CHAPTER V.

CHRONOLOGY.

1. During the first century after Sákya's death, the Buddhist religion was perpetuated, if not extended, by a succession of learned monks. Of these great Arhans but little is related, and even that little is contradictory. During this period the great preceptors of the Buddhist Faith are so variously named, that it is clear the recorded succession cannot be continuous. Even Buddhaghoso gives two different successions down to the third convocation.

I.

1. UPÁLI.

2. DASAKO.

3. SONAKO.

4. SIGGAWO.

5. MOGGALIPUTTO.

II.

1. SARIPUTTO.

2. BHADDAJI.

3. KOSYAPUTTO.

4. SIGGAWO.

5. MOGGALIPUTTO.

6. SUDATTO.

7. DHAMMIKO.

8. DáSAKO.

9. SONAKO.

10. REWATO.

* See Turnour's Páli Annals, in Prinsep's Journal, vi. 728,

and vii. 791.

2. Mahánámo, the author of the Mahawanso, gives the succession agreeably to the first, and makes each achárya the disciple of his predecessor.* In the second list the places of the names have been completely changed, for we know that Mogaliputra should be the last, as he conducted the proceedings of the Third Synod. We know also that Rewato was the leader of the Second Synod. The other list is called by Buddhaghoso, the "unbroken succession of Stháviras," or elders of the faith. It seems likely, therefore, that it contains the names of all the teachers; while the first list gives only those of the most famous. By a new arrangement of the names of the longer list, the succession becomes complete and satisfactory.

3. But there is still one difficulty to be accounted for, in the assertion that all the leaders of the second synod had seen Buddha. This assertion, however, carries its own denial with it; for both Buddhaghoso and Mahánámo agree in stating that six of these leaders were the disciples of Ananda. Now the companion of Buddha did not qualify himself as an Arahat, or holy teacher, until after the death of his patron. None of his disciples could, therefore, have seen Buddha. In the following amended list it must be remembered that Sáriputra died a few years before Buddha himself; and that Upáli, the com

* Mahawanso, pp. 28, 29.

↑ Mahawanso, p. 19; and Turnour's Annals, in Prinsep's Journal, vi. 730.

piler of the Vinaya, was one of the disciples of

4. This arranged list has the advantage of placing Rewato at the period of the Second Synod, instead of that of the Third Synod, which we know was conducted by Mogaliputra. If we could be positively certain of the accuracy of the date given for Sákya's death, in 543 B.C., the chronology might perhaps be arranged in a satisfactory manner. But, even in early times, there would seem to have been a difference of opinion as to the period of Sakya's death; for Hwan-Thsang, who travelled in India about 632640 A.D., says that accounts differt as to the year of the Nirvana of Buddha. "Some make it 1,200 years ago, others more than 1,300; others again more than 1,500. There are some, too, that assure us that this event occurred about 900 years ago, and that 1,000 years are not yet fulfilled." The same uncertainty would seem to have prevailed even at an earlier date; for Buddhaghoso, speaking about the succession of teachers from the death of Buddha to

* Bhadra is a synonyme of Ananda.

+ See Fo-kwe-ki, c. xxiv. n. 4.