Here are some passages from the introductory section (nidāna) of the
Kathāvatthu-Aṭṭhakathā, which I translated with the help of Artificial Intelligence:
"Then, the elder Mahākassapa and the assembly of monks, together with King Ajātasattu, collected the essence of the Dhamma and Vinaya and held a council (Saṅgīti). A hundred years later, the Vajjiputtaka monks raised ten points (of dispute). Hearing of these, the elder Yasa, son of the Brahmin Kaṇḍaka, along with King Asoka (son of Susunāga), convened an assembly of twelve thousand monks, selected seven hundred elders, and suppressed those ten points, preserving the essence of the Dhamma and Vinaya.
However, the Vajjiputtaka monks—numbering ten thousand—who had been reproached by the elders responsible for compiling the Dhamma, sought another faction. Unable to maintain their weakened position, they separated and formed a new school called the Mahāsāṃghika. From this schism, two other schools arose: the Gokulika and the Ekavyohārika. Later, the Gokulika school further split into two more schools: the Paññattivāda and the Bahussutika (also called Bābulika). Among them, another group emerged called the Cetiyavāda. Thus, in the second century (after the Buddha’s Parinibbāna), the Mahāsāṃghika school had five subdivisions, making six in total.
In that same second century, two more schools split from the Theravāda: the Mahīṃsāsaka and the Vajjiputtaka. From the Vajjiputtaka, four more schools arose: the Dhammuttariya, Bhadrayānika, Channagārika, and Sammitiya. Later, in the same century, two more schools split from the Mahīṃsāsaka: the Sabbatthivāda and the Dhammaguttika. Furthermore, from the Sabbatthivāda, another school emerged called the Kassapika…"
The corrupt monks (pāpa-bhikkhū), having been expelled by the elders, formed their own faction with the Vajjiputtakas. Rejecting the true Dhamma, they became proponents of false doctrines (adhammavādī), leading many astray. Ten thousand of them gathered and attempted to compile their own version of the Dhamma. Because of this, their council is called the Mahāsaṅgīti (Great Recitation).
The monks of the Mahāsaṅgīti acted contrary to the true Dispensation (Sāsana). They broke away from the original collection (mūla-saṅgaha) and created a separate compilation. They discarded some suttas, altered the meaning of others, and distorted both the Dhamma and the Vinaya across the five Nikāyas.
They misunderstood the teachings—whether delivered in a direct (nippariyāya) or interpretative (neyyattha) manner—and thus misinterpreted the Buddha’s words. Taking one discourse to mean something else, they imposed their own faulty interpretations. Due to their flawed reasoning, these monks destroyed much of the true meaning.
They carelessly discarded portions of the profound Suttas and Vinaya, replacing them with fabricated texts. They also altered the Parivāra (a Vinaya commentary), the six books of the Abhidhamma, the Paṭisambhidā, the Niddesa, and even parts of the Jātaka. After corrupting these texts, they did not stop there—they also changed the names, terminology, and classifications, disregarding proper methodology…
Having abandoned their original nature, they made it into something else. The earlier sects that had split became the makers of the Mahāsaṅgīti, and following their example, many other sects split off. Then at a later time, a division arose among them: the monks split into two - the Gokulika and Ekavyohārika. Among the Gokulikas, another twofold division occurred later: the monks split into the Bahussutika and Paññattivāda. The Cetiyavādins also became another sect. These five sects all originated from the Mahāsaṅgīti. They broke apart the meaning and the Dhamma, discarded portions of the collected texts, and made them into something else. They abandoned the proper names, characteristics, and categories, and altered their original nature.
Again, a division arose among the followers of the Visuddhatthera: the monks split into two - the Mahīṃsāsaka and Vajjiputtaka. From the Vajjiputtaka sect, a fourfold division arose: the Dhammuttariya, Bhadrayānika, Channagārika, and Sammitiya. Among the Mahīṃsāsakas, another twofold division occurred later: the monks split into the Sabbatthivāda and Dhammaguttika. From the Sabbatthivādins arose the Kassapikas. From the Kassapikas arose the Saṅkantikas. From the Saṅkantikas arose the Suttavādins in succession. These eleven sects, having split from the Theravāda, broke apart the meaning and the Dhamma, discarded portions of the collected texts, and made them into something else.
Having abandoned the proper names, characteristics, and categories, they altered their original nature and made it into something else. Seventeen sects became divided, while one remained undivided. All together there were eighteen sects. Like a great banyan tree with its many branches, the Theravāda stood supreme among them. Just as the remaining fragments of the Jina’s teaching are found in the world, these seventeen sects arose within the second century after the Buddha’s passing - no sects had split in the first century.
Later on, six other schools arose: the Hemavataka, Rājagirika, Siddhatthika, Pubbaseliya, Aparaseliya, and Vajiriya. These are not discussed here.
During the time when these eighteen schools were active, the righteous King Asoka, having gained faith, daily made offerings of five hundred thousand: one hundred thousand for Buddha worship, one hundred thousand for Dhamma worship, one hundred thousand for Sangha worship, one hundred thousand to his teacher Nigrodha Thera, and one hundred thousand for medicine at the four gates. Thus he brought great gain and honor to the Dispensation.
Heretics, deprived of gains and honors - even of basic food and robes - longing for such benefits, entered the monastic order while still holding to their own views, declaring: ‘This is the Dhamma, this is the Vinaya, this is the Teacher’s instruction.’ Even those who couldn’t gain ordination would cut off their own hair, put on ochre robes, and wander about monasteries. During Uposatha and formal acts, they would enter the Sangha assembly. Though repeatedly restrained by the Sangha through Dhamma, Vinaya and the Teacher’s instructions, being unable to conform to the proper Dhamma and Vinaya practice, they created various stains, blemishes and obstructions to the Dispensation: some tended sacred fires, some practiced fivefold austerities, some followed the sun’s path, while others broke apart the Dhamma and Vinaya they scattered in various directions. At that time, the community of monks did not perform the Uposatha or Pavāraṇa ceremonies with them. For seven years, the Uposatha was interrupted in Asoka’s monastery. Though they made efforts, saying “We will conduct it by force,” they were unable to do so. Moreover, when many monks were put to death by the minister’s power due to wrong understanding, remorse arose in him. Wishing to pacify this remorse and the troubles that had arisen in the Dispensation, he thought: “Who is capable in this matter?” and asked the Sangha. Hearing “The elder Moggaliputtatissa, great king,” he had the elder summoned from Ahogaṅga mountain. Seeing the elder’s supernormal powers, the king, free from doubt, asked about his own misdeeds and appeased his remorse.
The elder, staying in the royal park, had a council convened for seven days. On the seventh day of the convened council, he had the Sangha assembled in Asoka’s monastery, had the assembly hall prepared, and sat in the midst of the gathering. Having the monks brought forward one by one, he questioned each group: “What does the Perfectly Enlightened One teach?” Then the Eternalists declared: “The Eternalist doctrine.” The Partial-Eternalists, the Finitist-Infinist, the Eel-Wrigglers, the Fortuitous Originationists, the Personalists, the Annihilationists, the Nihilists, and those who believe in Nibbāna here and now - each proclaimed their own view. The king, recognizing at the very beginning of the council that these were heretical monks, had them given white garments and expelled from the monastic life. All these amounted to seven hundred monks.
Then other monks were brought forward and asked: “What does the Perfectly Enlightened One teach, venerable sir?” “The doctrine of Analysis, great king.” Hearing this, the king asked the elder:
“Venerable sir, does the Perfectly Enlightened One teach the doctrine of Analysis?” “Yes, great king.” Then the king said: “Now, venerable sir, let the Sangha purify the Dispensation and perform the Uposatha.” Having provided guards, he entered the city. The united Sangha assembled and performed the Uposatha. At that gathering, there were seventy thousand monks. During this unity, the elder Moggaliputtatissa determined which matters had arisen and which would arise in the future, for the purpose of refuting all those [wrong views], following the method given by the Teacher, analyzing the matrix of categories established by the Tathāgata, having mastered one thousand suttas - five hundred of his own school and five hundred of other schools - he expounded this treatise called Kathāvatthu for determining the meaning of others’ doctrines and the characteristics of future [errors]. Then from among one hundred thousand monks, selecting only one thousand monks who were bearers of the Tipiṭaka and possessed sharp analytical knowledge, just as the elder Mahākassapa had recited the Dhamma and Vinaya, so too while reciting thus, having purified the Dispensation of stains, he conducted the Third Council. There, while reciting the Abhidhamma, he included this treatise as it had been spoken. Therefore it is said:
“That which concerns discussions about persons and so on, based on the nature of the subject matter, the treatise Kathāvatthu was briefly taught. Established through the setting of the matrix just by the discourse on categories, placed in the heavenly realm, was expounded by Moggaliputta on the great earth. Now since the time has come for self-praise and explanation, therefore I will explain it…”
Renaldo