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Southern Buddhism (Theravada)

In addition to the Edicts of Aśoka,Puggalavada, which later were subject to
Buddhist annals compiled at a later datefurther subdivisions. One such subdivision of
offer a history of the Aśokan andthe Vibhajjavada was established in Ceylon,
post-Aśokan period. Among these annalsand in course of time came to resume the name
are the Dipava?sa, the Mahava?sa, and theTheravada (given above in its Sanskrit form
Samantapasadika of the south IndianSthaviravada). Its scriptures, the Pali
Vibhajjavada (Sanskrit: Vibhajyavada) sa?gha,Canon, were written down there in the last
beside the Divyavadana and thecentury BCE, at what the Theravada usually
AvadanaÅ›ataka from the northernreckons  as  the  fourth  council.
Sarvastivada (Pali: Sabbatthivada) sa?gha.
According to the accounts of theIt was long believed in Theravada tradition
Vibhajjavada, Aśoka convened a thirdthat the Pali language is equivalent to
Buddhist council (c. 250 BCE), whose purposeMagadhi, the eastern dialect of the kingdom
was to produce a definitive text of theof Magadha spoken by the Buddha. However,
Buddha's words.[citation needed] According tolinguistic comparisons of the Edicts of
the Theravada account, given in the DipavamsaAśoka and the language of the Pali canon
and elsewhere, Asoka called this council toshow strong differences between the Magadhi
sort out doctrinal disputes within theof the Edicts (characterized by such changes
sangha, which these sources say were causedas r › l, masculine nominative singular
by the infiltration of the sangha byof a-stems in -e, etc.) and Pali. The
non-buddhists, apparently not actuallygreatest similarity to Pali is found in a
ordained. The account goes on to say that thedialectal variant of the Edicts written on a
council approved the Kathavatthu, compiled byrock  near  Girnar  in  Gujarat.
its president Moggaliputta Tissa, as part of
the scriptures. As this text consists ofTheravada is Pali for "the Doctrine of the
doctrinal debates, apparently with otherElders" or "the Ancient Doctrine". Theravada
schools, the account seems to imply the otherteaches one to encourage wholesome states of
schools were not proper Buddhists or propermind, avoid unwholesome states of mind, and
monks. The council also saw the formation ofto train the mind in meditation. The aim of
the sa?gha of the Vibhajjavada ("school ofpractice, according to Theravada Buddhism, is
analytical discourse") out of various schoolsthe attainment of freedom from suffering,
of the Sthaviravada lineage.[citation needed]which is linked with Nirvana, the highest
Vibhajjavadins claim that the first step tospiritual goal. Theravada teaches that the
insight has to be achieved by the aspirant'sexperience of suffering is caused by mental
experience, critical investigation, anddefilements like greed, aversion and
reasoning instead of by blind faith.[19] Thisdelusion, while freedom can be attained
school gradually declined on the Indianthough putting into practice teachings like
subcontinent, but its branch in Sri Lanka andthe Four Noble Truths and especially the
South East Asia continues to survive; thisfourth  one,  the  Noble  Eightfold  Path.
branch of the school is now known as
Theravada. The Theravada school claims thatThe Theravada school bases its practice and
the Sarvastivada and the Dharmaguptakadoctrine exclusively on the Pali Canon and
schools were rejected by the council,its commentaries. The Sutta collections and
although according to other sources theVinaya texts of the Pali Canon (and the
Dharmaguptaka school is classified as one ofcorresponding texts in other versions of the
the Vibhajyavadin schools. However, theseTripitaka), are generally considered by
schools became influential in northwesternmodern scholars to be the earliest Buddhist
India and Central Asia and, since theirliterature, and they are accepted as
teaching is found among the scripturesauthentic  in  every  branch  of  Buddhism.
preserved by the Mahayana schools, they may
have had some formative influence on theTheravada is the only surviving
Mahayana. The Sarvastivadins have notrepresentative of the historical early
preserved an independent tradition about theBuddhist schools. Theravada is primarily
Third Council. it has been argued by somepracticed today in Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Laos,
scholars that the council was part of aThailand, Cambodia as well as small portions
series of debates and/or disputes resultingof China, Vietnam, Malaysia and Bangladesh.
in the formation of three main doctrinalIt has a growing presence in Europe and
schools, Vibhajjavada, Sarvastivada, andAmerica.



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