The first council of the Dipavamsa

The first council of the Dipavamsa

            

Written by Dai Sung Han

 

Some rights are reserved, 2012.

 

Introduction

The Dipavamsa or the History of the Island is the earliest extant Pali chronicle of India and Sri Lanka. This old chronicle is rather religious eulogy than a historical record in the strict sober and modern sense. The title consists of two distinct Pali terms: ‘dipa’ has three meanings that of 1. a lamp; 2. an island; 3. help; support; here the second meaning is used; ‘vamsa’ renders to 1. a race; lineage; family; history 2. a bamboo; The meaning of history can be used thereby. The text deals with the history of the island from earliest times up to the reign of Mahasena (325-352). It is a chronicle of unknown authorship: G.P. Malalasekera describes “the Dipavamsa was not the work of a single author, but of several generation, a succession of rhapsodies, added to by succeeding authors, as the introduction tell us, “twisted into a garland of history from generation to generation, like the flowers of various kinds”. Considering the nature of ancient chronicle of the island, we can believe that there is a certain element of truth in it, particularly calculated to be the vehicle of history in early times, when literary facilities were scanty.

 

General contents of the Dipavamsa

The Dipavamsa has twenty two chapters. It mentions the three visits of the Buddha to Sri Lanka and the ancestry of the Buddha. It also gives an account of the genealogy of the old royal families of India and Sri Lanka. It refers to the three Buddhist councils, the rise of the different Buddhist schools after the Second Council, the activities of King Ashoka, the colonization of Sri Lanka by Vijaya and his successors.

 

Description of the first council in the Dipavamsa

This short description of the council is rather religious eulogy than a historical record in the strict sober and modern sence. It says of an election of the council member out of seven hundred thousand arahats. The seven chief disciples of the Buddha, i.e., Kassapa, Ānanda, Upāli, Anuruddha, Vabgisa, Punna, Kumāra-kassapa, Kaccāna, and Kotthita, were leading the council. They composed the collection of Dhamma by consulting Ānanda, Vinaya by asking Upāli. This compilation also can be divided by nine-fold doctrine, and this is called the doctrine of Thera or Theravāda for it was collected by the Thera, the First Doctrine for it was made first time as collection. The venue of the compilation was the Sattapanna cave, the nine-fold doctrine of the Master are Sutta, Geyya, Veyyākarana, Gāthā, Udāna, Itivuttaka, Jātaka, Abbhuta, and Vedalla. The immovable earth quaked on the appearance of the Collection of the Vinaya and Dhamma.

 

Comparative study on the First Council between the Dipavamsa and the Cullavagga of Vinaya Pitaka

Description of the Firth Council in the Cullavagga is quite voluminous comprising around sixteen pages while that of the Dipavamsa is mere two pages. As matter of fact, there are rare common descriptions between the two sources. The number of assembly as five hundred and the fact that Ananda recited the dhamma and Upāli Vinaya are merely common point. The sophisticated form of arrangement and description of the Cullavagga presents the date of composition is much later than the prior recension. The major difference coming from additional descriptions in the Cullavagga regarding the order of abrogation of lesser and minor rules given by the Buddha, an inquision for Ānanda, a meeting between King Udana with his retinue and Ānanda thera, and imposition of the Higher Penalty to Channa.

 

1.      Regarding the member of assembly: The number of the member of participant agrees in the both sources. However, the Dipavamsa says that there were seven hundred thousand arahat, and out of the number five hundred bhikkhus are elected (sammata) as representative, whereas the Cullavagga silent on the total number of the assembly, does not describe them as all arahat, and selected (uccini) five hundred bhikkhus as representative rather than elected.

2.      Role of Mahākassapa in the council: The Cullavagga starts with monologue of Mahā-kassapa that describing how the thera came to know about the parinibbāna of the Buddha and why initiates the council by him. Throughout the council, the role of Mahākassapa portraited as chief of the representive, residing the council at all time in the text. In contrast, Mahākassapa was mere one of seven chief leading members in the Cullavagga. His role was not prominent as a singular figure though he was mentioned as the chief once at the end of the story.  

3.      Content of the compilation: The Dipavamsa briefly make mention of the content of compilation as three divisions: singlet of Āgama; couplet of Dhamma and vinaya ; nine-fold teaching  ̶ Sutta, geyya, veyyakarana, gatha, Udana, Itivuttaka, Jataka, Abbhuta, and Vedalla. It is very interesting point that the text defined composed collection as Āgama, which is the word used in Sarvastivadin or other Indian Sanskrit trdition, instead of Nikaya of Pali tradition. However, the Cullavagga gives details regarding how the dhamma and vinaya laid down: Mahākassapa asks questions line by line to Ānanda and Upāli as to dhamma and vinaya respectively. In the text, the compilation only divided by the couplet of dhamma and vinaya, and by the five nikāyas.

4.      The venue, sponsor, and the consequence: The Dipavamsa sets its venue as the Sattapanna cave specifically whereas the Cullavagga refers to Rajagaha. The both sources keep silence for the patron of the council, in contrast, other sources mention it as the king Ajatasattu. The consequence of the councils from the two sources showing striking difference. While the Dipavamsa vehemently eulogize the birth of excellent teaching of Thera, which caused earth quake, the Cullavagga is bit cynical about the result of the council as Purāna disagree or insubordinate to the compilation by refusing the submission to the elders.

 

 The Dipavamsa is one of the oldest chronologies in Pali literature. Though its description is too short, it adds some knowledge on the event. Their aim was to give the history of Buddhism, yet it is now admitted on all hands that the chronicles of Ceylon are not full of mendacious fictions, their kernel and main bulk being history, nothing but history. The modern idea of sober and authentic history may be absent, but their permanent value as an indispensible source book of history remains unchallenged.