Councils, Buddhist. Buddhists recognize the authority of various councils that have been held over the centuries for various purposes, such as determining the canon of Buddhist scripture, laying down rules for the practice of the monastic life, and other purposes considered of great importance in Buddhism. The number of councils is quite large (five of them date from the 15th c. CE onwards), but recognition of them as authoritative varies from country to country; e.g., Thailand recognizes ten, while Burma and Sri Lanka recognize six. All Buddhists, however, recognize as authoritative the following three early councils: (1) the council held at Rajagṛha in the monsoon season following death of the Buddha, c. 483 BCE; (2) the council held at Vasāli about a century later; and (3) the council held at Pātaliputra ( Patna) during the reign of the emperor Aśoka, in the 3rd c. BCE. All these councils were held in the lower Ganges valley at an early period in Buddhist history.

Geddes MacGregor, Dictionary of Religion and Philosophy, New York: Paragon House, 1989