On Yuan Chwang's Travels in India, 629–645 A.D. v2.c22.11

v2.c22.11

On this passage we observe that the expression "Mahāyānist Sthaviras" is applied to the Brethren of Ceylon only in the Records; the Life describes them as Mahāyānists and Sthaviras, and the Fan-chih calls them simply Sthaviras. The two local sects here mentioned derived their names from the monasteries in which they arose. Of these establishments the Mahāvihāra, which was at the capital, was built B. C. 306, and was evidently a very grand monastery with all kinds of comforts and luxuries. The Abhayagiri monastery was built in B. C. 89 by king Vaṭṭagāmiṇi, otherwise Abhaya, at the place where the Nirgrantha Giri dwelt. In the course of time ill-will arose between the Brethren of these establishments, and some of the Abhayagiri fraternity were accused of heterodox ways, excommunicated, and banished. Then in the reign of Mahāsena the monks of Mahāvihāra were accused of heterodoxy, the monastery was closed and partially destroyed, the materials being used for the improvement of the rival establishment Abhayagiri.¹ The Brethren of this latter may have been regarded by the pilgrim as having had Mahāyānist tendencies on account of their admission of irregular objects of worship. In the high praise which he gives all the Brethren in the above passage the term rendered by "meditation and wisdom" is *ting-hui* (定慧). In common Buddhist use *ting* denotes *samādhi*, and *hui* is for *prajñā* or "transcendental wisdom", but the compound *ting-hui* has also the technical sense of *Vinaya*, and it is perhaps so used in this passage.