The First Three Councils of the Sasanavamsa

The First Three Councils of the Sasanavamsa

 

Written by Dai Sung Han

Some rights are reserved, 2012.

 

The Sasanavamsa “The history of the Religion” is an ecclesiastical chronicle of Burma. It  deals with account of the growth and expansion of Buddhism in India and the nine countries of Ashokan missionaries. The full name of the chronicle is Sasanavamsappadipikā (The light of the history of the religion). The Pali term ‘sasana’ means ‘teaching; order; message; doctrine; a letter’ and ‘vamsa’ renders as ‘1. A race; lineage; family; 2. A bamboo; 3. Tradition, hereditary custom; 4. Dynasty.’ Thus the title can be translated as ‘tradition of the Teaching or the Doctrine.” The text is based on two palm-leaf MSS in the British Museum. It is a non-canonical literature written in Burma by Bhikkhu Pabbāsāmi who dates his book 1223 of the Burmese Common Era (1861 C.E.), was the tutor and mentor of the Burmese King Min-don-min. The author calls himself the pupil of the Savgharaja of Mandaly. Besides the Sasanavamsa, Pabbāsāmi is credited with the authorship of a number of other books; viz. Silakathā, Upāyakathā, Nāgarājupptti-Kathā, Nirayakathādipikā, etc. The author of the text gives unmistakable evidence of sound knowledge of the canonical as well as non-canonical literature of Burma and Ceylon.

 

This text consists of ten chapters with the table of contents (mātikā). The author of the chronicle declares the motivation of the compilation of the text as ‘at the request of the monks who have came to a foreign land from the island of Ceylon, I will compose the Sasanavamsa.’ The table of contents promises a general history of Buddhism drawn from a few well-known Pali and Burmese works. The first chapter is dedicated to the religious history of India and the rest nine chapters are allocated to the nine countries which Moggaliputta Tissa thera sent Buddhist missionaries during the reign of Piyadassiashoka. But of these nine regions, five are placed in Indo-China. In the first chapter the author gives an outline of Buddha’s life and briefly deals with the three Buddhist councils held during the three Indian kings, Ajātasattu, Kālāsoka, and Asoka. After the Third council over, Moggaliputta Tissa thera sent Buddhist missionaries to different countries for the propagation of the Buddhist faith. Among the nine countries in which the missionaries were sent the account of Ceylon and Burma seems to be more careful and complete than those of other matters of this group.

 

Summary of the First Council

A week after the Blessed One had attained the parinibbana, when the Venerable Mahakassapa, accompanied by exceeding two and a half thousand monks, was coming to Kusinara from Pava, having heard on the middle of the road that the Blessed One, has attained the parinibbana. Seeing the lamenting monks, a monk named Subhadda spoke thus: “Friends, do not lament, formerly we were annoyed by the recluse Gotama thus: “Do this, it is allowable to you; do not do this, it is not allowable to you.’ But now we do whatever we desire, whomever able to do, not to do whatever we do not desire, whomever able to do.” On hearing such evil word Mahakassapa was startled and decided to hold a council.

The reason of evil words of Subhadda was belong to his past and evilly initiated thereafter. Subhadda belonged to a barber family. When the Blessed One visited the city of Atuma then he engaged two novices, who were his own sons, to do the work of hair- dressing. When he had cooked rice-gruel, he offered them to the Buddha along with the Order. The Blessed One, however, was having not accepted them for the wrong doing. For that reason he having made enmity and as he was clinging to longing for destroying the religion, he spoke such evil words then.

He, in the third month since the Blessed One’s parinibbana, on the fifth day after the full-moon day in the month of Asali, with five hundred arahats and under the patronage of the king named Ajatasattu, held the first recital, lasting for seven months, in the Sattapanni Cave at Rajagaha. In this First Council, a number of five hundred great Elders like the Venerable Mahakassapa, Venerable Upali, Venerable Ananda and Venerable Anuruddha, helped the religion by first reciting (the doctrine).

 

Summary of the Second Council

A century after the Master had attained Mahaparinibbana at Vesali (Skt Vaiwali), the monks of Vajjis practice ten points (dasa vatthu). The ten points are enumerated as follows:

 

  1. SIVGILONAKAPPA:   Suitableness of carrying about salt in a horn.

  2. DVAVGULAKAPPA:   Suitableness of eating a meal at the wrong time when the

                          shadow has passed beyond two finger-breadths.

  3. GAMANTARAKAPPA:  Suitableness of eating in another village after having eaten

                           in a village.

  4. ĀVASAKAPPA:        Suitableness of having several residences in a parish to carry

                          out various observance.

5. ANUMATIKAPPA:     Suitableness of carrying out a formal act

by an incomplete Order.

  6. ĀCINNAKAPPA:       Suitableness of habitual conduct done by preceptors.

  7. AMATHITAKAPPA:    Suitableness of drinking unchurned butter-milk after

                           having eaten meal.

  8. JALOGIM-PATUMKAPPA: Suitableness of drinking unfermented toddy which has

                             not arrived at the stage of being strong drink (majja).

  9. ADASAKAM-NISIDANAKAPPA: Suitableness of using a rug which has no fringe.

  10. JATARPARAJATAMKAPPA:    Suitableness of accepting gold and silver.

 

 A monk whose name is Yasa, the son of Kakandaka, arrived at Valukarana of Vesali, observed the ten practices of Vajjiputtaka monks, thinking: “I will recite the Dhamma with seven hundred elect, Revata, Sabbakami and others.” The Vajjiputtaka monks being in hostile mood, approached the king named Kalasoka and informed him thus: “ O great king, we live guarding the Perfumed Chamber of this Mahavana monastery. Other monks have arrived with intention of plundering and destroying it.” The king Kalasoka supported the Vajjiputtaka monks first, but at the very night the king saw a dream of torment in the iron cauldron hell. An Elder nun named Nanda, sister of the king, coming by air, explained the defect in supporting the Vajjiputtaka monks. Thereafter the king Kalasoka turned out to the Venerable Yasa, supported the Second Council which held in the Valukarana for eight months.

 

Summary of the Third Council

When the religion of the Blessed One reached two hundred and thirty-eighth year, in the time of His Gracious Majesty the king Dhammasoka who reigned in the city of Pataliputta, the gains and honours of the Order of monks were in abundance. At that time the heretics, numbering at least sixty thousand, longed for gains and honours entered to the Assembly. When the king Asoka heard that the Observance and Invitation ceremonies were disappeared for seven years, sent one of his ministers to correct it. The minister went to the monastery and killed the Order of monks who were unwilling to hold the Observance ceremony. When the king heard this, felt guilty, asked that matter to Moggaliputta Tiss thera. The Elder answered: “You will be free from evil deed because you did not intent it.” Then the thera taught the king about orthodox doctrine and explained the Kathavatthu. At the time eighteen years had elapsed since the reign of His Gracious Majesty the king Dhammasoka, in the Ashoka monastery of the city of Pataliputta, the great Elders, numbering at least one thousand, for nine months recited. As the result, Moggaliputta Tiss thera sent missionaries to nine countries.

 

The name of missionaries and nine countries which Buddhist missionaries were sent

1: Mahamahindatthera  ̶ Sihaladipa

2: Sonatthera uttaratthera  ̶ Suvannabhumi, 

3: Maharakkhitatthera  ̶ Yona

4: Rakkhitatthera  ̶ Vanavasi

5: Yonakadhammarakkhitatthera  ̶ Aparantarattha

6: Majjhanti katthera  ̶ Kasmiragandha

7: Maharevatthera  ̶ Mahimsakamandala

8: Mahadhammarakkhitatthera  ̶ Maharattha

9: Majjhimatthera  ̶ Cinarattha

 

The Sasanavamsa is a modern chronicle of Burmese’s which has very ecclesiastical nature. Most of the contents of the text are derivative from various Pali literature and Burmese books. The description of the Three Councils considerably diverges from that of Vinaya Pitaka. Especially the role of the kings is emphasized greatly compare to other recension of the events. The author has indeed tried to incorporate all the available information of Pali and Burmese religious books, which is remarkable. The book gives us an interesting record of the part played by the Buddha’s religion in the social and intellectual life of the ten countries which were the center and destinations of missionaries of Ashoka.