A Few Evidences on the Age of the Kathavatthu
By Dwijendra Lal Barua
Summary
The text examines the age of the Kathavatthu, a key Abhidhamma treatise, through traditional accounts and internal evidence. According to Ceylonese tradition (Maksvamsa, Mahibodhivamsa), the Kathavatthu was compiled by Moggalliputta Tissa during the Third Buddhist Council under King Asoka (17th regnal year), around 218 years after Buddha's death. The tradition states that Tissa organized Buddhist missions to border regions, dispatching leading monks to nine centers to propagate the doctrine. The text also notes that the Kathavatthu's third controversy highlights the limited geographical reach of Buddhism at the time, restricted to the "Middle Country" (Majjhima-janapada), suggesting no missionary work had yet extended beyond this region. The text further discusses the fragmentation of the Buddhist Church into 18 schools within two centuries of Buddha's demise, as mentioned in the Kathavatthu and corroborated by the Dipavamsa and other sources. While scholars debate the accuracy of the 18-school account, the text argues that the division into schools is well-supported by Asoka's Schism Pillar Edict, which aimed to address schismatic threats. Additionally, traces of early Mahayana doctrines in the Kathavatthu suggest some influence from emerging Mahayana ideas, though this does not necessarily indicate an earlier composition date. The text also briefly references debates on the age of the Visnu Purana, citing A. Smith's analysis of its antiquity, though this section is less directly connected to the Kathavatthu's dating. Overall, the evidence points to the Kathavatthu's compilation during or shortly after the Third Buddhist Council, with internal and external
Conclusion
This document synthesizes traditional and internal evidence to situate the Kathavatthu's compilation during the Third Buddhist Council under Ashoka, corroborated by geographical and doctrinal analyses. The text highlights the Kathavatthu's role in addressing early Buddhist schisms and its alignment with Moggaliputta Tissa's efforts to standardize doctrine amid the expansion of Buddhist missions. By linking the treatise's content to the limited geographical reach of Buddhism and the emergence of sectarian divisions, the findings underscore its significance as a foundational Abhidharma text, reflecting both the consolidation of orthodox views and the challenges posed by heterodox currents in early Buddhism. The evidence collectively reinforces the Kathavatthu's historical importance in preserving doctrinal coherence during a critical phase of Buddhist institutional development.