When Were the Rules in the Pāṭimokkha Established?

Abstract

Many modern scholars in both the East and West share the view that most of the content in the Vinayatipiṭaka, the book of monastic discipline, was gradually established and developed after the time of the Lord Buddha. This claim is based on a comparative study of the different Vinayatipiṭaka belonging to six Buddhist sects, and which have been handed down until today: it is pointed out that, if the Buddha was the one who established all monastic rules (sikkhāpada), those rules of all Buddhist sects should have been consistent, whereas a number of those rules for monks in the mainpart, the so called Pāṭimokkha, are different.
However, according to my close study, I found that the Lord Buddha was the one who established the monastic rules in the Pāṭimokkha (which is divided into eight groups according to the seriousness of the offence).
Furthermore, he also gave permission to the saṅgha, the Buddhist order, to amend those rules in the seventh group, the so called Sekhiya, as they are considered to be minor with the lightest offences. As a result, a number of the rules in this group have become considerably different among Buddhist sects, despite the similar sub-categorization of this group. All rules among Buddhist sects would become consistent, if only the rules in the Sekhiya group and another two rules in the Pācittiya group were excluded.
Unlike the Sutta, once any rule of the Pāṭimokkha has been set down, it will affect the daily life of all monks. If any monk breaks it, he must admit for his offence. Therefore, it is hard to image that there would
be anyone, except the Lord Buddha, capable of establishing a new rule and then all monks in the whole saṅgha would accept it. On top of that, the Lord Buddha also set particular rules for the saṅgha to hold a fortnight assembly to orally repeat and review the Pāṭimokkha, which meant the content of the Pāṭimokkha was well preserved and handed down properly. This is the reason for the agreement of the main content of the Pāṭimokkha in the Vinayatipiṭaka of all sects.
Focusing on the inconsistency of a number of rules of the Pāṭimokkha among different sects, scholars form the view that the monastic rules had gradually come into existence after the time of the Lord Buddha. But this
view arises by not excluding the rules of the Sekhiya group from the other groups, and then not realizing the relationship between the Sekhiya group and the issue of minor rules (mentioned in the record of the first Buddhist council).