The Lalitavistara and Sarvastivada

Summary

This article examines the Buddhist text Lalitavistara and its relationship to the Sarvastivada school. The author critiques Pali scholars for considering Lalitavistara a late Sanskrit text of little historical value. Citing La Vallée Poussin, it argues that Lalitavistara is neither a poem nor an exclusively Nepali work but contains passages as old as those in Pali sources. The article analyses the structure and contents of Lalitavistara, noting that it combines older narratives and later additions. It argues that the text draws from earlier Vinaya materials and demonstrates an early phase of northern Buddhist thought. The author then compares Lalitavistara with Sarvastivadin doctrinal texts. He points out that Sarvastivada’s Abhidharma emphasises the existence of dharmas in past, present, and future, while Lalitavistara focuses on the Buddha’s life story. The article suggests that Lalitavistara, despite being valued for devotional reading, was rooted in Sarvastivadin traditions and shares doctrinal assumptions. It highlights the north-western Buddhist schools and their contributions to early Mahayana. The study emphasises that neglecting northern sources like Lalitavistara creates a distorted picture of early Buddhism and underestimates the diversity of Buddhist literature.