Page 57 - EH77

F ORUM FORUM | EASTERN HORIZON 55

backgrounds and levels of intelligence. He advised, in the Mahāyāna tradition for their role in preserving
“Test my words as carefully as a goldsmith assays gold and systematizing the Buddha’s teachings after his
and only then accept them.” Consequently, each of his parinirvāṇa. While these councils primarily shaped the
teachings must be weighed carefully for its meaning and Theravāda lineage, their influence extended indirectly
evaluated to determine whether it is literally true or to Mahāyāna, especially in the preservation of the
only figuratively so. Vinaya and early discourses. However, Mahāyāna
regards many of its own scriptures as later revelations,
What role did the early Buddhist councils play in transmitted through deep meditative realization and
shaping your tradition’s sacred texts? How reliable the compassionate activity of bodhisattvas, rather than
are these councils seen to be, both historically and through these early assemblies. Historically, the councils
spiritually? are viewed as important but limited, addressing the
concerns of early monastic communities. Spiritually,
Aggacitta: “Buddhist council” is an English translation Mahāyāna emphasizes the timeless and universal
of the Pāḷi saṅgīti which literally means group singing, Dharma, yet continues to honor the councils as vital
chorus or choral chanting. For over 500 years the in safeguarding the Buddha’s voice within the broader
Buddha’s teachings were transmitted orally. To do Buddhist tradition.
so effectively, his teachings were summarised and
put together by using stock phrases for ease of Tsepal: Tibetan Buddhism relies on Mahāyāna sūtras
memorisation. Nonetheless, personal oral transmission and Vajrayāna tantras, as well as teachings of the
from teacher to pupils could result in omissions Fundamental Vehicle. At the First Council a year after
and additions. So in order to ensure that the oral the Buddha’s Parinirvana, neither the Mahāyāna
transmission was consistent, the elders convened the sūtras nor the Vajrayāna tantras were included in
saṅgīti, in which hundreds of learned monks had to the collection of sūtras and recitations. These sūtras
agree on the consistency of the texts so that they could were reserved for select groups of disciples and were
chant the sanctioned teachings in unison. This was not widely known, leading to doubts about their
an excellent way to maintain consistency in the oral authenticity. However, their apparent absence from
transmission. the First Council does not disprove their authenticity.
Assuming the original transmissions were flawless,
Although only the first saṅgīti and second saṅgīti are within a hundred years of the First Council, eighteen
recorded in the current Vinaya Piṭaka of the Pāḷi canon, schools emerged with somewhat different versions of
tradition holds that the Pāḷi Tipiṭaka was canonized in what the Buddha had said, requiring further councils.
the third saṅgīti convened during King Asoka’s reign.
nd
Mahāyāna sūtras first appeared in the early 2 century,
The question is not about the spiritual reliability and the tantras a century later. Scriptures were first
of these “councils” but that of the sanctioned texts written down in the fourth century after Buddha. By
they produced. There cannot be any hard and fast Western scientific standards, neither the Pāli nor the
pronouncement on this as the investigation has to be Sanskrit texts ascribed to Shakyamuni Buddha passes
made on a case to case basis. Nonetheless, the rule of the test for authenticity, yet over the centuries, disciples
thumb is that if a doctrine or formulation is consistently have attained credible results by relying on them.
found in all Buddhist traditions, then it must be in the
core teachings of the Buddha. Otherwise it could just be In your tradition, must a teaching have to be spoken
a sectarian bias, addition or defective transmission. by the historical Buddha to be considered the
true Buddha’s word? What about teachings by the
Min Wei: The early Buddhist councils, particularly disciples of the Buddha (e.g. Sariputta, Ananda, etc.)
the First and Second Councils, hold a respected place during the time when he was alive in India?