Buddha and His Teachings — Key Changes

Entry	Year	Description	Impact
First Buddhist Council	483 BCE	Held immediately after Buddha's Mahaparinirvana at Rajgir. Its primary purpose was to collect and preserve the Buddha's teachings (Dhamma) and monastic rules (Vinaya) through oral recitation by his chief disciples, Ananda and Upali, respectively. This laid the foundation for the Pali Canon.	Ensured the initial preservation and standardization of Buddha's teachings, preventing immediate fragmentation and establishing a common reference point for the nascent Sangha.
Second Buddhist Council	383 BCE	Convened at Vaishali to address ten disputed points of monastic discipline, primarily concerning the 'Vajji monks' who were accused of lax practices. The council ultimately condemned these practices, leading to the first major schism within the Sangha.	Resulted in the division of the Sangha into two main schools: the Sthaviravada (elders) and the Mahasanghika (great community), marking the beginning of sectarian developments in Buddhism.
Third Buddhist Council	250 BCE	Held at Pataliputra under the patronage of Emperor Ashoka and presided over by Moggaliputta Tissa. Its objectives were to purify the Sangha of corrupt elements and to consolidate the orthodox Theravada doctrine. The Abhidhamma Pitaka was added to the canon.	Led to the widespread propagation of Buddhism through Ashoka's missionary efforts (Dharmadutas) to various countries, establishing Buddhism as a major world religion and solidifying the Theravada tradition.
Fourth Buddhist Council (Kashmir/Jalandhar)	72 CE	Convened under the patronage of the Kushan emperor Kanishka, this council is primarily associated with the Sarvastivada school. It saw the compilation of extensive commentaries on the Tripitaka, mainly in Sanskrit. This council is often seen as a significant event in the development of Mahayana Buddhism.	Further solidified the philosophical and textual traditions, particularly for the Sarvastivada school, and contributed to the eventual formalization and spread of Mahayana Buddhism, which diverged significantly from earlier traditions.