Lzh Mu Kd 20Council of the Seven Hundred

The Sattasata Scripture: The Council of the Seven Hundred

Context

Sattasata (a Pāli name meaning “seven hundred”) is a Great Council of Recitation recorded in the Vinaya Piṭaka, the Vinaya section of the Pāli Canon. This was the third council after the Buddha Tathāgata entered nirvana, taking place in the third century BCE under the leadership of King Asoka Tissa (of the lineage of King Asoka) at Pataliputra (present-day Patna, India).

The historical context of this council is highly significant. At this time, the Sangha had existed for about two hundred years after the Buddha’s nirvana. Debates about the Dharma and Discipline had arisen among different groups of disciples, especially among monks from different regions. The Council of the Seven Hundred was convened to unify the Dharma, clarify points of dispute, and ensure that the Dharma was transmitted accurately to later generations.

Main Content

The specific content of this scripture has not yet been fully translated in the provided context. However, according to the Vinaya tradition, the Council of the Seven Hundred focused on reaffirming the laws of discipline (Vinaya), the principal discourses (Sutta), and the higher teachings (Abhidhamma) taught by the Buddha.

This process followed a pattern similar to the First Council, convened three months after the Buddha’s nirvana, but with broader and longer scope. Elder monks, arhats with excellent memory, were summoned to recite each word of the Dharma. They repeated the scriptures, disciplinary rules, and analyses so that the other members could approve them.

Especially important was the unification of differences regarding discipline (Vinaya). Some groups of monks had begun applying rules loosely, while other groups observed them strictly. This council aimed to clearly determine the principles of discipline so that the entire Sangha could act in unity.