Tāranātha viewed the Ekavyāvahārikas, Lokottaravādins, and Gokulikas as being essentially the same.[1] He even viewed Ekavyāvahārika as being a general term for the Mahāsāṃghikas.[2] The Ekavyāvahārikas, Gokulikas, and Lokottaravādins are the three groups that emerged from the first split in the Mahāsāṃghika sect. A.K. Warder notes that the Ekavyāvahārikas were hardly known in later times and may have simply have been considered part of the Mahāsāṃghika.[3]
Early historyEdit
The 6th century CE Indian monk Paramārtha wrote that 200 years after the parinirvāṇa of the Buddha, much of the Mahāsāṃghika school moved north of Rājagṛha, and were divided over whether the Mahāyāna teachings should be incorporated formally into their Tripiṭaka.[4] According to this account, they split into three groups based upon the relative manner and degree to which they accepted the authority of these Mahāyāna texts.[5] According to Paramārtha, the Ekavyāvahārikas accepted the Mahāyāna sūtras as the words of the Buddha (buddhavacana).[6]
DoctrinesEdit
Forty-eight thesesEdit
The Samayabhedoparacanacakra of Vasumitra regards the Ekavyāvahārikas, Gokulikas, and Lokottaravādins as being doctrinally indistinguishable.[7] According to Vasumitra, 48 theses were held in common by these three Mahāsāṃghika sects.[8] Of the 48 special theses attributed by the Samayabhedoparacanacakra to these sects, 20 points concern the supramundane nature of buddhas and bodhisattvas.[9] According to the Samayabhedoparacanacakra, these four groups held that the Buddha is able to know all dharmas in a single moment of the mind.[10] Yao Zhihua writes:[11]
In their view, the Buddha is equipped with the following supernatural qualities: transcendence (lokottara), lack of defilements, all of his utterances preaching his teaching, expounding all his teachings in a single utterance, all of his sayings being true, his physical body being limitless, his power (prabhāva) being limitless, the length of his life being limitless, never tiring of enlightening sentient beings and awakening pure faith in them, having no sleep or dreams, no pause in answering a question, and always in meditation (samādhi).
Trascendent speechEdit
The name of the Ekavyāvahārikas refers to their doctrine that the Buddha speaks with a single and unified transcendent meaning.[12] They emphasized the transcendence of the Buddha, asserting that he was eternally enlightened and essentially non-physical. Just as the words of the Buddha were held to be spoken with one transcendent meaning, the Four Noble Truths were understood to be perfectly realized with one wisdom.[13]
Fundamentally pure mindEdit
The Ekavyāvahārikas held that sentient beings possessed an originally or fundamentally pure mind, but that it has been encumbered and obscured by suffering.[14] This conception of the nature of the mind as being fundamentally the same as that of the Buddha, has been identified with the Mahāyāna doctrines of Buddha-nature and the Buddha's Dharmakāya, as well as compared favorably with doctrines in Mahāyāna sūtras such as the Lotus Sūtra and the Avataṃsaka Sūtra.[15]
ReferencesEdit
^Baruah, Bibhuti. Buddhist Sects and Sectarianism. 2008. p. 48
^Baruah, Bibhuti. Buddhist Sects and Sectarianism. 2008. p. 19
ekavyāvahārika, sanskrit, एकव, वह, traditional, chinese, 一說部, pinyin, shuō, early, buddhist, schools, thought, have, separated, from, mahāsāṃghika, sect, during, reign, aśoka, cave, temple, associated, with, mahāsāṃghika, sect, ajaṇṭā, caves, mahārāṣtra, india. The Ekavyavaharika Sanskrit एकव य वह र क traditional Chinese 一說部 pinyin Yi Shuō Bu was one of the early Buddhist schools and is thought to have separated from the Mahasaṃghika sect during the reign of Asoka Cave temple associated with the Mahasaṃghika sect Ajaṇṭa Caves Maharaṣtra India Contents 1 History 1 1 Relationship to Mahasaṃghika 1 2 Early history 2 Doctrines 2 1 Forty eight theses 2 2 Trascendent speech 2 3 Fundamentally pure mind 3 References 4 See alsoHistory EditRelationship to Mahasaṃghika Edit Taranatha viewed the Ekavyavaharikas Lokottaravadins and Gokulikas as being essentially the same 1 He even viewed Ekavyavaharika as being a general term for the Mahasaṃghikas 2 The Ekavyavaharikas Gokulikas and Lokottaravadins are the three groups that emerged from the first split in the Mahasaṃghika sect A K Warder notes that the Ekavyavaharikas were hardly known in later times and may have simply have been considered part of the Mahasaṃghika 3 Early history Edit The 6th century CE Indian monk Paramartha wrote that 200 years after the parinirvaṇa of the Buddha much of the Mahasaṃghika school moved north of Rajagṛha and were divided over whether the Mahayana teachings should be incorporated formally into their Tripiṭaka 4 According to this account they split into three groups based upon the relative manner and degree to which they accepted the authority of these Mahayana texts 5 According to Paramartha the Ekavyavaharikas accepted the Mahayana sutras as the words of the Buddha buddhavacana 6 Doctrines EditForty eight theses Edit The Samayabhedoparacanacakra of Vasumitra regards the Ekavyavaharikas Gokulikas and Lokottaravadins as being doctrinally indistinguishable 7 According to Vasumitra 48 theses were held in common by these three Mahasaṃghika sects 8 Of the 48 special theses attributed by the Samayabhedoparacanacakra to these sects 20 points concern the supramundane nature of buddhas and bodhisattvas 9 According to the Samayabhedoparacanacakra these four groups held that the Buddha is able to know all dharmas in a single moment of the mind 10 Yao Zhihua writes 11 In their view the Buddha is equipped with the following supernatural qualities transcendence lokottara lack of defilements all of his utterances preaching his teaching expounding all his teachings in a single utterance all of his sayings being true his physical body being limitless his power prabhava being limitless the length of his life being limitless never tiring of enlightening sentient beings and awakening pure faith in them having no sleep or dreams no pause in answering a question and always in meditation samadhi Trascendent speech Edit The name of the Ekavyavaharikas refers to their doctrine that the Buddha speaks with a single and unified transcendent meaning 12 They emphasized the transcendence of the Buddha asserting that he was eternally enlightened and essentially non physical Just as the words of the Buddha were held to be spoken with one transcendent meaning the Four Noble Truths were understood to be perfectly realized with one wisdom 13 Fundamentally pure mind Edit The Ekavyavaharikas held that sentient beings possessed an originally or fundamentally pure mind but that it has been encumbered and obscured by suffering 14 This conception of the nature of the mind as being fundamentally the same as that of the Buddha has been identified with the Mahayana doctrines of Buddha nature and the Buddha s Dharmakaya as well as compared favorably with doctrines in Mahayana sutras such as the Lotus Sutra and the Avataṃsaka Sutra 15 References Edit Baruah Bibhuti Buddhist Sects and Sectarianism 2008 p 48 Baruah Bibhuti Buddhist Sects and Sectarianism 2008 p 19 Warder A K Indian Buddhism 2000 p 281 Walser Joseph Nagarjuna in Context Mahayana Buddhism and Early Indian Culture 2005 pp 50 51 Walser Joseph Nagarjuna in Context Mahayana Buddhism and Early Indian Culture 2005 p 51 Sree Padma Barber Anthony W Buddhism in the Krishna River Valley of Andhra 2008 p 68 Walser Joseph Nagarjuna in Context Mahayana Buddhism and Early Indian Culture 2005 p 214 Walser Joseph Nagarjuna in Context Mahayana Buddhism and Early Indian Culture 2005 p 214 Sree Padma Barber Anthony W Buddhism in the Krishna River Valley of Andhra 2008 p 56 Yao Zhihua The Buddhist Theory of Self Cognition 2005 p 11 Yao Zhihua The Buddhist Theory of Self Cognition 2005 p 11 Sree Padma Barber Anthony W Buddhism in the Krishna River Valley of Andhra 2008 p 67 Rockhill William The Life of Buddha And the Early History of His Order Derived from Tibetan pp 187 188 Baruah Bibhuti Buddhist Sects and Sectarianism 2008 p 90 Baruah Bibhuti Buddhist Sects and Sectarianism 2008 p 90See also EditEarly Buddhist schools Nikaya Buddhism Schools of Buddhism Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Ekavyavaharika amp oldid 1019366811, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
