Aspects of Mahayana Buddhism and its Relation to Hinayana c5.s1.3

c5.s1.3

There has already arisen a fairly large amount of literature upon the first period (i.e., the first century after the inception of Buddhism), offering us solutions of many problems—a result which has been made possible by the strenuous labours of the Pāli Text Society in regard to the publication of the Pāli canonical texts. By the early or pure Hinayāna Buddhism, we mean only that form of Buddhism which is presented to us by a considerable portion of the Vinaya and the four Nikāyas.¹ For the present purpose of drawing a rough sketch of the period of transition from Hinayāna to Mahāyāna we shall state some of the conclusions reached by scholars about the Buddhism of this period in order to ascertain how it changed in course of time and gave rise to the different schools. These conclusions are as follows:—