(25) Council, p.2.

　　   (26) CV XI. 10; T.22, p.191 b3ff; T.22, p.967b 2 7ff.

　　   (27) Poussin, Councils, p.15; Minayeff, (Cherches, p.31)

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have, in spite of their late redaction, preservedthe vagueness of the primitive ideas with regard to the saint. We can hardly consider even the fact of the trial an invention of the legend.....

It is obvious that Minayeff takes the tradition of Ananda's trial to be genuine which leads him to conclude that the ideal of an arhat was still vague. This speaks in favour of the antiquity of the tradition. On the other hand, the episode of chanting which could only be done by Arhats, shows that the Arhats were already valued as perfect saints. This is, no doubt, a later tradition, and is contradicted by the earlier tradition. Hence the episode of chanting is a legend.

Oldenberg (28) objects to this view. He points out that the Arhat ideal must have been clear from very ancient time, but he holds that one can naturally make mistake before becoming an arhat, and he can be judged for such a mistake even after he has attained the status of an arhat. Oldenberg points out that anybody who is familiar with the Vinaya, will agree that every offence committed must find its disciplinary action without taking account of the fact as to the guilty person has in the meantime attained to some degree of spiritual perfection. Against this view of Oldenberg, Poussin (29) draws our attention to the episode of Channa and works out a long and complicated thesis in defense of Minayeff. Let us take a look at the episode of Channa (30) so that we would be in a better position to understand the view of Poussin.

After the chanting of dharma and vinaya, Ananda informed the monks that the Buddha had instructed the Samgha to impose the brahmadanda on Channa. Being asked by the monks Ananda explains the nature of this punishment: "Let the monk Channa speak whatever pleases him; the monks will not speak to him, will not exhort him, neither will they warn him. “Ananda agrees to go and announce this sentence to Channa, provided a group of monks accompanies him, "for this monk is fierce and passionate“. Ananda announces this sentence to Channa who receives it with great humility. His grief and remorse is such that

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　　   (28) Poussin,   Councils,   pp.15 ～ 16;  Oldenberg,

　　　　   Buddhistiche Studien,pp.620～21.

　　   (29) Poussin, Councils, p.16.

　　   (30) XI.12, T.22, p.192 a15ff, etc.

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he attains the state of an arhat. He then tells A nada: "Suppress for me, O Ananda, the brahmadanda. "From the same moment, O Channa, that you realised the quality of arhat, from that same moment the brahmadand a was suppressed."

The point which Poussin wants to make is that while in case of Channa the punishment is lifted due to his attainment of 'arhatva' , Ananda, on the other hand, is subjected to disciplinary action even after he becomes arhat. The samgha is adopting different types of action against 2 Arhats. Poussin further states that Channa finds himself absolved from the brahmandand a when it is no longer harmful to him.

This state of things, according to Poussin, (31) shows that from very ancient time the Buddhists were having two very different concepts about the state of an arhat. It refers to a very early period when the concept of arhat had not yet been dogmatically propounded. This is what Minayeff saw here. He is therefore, justified in pointing out the contradiction between the Ananda episode and the tradition of chanting.

In support of this contention Poussin further states that according to orthodox argument, not only the arhat cannot fall, but also the counsel, assistance etc. of others are absolutely useless to him. The story of an arhat culpable and subject to penance against will is contrary to the orthodoxy of the non-Mahasamghikas. The story of Channa reflects the attitude of the conservative group while episode of Ananda shows the existence of the non-orthodox group which later championed the five points of Mahadeva and facilitated the rise of the Mahasamghikas.

Poussin(32) is further of the opinion that "in the oldest account there is no question of a Council; they reprimand Ananda. If one adds to this nucleus the legend of a Council, the reprimand of Ananda will not at first change its character: and if orthodoxy, just about to be formed exacts that all the members of the Council should be Arhats, there will no difficulty in assigning to the reprimand the second rank which is suitable to it after the narration of an event of

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