Department of Pali & Buddhist Studies

Almost 250 years after the demise (mahāprinibbāna)
of the Buddha, the Order (Saṅgha) was divided on account of
doctrinal and other issues. To solve those issues, a joint recitation
was organized to restore the purity of the Buddha Sāsana and
get rid of the Saṅgha of corruption and bogus monks who held
heretical views. This joint recitation was held in Aśokārāma
in the Pāṭaliputta in the 3rd century BCE. It was known as the
Third joint recitation (Tatīya Saṅgīti) was presided by elder
Elder Moggaliputta Tissa. In the history of the Pāli Buddhist
literature, ‘Elder Moggaliputta Tissa’ stands out pre-eminent
as a much revered the exegetist and a versatile exponent of
Buddhist philosophy and psychology. Kalupahana sees Elder as
a reformer and presents him as a predecessor of Nāgārjuna in
being champion of the ‘middle way’ and a reviver of the original
Buddhist philosophy. However, the life history and contributions of such
celebrated personalities have been fully studied in posterity.
Therefore, the research paper seeks analyses of life history and
contribution to such personality of Elder Moggaliputta Tissa.