Early Monastic Buddhism v2.c35.s1: The Earlier Mahīśāsakas

Early Monastic Buddhism v2.c35.s1

Language: English

v2.c35.s1.t1 Doctrines of the earlier Mahīśāsakas — 29 parts

The Earlier Mahīśāsakas

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The antiquity of the Mahīśāsakas goes back to the time of the first Buddhist Council, hence its origin is anterior to that of the Mahāsanghikas. The Vinaya texts of the Theravādins (in Pāli), of the Mahīśāsakas and of the Dharmaguptakas record the differences of opinion—relating to seven rules according to the Mahīśāsakas, and eight rules according to the Dharmaguptakas—between Mahākassapa and Purāṇa of Dakkhiṇāgiri (near Rājagṛha). The Mahīśāsaka Vinaya attached special importance to the person of Purāṇa, his insistence on a second rehearsal which, according to this school, was complied with by Mahākassapa, as also the incorporation in the Vinaya of the seven rules relating to food.¹ This shows clearly that Purāṇa and his admirers and followers formed a group by themselves, though probably not yet known by the designation, Mahīśāsaka. Prof. Przyluski has discussed this in his work *Le Concile de Rājagṛha* (pp. 319 ff.) on the basis of the Mahīśāsaka and Dharmagupta Vinaya texts in Chinese.

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¹ See *Indian Antiquary* 1908, pp. 5-6.

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He writes that the episode of Purāṇa of Dakkhiṇāgiri² in the account of the first council marks the difference between the Theravādins and the Mahīśāsakas. In course of time, that group of monks who held Purāṇa in high esteem formed the Mahīśāsaka school by including his seven rules not accepted by Mahākassapa in his Vinaya code. In the Mahīśāsaka Vinaya, the second place of seniority is awarded to Purāṇa, the first being given to Kauṇḍinya. The Mahīśāsakas assert that after the deliberations of the first council were finished, the texts were once more recited for the approval of Purāṇa, who accepted the same after adding his seven rules.

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² "Purāṇa demeure dans le sud." Here by "sud," he means Dakkhiṇāgiri, which is not really in the south.

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Regarding the geographical expansion of the school, Prof. Przyluski points out that (i) Purāṇa refers to the people of Mahīsaka; (ii) that the alternative name of this school is Mahāvantaka;¹ and (iii) that the Vinaya text of this school was found by Fa-hien in Ceylon.

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¹ Tāranātha in his *Geschichte* (pp. 175, 273) speaks of the Avantakas as an offshoot of the Sāmmtiyas.

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On the basis of these facts he states that the line of expansion of this school was the same as that of the Theravāda, i.e. along the Kauśāmbi-Bharukaccha axis and that it gradually extended up to the sea-borne countries, and that it became particularly popular in Mahiṣamaṇḍala and Avanti, and ultimately reached Ceylon.

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Prof. Przyluski’s suggestions are supported by the Nāgārjunikoṇḍa inscriptions, in which it is stated that the queen of Vanavāsī erected a pillar and a monastery at Nāgārjunikoṇḍa for the benefit of the ācāryas of the Mahīśāsaka sect. Vanavāsī corresponds to North Kanara. There is also a village called Vanavāsī in the Shimoga District of the Mysore State and lies on the border of Mysore territory and North Kanara.² Vanavāsī is also one of the countries which was visited by the mission of Aśoka’s reign, and it was from this country that a mahāthera called Candagutta went to Ceylon at the invitation of Duṭṭhagāmaṇi to take part in the celebrations for erecting the mahā-thupa. Hence, it may be concluded that the Mahīśāsakas became popular in Vanavāsī, i.e. in North Kanara and Mysore, and probably had some followers in Ceylon, as their school agreed with the Theravādins in fundamental doctrines and disciplinary rules. In short, this school had its sphere of influence in south-western India and Ceylon.¹

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² *EI.*, XX, p. 36; cf. *EI.*, vol. III, p. 117; *Vikramāṅkadevacarita*, V. 23; *Mahāvamsa*, XII, 31; XXIX, 42; B. C. Law, *Geography of Early Buddhism*, p. 66.

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¹ Cf. Przyluski, op cit., pp. 325, 327—Mahiṣamaṇḍala, Avanti and other sea-borne countries on the west.

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The Kathāvatthu has not a word to say about the doctrines of this school. This silence, though a negative evidence, confirms our supposition that the Theravādins had little or no difference with the Mahīśāsakas as far as their doctrines were concerned. Vasumitra furnishes us with the following information regarding the doctrines of this school.

Doctrines of the earlier Mahīśāsakas

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The Mahīśāsakas rejected the "Sabbam atthi" thesis of the Sarvāstivādins² and held that the present only exists. They made it more emphatic by stating that all saṃskāras perish at every moment and that entrance into the womb is the beginning, and death is the end, of human life. The material constituents of the sense-organs as also citta and caitasikas are subject to change. In other words, there are no real elements.

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² For Sarvāstivāda views, see infra.

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They do not enter into the question of Buddha's attributes and probably like the Theravādins held Buddha as an average human being.

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Regarding Arhats, they state (i) a srotaāpanna has a chance of retrogression while an arhat has not and that (ii) arhats do not perform meritorious deeds. Both of these opinions are directly opposed to those of the Sarvāstivādins and are partly in agreement with those of the Theravādins.

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Re. Samyakatvanyāma, the Mahīśāsakas have nothing to say. They state against the opinion of the Sarvāstivādins that there is no deva who leads a holy life.

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Re. Anupubbābhisamaya, the Mahīśāsakas held views contrary to those of the Sarvāstivādins. They state that the four truths are to be meditated upon at one and the same time. As against the opinion of the Theravādins, they held that transition from one jhāna to another is immediate (Kvu., XVIII. 6).

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Re. Puthujjana, etc., the Mahīśāsakas held the following views in agreement with the Sarvāstivādins excepting the last:

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(i) An average man is able to destroy rāga and pratigha in the Kāmadhātu.

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(ii) There is laukikasamyagdrṣṭi (right view relating to worldly matter).

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(iii) There is no laukikaśraddhendriya (faculty of faith obtained by a worldly man). This is discussed in the Kvu., XIX. 8 (see above, p. 97).

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Re. Anuśaya and Paryavasthāna, the opinions of the Mahīśāsakas are directly opposed to those of the Sarvāstivādins and the Theravādins and are in agreement with the Mahāsaṅghikas:—

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(i) Anuśaya (dormant passion) is neither citta (mind) nor caitasika (mental).

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(ii) Anuśaya is different from pervading passion (paryavasthāna).

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(iii) Anuśaya is never an object of thought (anālambana).

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(iv) Anuśaya is dissociated from mind (citta-visamprayukta).

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(v) Paryavasthāna is associated with mind (citta-samprayukta).

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All these have been discussed in the *Kathāvatthu* in connection with the doctrines of the schools of Group II (see above, pp. 65, 93 f.).

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Re. *Meditation & Smṛtyupasthāna*, the only difference between the Mahīśāsakas and the Sarvāstivādins is that the former do not recognise any *lokottaradhyāna*. They agree with the Sarvāstivādins in holding that all *dharmas* (*mārgāṅgas*) are included in the four *smṛtyupasthānas* (introspectional practices).

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Re. *Vijñāna*, the Sarvāstivādins state that the five *vijñānas* (perception derived by the organs of sense) engender *rāga* (attachment) but not *virāga* (detachment). The Mahīśāsakas consider this unreasonable and hold that these conduce both to *sarāga* and *virāga*. Both the schools agree in holding that the six *vijñānas* combine with *vitarka* and *vicāra* (see above, p. 66-67).

Linked texts (5)

Kathāvatthu — Moggaliputta Tissa, Pāli
Epigraphia Indica
Mahāvaṃsa — Pāli
Vikramāṅkadevacarita — Bilhaṇa, Sanskrit
Kalahasti inscription of Samanta-Bhoja (ed. Hultzsch 1895) — Sanskrit

Early Monastic Buddhism v2.c35.s1: The Earlier Mahīśāsakas

Contents

The Earlier Mahīśāsakas

Doctrines of the earlier Mahīśāsakas

Linked texts (5)