The History of Buddhist Thought c21.37

c21.37

The most important part of the *Kathāvatthu* doctrinally is that which deals with the views of the Pubbaseliyas and Aparaseliyas, related schools of south India, who are referred to collectively as the Andhakas. The commentary does not reckon them among the eighteen sects, but it gives them a very important share in the points discussed. They are evidently the same as the three schools of Caityaśailas, Aparaśailas, and Uttaraśailas mentioned by Vasumitra¹ as branches of the Mahāsanghikas. We may put aside what is said of the Mahāsanghikas in the Ceylon Chronicles. There we are told that this school formed a great Council after being defeated at the second Council on ten points of discipline. Bhavya, however, says that the dispute was on five doctrinal points. These points are given by Vasumitra as (a) arahats can be tempted by others, (b) they have still ignorance, (c) and doubt, (d) they gain enlightenment through the other (i.e. a teacher), (e) the path is realized by utterance (by uttering an exclamation). These five points occur in the Kathāvatthu (ii, 1-6) almost in this form, where they are attributed to the Pubbaseliyas, etc.²