After Buddha’s nirvana, the dhamma and sangha received directives from successive councils over a period of four centuries in a democratic manner. Magadha king Ajatashatru organized the first Buddhist Council at Rajagriha three months after Buddha’s mahanirvana, king Kalashoka convened the second council at Vaishali, emperor Ashoka patronised the third council at Pataliputra and king Kaniska convened the fourth council in Ceylon about four centuries later.

This is a large oil painting animated with sound-and-light narration.