According to Buddhist tradition, the Second Buddhist Council was held in Vaishali.
Traditional Buddhist histories place the council at Vaishali, an important city in the ancient Vajji confederacy. The meeting was convened to consider disputes about monastic practices, especially rules concerning conduct and the acceptance of certain offerings.
Theravada sources commonly date the council about 100 years after the Buddha’s parinirvana. They describe the dispute as a major early controversy within the monastic community and connect its aftermath with the first significant division in Buddhist history.
The council’s exact date, participants, and historical details are debated by modern scholars. Vaishali should not be confused with Rajgir, traditionally associated with the First Buddhist Council, or Pataliputra, associated with the Third Council under the Mauryan emperor Ashoka.