Early Buddhism

Scriptures

Pali Canon Agamas Gandharan texts Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... The term Early Buddhism can refer to: Pre-sectarian Buddhism, which refers to the Teachings and monastic organization and structure, founded by Gautama Buddha. ... Standard edition of the Thai Pali Canon The Pali Canon is the standard scripture collection of the Theravada Buddhist tradition. ... Agama (Sanskrit:आगम) literally means that which has come down (i. ... The Gandhāran Buddhist Texts are the oldest Buddhist manuscripts yet discovered and also the oldest Indian manuscripts yet discovered. ...

Councils

1st Council 2nd Council 3rd Council 4th Council Ananda reciting the Sutta Pitaka King Ajatasattu sponsored the First Buddhist council. ... The Second Buddhist Council took place in Vesali, about one hundred years after the Buddhas Parinibbāna, in order to settle a serious dispute on Vinaya. ... Please wikify (format) this article or section as suggested in the Guide to layout and the Manual of Style. ... Two Fourth Buddhist Councils were held. ...

Schools

First Sangha ├ Mahāsaṃghika └ Sthaviravāda     ├ Sarvāstivāda     └ Vibhajjavāda         ├ Theravāda         └ Dharma-              guptaka Divisions among the early Buddhist schools came about due to doctrinal or practical differences in the views of the Buddhist Sangha following the death of the Buddha. ... The term pre-sectarian Buddhism is used to refer to the Buddhism that existed before the various subsects of Buddhism came into being. ... The Mahāsaṃghika (Majority) sect of Buddhism was formed in the first Buddhist schism around 320 BCE. It split from the Sthaviravāda (Elders) school. ... Sthaviravāda (Sanskrit. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... Theravada (Pāli: theravāda; Sanskrit: स्थविरवाद sthaviravāda; literally, the Way of the Elders) is the oldest surviving Buddhist school, and for many centuries has been the predominant religion of Sri Lanka (about 70% of the population[1]) and most of continental Southeast Asia (Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand). ... The Dharmaguptaka are one of the eighteen schools of early Buddhism. ...

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Sarvastivada is a school of Buddhism. Sarvastivada is a Sanskrit term, meaning literally "the theory of all exists". The Pali equivalent is Sabbatthivada. This article needs additional references or sources to facilitate its verification. ... The Sanskrit language ( , for short ) is a classical language of India, a liturgical language of Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, and Jainism, and one of the 23 official languages of India. ... Pali (IAST: ) is a Middle Indo-Aryan dialect or prakrit. ...

Origin of the term

Although there is some dispute over how the word "sarvastivada" is to be analyzed, the general consensus is that it is made of three parts: sarva "all" or "every" + asti "exist" + vada "speak", "say" or "theory". This equates perfectly with the Chinese term, 說一切有部 shuōyīqièyǒu bù^[1], which is literally "the sect that speaks of the existence of everything", as used by Xuanzang and other translators. Their main thesis can be described as "the existence of all dharmas in the past, present and future". The Abhidharma Kosa-bhaṣya, a later text, states:

Philosophy

Although the Sarvastivada themselves would state that their teaching of "all exists" is a direct teaching of the Buddha himself, as shown by their attributing the earliest Abhidharma texts to direct disciples of the Buddha, and constant reference to the sūtras throughout, the school in its entirety is more rightly to be considered as part of the age of scholastic Buddhism. In this time frame, they take their name in contradistinction to the Vaibhajyavāda – "the theory of distinction" – i.e. the a distinction is to be made as to what dharmas do and do not exist, in the past, present and future. The Abhidharma Kosa-bhaṣya also states:   (Sanskrit) (Devnagari: धर्म) or Dhamma (Pali) is the underlying order in nature and human life and behaviour considered to be in accord with that order. ... The abhidhamma is the name of one of the three pitakas, or baskets of tradition, into which the Tipitaka (Pali; Sanskrit: Tripitaka), the canon of early Buddhism, is divided. ...

Although united with regards to their central thesis of sarvāsti, there were different theories on how this was actually to be explained and understood. The Abhidharma Kosa-bhaṣya describes four main theses on sarvasti:

Later Sarvastivada takes a combination of the first and third theses as its model. It was on this basis, that the school’s doctrines were defended in the face of growing external, and sometimes even internal, criticism.

There were also many other subsidiary doctrines and issues, all inextricably related, that different Sarvastivada leaders and scholars, debated and discussed with earnest intent. Their doctrines were not confined to "all exists", but also include the theory of momentariness (ksanika), conjoining (samprayukta) and simultaneity (sahabhu), conditionality (hetu and pratyaya), the culmination of the spiritual path (marga), and others. These doctrines are all inter-connected however, and it is the principle of "all exist" that is the axial doctrine holding the larger movement together when the precise details of other doctrines are at stake.

The Sarvastivada was also known by other names. In particular, Hetuvada and Yuktivada. Hetuvada comes from hetu – "cause", which indicates their emphasis on causation and conditionality. They proposed their own system of six conditions and five results, which aided their explanation of conjoining and simultaneous causation. Yuktivada comes yukti – "reason" or even "logic", which shows their use of rational argument, and syllogism. A study of the various texts reveals the development of increasingly sophisticated systems of argument, which in turn became influential on later, formal, Buddhist logic and reasoning. They even take up the name Sunyavada when confronting the Pudgalavada "personalists", which refers to their standpoint of being "devoid of a pudgala", and should not be confused with later Mahayana Sunyavada. Relief image of the bodhisattva Kuan Yin from Mt. ...

Among the defining canonical texts composed by the Sarvastivada was the Mahavaibhasabhidharmasastra, traditionally considered a systematization of the spoken teachings of Gautama Buddha. This text reflects the unique Sarvastivadin cosmology and ontology, an elaborate structure of essences and universals. Standing Buddha sculpture, ancient region of Gandhara, northern Pakistan, 1st century CE, Musée Guimet. ...

The basic approach of the Sarvastivada was to regard the universe as reducible to various elements or co-efficients of existence; apparently, these were determined by taking lists of the various "indivisible" factors and substances named in the Buddha's dialogues. Heat, for instance, was the "lakṣaṇa" (distinguishing mark) of fire, and there was a common "dharma" relating all fire. The Abhidharma's approach led to many fascinating insights, including an anticipation of Newton's colour theory (specifying that white light is composed of coloured light, and then explaining those primary colours in terms of "lakṣaṇa" and "dharma"), and some very detailed systems of psychology. Psychology (from Greek: ψυχή, psukhÄ“, spirit, soul; and λόγος, logos, knowledge) is an academic / applied discipline involving the scientific study of mental processes and behavior of humans and animals. ...

Among the critics of the Sarvāstivada was Nagarjuna, who completely repudiated their interpretation of the Buddha's teaching as implying atom-like unities at the basis of visible phenomena, and many of the other features of their philosophy, such as a complex theory of causality and (as mentioned) time. A statue depicting Nagarjuna at the Samye Ling Monastery, Dumfriesshire, Scotland Nāgārjuna (నాగార్జున in Telugu, 龍樹 in Chinese) (c. ...

Ironically it was Vasubandhu, who put the Sarvastivada philosophy into the form in which it is most read (and used) in Mahayana Buddhist religious practice today: the Abhidharmakośa. However, the 'Kosa is actually considered a Sautrantika "those who uphold the Sutras" work. This was how it was criticized by Samghabhadra, a leading Sarvastivada pandit of the time. As such, certain elements are critical of the Sarvastivada presentation of Adhidharma. Vasubandhu (Sanskrit. ... Abhidharma-koÅ›a (the compendium of Abhidharma) is a key text in verse written in Sanskrit by Vasubandhu. ...

Samghabhadra wrote a text, the Nyananusara "according to reason", based upon the same verses as the Kosa, but with a different commentary. This work is presently only extant in Chinese (from Xuan Zang's translation, and little is known of it in English. Xuanzang, Dunhuang cave, 9th century. ...

Texts of the Sarvāstivāda Abhidharma

The Sarvāstivāda Abhidharma consists of seven texts. The texts of the Sarvāstivādin Abhidharma are:

• Sangitiparyaya ('Discourses on Gathering Together')
• Dharmaskandha ('Aggregation of Dharmas')
• Prajnaptisastra ('Treatise on Designations')
• Dhatukaya ('Body of Elements')
• Vijnanakaya ('Body of Consciousness')
• Prakaranapada ('Exposition')
• Jnanaprasthana ('Foundation of Knowledge')

Following these, are the texts that became the authority of the Vaibhasikas, the Kasmiri Sarvastivada Orthodoxy: Sangitiparyaya or Samgiti-paryaya-sastra (recitation together) is one of the seven Sarvastivada Abhidharma Buddhist scriptures. ... The ‘collection of dharmas’, composed by Śāriputra – according to the Sanskrit and Tibetan, or Maudgalyāyana – according to Chinese sources. ... Prajnaptisastra or Prajnapti-sastra is one of the seven Sarvastivada Abhidharma Buddhist scriptures. ... Dhatukaya or Dhatukaya-sastra is one of the seven Sarvastivada Abhidharma Buddhist scriptures. ... Vijnanakaya or Vijnanakaya-sastra is one of the seven Sarvastivada Abhidharma Buddhist scriptures. ... Prakaranapada or Prakaranapada-sastra, composed by Vasumitra, is one of the seven Sarvastivada Abhidharma Buddhist scriptures[1]. The Chinese was translated by Xuanzang as: T26, No. ... Jnanaprasthana or Jnanaprasthana-sastra, composed by Katyayaniputra is one of the seven Sarvastivada Abhidharma Buddhist scriptures. ...

• Mahavibhasa ("Great Commentary", on the Jnanaprasthana)

Little research in English has been made in these texts. This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Jnanaprasthana or Jnanaprasthana-sastra, composed by Katyayaniputra is one of the seven Sarvastivada Abhidharma Buddhist scriptures. ...

Notes

1. ^ Taisho 27, n1545
2. ^ de la Vallee Poussin, Pruden: Abhidharma-kośa-bhāṣyām, Asian Humanities Press, 1988. Pg. 807
3. ^ de la Vallee Poussin, Pruden: Abhidharma-kośa-bhāṣyām, Asian Humanities Press, 1988. Pg. 808
4. ^ de la Vallee Poussin, Pruden: Abhidharma-kośa-bhāṣyām, Asian Humanities Press, 1988. Pg. 807

See also

• Early Buddhist Schools
• Schools of Buddhism
• Pratimoksha

Divisions among the early Buddhist schools came about due to doctrinal or practical differences in the views of the Buddhist Sangha following the death of the Buddha. ... There are many divisions and subdivisions of the schools of Buddhism. ... The Pratimoksha (skt. ...

External Links

• Sects & Sectarianism - The origins of Buddhist Schools