With reference to the evolution of Buddhist monastic orders, which of the following councils resulted in the compilation of the Abhidhamma Pitaka and the formalization of orthodox Theravada doctrines under the patronage of King Ashoka?

💡 Solution & Explanation

The Third Buddhist Council was convened at Pataliputra around 250 BCE under the patronage of Emperor Ashoka and the presidentship of the elder Moggaliputta Tissa to purge the sangha of corrupt elements and compile the Abhidhamma Pitaka. The first council compiled the Sutta and Vinaya Pitakas, while the fourth council under Kanishka marked the formal division into Mahayana and Hinayana schools. Pataliputra served as the intellectual hub for this major doctrinal consolidation.