Early Monastic Buddhism v2.c34.s13.5

v2.c34.s13.5

All the four opinions are of the same import. The question raised here whether Saṅgha is a body of individuals who have attained magga and phala (fruits of sanctification) or Saṅgha is identical with maggaphala. This school holds that Saṅgha does not exist apart from maggaphala and so it is not proper to say that Saṅgha receives gifts, or purifies it, or enjoys it, or a gift made to a Saṅgha is productive of great merits.¹