Early Monastic Buddhism v2.c37.5

v2.c37.5

An alternative name of the Sthaviravādins is given as Vibhajyavādins. It is doubtful whether any independent school went by the name of Vibhajyavāda. It has been shown above that Vibhajyavāda was sometimes affixed to the name of a school to show that certain adherents of a school differed in minor points from the principal doctrines of a particular school and preferred to distinguish themselves as Vibhajyavādin of that particular school. In this way we may explain the Vibhajjavāda of the Ceylonese tradition, that is to say, the Ceylonese did not accept in toto the doctrine of Theravāda and preferred to distinguish themselves as Sthavira-vibhajjavādī or simply Vibhajjavādī.² In the Kathāvatthu the term Sakavāda is used instead of Sthaviravāda or Vibhajjavāda.³