Buddhism · Texts & transmission
Tradition remembers a first communal recitation
c. 480–380 BCE
Tradition locates an assembly of disciples at Rajagriha after the Buddha’s death. They are said to have recited teachings and monastic rules together to sustain the community. The story explains transmission through collective memory; it does not establish a surviving transcript.
Why it matters
The account foregrounds oral recitation and communal stewardship before written Buddhist collections, helping distinguish remembered origins from securely dated manuscript evidence.
About the date
Traditional council account; historicity and absolute date are uncertain.
Rajgir
Modern Rajgir, traditional Rajagriha council setting.
city orientation
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