
monks began to creep into their daily routine.
The purpose of the First Buddhist Council was the preservation of the creed
of Buddhism and the Vinaya rules in their pristine form. But barely a century had
elapsed, before the Sasana encountered further signs of dissension. These
clashes, however, contributed to the spread of Buddhism more than to its
downfall. Despite the fact that the Sthaviravada branch of Buddhism was far
removedfromtheprinciplesoftherivalfactionsthatemerged,someofthemore
influential of the other sects such as the Mahasanghikas, who regarded the Buddha as the architect of emancipation, held sway in many quarters.
During this period it had occurred to the monks that they should change
with the times. The Second Buddhist Council could be regarded as a
protest against these new ideas that emerged among the Bhikkhus. It was
unavoidable that ideas contradictory to the teachings of Lord Buddha
should arise among the community of monks. Thus, the Theravada monks
immediately showed their willingness to make a revision of the Tripitaka. A
certain amount of unrest was created among the contemporary community of monks by the ten objects presented as suitable for them to accept
from laymen. The outcome of all these pretty disagreements and controversies was the division of the priesthood into eighteen sects within so
short a span of time as one hundred and thirty six years, the period
between Kalasoka and Dharmasoka.
It is evident that the division of the Sthaviravada amongst themselves into
these various sects was in one sense an impediment to the development
of Buddhism. However in another sense it helped the spread of the Buddhasasana by promoting debate and controversy and the production of
various commentaries and learned texts.
The most marked effect of the Second Council was the emergence of a
faction of Bhikkhus who defected from Sthaviravada at Kosambi, giving rise
to a new sect named Mahasanghika. This lead us to conclude that this sect
was the original cause of the Buddhist Schism which later developed as
Mahayana. Even though there were only trivial differences in this new sect
as regards the philosophy it propagated, This division contributed to the
spread of Buddhism.
This sect relaxed some of the strict Vinaya rules of the community of
monks, and in order to attract as many adherents as possible, did its utmost
to instruct society in its own concepts and doctrines.
With the lapse of time, there was a defection among the Mahasanghika,
so that in no time it was transformed into five different sects. The doctrines
of the new sects also showed a slight deviation from Sthaviravada. The
Sthaviravadas too, it should be noted, divided into eleven different sects.
Of the eighteen sects mentioned earlier, at least four, the Sthaviravada,
Mahasanghika, Dharmagttika and Sarvastivada spread to Sri Lanka. Some
of them extended much farther to various other countries, influencing
their philosophy though, but they could not make much headway. Nevertheless, it should be admitted that these various factions in the community of monks did bring about a great revival in the Sasana.
The fact that there existed clashes among the sangha even at the time
when Asoka became a true Buddhist and devoted himself to the promoting of the Sasana with zeal, is best indicated by the division of the
Mahasangha in various schools. This situation prompted Asoka to hold the
Third Buddhist Council under the patronage of Venerable Moggaliputtatissa. Some historians are of opinion that this council cannot be attributed to the initiative of Asoka.
Those who are reluctant to attribute it to Asoka, go by the paucity of any
epigraphical evidence to support such a view. But we cannot take only
what is contained in epigraphy as historical because not all the activities of
Asoka are recorded in these inscriptions and edicts, and because it is possible that those records which contain references to many others of his
deeds are yet to be traced. Moreover, if we are to accept the first two
Councils as historical, by their mere mention in the Mahavansa, there is no
satisfactory ground for rejecting altogether the historicity of the Third Buddhist Council.
Among the historical records of Sri Lanka, the word “Devanampriya”
occurs for the first time in the Mahavansa and Mahavansa Tika. Thus, it is not
desirable to question the validity of all that is stated in the Mahavansa. One
result of this Third Council was that all the monks expelled from the sasana
after this convention held an assembly in close proximity to Nalanda to
protest against the high handed acts of the Sthaviravada. But it was a futile
attempt. They subsequently met at Kosambi, re-entered the order
through the sects of such faction as the Mahasanghikas and formed nine
separate scts.
Even though our chronicles Mahavansa and Dipavansa record that
Asoka embraced Buddhism, he seems to have been a patron of all the
existing religions. However, Asoka’s Dharma, as incorporated in all his
famous edicts erected throughout his empire, is entirely based on the
teachings of the Buddha.
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