meditation, he attained enlightenment, at the age of . Thereafter, he came to be called Buddha or the Enlightened. He then delivered his first sermon in a deer park in Sarnath near Varanasi. This event is described as Dharmachakra- parivartana or ‘wheel of the great law’.
He spoke about the Four Noble Truths and the Middle Path. He established Sangha and spread his ideas far and wide. Buddha and his followers travelled for eight months of the year and stayed at a place for four months of the rainy season. At the age of , he passed away in Kusinagara.
This is known as Parinirvana. The prominent disciples of Buddha were Sariputta, Maha-moggallana, Mahabodhi temple, Gaya XI History - Lesson - - Rise of Territorial Kingdoms and New Religious Sects Mahakaccayana and Ananda. Buddha had a huge following among both the royalty and lay persons. Buddhist Councils After the death of Buddha, the tenets and other aspects of Buddhism were decided upon in the councils of Buddhist monks.
Over a period of time, four Buddhist councils were held. The First Buddhist Council was held at Rajagriha after Buddha’s death, under the patronage of Ajata Satru. It was headed by Upali. In this council, Upali recited the Vinaya Pitaka.
Ananda recited Sutta Pitaka. The Second Buddhist Council met at Vaishali a century after Buddha’s death. The Buddhist Order split into two later. One was called the Sthaviravadins or ‘Believers in the Teachings of the Elders’ and the other known as Mahasanghikas or ‘Members of the Great Community’.
The Third Buddhist Council was held at Pataliputra. It was convened by Asoka. The Sthaviravadins established themselves strongly and expelled the heretics. The last section called “Kathavatthu” was added to Abhidhamma Pitaka.
The Fourth Buddhist Council was held at Kashmir during the reign of Kanishka. Sarvastivadins were an important sect of Buddhism. Its doctrines were compiled in Mahavibhasa. Buddhist Council Buddhist Sects In course of time, Mahasanghikas, Sthaviravadins and Sarvastivadins emerged as major sects of Buddhism.
New ideas emerged among the Mahasanghikas and Sarvastivadins. It led to the emergence of Mahayana