The History of Buddhist Thought c29.24

c29.24

Where the forms of the names differ from those in the Chronicles the probability is that the Sanskrit forms are right. The Vajjiputtakas of Vesālī were never a secession.¹ It was their practices, according to one tradition, which caused the first secession, but the first sect or school was the Mahāsanghika.¹ The later Vajjiputtakas, who seceded after the Sarvāstivāda group, are called Vātsīputrīyas in the Sanskrit. As these continued to exist in the north, where the accounts were compiled, the latter form is more likely to be correct. They were people of the Vatsa country, and it is not known whether Vatsīputra was the name of a leader or a general name for the people of the district. Dharmottarīya and Bhadrāyaṇīya also look like names formed from the personal names Dharmottara or Dhammuttara and Bhadrāyaṇa, and so with Dharmaguptika and Kāśyapīya. Bhadrayāna looks like a corruption. It is not really an addition to knowledge to translate Bhadrayānika “Lucky Vehicle” and Dhammaguttika “Norm-guard”. Still other names occur which do not furnish real information, even if we were sure of their etymology. There are half a dozen forms of Chandāgārika or Channagirika. The Chinese chose a form which means “Six-Towners”. The name probably comes from some place-name where the school was established, as was certainly the case with several names like Pūrvaśaila, “east rock”. Andhakas and Uttarāpathakas are collective terms used for southern and northern schools respectively.