| In addition to the Edicts of Aśoka, Buddhist | | | | formation of three main doctrinal schools, |
| annals compiled at a later date offer a history of | | | | Vibhajjavada, Sarvastivada, and Puggalavada, |
| the Aśokan and post-Aśokan period. | | | | which later were subject to further subdivisions. |
| Among these annals are the Dipava?sa, the | | | | One such subdivision of the Vibhajjavada was |
| Mahava?sa, and the Samantapasadika of the | | | | established in Ceylon, and in course of time came |
| south Indian Vibhajjavada (Sanskrit: Vibhajyavada) | | | | to resume the name Theravada (given above in |
| sa?gha, beside the Divyavadana and the | | | | its Sanskrit form Sthaviravada). Its scriptures, the |
| Avadanaśataka from the northern | | | | Pali Canon, were written down there in the last |
| Sarvastivada (Pali: Sabbatthivada) sa?gha. | | | | century BCE, at what the Theravada usually |
| According to the accounts of the Vibhajjavada, | | | | reckons as the fourth council. |
| Aśoka convened a third Buddhist council (c. | | | | It was long believed in Theravada tradition that |
| 250 BCE), whose purpose was to produce a | | | | the Pali language is equivalent to Magadhi, the |
| definitive text of the Buddha's words.[citation | | | | eastern dialect of the kingdom of Magadha |
| needed] According to the Theravada account, | | | | spoken by the Buddha. However, linguistic |
| given in the Dipavamsa and elsewhere, Asoka | | | | comparisons of the Edicts of Aśoka and |
| called this council to sort out doctrinal disputes | | | | the language of the Pali canon show strong |
| within the sangha, which these sources say were | | | | differences between the Magadhi of the Edicts |
| caused by the infiltration of the sangha by | | | | (characterized by such changes as r › l, |
| non-buddhists, apparently not actually ordained. | | | | masculine nominative singular of a-stems in -e, |
| The account goes on to say that the council | | | | etc.) and Pali. The greatest similarity to Pali is |
| approved the Kathavatthu, compiled by its | | | | found in a dialectal variant of the Edicts written on |
| president Moggaliputta Tissa, as part of the | | | | a rock near Girnar in Gujarat. |
| scriptures. As this text consists of doctrinal | | | | Theravada is Pali for "the Doctrine of the Elders" |
| debates, apparently with other schools, the | | | | or "the Ancient Doctrine". Theravada teaches one |
| account seems to imply the other schools were | | | | to encourage wholesome states of mind, avoid |
| not proper Buddhists or proper monks. The | | | | unwholesome states of mind, and to train the |
| council also saw the formation of the sa?gha of | | | | mind in meditation. The aim of practice, according |
| the Vibhajjavada ("school of analytical discourse") | | | | to Theravada Buddhism, is the attainment of |
| out of various schools of the Sthaviravada | | | | freedom from suffering, which is linked with |
| lineage.[citation needed] Vibhajjavadins claim that | | | | Nirvana, the highest spiritual goal. Theravada |
| the first step to insight has to be achieved by the | | | | teaches that the experience of suffering is |
| aspirant's experience, critical investigation, and | | | | caused by mental defilements like greed, aversion |
| reasoning instead of by blind faith.[19] This school | | | | and delusion, while freedom can be attained |
| gradually declined on the Indian subcontinent, but | | | | though putting into practice teachings like the Four |
| its branch in Sri Lanka and South East Asia | | | | Noble Truths and especially the fourth one, the |
| continues to survive; this branch of the school is | | | | Noble Eightfold Path. |
| now known as Theravada. The Theravada school | | | | The Theravada school bases its practice and |
| claims that the Sarvastivada and the | | | | doctrine exclusively on the Pali Canon and its |
| Dharmaguptaka schools were rejected by the | | | | commentaries. The Sutta collections and Vinaya |
| council, although according to other sources the | | | | texts of the Pali Canon (and the corresponding |
| Dharmaguptaka school is classified as one of the | | | | texts in other versions of the Tripitaka), are |
| Vibhajyavadin schools. However, these schools | | | | generally considered by modern scholars to be |
| became influential in northwestern India and | | | | the earliest Buddhist literature, and they are |
| Central Asia and, since their teaching is found | | | | accepted as authentic in every branch of |
| among the scriptures preserved by the Mahayana | | | | Buddhism. |
| schools, they may have had some formative | | | | Theravada is the only surviving representative of |
| influence on the Mahayana. The Sarvastivadins | | | | the historical early Buddhist schools. Theravada is |
| have not preserved an independent tradition | | | | primarily practiced today in Sri Lanka, Myanmar, |
| about the Third Council. it has been argued by | | | | Laos, Thailand, Cambodia as well as small portions |
| some scholars that the council was part of a | | | | of China, Vietnam, Malaysia and Bangladesh. It has |
| series of debates and/or disputes resulting in the | | | | a growing presence in Europe and America. |