VAISHALI - THE PLACE WHERE THE SECOND BUDDHIST COUNCIL WAS HELPED

The second Buddhist council was convened by the King Kalasoka at Vesālī (Pāli), Vaiśālī (Sanskrit). After the Buddha’s passing away about 100 or 110 years, a monk called Yasa, when he visited Vesālī, he noticed a number of lax practices among the local monks at Vajjiputtaka. Thus, venerable Yasa aspired in order to resolve those matters; he gathered support from monks of other regions, mainly to the west and south. Finally, the Second Buddhist Council was helped by seven hundred monks, and the main principle focused in the “ten points” which made clearly in Vinaya.

The name Vesālī, derived from the King Vishal, was the capital of the vibrant Vajji confederation of Mithila (Vrijii mahajanapada). Here, Bhagwan Mahavira who was a leader of Jains in the Buddha’s time, and it was also the place where the Buddha gave the last sermon before his passing away. Some important discourses were known as Mahāparinibbaṇa Sutta and Mahāsīlanāda Sutta which belong to Theravāda Suttas, and Vimalakīrti Sutra refers to Mahāyāna Sutra. We can say that, Vesālī is the important place in both Jain and Buddhsit religions. Additionally, it contains one of the best-preserved of the Pillars of the King Ashoka or Aśoka.

Vaishali (Vesālī) is well known for its close association with the Buddha. After leaving Kapilavastu for renunciation, prince Siddārtha became an ascetic monk, he went to Vesālī first, and had his spiritual training from Ramaoputra Udraka and Alara Kamala. After attaining the enlightenment, the Buddha frequently visited Vesālī. According to the Buddhist account, the Buddha visited Vaiśālī in the fifth year after his enlightenment.