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abb

Mahāsaṅghikā, Mahāsaṅgītikā

The school was so called owing to the great number of its followers, which made a great assembly or “Mahāsangitī.” They were counted among the Anātmavādins, and later gave rise to the following schools:

1. Mahāsaṭghika,
2. Pubbasela,
3. Aparasela,
4. Rājagiriyā,
5. Hemavata,
6. Cetiyavādin,
7. Sankantivādin, and
8. Gokulika.

Originally they had only two divisions — the Ekabbohārikas and Gokulikas (Rockhill, op. cit., 182ff).

Their separation from the orthodox school was brought about by the Vajjiputta monks, and was probably due to difference of opinion on the ten points (for these see Vin.ii.294f) held by the Vajjiputta monks. According to Northern sources, however, the split occurred on the five points raised by Mahādeva:

1. An Arahant may commit a sin under unconscious temptation;
2. one may be an Arahant and unconscious of the fact;
3. an Arahant may have doubts on matters of doctrine;
4. one cannot attain Arahantship without the help of a teacher;
5. the “Noble Way” may begin with some such exclamation as “How sad!” uttered during meditation (J.R A.S. 1910, p. 416; cf. MT 173).

These articles of faith are found in the Kathāvatthu (173ff., 187ff., 194, 197), attributed to the Pubbaselas and the Aparaselas, opponents of the Mahāsanghika school.

According to Hiouen Thsang (Beal.ii.164), the Mahāsanghikas divided their canon into five parts: Sūtra, Vinaya, Abhidhamma, Miscellaneous and Dhāranī. Fa Hsien took from Pātaliputta to China a complete transcript of the Mahāsanghika Vinaya. (Giles, p. 64, Nañjio’s Catalogue mentions a Mahāsanghika Vinaya and a Mahāsanghabhiksunī Vinaya in Chinese translations, Cola. 247, 253. Ms. No.543).

The best known work of the Mahāsanghikas is the Mahāvastu. Their headquarters in Sri Lanka were in Abhayagiri vihāra, and Sena I. is said to have built the Vīrankurārāma for their use. Cv.1.68.

Dictionary of Pāli Proper Names • G.P. Malalasekera