Aspects of Mahayana Buddhism and its Relation to Hinayana c5.s2.t2.17

c5.s2.t2.17

previous births. Pūrvānusmṛti is one of the abhijñās (superior knowledge) acquired by the Arhats; so it is quite in keeping with the tenets of early Buddhism to speak of one's previous existences. But the idea of utilising these stories of Pūrvānusmṛti as a means of propagation of the religion came later, at least, subsequent by a century and a half to the inception of Buddhism. So it is in the second period of our division that we must place the compilation or composition of the Abhidhamma and the Jātaka literatures.¹