Buddha Jayanthi of 1956 and Buddhist Councils

Updated 28 November 2020

Buddha Jayanthi of 1956 and Buddhist Councils

“The Buddha Jayanthi of 1956”, Jacquetta Gomes Bodhicarini Upasika Jayasili Buddhist Group of Kendal (Theravada), The Middle Way: Journal of The Buddhist Society [London], 95(3), (Autumn 2020), pages 198-202.

(The Buddhist Society [London] (founded in 1924) started The Middle Way: Journal of The Buddhist Society in 1926.) ISSN 0026-3214

https://www.thebuddhistsociety.org/page/the-middle-way-2

See “Theravada Buddhism: A Chronology”. Access to Insight (BCBS Edition), 30 November 2013, https://www.accesstoinsight.org/history.html

Buddhist Councils (sangayama)

Buddhist Councils (sangayamas) have been held periodically through the centuries Since the Buddha’s Parinibbana [passing away] Buddhist Councils (sangayamas) have been held periodically through the centuries to rehearse The Theravada Buddhist Pali Canon (Sangayama means Rehearsal) and to ensure the continuity of the Buddha’s teachings in their original form and that no additions, deletions, alterations, or any other changes have been made by any of the five Theravada Buddhist countries [Burma [Myanmar], Cambodia, Laos, Sri Lanka and  Thailand] to their country’s copies of the Pali Canon.

The Buddha Jayanthi 1956 and The Sixth Buddhist Council (sangayama) 1954-1956

The sixth Buddhist Council (sangayama) was held in Rangoon, Burma [Myanmar], under the patronage of the Burmese [Myanmar] government to coincide with the Buddha Jayanthi 1956.

The sixth Buddhist Council (sangayama) was held in Rangoon, Burma [Myanmar], under the patronage of the Burmese [Myanmar] government to coincide with Buddha Jayanthi 1956. Venerable Balangoda Ananda Maitreya played an important role in the sixth sangayama Buddhist Council. The Burmese [Myanmar] government asked that an authorised version of the Tripitaka was prepared by the Sixth Council. The Sri Lankan representative on the final editing committee was Venerable Ananda Maitreya. He also served as Chairman of the Council for a few weeks during the third session of the sangayama in 1956. The Burmese [Myanmar] government gave him the honorific title of Agga Mahapandita [“Chief Great Scholar”]. After his 100th birthday He was invited to Burma [Myanmar] to receive their Burma’s [Myanmar’s] highest religious title, Abhidhaja Maharatthagura [“His Eminence, the Great Spiritual Teacher of the Nation”].

Theravada