Early Monastic Buddhism v2.c41.s2.25

v2.c41.s2.25

Apart from the propagation made by the Theriya Nikāya we know that several sects which came into being after the Second Buddhist Council migrated to different countries from Magadha and each sect selected a centre for itself. The Mahāsanghikas and their offshoots, for instance, migrated southwards and came to be known as the Andhakas, whch fact indicates that they propagated Buddhism in the Andhra countries. The Mahīśāsakas and the Theravādins moved together for some time till the former settled in Mahiṣamaṇḍala and Vanavāsi, and the latter in Avantī, and ultimately in Ceylon. The Sammitīyas or the Vātsiputrīyas bore the local name of the Avantakas, and so it seems that this sect selected the northern part of Avantī and Vatsa country as their fields of activities. The Sarvāstivādins proceeded northwards to Mathurā and thence to Gandhāra. Those of the Sarvāstivādins, who proceeded further north to Kāśmīra, were probably the Haimavatas or the Mūlasarvāstivādins, who had the other local name, the Uttarāpathakas.