>I¹ve read recently the following news in the site «Buddhist News Network».
>«A colossal collection of records of the Fourth Great Council - 4th
>Sangayana organised and held under the inspiration and patronage of Emperor
>Kanishka about 100 A.C.E. (After the Common Era) will be made available in
>print by the Oslo based Centre for Advanced Study in Norway.
>The Sangayana was held in the city of Jalandhar in present Afghanistan.»
>What did this Council consist of?

It was the fourth council only of the Sarvastivaadin school, of which
Emperor Kani.ska was a patron. Its main achievement was the composition of
a huge commentary called the Mahaavibhaa.sa and (according to Chinese
tradition) the translation of the Sarvastivaadin Aagamas into Sanskrit.

>Up to now I considered that the 4th sa.ngaayana had been held in Sri Lanka.

The 4th and 5th Theravaadin councils were both in Sri Lanka. The 4th,
convened by Mahinda and presided over by Asoka's nephew Mahaa Ari.t.tha,
consisted of a verbal recitation of the Tipi.taka. The account is given in
the Samantaapasaadikaa (VinA i 102-3).

The 5th, during the reign of Va.t.tagaama.nii Abhaya, was when the Tipitaka
was first put into writing (in its entirety, that is). The account is given
in the Sri Lankan chronicles (Diipava.msa xx 14-16 and Mahaava.msa xxxiii
100-1).

Thereafter, the numbering of the councils varies from one Theravaadin
country to another, due to to each country holding its own council(s) that
went more or less unrecognised beyond their own borders.

Best wishes,

Robert