History of Buddhism in India - Buddhist Movements

Buddhist Movements

The Buddha did not appoint any successor, and asked his followers to work for personal salvation. The teachings of the Buddha existed only in oral traditions. The Sangha held a number of Buddhist councils in order to reach consenseus on matters of Buddhist doctrine and practice.

According to the scriptures, a Brahmin monk by the name of Mahakasyapa presided over the first Buddhist council held at Rajgir. Its purpose was to recite and agree on the Buddha's actual teachings and on monastic discipline. Some scholars consider this council fictitious.

The Second Buddhist Council is said to have taken place at Vaishāli. Its purpose was to deal with questionable monastic practices like the use of money, the drinking of palm wine, and other irregularities; the council declared these practices unlawful.

What is commonly called the Third Buddhist Council was held at Pāṭaliputra, and was allegedly called by Emperor in the 3rd century BCE. Organized by the monk Moggaliputta Tissa, it was held in order to rid the sangha of the large number of monks who had joined the order because of its royal patronage. Most scholars now believe this council was exclusively Theravada, and that the dispatch of missionaries to various countries at about this time was nothing to do with it.

What is often called the Fourth Buddhist council is generally believed to have been held under the patronage of emperor Kaniṣka at Jālandhar, though the late Monseigneur Professor Lamotte considered it fictitious. It is generally believed to have been a council of the Sarvastivāda school.

Following the Buddha's passing, many philosophical movements emerged within Buddhism. The first of these were the various Early Buddhist Schools (including Theravāda). Later Mahāyāna Buddhism and Vajrayāna Buddhism arose.

The Brahmans of Buddhism worked very hard to spread the dharma. The Buddha's disciples were mostly Brahmans, including the 2 chief disciples. For example, Aśoka was converted to Buddhism by his Brahman gurus Rādhāsvāmī and Manjuśrī.

Read more about this topic:  History Of Buddhism In India

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