At the end of his life, the Buddha had gathered many disciples around him. These people formed the sangha or the original community of monks and nuns. Buddhists texts explain that, after his enlightenment, the Buddha sat under his tree for several weeks, experiencing the bliss that came with enlightenment. Soon, five men who had been companions of the Buddha, before his enlightenment, joined him. They had left Buddha when he had started eating normally again. The Buddha preached to them the Four Noble Truths. Soon after this the sangha developed, which was the name given to the assembly of monks and nuns living in a given geographical area.
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| Monk at Temple |
These events are recorded in the first book of the Vinaya - the name given to the collections of books detailing the conduct of monks and a word denoting correct conduct. There are a few hundred rules for monks, including not using money, not drinking alcohol and abstaining from sex. Further, the sangha is described as developing over the next 12 years after the enlightenment of Buddha, and the conversion of many laypeople is seemingly portrayed as the key to the evolution of an informal lay following. This was the basis upon which the later structure of the sangha grew: including both monks and nuns - none of those who engaged in paid work. Importantly, the sangha grew through word of mouth.
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| Spread of Buddhism |
There were 4 councils held within the first 600 years of Indian Buddhism. Two of the councils were instrumental in furthering the schisms in the Buddhist Sangha that eventually led to the development of the Theravada and Mahayana schools of thought. The texts that record the detail of these councils were written centuries after.
Here is a brief outline of 3 of the councils:
Council at Rajgir (486 - 483 BCE)
This council was held immediately after Buddha's death. They discussed what teachings of the Buddha were authentic and this process led to the formation of the true teachings that would be used going forward.
Council at Vaishali (386 BCE)
This council established the origins of the major split between the Theravada and Mahayana schools of Buddhism. There was also disputes over the doctrine and rules of conduct as well as the position of monks and what role they play.
Council at Pataliputra (251 BCE)
This council tried to avoid schism and wanted the bring the divisions together and to decide the teachings of Buddha once and for all. They also wanted to send missionaries to spread the word of Buddhism.
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| Council of Buddhism |
There are three main schools of Buddhism. They are: Mahayana, Theravada and Vajrayana. However, we also have Tibetan Buddhism and Western Buddhism to name a few others.
Mahayana Buddhism
It is considered to be one of the two major schools of Buddhism. Also known as the Greater Vehicle, it first surfaced in the 1st Century CE. It serves as a more moderate and comprehensive interpretation of Buddhism. Today the sect is predominant in North Asia and the Far East including China, Japan, Korea, Tibet and Mongolia.
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| Mahayana Buddhism |
Vajrayana Buddhism
This school is quite different from a number of other Buddhist forms. It is considered as one of the three major 'vehicles' of Buddhism along with Mahayana and Theravada. Vajrayana Buddhism is based on the tantras, tantric techniques written in Indian scriptures. They believe that a person should try to identify with the enlightened body, speech and mind of a Buddha.
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| Vajrayana Buddhism |
Theravada Buddhism
Thervada Buddhism is sometimes called 'The Way of the Elders'. Theravada Buddhism is based on the original beliefs and practices of the Buddha and the early monastic elders. It is mainly predominant in southern Asia, especially in Sri Lanka, Thailand and Laos.
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| Theravada Buddhism |
