On the Chronicles of Ceylon

III. Historical Position – 103
the intention of the king’s order, beheaded some of them, an action
deeply regretted by the king.
To make amends for the blunder committed by his officer, Asoka
caused a conference of the monks to be held at Pāṭaliputta for
examining the inmates of the local monastery who were maintaining
those views. They were examined by the leading Thera called
Moggaliputta Tissa, group by group, and batch by batch, in the king’s
[61] presence, and those whose views did not tally with the
Vibhajjavāda, known as the genuine doctrine of the Buddha, were
disrobed and expelled. Thus the undesirable elements were got rid of
thereafter the Theras who were the true followers of the Buddha
could be persuaded to resume and carry on the uposatha and other
ecclesiastical duties as usual.
They convened a council, the third orthodox Buddhist Council at
Pāṭaliputta under the presidency of Moggaliputta Tissa. The
compilation and canonization of the Kathāvatthu, embodying
accounts of the controversies which took place at the preceding
conference and their results, formed the outstanding work of this
Council, besides the usual rehearsal of the texts of the Buddhavacana
as then known to the Buddhist community. The Council was
followed by the despatch of Buddhist missions to different countries,
situated mostly, if not all, within India. The missions were
despatched on the initiative of Moggaliputta Tissa.
In the Kathāvatthu itself the points at issue are not referred to any
person or sect. Each of them is discussed on its merit. Buddhaghosa,
too, does not suggest that the points discussed arose from the views
of any or all of the pre­Asokan eighteen sects. The sects which