Doctrines of the Mahāsāṃghika School of Buddhism

Summary

The Mahāsāṃghika school, the earliest Buddhist sect to secede from the original community (later known as Theravāda or Sthaviravāda), emerged during the Second Buddhist Council at Vesali. While traditionally attributed to disputes over Vinaya rule interpretations, scholars suggest doctrinal differences predated the split. The Mahāsāṃghikas further divided into sub-schools, including Ekavyavahārika, Lokottaravāda, Kāyaka, Balmṛtika, and Sthaviravāda. Key doctrines, derived from Vasumitra’s treatise and the Kathāvatthu, include: 1. **Buddha’s Nature**: The Buddha was transcendent (loka-uttara), existing beyond human realms, with a body composed of pure, unchanging dharmas (e.g., sila, samadhi) rather than physical form. His teachings were delivered through created images, not a historical person. 2. **Dharma and Sanyata**: Some sub-schools emphasized Dharmakaya (the Buddha’s essence as ultimate reality) and Sanyata (emptiness), evolving concepts among later Mahāsāṃghika groups like the Uttarapathakas. 3. **Heterodoxy**: The Theravada criticized Mahāsāṃghika views as heretical, particularly their denial of the Buddha’s earthly existence and conventional compassion (karuṇā). The Mahāsāṃghika doctrines, preserved in Vasumitra’s Chinese-translated work and corroborated by the Kathāvatthu, highlight early Buddhist doctrinal diversity and the development