Third Buddhist Council

E931834

The Third Buddhist Council was a pivotal gathering of monks in ancient India, traditionally held under Emperor Ashoka, to purify the sangha of doctrinal disputes and heresies and to systematize Buddhist teachings.

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Statements (47)

Predicate Object
instanceOf Buddhist council
religious assembly
activity classification of doctrines as orthodox or heretical
examination of monks’ views
mission planning
recitation of the teachings
associatedWith Maurya Empire NERFINISHED
Theravada Buddhism NERFINISHED
associatedWork Kathavatthu NERFINISHED
canonicalTradition Pali Canon NERFINISHED
country India
doctrinalFocus refutation of non-Theravada views
followed Second Buddhist Council NERFINISHED
followedBy Fourth Buddhist Council NERFINISHED
follows Second Buddhist Council NERFINISHED
historiographicalStatus attested mainly in Theravada chronicles
inception circa 250 BCE
linkedEvent Ashoka’s support for Buddhism
location Magadha NERFINISHED
Pataliputra NERFINISHED
missionDestination Greek territories
Himalayan regions
Kashmir and Gandhara NERFINISHED
Sri Lanka NERFINISHED
Suvannabhumi (Golden Land) NERFINISHED
missionOutcome dispatch of Buddhist missions to various regions
notableFigure Ashoka NERFINISHED
Moggaliputta Tissa NERFINISHED
organizer Ashoka NERFINISHED
patron Ashoka NERFINISHED
presidingMonk Moggaliputta Tissa NERFINISHED
purpose to define orthodox Theravada doctrine
to expel heretical monks
to purify the sangha
to settle doctrinal disputes
to systematize Buddhist teachings
religion Buddhism
result composition of the Kathavatthu
expulsion of monks considered heretical
redaction of the Pali Canon according to Theravada tradition
significance consolidation of Theravada tradition
pivotal event in early Buddhist history
sourceText Dipavamsa NERFINISHED
Mahavamsa NERFINISHED
sponsor Mauryan emperor Ashoka NERFINISHED
timePeriod 3rd century BCE
tradition Theravada account

Referenced by (2)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Indian Buddhism hasCouncil Third Buddhist Council
Fourth Buddhist Council (Kanishka) relatedTo Third Buddhist Council