In the previous two posts we looked at the first four Buddhist councils that were held in a time-span of around 500 years after the Buddha’s pari-Nirvana. Now we’ll be looking at the general history of the early Buddhist schools according to the texts of the Sarvastivada school of the ‘Northern Buddhists.’

Vasumitra’s account of the early Buddhist schools, as recorded in his text called the Samaya-bhedoparacanacakra, who was a senior Sarvastivada monk in the first century A.D. Along with two other elders of the same school, Bhavya and Vinitadeva, he refers to the previously discussed ‘Mahadeva’s five points’ as being the real reason why the Sangha split into two schools at the Second Council: the Mahasamghika and Sthaviravada.

Vasumitra mentions that, on account of the differences (of opinion) among the four groups of people in discussing the five points of Mahadeva, the Buddhist Sangha was divided into two schools: the Mahasamghika, and the Sthaviravada. The four groups of monks that were present at the Second Council were: 1. the Naga group, 2. the border country (pratyantika) group, 3. the learned (Bahusrutiya) group, and 4. the venerable (Sthavira) group.

The names of the various schools and sub-schools are given as Vasumitra mentioned them, and the Theravada equivalent name in Pali is included within parentheses (except for the Lokottaravada school, who doesn’t seem to have an equivalent name given in the Theravada text of the Kathavattu).

Immediately afterward, during the second century after the death of the Buddha, three schools arose out of the Mahasamghika:

Later on, again, during the second century, another school, issued from the Mahasamghika:

Once again, immediately after that, during this second century, another school issued from the Mahasamghika:

Towards the close of this second century (after the Buddha’s pari-Nirvana), there was an unorthodox priest [in the eyes of Vasumitra] who returned to the correct teachings, (i.e., Buddhism) discarding his heretical views. His name was Mahadeva as well. After becoming a monk and receiving full ordination in the Mahasamghika order, he became well-versed and diligent. He dwelt on the Caitya hill and discussed in detail with the monks of his school, the five points (of the first Mahadeva), after which, on account of disagreements, the school was split up into three schools:

In summary, the Mahasamghika school was divided four or five times (if you include the first schism). Including the root and the branch schools separately, it counts as nine schools:

Mahasamghika (Mahasanghikas), Ekavyavaharika (Ekabboharikas), Lokottaravada, Kaukkutika (Gokulikas), Bahusrutiya (Bahulikas), Prajnaptivada (Pannattivadins), Caityasaila (Cetiyavadins), Aparasaila (Aparaseliyas), and Uttarasaila [ = Purvasaila] (Pubbaseliyas).

According to Vasumitra, the Sthaviravada branch remained in harmony for some time, but at the beginning of the third century (after the death of the Buddha) there was a disagreement in the Sangha, and it split up into two schools:

Subsequently during the third century, one school issued from the Sarvastivada:

Immediately afterwards, during this third century, four schools originated from the Vatsiputriya:

Immediately afterwards, during this third century, another school issued from the Sarvastivada:

Immediately afterwards, during the same century, one school issued from the Mahisasaka:

At the end of the third century one school seceded from the Sarvastivada:

At the beginning of the fourth century (after Buddha’s Pari-Nirvana), one school originated from the Sarvastivada:

In summary, the Sthaviravada school was divided seven times or eight times (if you include the first schism). Including the root and the branch schools separately, it counts as eleven schools:

Sarvastivada (Sabbatthivadins) [aka Hetuvada], the original (mula) Sthaviravada [aka Haimavata (Hemavatikas)], Vatsiputriya (Vajjiputtakas), Dharmottariya (Dhammuttariyas), Bhadrayaniya (Bhadrayanikas), Sammatiya (Sammitiyas), Channagirika (Channagarikas), Mahisasaka (Mahimsasakas) [the early Mahimsasakas], Dharmaguptika (Dhammaguttikas), Kasyapiya (Kassapikas) [aka Suvarsaka], and Sautrantika [aka Samkrantika] (Sankantikas).

The traditional number of 18 early schools that is usually mentioned by the Theravada school, but this does not entirely match the 20 early schools that Vasumitra lists. Especially the omission of the Lokottaravada in the Theravada account is puzzling.

In the next article, the general history of Buddhist schools according to the ‘Southern Buddhists’ of the Theravada school will be discussed.

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• The Buddhist Councils — Who, when, where, and why? Part-1
• Introduction to the history of Buddhist Councils and Schools-Part 2
• The Buddhist Councils — Who, when, where, and why?-Part 3

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• The Ten Stages of the Mahayana Bodhisattva Path-The Two Preliminary Stages-Part 1
• The Ten Stages of the Mahayana Bodhisattva Path-The Two Preliminary Stages-Part 2
• The Ten Stages of the Mahayana Bodhisattva Path-The Two Preliminary Stages-Part 3
• The Ten Stages of the Mahayana Bodhisattva Path-The Two Preliminary Stages-Part 4
• The Ten Stages of the Mahayana Bodhisattva Path-The Two Preliminary Stages-Part 5
• The Ten Stages of the Mahayana Bodhisattva Path-The Two Preliminary Stages-Part 6
• The Ten Stages of the Mahayana Bodhisattva Path-The Two Preliminary Stages-Part 7
• The Ten Stages of the Mahayana Bodhisattva Path-The Two Preliminary Stages-Part 8
• The Ten Stages of the Mahayana Bodhisattva Path-The Two Preliminary Stages-Part 9
• The Ten Stages of the Mahayana Bodhisattva Path-The Two Preliminary Stages-Part 10
• The Ten Stages of the Mahayana Bodhisattva Path-The Two Preliminary Stages-Part 11

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• The Deathless In Buddhism
• The "Timeless" Teaching-Being Beyond Temporality

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• The Nine Successive Cessations In buddhist Meditations - Part 1
• The Nine Successive Cessations In buddhist Meditations - Part 2
• The Nine Successive Cessations In buddhist Meditations - Part 3

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• The Twelve Links Of Dependent Origination

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• THINGS to DEVELOP and THINGS to AVOID

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• The First Noble Truth
• The Second Noble Truth
• The Third Noble Truth
• The Fourth Noble Truth

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• 10 Fold Path Series

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• EATING MEAT — WHY THE BUDDHA WAS NOT A VEGETARIAN

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