..續本文上一頁的話：「如果我們改變戒律，人們就會說，喬答摩(佛陀)尊者的弟子在他的葬禮柴火尚未熄滅已改動戒律了。」
At the Council, the Dhamma was pided into various parts and each part was assigned to an Elder and his pupils to commit to memory. The Dhamma was then passed on from teacher to pupil orally. The Dhamma was recited daily by groups of people who often cross check with each other to ensure that no omissions or additions were made. Historians agree that the oral tradition is more reliable than a report written by one person from his memory several years after the event.
在這結集會議中，法被分爲多個部分，每一部分皆有一位長老及其弟子負責背誦，記入腦中。于是，法便開始由長老導師們口傳給其弟子。同時，他們每組人每天都會念誦佛的言教，並且互相校對，確定沒有人誤作任何加減。曆史學家們也同意：口誦的傳承，比若幹年後依靠某位人士的記憶報導會較爲可靠。
The Second Council
第二次結集會議(The Second Council)
One hundred years later, the Second Council was held to discuss some Vinaya rules. There was no need to change the rules three months after the Parinibbana of the Buddha because little or no political, economic or social changes took place during that short interval. But 100 years later, some monks saw the need to change certain minor rules. The orthodox monks said that nothing should be changed while the others insisted on modifying some rules, Finally, a group of monks left the Council and formed the Mahasanghika - the Great Community. Even though it was called the Mahasanghika, it was not known as Mahayana, And in the Second Council, only matters pertaining to the Vinaya were discussed and no controversy about the Dhamma is reported.
在佛寂滅後一百年，佛弟子進行了第二次結集會議，當中討論了戒律。佛滅後叁個月的戒律並沒有更改的需要，因爲在那個短時間內，政治、經濟與社會差不多沒有什麼轉變，然而，一百年後，一些比丘發覺有需要改變一些次要的戒律(minor rules)，可是，正統的比丘(指佛陀的直系弟子)卻認爲沒有戒律需要改動，由于無法妥協，最後，一批比丘離開了那個結集會議，成爲了大衆部(Mahasanghika)。那時候雖有大衆部，仍未有稱爲大乘(Mahayana)者。在第二次結集會議時，隨了對戒律有一些爭議外，並沒有對法的任何爭議報導。
The Third Council
第叁次結集會議(The Third Council)
In the 3rd Century B.C. during the time of Emperor Asoka, the Third Council was held to discuss the differences of opinion among the bhikkhus of different sects. At this Council the differences were not confined to the Vinaya but were also connected with the Dhamma. At the end of this Council, the President of the Council, Moggaliputta Tissa, compiled a book called the Kathavatthu refuting the heretical, false views and theories held by some sects. The teaching approved and accepted by this Council was known as Theravada. The Abhidhamma Pitaka was included at this Council.
在公元前叁世紀，即阿育王(Emperor Asoka)時代，佛弟子又進行了第叁次結集會議，目的是討論各部派比丘的意見分歧。在這次結集會議中，意見分歧不只限于戒律，也包括了法。在結集完畢後，主持人目犍連子帝須(Moggaliputta Tissa)編輯了論事(Kathavatthu)一書，裏面駁斥了一些部派(Sects)所持的錯誤見解、理論與異端邪說，在這次會議中被接受與確認之教義被稱爲上座部(Theravada)，此外，論藏(Abhidhamma Pitaka)也被包括在這次結集之中。
After the Third Council, Asoka”s son, Ven. Mahinda, brought the Tripitaka to Sri Lanka, along with the commentaries that were recited at the Third Council. The texts brought to Sri Lanka were preserved until today without losing a page. The texts were written in Pali which was based on the Magadhi language spoken by the Buddha. There was nothing known as Mahayana at that time.
在第叁次結集會議完畢後，阿育王的兒子瑪欣德尊者(Ven. Mahinda)把叁藏佛典(包括第叁次結集會議的論典在內)帶到斯裏蘭卡(Sri Lanka)。這些被帶到斯裏蘭卡的藏經原文，至今仍被保存下來，完整無缺。這些藏經是用巴利文(Pali)寫的，而巴利文則源自佛陀所用的摩揭陀語(Magadhi language)。那個時候，仍未有大乘(Mahayana)的名稱出現。
Coming of Mahayana
大乘的出現(Coming of Mahayana)
Between the 1st Century B.C. to the 1st Century A.D., the two terms Mahayana and Hinayana appeared in the Saddharma Pundarika Sutra or the Sutra of the Lotus of the Good Law.
在公元前一世紀至公元一世紀之間，大乘(Mahayana)與小乘(Hinayana)這兩個術語出現在妙法蓮花經(Saddharma Pundarika Sutra)之中。
About the 2nd Century A.D. Mahayana became clearly defined. Nagarjuna developed the Mahayana philosophy of Sunyata and proved that everything is Void in a small text called Madhyamika-karika. About the 4th Century, there were Asanga and Vasubandhu who wrote enormous amount of works on Mahayana. After the 1st Century AD., the Mahaya…
《上座部與大乘佛教 Theravada - Mahayana Buddhism》全文未完，請進入下頁繼續閱讀…