..续本文上一页的话：「如果我们改变戒律，人们就会说，乔答摩(佛陀)尊者的弟子在他的葬礼柴火尚未熄灭已改动戒律了。」
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.
在这结集会议中，法被分为多个部分，每一部分皆有一位长老及其弟子负责背诵，记入脑中。于是，法便开始由长老导师们口传给其弟子。同时，他们每组人每天都会念诵佛的言教，并且互相校对，确定没有人误作任何加减。历史学家们也同意：口诵的传承，比若干年后依靠某位人士的记忆报导会较为可靠。
The Second Council
第二次结集会议(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.
在佛寂灭后一百年，佛弟子进行了第二次结集会议，当中讨论了戒律。佛灭后三个月的戒律并没有更改的需要，因为在那个短时间内，政治、经济与社会差不多没有什么转变，然而，一百年后，一些比丘发觉有需要改变一些次要的戒律(minor rules)，可是，正统的比丘(指佛陀的直系弟子)却认为没有戒律需要改动，由于无法妥协，最后，一批比丘离开了那个结集会议，成为了大众部(Mahasanghika)。那时候虽有大众部，仍未有称为大乘(Mahayana)者。在第二次结集会议时，随了对戒律有一些争议外，并没有对法的任何争议报导。
The Third Council
第三次结集会议(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.
在公元前三世纪，即阿育王(Emperor Asoka)时代，佛弟子又进行了第三次结集会议，目的是讨论各部派比丘的意见分歧。在这次结集会议中，意见分歧不只限于戒律，也包括了法。在结集完毕后，主持人目犍连子帝须(Moggaliputta Tissa)编辑了论事(Kathavatthu)一书，里面驳斥了一些部派(Sects)所持的错误见解、理论与异端邪说，在这次会议中被接受与确认之教义被称为上座部(Theravada)，此外，论藏(Abhidhamma Pitaka)也被包括在这次结集之中。
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.
在第三次结集会议完毕后，阿育王的儿子玛欣德尊者(Ven. Mahinda)把三藏佛典(包括第三次结集会议的论典在内)带到斯里兰卡(Sri Lanka)。这些被带到斯里兰卡的藏经原文，至今仍被保存下来，完整无缺。这些藏经是用巴利文(Pali)写的，而巴利文则源自佛陀所用的摩揭陀语(Magadhi language)。那个时候，仍未有大乘(Mahayana)的名称出现。
Coming of Mahayana
大乘的出现(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.
在公元前一世纪至公元一世纪之间，大乘(Mahayana)与小乘(Hinayana)这两个术语出现在妙法莲花经(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…
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