The Northern Buddhism

Summary

Southern Buddhism was long prominent in Europe, with its grand structures and strict monasticism becoming known through Portuguese contact with South and Southeast Asia in the 16th century. The Asiatic Society of Bengal’s 1784 founding spurred serious study of Southern Buddhist literature, which traditionally emphasized a schism in the second century BCE separating Theravada (Sanskrit Sthavira-vada) from Northern Buddhism, though the latter was largely ignored in Southern texts. By the 19th century, Southern Buddhism dominated European and Indian perceptions of Buddhism, with many assuming it was confined to South Asia, centered on Pali literature, and defined by strict monasticism. Northern Buddhism, however, had a larger following, deeper philosophy, and more elaborate rituals, though it remained overlooked in scholarly works. Northern Buddhism’s discovery began in the early 19th century through Brian Hodgson’s collaboration with Amrtinanda, a Nepalese Buddhist scholar, who provided the *Dharma-koga-samgraha* (1826), detailing Nepal’s Buddhist practices. Hodgson collected ancient manuscripts, including 11th- and 12th-century Pali-leaf texts, and distributed them to European institutions. Early studies by Hodgson and Burnouf laid groundwork for understanding Northern Buddhism, though many manuscripts remained unexamined until Cambridge’s Prof. C. C. Bendall cataloged them in 1883. Later efforts, including Raja R.L. Mitra’s *Nepalese Buddhist Literature* (1882), further analyzed these texts, revealing their historical and literary significance. Despite initial neglect, these studies gradually illuminated Northern Buddhism’s distinct identity, contrasting sharply with Southern traditions.