The Second Buddhist Council (referred to in canonical Pali literature as the Dvitija Sangiti or Yasasatika) was convened in ~383 BCE, exactly one hundred years after the Mahaparinirvana of Gautama Buddha. It represents the first major internal structural and theological crisis within the Buddhist Sangha, culminating in the historic great schism (Sanghabheda) that permanently divided the Buddhist world. The immediate cause for the council was a major dispute over monastic discipline that arose in the commercial hub of Vaishali. A group of monks belonging to the eastern Vrijji republic—known as the Vajjiputtaka monks—began practicing and advocating for ten specific relaxations in the strict monastic code (Vinaya). The orthodox elder Acharya Yasa, while visiting Vaishali, witnessed these practices—specifically the public collection of gold and silver coins from lay followers. Yasa openly denounced the practices as illegal, leading the Vajjiputtaka monks to formally expel him from their district. Yasa then traveled across western and southern India, gathering support from senior orthodox elders to challenge the eastern monks.
Core Organizational Framework
The council was organized using the standard parliamentary and judicial structures specified in the Vinaya Pitaka to resolve widespread sectarian division.
- The Venue: Convened at the Valukarama Monastery in Vaishali (modern-day Vaishali district, Bihar).
- Royal Patronage: Funded and protected by King Kalasoka (also known as Kakavarna) of the Shishunaga Dynasty. While the king initially leaned toward supporting the local Vaishali monks, he ultimately backed the orthodox elders to maintain institutional order.
- The Leadership: Presided over by the highly revered elder Sabbakami, who was the senior-most monk in the world at the time and a direct disciple of Ananda.
- Composition: Attended by approximately 700 monks, leading to its alternate historical designation as the Sattasati (Council of the Seven Hundred).
The Ten Laxities (Dasa Vatthuni)
The core debate centered on the Dasa Vatthuni (Ten Points of Laxity) practiced by the Vaishali monks. The orthodox faction argued that these practices directly violated the foundational rules codified at the First Buddhist Council.
| Serial Number | The Laxity / Dispute (Pali Term) | Operational Meaning and Disciplinary Deviation |
| 1 | Singilonakappa | The practice of carrying salt in a horn vessel to preserve and season food that was collected as alms, violating the rule against storing food items overnight. |
| 2 | Dvangulakappa | Consuming food after the sun’s shadow had passed the median mark by two fingers’ breadth, violating the strict rule prohibiting meals past solar noon. |
| 3 | Gamantarakappa | Traveling to an adjacent village after a midday meal to consume a second lunch, violating the rule against eating more than once a day. |
| 4 | Awasakappa | Conducting the bi-monthly confessional ritual (Uposatha) in separate, individual residences within the same monastic boundary (Sima), breaking communal unity. |
| 5 | Anumatikappa | Carrying out an official administrative action or trial with an incomplete assembly, and then seeking the retroactive consent of the missing monks later. |
| 6 | Aachinnakappa | Justifying an irregular or unauthorized practice simply because it was traditionally practiced by one’s own personal teacher or preceptor. |
| 7 | Amathitakappa | Drinking unchurned milk or buttermilk after the midday meal hour, which the orthodox elders classified as consuming solid food out of turn. |
| 8 | Jalogikappa | Consuming unfermented palm juice or toddy, which the orthodox elders argued was an intoxicating beverage, skirting the prohibition on alcohol. |
| 9 | Adasakam-nisidanappa | Utilizing sitting mats that lacked the standard borders or fringes required by Vinaya regulations, which was seen as a sign of personal luxury. |
| 10 | Jataruparajatam | The Most Critical Breach. Direct acceptance, handling, and hoarding of gold, silver, and monetary donations from lay followers. |
Judicial Resolution and The Great Schism
Because the general assembly of 700 monks devolved into loud, chaotic debates, the president Sabbakami executed the Vinaya legal clause of Ubbahika (Committee Reference). The matter was referred to a high court style select committee consisting of eight senior elders—four representing the western orthodox tradition and four representing the eastern Vaishali tradition.
The Verdict
The committee met in seclusion at the Nyagrodharama monastery. Sabbakami systematically cross-examined the legal experts, and the committee voted unanimously to reject all Ten Laxities, declaring them completely illegal under Buddhist monastic law. This verdict was subsequently ratified by the full assembly of 700 monks.
The Schism (Sanghabheda)
The Vajjiputtaka monks of Vaishali refused to accept the committee’s judicial verdict. They walked out of the assembly and organized a massive, rival council of their own, attended by over 10,000 monks, which they named the Mahasangiti (The Great Rehearsal). This event permanently split Buddhism into two foundational schools:
- The Sthaviravadins (Theravadins): The orthodox “School of the Elders.” They were based primarily in western and southern India (with hubs in Ujjain and Mathura). They insisted on maintaining the literal, unalterable text of the original Vinaya rules.
- The Mahasanghikas: The reformist “Great Assembly.” They were based primarily in eastern India (Magadha and Vaishali) and later spread to the Andhra region. They advocated for structural flexibility, a more lenient interpretation of monastic discipline, and a progressive view of the Buddha as a transcendental entity rather than a mere historical man.
Analytical Facts Matrix for Prelims
| Evaluative Parameter | Critical Historical Detail |
| Chronological Placement | ~383 BCE (One hundred years post-Mahaparinirvana). |
| Imperial Ruler | King Kalasoka (Kakavarna) of the Shishunaga Dynasty. |
| Geographical Venue | Valukarama Monastery, Vaishali, Bihar. |
| Presiding Judicial Head | Acharya Sabbakami. |
| Key Ideological Outcome | The First Schism dividing the Sangha into the Sthaviravada (ancestors of Theravada) and the Mahasanghika (doctrinal precursors to Mahayana). |
| Sectarian Proliferation | The Mahasanghikas later branched into sub-sects like the Chaitika and Saila schools in Southern India, which pioneered the transition toward idol worship and the concept of Bodhisattvas. |