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The 顿墨辫补惫补峁僺补 speaks of three Saddhamma 厂补峁単丑补 or three Buddhist Councils to protect and keep the religion of the Buddha for ever. In the history of development of Buddhism the importance and significance of the Buddhist Councils are immeasurable.The First Buddhist Council is of paramount importance regarding the origin of the Buddhist canon and the Second Buddhist Council is remarkable for the growth of the sects. Mordern researches on the Councils began in the middle of the nineteenth century. Many controversial issues have not yet been settled. The divergent documents of 笔腻濒颈, Sanskrit, Chinese and Tibetan tradition in regard to time, place, major participants, doctrinal issues and other details of the first two councils made the scholars puzzled. Scholars like H. Oldenberg, R.O. Franke, I.P.Minayeffe, N.Dutt, M.Hoifinger, Andrew Bareau, J.Przylusky and others have dealt with the Councils. Some of the scholars even have raised the question on the genuineness of the councils.

The first two councils are taken as authentic as they have been included in the canonical Vinaya Text, the Cullavagga. Most of the scholars except Oldenberg have accepted them as authentic. But Oldenberg regarded them as inclusion in later dates. The accounts of the Third, Fourth and Fifth Buddhist councils are controversial in many respects-e.g. date, place, proceedings and patrons. Only the sixth council has no controversy which was held in Rangoon (Burma) in 1956, under the patronage of Union Government of Burma (now Mayanmer) and under the leadership of U.Nu, the then Prime Minister. In this chapter we would confine our discussion upto the Third Council.

The word 鈥�Saddhamma鈥� implies, 鈥榯he good doctrine鈥�, 鈥榯rue religion鈥�, 鈥榞ood practice鈥�, the religon of the Buddha.

Beside the wide significance, the term Saddhamma is especially used to signify the 鈥�Religion of the Buddha鈥�. The word 鈥�厂补峁単丑补鈥� means assemblage. In the Buddhist sense the term implies 鈥榯he assembly of Buddha鈥檚 priests. It is stated in the texts, that the Buddha at the beginning did not want to preach the Dhamma. He thought that, nobody could understand his high level of philosophy. However with the intervention of 惭补丑腻产谤补丑尘腻 厂补丑补尘辫补迟墨, he agreed and proceeded towards 鈥�Isipattana 惭颈驳补诲腻测补鈥� in 厂腻谤苍腻迟丑 where he first converted the five quondam companions known as 鈥�笔补帽肠补惫补驳驳颈测补 Bhikkhus鈥�, namely A帽帽膩ta Ko峁囜笉a帽帽a, Vappa, Bhaddiya, 惭补丑腻苍腻尘补 and Assaji by preaching them the 鈥�Dhammachakka-pavattana Sutta鈥�.He advised them to avoid two extremes: worldly pleasures and austerities or simply self indulgence and self torture and gave them the sermon on the middle path (Majjhima-笔补峁璱辫补诲腻). These five disciples constituted the first Buddhist 厂补峁単丑补. Soon 驰补艣补, 鈥榯he banker鈥檚 son鈥� became a convert with his four friends Bimala, 厂耻产腻丑耻, Pannaji and Gavampati. They were followed by fifty of their friends. There were sixty one Arhat Bhikkhus in all. All of them spent their first rainy season (痴补蝉蝉腻惫腻蝉补) at Isipatana (Samath) and after its solemn close (笔补惫腻谤补峁嚹�), the Buddha sent out sixty monks in different direction to preach the 鈥�Dhamma鈥� for the welfare of mankind.

In this way the first Buddhist 厂补峁単丑补 was formed within a short period. Gradually the Buddhist 厂补峁単丑补 developed into a matured missionary order or 厂补峁単丑补. The 厂补峁単丑补 is a great preserver and protector of the Buddhist faith.It played a vital role in the subsequent Buddhist councils or 厂补峁単墨迟颈 in preserving the teachings of the Buddha. Dr. Sumangala Barua had rightly said that 鈥榯he Buddhist faith would have hardly progressed without the aid of the 厂补峁単丑补 and 厂补峁単墨迟颈. Hence they are correlated terms in the Buddhist thought. Buddhist monasteries were also permanent councils. It was the 厂补峁単丑补 which was instrumental in holding the 厂补峁単墨迟颈鈥�.

鈥槼Р贯箙g墨迟颈鈥�, in general sense means a song, music, concert, a sound of same pitch, choral singing etc. In the Buddhist sense, the term means collective recitation, proclamation of the doctrine. Finally it has come to signify general convocation of the Buddhist monks in order to settle the questions of the doctrine and to fix the text of the scripture. The 笔腻濒颈 term 鈥槼Р贯箙g墨迟颈鈥� is translated into English as 鈥楥ouncil鈥� but this is not perfect.

Memorization and recitation of the text were the only means to preserve the secred texts in early times. Buddha鈥檚 discourses were handed down orally through succession of teachers (膧肠补谤测补 辫补谤补尘辫补谤腻). In the 鈥�Mah膩parinibb膩na Sutta鈥�, Buddha advised his followers to verify his words on the four authorities (Catt膩ro 惭补丑腻辫补诲别蝉腻). He solemnly declared that the wrongly arranged words and sense are conductive to the disappearence of his discourses. The monks who get by heart the wrongly arranged text become confused and the meaning would become changed to them. So to preserve the rules of the the Vinaya and the Dhamma 鈥�Catt膩ro 惭补丑腻辫补诲别蝉腻, had been established. Originating from any of the four 惭补丑腻辫补诲别蝉腻, the words should be carefully checked by comparison with the Sutta and the Vinaya. Following these instructions, before reciting the scriptures, the learned monks verify the teachings of the Lord word for word. After being satisfied that the doctrine to be studied is in accordance to the Master鈥檚 sayings, they permit the recitation. During the lifetime of the Buddha there were instances of misinterpreting his doctrine. Making such a master plan in that remote past, for the first time is possible only by the Lord Buddha and is quite astonishing.

Those who learn the teachings by heart and can recite it without fault are called groups of 叠丑腻苍补办补蝉 (reciting monks). Even today we find Theras in Burma, Sri-Lank膩 and Thiland who memorize, recite and compare the whole scriptures.

Being afraid of the fact that the true words of the Master after his passing away may be lost, theTheras started collecting words of the Buddha. In the modern time also, the Theras of Sri-Lank膩, Thailand, Burma regularly meet to protect and preserve the teachings of the Buddha.

Sources of information:

The sources of first two councils are found in 笔腻濒颈, Sanskrit, Tibetan and Chinese records.

笔腻濒颈 Sources:

The primary sources of the two councils are found in the Cullavagga (Khandakas XI & XII) of the Vinaya Pi峁璦ka.

The secondary sources of 笔腻濒颈 traditions are 顿墨辫补惫补峁僺补, 惭补丑腻惫补峁僺补, Introduction to 厂补尘补苍迟补辫腻蝉腻颈办腻 of Buddhaghosa, 厂耻尘补峁単补濒补-痴颈濒腻蝉颈苍墨, Mah膩bodhiva峁僺a and 厂腻蝉补苍补惫补峁僺补.

Sanskrit Sources:

惭补丑腻惫补蝉迟耻 and Ma帽ju艣rim奴lakalpa contain short references of the councils. In 惭补丑腻惫补蝉迟耻 there is no reference of the second one. The Vinayas of the 惭补丑腻蝉补峁単丑颈办补蝉, Sarv膩stiv膩dins, Mah墨s膩sakas, Dharmaguptikas and Haimavantas also contain a short narrative of the first two councils. But the original Sanskrit works are lost.