Doctrines of the Mahasanghika School of Buddhism

Summary

The article Doctrines of the Mahasanghika School of Buddhism provides an overview of the beliefs and teachings of one of the earliest Buddhist sects. After the first and second Buddhist councils differing interpretations of the Buddha’s teachings led to schisms. The Mahasanghikas whose name means the Great Assembly separated from the conservative Sthaviras and developed distinctive doctrines. The article explains that the Mahasanghikas emphasised the transcendental nature of the Buddha. Unlike schools that portrayed the Buddha as a historical human who attained enlightenment the Mahasanghikas viewed him as a cosmic being whose activities on earth were skilful means. They developed the idea of countless Buddhas existing in the ten directions and posited the existence of numerous bodhisattvas who postpone nirvana to aid sentient beings. Another hallmark of their doctrine was the fallibility of arhats; Mahasanghikas held that arhats were still subject to ignorance and could relapse whereas the Buddha was omniscient and infallible. The article discusses their teaching on the emptiness of dharmas anticipating the later Madhyamaka philosophy and their emphasis on the intrinsic purity of the mind which only appears defiled. It also surveys the subsects within the Mahasanghika family such as the Lokottaravadins Ekavyavaharikas and Prajnaptivadins noting differences in their interpretations of canonical texts. The author uses passages from the Mahavastu an important Lokottaravada text to illustrate their cosmological ideas and their praise of bodhisattvas. The article concludes by highlighting the influence of Mahasanghika doctrines on the emergence of Mahayana Buddhism. Concepts such as the cosmic Buddha the bodhisattva ideal and the notion of emptiness can be traced back to their teachings. By examining these doctrines the article sheds light on the dynamic and diverse nature of early Buddhist thought.