Scholars are not unanimous about the 3rd Buddhist council. Only the chronicles of Sri Lanka spelt about the 3rd Buddhist council (Mahāvamsa, Dipāvamsa). Fa Xhian and Hung Tsang has not mentioned about the 3rd Buddhist council in their reports.
But there appear some clues in the edicts to prove that the 3rd Buddhist council took place during the reign of the king Dhammasoka. It is mentioned that the king Dhammasoka tried to maintain peace and harmony among Buddhist monks.
As a result of the broken down of the disciplines among monks no Uposatha or Pavarana was hold in any one of the monasteries for seven years. On hearing this news the King sent a minister to Asokarama to persuade monks to hold Uposatha. But monks refused to follow the advice of the king. So the ministers started to kill the disobeyed monk one after another as to the king's order. At this time the king’s brother who was also a monk living in that temple intervened.
Hearing about this the king Dhammasoka was shocked and wanted to know that he was responsible for it. Monks advised the king to contact the most senior monk Ven. Moggaliputta- tissa who was living in a seclude place and get his advice. The king sent a delegation to discuss him and persuaded him to come back to Pataliputra.
Venerable Moggaliputtatissa agreed to come to Pataliputra. He arrived to Pataliputra and convinced the king that he was not responsible for what had happened since the king had no such intention to kill anyone. With the advice of the senior monk the king ordered to assemble all monks. Then the king asked each monk as to what the doctrine of the Buddha was. All those who gave heretical answer were disrobed and sent out. Those who were Vibbhajjavadins were allowed to continue as the followers of the original teaching of the Buddha. After that, the king with the advice of the elder monks decided to hold an assembly for the well being of the order of monks.
1000 orthodox monks took part in the 3rd Buddhist council at Pataliputta. At this assembly the Tripitaka was rehearsed to establish its purity. As a result of the 3rd Buddhist council the king Dhammasoka sent missionaries to nine different countries in and around India. These are as follows;
(1) Kashmira and Gandhara (Peshawar & Rawalpindi)
(2) Mahisha Mandala (Mysore)
(3) Vanavasi (North of Mysore)
(4) Aparanthica (northern Konkan)
(5) Maharashira
(6) Yonakadhesa
(7) Himavanta (Eareece)
(8) Suvannabhumi (Burma)
(9) Tampapanni (Ceylon)
But there appear some clues in the edicts to prove that the 3rd Buddhist council took place during the reign of the king Dhammasoka. It is mentioned that the king Dhammasoka tried to maintain peace and harmony among Buddhist monks.
As a result of the broken down of the disciplines among monks no Uposatha or Pavarana was hold in any one of the monasteries for seven years. On hearing this news the King sent a minister to Asokarama to persuade monks to hold Uposatha. But monks refused to follow the advice of the king. So the ministers started to kill the disobeyed monk one after another as to the king's order. At this time the king’s brother who was also a monk living in that temple intervened.
Hearing about this the king Dhammasoka was shocked and wanted to know that he was responsible for it. Monks advised the king to contact the most senior monk Ven. Moggaliputta- tissa who was living in a seclude place and get his advice. The king sent a delegation to discuss him and persuaded him to come back to Pataliputra.
Venerable Moggaliputtatissa agreed to come to Pataliputra. He arrived to Pataliputra and convinced the king that he was not responsible for what had happened since the king had no such intention to kill anyone. With the advice of the senior monk the king ordered to assemble all monks. Then the king asked each monk as to what the doctrine of the Buddha was. All those who gave heretical answer were disrobed and sent out. Those who were Vibbhajjavadins were allowed to continue as the followers of the original teaching of the Buddha. After that, the king with the advice of the elder monks decided to hold an assembly for the well being of the order of monks.
1000 orthodox monks took part in the 3rd Buddhist council at Pataliputta. At this assembly the Tripitaka was rehearsed to establish its purity. As a result of the 3rd Buddhist council the king Dhammasoka sent missionaries to nine different countries in and around India. These are as follows;
(1) Kashmira and Gandhara (Peshawar & Rawalpindi)
(2) Mahisha Mandala (Mysore)
(3) Vanavasi (North of Mysore)
(4) Aparanthica (northern Konkan)
(5) Maharashira
(6) Yonakadhesa
(7) Himavanta (Eareece)
(8) Suvannabhumi (Burma)
(9) Tampapanni (Ceylon)
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