Southern Buddhism (Theravada)

In addition to the Edicts of Aśoka, Buddhistformation of three main doctrinal schools,
annals compiled at a later date offer a history ofVibhajjavada, Sarvastivada, and Puggalavada,
the Aśokan and post-Aśokan period.which later were subject to further subdivisions.
Among these annals are the Dipava?sa, theOne such subdivision of the Vibhajjavada was
Mahava?sa, and the Samantapasadika of theestablished in Ceylon, and in course of time came
south Indian Vibhajjavada (Sanskrit: Vibhajyavada)to resume the name Theravada (given above in
sa?gha, beside the Divyavadana and theits Sanskrit form Sthaviravada). Its scriptures, the
Avadanaśataka from the northernPali Canon, were written down there in the last
Sarvastivada (Pali: Sabbatthivada) sa?gha.century BCE, at what the Theravada usually
According to the accounts of the Vibhajjavada,reckons as the fourth council.
Aśoka convened a third Buddhist council (c.It was long believed in Theravada tradition that
250 BCE), whose purpose was to produce athe Pali language is equivalent to Magadhi, the
definitive text of the Buddha's words.[citationeastern dialect of the kingdom of Magadha
needed] According to the Theravada account,spoken by the Buddha. However, linguistic
given in the Dipavamsa and elsewhere, Asokacomparisons of the Edicts of Aśoka and
called this council to sort out doctrinal disputesthe language of the Pali canon show strong
within the sangha, which these sources say weredifferences between the Magadhi of the Edicts
caused by the infiltration of the sangha by(characterized by such changes as r › l,
non-buddhists, apparently not actually ordained.masculine nominative singular of a-stems in -e,
The account goes on to say that the counciletc.) and Pali. The greatest similarity to Pali is
approved the Kathavatthu, compiled by itsfound in a dialectal variant of the Edicts written on
president Moggaliputta Tissa, as part of thea rock near Girnar in Gujarat.
scriptures. As this text consists of doctrinalTheravada is Pali for "the Doctrine of the Elders"
debates, apparently with other schools, theor "the Ancient Doctrine". Theravada teaches one
account seems to imply the other schools wereto encourage wholesome states of mind, avoid
not proper Buddhists or proper monks. Theunwholesome states of mind, and to train the
council also saw the formation of the sa?gha ofmind in meditation. The aim of practice, according
the Vibhajjavada ("school of analytical discourse")to Theravada Buddhism, is the attainment of
out of various schools of the Sthaviravadafreedom from suffering, which is linked with
lineage.[citation needed] Vibhajjavadins claim thatNirvana, the highest spiritual goal. Theravada
the first step to insight has to be achieved by theteaches that the experience of suffering is
aspirant's experience, critical investigation, andcaused by mental defilements like greed, aversion
reasoning instead of by blind faith.[19] This schooland delusion, while freedom can be attained
gradually declined on the Indian subcontinent, butthough putting into practice teachings like the Four
its branch in Sri Lanka and South East AsiaNoble Truths and especially the fourth one, the
continues to survive; this branch of the school isNoble Eightfold Path.
now known as Theravada. The Theravada schoolThe Theravada school bases its practice and
claims that the Sarvastivada and thedoctrine exclusively on the Pali Canon and its
Dharmaguptaka schools were rejected by thecommentaries. The Sutta collections and Vinaya
council, although according to other sources thetexts of the Pali Canon (and the corresponding
Dharmaguptaka school is classified as one of thetexts in other versions of the Tripitaka), are
Vibhajyavadin schools. However, these schoolsgenerally considered by modern scholars to be
became influential in northwestern India andthe earliest Buddhist literature, and they are
Central Asia and, since their teaching is foundaccepted as authentic in every branch of
among the scriptures preserved by the MahayanaBuddhism.
schools, they may have had some formativeTheravada is the only surviving representative of
influence on the Mahayana. The Sarvastivadinsthe historical early Buddhist schools. Theravada is
have not preserved an independent traditionprimarily practiced today in Sri Lanka, Myanmar,
about the Third Council. it has been argued byLaos, Thailand, Cambodia as well as small portions
some scholars that the council was part of aof China, Vietnam, Malaysia and Bangladesh. It has
series of debates and/or disputes resulting in thea growing presence in Europe and America.