The First Great Council
Three months after the demise of the Buddha the First Great Council
was held in Sattapanni Cave Pavilion at Mount Vebhara near the city
of Rajagaha. Subhadda, who became a bhikkhu in his old age,
disparaged the Buddha's Teachings on the seventh day after the
Buddha had passed away. On hearing those insulting words. Venerable
Mahakassapa decided to hold the First Great Council. Five hundred
arahats, including Venerable Upali and Venerable Ananda, took part
in that council. It started on the fifth waning day of Wagaung
(August) and lasted seven months.
The Second Great Council
The Second Council was held at Valukarama monastery, near the city
of Vesali in 100 B.E. (443 B.C). It was held because the bhikkhus
of the Vajji clan from Vesali preached and practised ten unlawful
modifications in the Rules of the Order. The seven hundred arahats
led by Venerable Yasa. Venerable Sabbakami and Venerable Revata
took part in that council while King Kalasoka of Vesali and the
people gave necessary supports to that council, it lasted eight
months.
The Third Great Council
The Third Council was held at Asokarama Monastery in the city of
Pataliputta in 235 B.E (308 B.C). Sixty thousand ascetics
infiltrated into the Sangha Order, polluted the Sasana by their
corrupt lives and heretical views. That is the main reason why the
Third Council was held by one thousand arahats in order to protect
the Sasana.
Venerable Mahamoggaliputta Tissa presided over the council. King
Siridhammasoka of Pataliputta gave the necessary support to the
council. It lasted nine months. After the Third Council, nine
missions were sent to nine different places to propagate the
Sasana. The mission of five arahats to Suvannabhumi, Myanmar, was
led by Venerable Sona Thera and Venerable Uttara Thera.
The Fourth Great Council
The Fourth Council was held at Cave Aloka in Malaya district, Sri
Lanka, in 450 B.E (94 B.C).
The people of Sri Lanka were hard hit by rebels, hunger and
starvation for twelve years. So the Bhikkhus had to make strong
efforts to maintain the Buddha's Teachings. The elder bhikkhus
foresaw that if there would appear such danger in future, the
bhikkhus would not be able to memorize the discourses and the
disciplines by heart because of the declination of their power of
mindfulness, concentration and wisdom. Therefore, they held the
Fourth Great Council.
It was during the reign of King Vattagamani that five hundred
bhikkhus, led by Venerable Mahadhammarakkhita, inscribed the entire
words of the Buddha's Teachings on palm leaves.
The heads and elders as well as the people of Malaya district gave
all-round sup port to the council.
The Fourth Great Council continued for one year.
The Fifth Great Council
The Fifth Council was convened at Mandalay in Myanmar on the first
waning day of Tazaungmone, 1232 Myanmar Era, 2415 B.E (November,
1871). The scriptures inscribed on palm-leaves could not last for a
long time. Besides there might be many variations in rewriting the
scriptures from copy to copy. Therefore, the scriptures were
inscribed on marble slabs in order to dispel these
disadvantages.
Two thousand and four hundred bhikkhus led by Venerable
Jagarabhivamsa Thera (Tipitakadhara Mahadhammarajadhirajaguru) of
Dakkhinarama Monastery, Mandalay, convened, to recite and approve
the scriptures. King Mindon initiated and supported the Fifth Great
Council to the end. The scriptures were first inscribed on seven
hundred and twenty-nine marble slabs ) in the precinct of
Lokamarajina Pagoda at the foot of Mandalay Hill. It took seven
years, six months and fourteen days to finish this work. Then the
bhikkhus recited to approve the inscriptions for five months and
three days.
After the Fifth Great Council. the Pali Texts were translated into
Myanmar language, and the Doctrinal Order was promulgated to the
whole country for purpose of purification and propagation of the
Buddha's Teachings.
The Sixth Great Council
On the full-moon day of Kason, 1316, M.E. 2498 B.E (May, 1954), the
Sixth Great Council was held in the Mahapasana Great Cave,
Kaba-Aye, Yangon, Myanmar.
The country of Myanmar had been one of the British Colonies for one
hundred years and during this period the Buddha Sasana had
deteriorated to some extent. So the Sixth Great Council was held
aiming at the purification and promotion of the Buddha Sasana. Two
thousand and five hundred bhikkhus from the five countries of
Theravada Buddhism participated in that council. Nyaung Yan
Sayadaw, Venerable Revata (Abhidhajamaharatthaguru), presided over
it; the Mahasi Sayadaw, Venerable Sobhana (Aggamahapandita), and
the Mingun Sayadaw, Venerable Vicittasarabhivamsa (Tipitakadhara
Dhamma-bhandhagarika) took the leading roles in that council.
The doctrinal questions asked by the people of five Theravada
Buddhist countries: Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Laos and Cambodia
were solved magnanimously. Twenty- five other countries also gave
much help to that council.
At that Council, not only the canonical Pali Texts of the Buddha
but also the commentaries and sub-commentaries were
reexamined.
In this way, Venerable Mahakassapa and the custodians of the Dhamma
held the great councils up to six times and approved the words of
the Buddha without any change and modification. The Teaching of the
Buddha thus approved is called Theravada Buddhism.
On the full moon day of Nayon, 1342 M.E (June 1980). the State
Samgha Mahanayaka Committee comprising all sects was initiated in
order to purify, perpetuate and propagate the Theravada Buddhism.
Since then, the religious affairs have been carried out by the
Samgha and the lay devotees of Myanmar hand in hand.
Under the patronage of the State Samgha Mahanayaka Committee,
various measures have been taken for perpetuation and promotion of
the Buddha Sasana and the moral development of the entire nation.
The Pali Texts were translated into English; two State Pariyatti
Sasana Universities were founded in Yangon and Mandalay with the
contributions of the people. The lawful and the unlawful doctrines
were discriminated and the unlawful ones were crushed down.
Missions were sent not only to the states and divisions of the
country but also to foreign countries for the propagation of
Sasana.
http://www.budsas.org/ebud/ebdha133.htm