Group A 02/01/2012Topic: Buddhist Sańgāyana

(Rehearsal/council)1. Name: Socheat soeun

2. Name: Samorn Un

3. Name: Tilak Thapa

4. Name: Sujan

5. Name: Wathanya

The six Questions • What is …?• When…?• Where…?• Why…?• How…?• Who…?

These six Questions are related to the Buddhist Rehearsal (council)

• Rehearsal is to preserve the original teachings of the Buddha as accurately as possible, not allowing anyone to alter, modify, omit, or add anything at whim.

• Rehearsal is to collect and compile of all teachings of the Buddha word, from first until the end.

• Rehearsal is the maintenance of the word of the Buddha is essential to the maintenance of Buddhism, it is regarded as an absolute necessity and also an issue of crucial importance in Buddhism to preserve the word of the Buddha.

• Great efforts have been made to preserve the word of the Buddha ever since the Buddha’s time, even when he was still alive.

What is a Rehearsal (Council)?

• Preserving the words of the Buddha is to collect the Buddha’s teachings, classify them in such a way as to facilitate memorization, rehearse, review them until everything is in place, and chant them in unison, thus showing approval for the text in question to serve as the model to be committed word for word to memory, them to be passed on to others and handed down to posterity. These are called the Sańgāyana, or Sańgīti, literally “Chanting together”

• Three months after the Buddha's Mahaparinibbana (passing away)

• One hundred years later• In the 3rd Century B.C.

When…?

• After Buddha’s nirvana, the dhamma and sangha received directives from successive councils over a period of four centuries in a democratic manner.

• Magadha king Ajatashatru organized the first Buddhist Council taking place at the Sattapanna Guhā cave, on mount Vebhāra, outside of Rajagaha three months after Buddha’s mahanirvana.

• King Kalashoka convened the second council at Vaishali.

• Emperor Ashoka patronised the third council at Pataliputra and

• King Kaniska convened the fourth council in Ceylon about four centuries later.

(Sańgītisutta) can be find in the Dīgha Nikaya of the Suttantapitaka.

Where…?

• The Venerable Cunda brought the news to the Buddha. (Nigruntha Nātaputta, the founder of Jainism)

• At that time the Venerable Sariputa, the chief disciples, he collected the Buddha’s teachings and expounded them, arranging them in groups of itemized Dhamma according to the number of items involved, ranging from groups of one to groups of ten.

Why…?

On hearing the news from a monk by name of Subhadda, who had been ordained in his old age, and said to them, why bother to weep at all? Isn’t it nice that the Buddha has attained his final Nibhāna? When he was alive, he was always being very strict with us, forbidding us to do this, telling us to do that. We difficulty being on our guard. Now that he was passed away, we may do just as we like. We will do whatever we like, and we’ll not do whatever we don’t like.

On hearing this, the Elder Ven. Mahakassapa thought to himself that even as shortly after the Buddha’s final Nibhana as this, there were already people who were intent on deviating from the doctrine and disciplines.

How many time? Buddhist council there are:• the first council

Three months after the Buddha's Mahaparinibbana• the Second council

One hundred years later, the Second Council was held to discuss some Vinaya rules.• the third council

In the 3rd Century B.C. during the time of Emperor Asoka, the Third Council was held to discuss the differences of opinion among the bhikkhus of different sects.

• Maha Kassapa, the most respected and elderly monk, presided at the Council.

• One was Ananda, the closest constant companion and disciple of the Buddha for 25 years. Endowed with a remarkable memory, Ananda was able to recite what was spoken by the Buddha.

• The other personality was Upali who remembered all the Vinaya rules.

• The first rehearsal (council)

Magadha king Ajatashatru

• The second rehearsalKing Kalashoka

• The third rehearsalEmperor Ashoka

• The fouth rehearsaland king Kaniska

1 2 3 4 5 6 7Who..?

1 2 3 4 5 6 7The third rehearsalBy Venerable Moggaliputta TissaAbhidhamma Pitaka was included at this Council.

After the Third Council, Asoka's son, Ven. Mahinda, brought the Tripitaka to Sri Lanka, along with the commentaries that were recited at the Third Council. The texts brought to Sri Lanka were preserved until today without losing a page.

Buddhist council

ConclusionTo understand the six

questions, that relate to Buddhist council and the three basket of Tripitaka.

The you for listening Today

The end