A Study of History of Buddhism and its Contribution to Indian Culture

Walmik Kachru Sarwade

Abstract


King Asoka (ca. 270-232 BCE)
converted to Buddhism. He did not make it a state religion, but supported
all ethical religions. He organised the spreading of Buddhism throughout
India, but also beyond; most importantly to Shri Lanka. This occurred after
the Third Council.
According to another version (Skilton), the Second Council may
have had two parts: initially in Vaisali, some 60 years after the Buddha, and
40 years after that, a meeting in Pataliputra, where Mahadeva maintained
five theses on the Arhat. The actual split may have occurred at Pataliputra,
not Vaisali over details of the Vinaya. In the non-Theravadin version of
events, the Mahasangha followed the original vinaya and the Sthaviravada
(the Elders) wanted changes. What exactly happened is unlikely to be ever
revealed, but the first split in the Sangha was a fact.
Keywords: History, Buddhism, Indian Culture


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References


For Hsuan Tsang’s travel narrative, see the translation by Samuel Beal,

Si-Yu Ki: Buddhist Records of the Western World (London:

Trubner& Co., 1884; reprint ed., Delhi: Oriental Books Re

print Corporation).

Vasant Moon, compiler and ed., BabasahebAmbedkar, Writings and

Speeches (Bombay: Government of Maharashtra, 1987), Vol.3,

pp. 232-33.

S. R. Goyal, A History of Indian Buddhism (Meerut, 1987), p. 394.

Detlef Kantowsky, Buddhists in India Today: Descriptions, Pictures and

Documents (Delhi: Manohar, 2003), p. 156.

Padmanabh S. Jaini, “The Disappearance of Buddhism and the Survival

of Jainism: A Study in Contrast”, in Studies in History of

Buddhism, ed. A. K. Narain (Delhi: B. R. Publishing Co.,

, pp. 181-91.




DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.14456/jibs.2015.3

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