The Buddhist Schools of the Small Vehicle - The Mahāsāṃghika

Textual analysis and comparative discussion on early Buddhist sects and scriptures.
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Ceisiwr
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The Buddhist Schools of the Small Vehicle - The Mahāsāṃghika

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In his book “The Buddhist Schools of the Small Vehicle” André Bareau discusses the various early Buddhist schools. Specifically he looks at what caused the different “schisms”, what is known regarding the texts each school had and their distinguishing doctrines. To do this Bareau draws upon a range of different sources such as Vasumitra, Bhavya, Vinītadeva the Kathāvatthu and other sources. It is an interesting book, which I would recommend to everyone. In discussing the early schools Bareau outlines the core doctrines of the Mahāsāṃghika and then discusses the unique doctrines of the sub-traditions and schools that developed within it, whilst for the Sthaviras he discusses the main traditions and sub-schools that it developed, with the entry on the Sthavira themselves being rather short. Below is a summary I’ve put together of the Mahāsāṃghika. I was going to do every tradition within one post, but as that is too time consuming and would present too big a wall of text I've decided to do it one tradition at a time. Perhaps then when I am finished they can all be collected together into one thread. I've also only selected the most interesting doctrinal points, rather than list them all (as they are quite numerous).

Mahāsāṃghika
This schools arose during the 1st schism, which occurred due to the five theses of Mahādeva regarding the Arahants. His 5 theses were:

(1) Arahants can still be led astray by others (nocturnal emissions).

(2) Arahants are still subject to ignorance. This is not ‘defiled ignorance’ (avidyā) but of the lesser kind known as ‘undefiled ignorance’ (akliṣṭa ajñāna). Examples would be not knowing where a city is, or the name of someone.

(3) Arahants are still subject to doubt (kāṇkṣā).

(4) Arahants can be instructed and informed by others.

(5) Entry into the Noble Path by an Arahant can be accompanied by a vocal utterance (vacībheda), which generates the appearance of the Path.

These 5 theses lead to the calling of the 2nd Buddhist council. Those who accepted the 5 theses called themselves the Mahāsāṃghika, whilst those who did not called themselves Sthaviras (Theras/Elders). Two points here. Firstly, as Ven. Sujato has shown, the 5 theses were the cause of the “schism” (although no official schism actually occurred, due to the kammic consequences) rather than points about the Vinaya. Secondly the name “Mahāsāṃghika” doesn’t mean they were numerically larger. By calling themselves Mahāsāṃghika they are referring to the original undivided sangha that existed before the split. The Great Sangha. Some other interesting things to note would be that the Mahāsāṃghika had an Abhidharma of their own, which is also evident by their use of the concept of “sabhāva”, thus showing that they subscribed to the dhamma theory. This shows that the Abhidharma project, the dharma theory and the concept of sabhāva was shared by nearly all (if not all) of the early Buddhist schools. Also note that for the Mahāsāṃghika the Buddha is an eternal substance (dravya) and that they recognised a root consciousness, which is similar to the Bhavaṅga of Theravāda and Vasubandhu’s store-house consciousness (ālāyavijñāna) in Yogācāra. Regarding meditation they also seemed to view vitakka-vicāra as being a condition for speech when concentration was weak, but as being closer to “applied and sustained thought” when strong.

Texts
The Mahāsāṃghika texts were divided into a Vinaya-piṭaka, Sūtra-piṭaka and Abhidharma-piṭaka. Their Sūtra-piṭaka contained a Dīrgha Āgama, Madhyama Āgama, Saṃyukta Āgama, Ekottara Āgama and Kṣudraka Āgama.

Doctrines
1) Buddhas are transcendental (lokottara) – The body of the Buddhas is transcendental and pure.

2) The Buddhas are free from impurities and wordly things (dharma) – The 18 elements within the body of the Buddha are pure. The 3 kinds of actions the Buddhas accomplish are also pure. The birth of Buddhas is also pure.

3) In all their words the Buddhas set in motion the turning of the Wheel of Dharma – The Wheel of Dharma is not only the path but all of the words uttered by the Buddha. Even words like “How are you?” or “Is it raining?” have profound meaning and can lead to liberation.

4) The Buddha, with a single sound, utters all the elements of the Dharma – Due to his immense merit cultivated over aeons the Buddha can cause all his listeners to awaken even with a single sound.

5) In everything the Buddha said, there is nothing which does not conform with the meaning – All words of the Buddha are profitable to others and without vain. Everything the Buddha said is entirely free from error and is rational, is always free from moral fault and is always adapted to the listener. The words of the Buddha manifest their essence. The words of the Buddha have their own-nature (sabhāva).

6) The physical body of the Buddha is unlimited – Having cultivated merit for aeons the body of the Buddha is perfect and unlimited. The visible body of the Buddha (said to be six feet tall) is not his true body but is his transformation body, by which he appears to beings. His true body has unlimited measure, unlimited number (he can manifest in different bodies in different ages) and is from unlimited causes.

7) The might (supernormal powers) of the Buddha is unlimited – In a single instant he can deploy his might anywhere in all universes.

8) The life span of the Buddha is unlimited – Since he cultivated great merit and developed a perfect body through aeons his life span is unlimited and indestructible. Since the numerous beings are infinite, so too must be the Buddha so he can work to the advantage of each one.

9) The Buddha never has a thought of satisfaction even when liberating beings.

10) The Buddha never sleeps nor dreams – In sleep citta is obscured and dispersed, but the Buddha is always in meditation.

11) The Buddhas answer questions without reflecting – They expound the Dhamma spontaneously.

12) In a single thought moment they understand all things (dharmas) – The Buddha in a single thought moment, due to his immense merit, can understand all dharmas in terms of their different aspects and own-nature (sabhāva).

13) Through wisdom associated with a single thought moment they know all things (dharmas) – When they reach the path of deliverance, they know the sabhāva of all things at once. They then have no need for further mental series in order to know all things, since they perfectly know the sabhāva of wisdom (prajñā/paññā).

14) The knowledge of destruction and non-arising continue unceasingly until final nirvāṇa – Since the 18 elements which make up the Buddhas are free from impurities, knowledge free from impurities is constantly present.

15) The Buddhas abide in all directions – There are Buddhas in all directions, in all the universes, everywhere.

17) The Buddhas exists as substance (dravya).

18) When the Buddhas enter the womb, they do not go through the impure stages of embryonic development. They enter fully developed and do not need impure material such as sperm to be born.

19) When they enter the womb they appear as a white elephant.

20) When they exist the body, they are born from the right side and not through the vagina.

21) There is no intermediate existence between births.

22) Because they make an aspiration to improve beings, bodhisattvas can be reborn in bad destinations.

23) The 4 Noble Truths are known at once, in an instant – Since when one sees the Truths clearly one sees their common natures and their sabhāva, clear comprehension should take place in a single instant.

24) The 6 senses are both endowed with craving and free from craving.

25) In the formless there exists subtle matter.

26) When one is in a state of concentration (samāhitāvasthā) there is vocal utterance (vacibheda), disciplined (saṃvṛta) thought (citta) and attention (manasikāra) – When the meditator is not yet in the first level of concentration one can arouse bodily actions. The body, being the support of concentration, having moved disperses thought since thought follows that movement when it should remain stable. When stable thought objectifies the object of meditation, but when dispersed thought can cause vocal action.

28) What had to be done, having been done, there are no more grounds – When Arahants take objects they no longer take them in their different aspects but instead only know the things which causality (hetupratyaya) caused to arise.

29) Those who are stream-enterers can understand the own-nature (sabhāva) of their mind and mental factors.

30) Morality and concentration cannot be means leading to the cessation of suffering and the preparation for the acquisition of nirvāṇa. Wisdom alone is able to attain this result.

31) Suffering is also a nutriment (āhāra).

32) The stream-enterer can regress, but the Arahant can not.

33) Actions are either good or bad. There is no kamma which is neither good nor bad.

34) Stream-enters can commit minor misdeeds.

35) There are 9 unconditioned dharmas: 1) cessation through acquired knowledge; 2) cessation without acquired knowledge; 3) space; 4) the sphere of the infinity of space; 5) the sphere of the infinity of consciousness; 6) the sphere of nothingness; 7) the sphere of neither perception nor non-perception; 8) the own-nature (sabhāva) of the links of dependent origination; 9) the own-nature (sabhāva) of the sections of the path.

36) The own-nature (sabhāva) of the mind is originally clear. It is the defilements which stain it.

37) The underlying tendencies are not thoughts or mental factors and are devoid of an object – The underlying tendencies only exist in the body.

38) The underlying tendencies are different from the obsessions.

39) The past and future do not exist in reality.

40) Stream-enters can also obtain the dhyāna.

41) Even in thought (citta) there is matter (rūpa).

42) There is no conventional meaning.

43) The underlying tendencies are undefined, uncaused and dissociated from thought.

44) Restraint and lack of restraint of the senses are both actions.

45) All kamma is endowed with fruition – The result of all kamma has to be experienced.

46) Sound is the result of kamma.

47) The six-sense spheres are the result of kamma.

48) Causality is determined.

49) The aging and death of transcendental dharmas are themselves transcendental – Since aging and death of transcendental dharmas are not worldly, they are transcendental.

50) The Arahant still has the fetter of ignorance and uncertainty.

51) There is a root consciousness (mūlavijñāna) which serves as the support to the other sense consciousnesses.

Coming up next: The Lokottaravādins.
Last edited by Ceisiwr on Sat Jun 26, 2021 2:16 pm, edited 2 times in total.
“Knowing that this body is just like foam,
understanding it has the nature of a mirage,
cutting off Māra’s flower-tipped arrows,
one should go beyond the King of Death’s sight.”
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Re: The Buddhist Schools of the Small Vehicle - The Mahāsāṃghika

Post by Coëmgenu »

Ceisiwr wrote: Sat Jun 26, 2021 1:19 pm2) The Buddhas are free from impurities and wordly things (dharma) – The 18 elements within the body of the Buddha are pure. The 3 kinds of actions the Buddhas accomplish are also pure. The birth of Buddhas is also pure.
This belief appears to be one of the seeds for the later doctrine that all Āryabodhisattvas have immaterial births and do not have physical bodies of their own necessarily. Instead, they create their bodies via emanation from their minds. This is either a later development of the same idea IMO, or it is one and the same and the Mahasamghikas have been "docetists" for a long time.
Ceisiwr wrote: Sat Jun 26, 2021 1:19 pm3) In all their words the Buddhas set in motion the turning of the Wheel of Dharma – The Wheel of Dharma is not only the path but all of the words uttered by the Buddha. Even words like “How are you?” or “Is it raining?” have profound meaning and can lead to liberation.
I've a theory that this stems from the notion that there is no Buddha-activity that is not the teaching of worldlings. When the Buddha says "My back aches, I will rest it (paraphrase)," I think there is precedent for this, in some Buddhisms, to be taken non-literally, as the Buddha's back cannot actually ache because his body is virtual. The "I will rest it" becomes equivalent to "This is samsara (i.e. "My back rhetorically aches")," "I will rest it (i.e. "Observe this parinibbāna where I rhetorically rest my back")."
Ceisiwr wrote: Sat Jun 26, 2021 1:19 pm4) The Buddha, with a single sound, utters all the elements of the Dharma – Due to his immense merit cultivated over aeons the Buddha can cause all his listeners to awaken even with a single sound.
In the Far-Reaching Prajñāpāramitā in a Single Syllable, the Buddha summarized the essence of the Dharma as the syllable "āḥ." Perhaps it has influence. I will look at more of these in a bit.
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Re: The Buddhist Schools of the Small Vehicle - The Mahāsāṃghika

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Ceisiwr wrote: Sat Jun 26, 2021 1:19 pm35) There are 9 unconditioned dharmas: 1) cessation through acquired knowledge; 2) cessation without acquired knowledge; 3) space; 4) the sphere of the infinity of space; 5) the sphere of the infinity of consciousness; 6) the sphere of nothingness; 7) the sphere of neither perception nor non-perception; 8) the own-nature (sabhāva) of the links of dependent origination; 9) the own-nature (sabhāva) of the sections of the path.
This seems eccentric, because it is largely identical to the doctrines of the Dharmaguptakas in their Śāriputrābhidharma. These are not particularly-related schools. Where does the author get this from? The elements of the path being unconditioned seems one significant difference. The Dharmaguptakas have "gotra" where the Mahāsāṃghikas have "space," and unconditioned gotra is similar to unconditioned path dharmas.

Note, the post linked to has a significant mistake in misattributing the Pudgalavadins as Mahasamghika-derived. I correct this later in the thread.
What is the Uncreated?
Sublime & free, what is that obscured Eternity?
It is the Undying, the Bright, the Isle.
It is an Ocean, a Secret: Reality.
Both life and oblivion, it is Nirvāṇa.
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Re: The Buddhist Schools of the Small Vehicle - The Mahāsāṃghika

Post by DNS »

Ceisiwr wrote: Sat Jun 26, 2021 1:19 pm Below is a summary I’ve put together of the Mahāsāṃghika.
Interesting, thanks. I didn't know that they had an abhidharma. At other places, I've read that they were opposed to having an abhidhamma.
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Re: The Buddhist Schools of the Small Vehicle - The Mahāsāṃghika

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I have a suspicion that the Sarvāstivādins were not the only sect that produced Sautrāntikas. I've also heard the account, but I can't remember if it is from Ven Xuanzang or Fazang, that when he visited Mahāsāṃghika monasteries, they rejected the Abhidharma. I wonder if he visited some Sautrāntika-esque monasteries of the Mahāsāṃghika. I can't prove this at all.
What is the Uncreated?
Sublime & free, what is that obscured Eternity?
It is the Undying, the Bright, the Isle.
It is an Ocean, a Secret: Reality.
Both life and oblivion, it is Nirvāṇa.
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Re: The Buddhist Schools of the Small Vehicle - The Mahāsāṃghika

Post by sphairos »

It must be borne in mind that Bareau's book is old, everything in it should be taken with a grain of salt.
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Re: The Buddhist Schools of the Small Vehicle - The Mahāsāṃghika

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Coëmgenu wrote: Sat Jun 26, 2021 2:18 pm
Ceisiwr wrote: Sat Jun 26, 2021 1:19 pm35) There are 9 unconditioned dharmas: 1) cessation through acquired knowledge; 2) cessation without acquired knowledge; 3) space; 4) the sphere of the infinity of space; 5) the sphere of the infinity of consciousness; 6) the sphere of nothingness; 7) the sphere of neither perception nor non-perception; 8) the own-nature (sabhāva) of the links of dependent origination; 9) the own-nature (sabhāva) of the sections of the path.
This seems eccentric, because it is largely identical to the doctrines of the Dharmaguptakas in their Śāriputrābhidharma. These are not particularly-related schools. Where does the author get this from? The elements of the path being unconditioned seems one significant difference. The Dharmaguptakas have "gotra" where the Mahāsāṃghikas have "space," and unconditioned gotra is similar to unconditioned path dharmas.

Note, the post linked to has a significant mistake in misattributing the Pudgalavadins as Mahasamghika-derived. I correct this later in the thread.
Vasumitra and Vinītadeva. In his book Bareau claims that the Śāriputrābhidharma incorporated some Mahāsāṃghika doctrines.
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Re: The Buddhist Schools of the Small Vehicle - The Mahāsāṃghika

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Coëmgenu wrote: Sat Jun 26, 2021 2:34 pm I have a suspicion that the Sarvāstivādins were not the only sect that produced Sautrāntikas. I've also heard the account, but I can't remember if it is from Ven Xuanzang or Fazang, that when he visited Mahāsāṃghika monasteries, they rejected the Abhidharma. I wonder if he visited some Sautrāntika-esque monasteries of the Mahāsāṃghika. I can't prove this at all.
It wouldn't surprise me. Having monks and nuns reject the Abhidharma of their parent school, only to then create a version of their own seems to be a common pattern.
“Knowing that this body is just like foam,
understanding it has the nature of a mirage,
cutting off Māra’s flower-tipped arrows,
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Re: The Buddhist Schools of the Small Vehicle - The Mahāsāṃghika

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Coëmgenu wrote: Sat Jun 26, 2021 2:02 pm Prajñāpāramitā in a Single Syllable, the Buddha summarized the essence of the Dharma as the syllable "āḥ." Perhaps it has influence. I will look at more of these in a bit.
Bareau does mention a possible connection with the Prajñāpāramitā texts.
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cutting off Māra’s flower-tipped arrows,
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Re: The Buddhist Schools of the Small Vehicle - The Mahāsāṃghika

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sphairos wrote: Sat Jun 26, 2021 5:02 pm It must be borne in mind that Bareau's book is old, everything in it should be taken with a grain of salt.
Obviously. That is true of most things in early Buddhist studies.
Last edited by Ceisiwr on Sat Jun 26, 2021 5:14 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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cutting off Māra’s flower-tipped arrows,
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Re: The Buddhist Schools of the Small Vehicle - The Mahāsāṃghika

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DNS wrote: Sat Jun 26, 2021 2:31 pm
Ceisiwr wrote: Sat Jun 26, 2021 1:19 pm Below is a summary I’ve put together of the Mahāsāṃghika.
Interesting, thanks. I didn't know that they had an abhidharma. At other places, I've read that they were opposed to having an abhidhamma.
It seems they did, or some of them did. I found it interesting that the dhamma theory and concepts like sabhāva are shared between the early schools. It's significant if all the Buddhist schools, or most, agree on certain doctrinal points IMO.
“Knowing that this body is just like foam,
understanding it has the nature of a mirage,
cutting off Māra’s flower-tipped arrows,
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Re: The Buddhist Schools of the Small Vehicle - The Mahāsāṃghika

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Coëmgenu wrote: Sat Jun 26, 2021 2:34 pmI can't remember if it is from Ven Xuanzang or Fazang
I was conflating Ven Fazang with Ven Faxian. Both Vens Xuanzang and Faxian claim to have studied Abhidharma with Mahāsāṃghikas during their stays in different monasteries on their travels in India.

The claim that the Mahāsāṃghikas have no Abhidharma is actually from the Dīpavaṃsa apparently.
What is the Uncreated?
Sublime & free, what is that obscured Eternity?
It is the Undying, the Bright, the Isle.
It is an Ocean, a Secret: Reality.
Both life and oblivion, it is Nirvāṇa.
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Re: The Buddhist Schools of the Small Vehicle - The Mahāsāṃghika

Post by Coëmgenu »

Something I would caution against is learning too much from heresiologists. We can't reliably trust Irenaeus, for instance, to teach us about Gnostics and the Manichees. We can't necessarily count on Ven Vasumitra et al. to inherit correct and valid accounts of the "heretics." That being said, with dearths of primary materials, I understand why heresiologists have to be relied on.
What is the Uncreated?
Sublime & free, what is that obscured Eternity?
It is the Undying, the Bright, the Isle.
It is an Ocean, a Secret: Reality.
Both life and oblivion, it is Nirvāṇa.
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Re: The Buddhist Schools of the Small Vehicle - The Mahāsāṃghika

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Coëmgenu wrote: Sat Jun 26, 2021 7:10 pm Something I would caution against is learning too much from heresiologists. We can't reliably trust Irenaeus, for instance, to teach us about Gnostics and the Manichees. We can't necessarily count on Ven Vasumitra et al. to inherit correct and valid accounts of the "heretics." That being said, with dearths of primary materials, I understand why heresiologists have to be relied on.
Of course, yes. If you look at my post on the Gokulikas/Kukkuṭikas it is said they believed in not following the Vinaya, or changing it how they liked. How true is that of their position? There is probably an element of truth, with some distortion. I think we see the same in the suttas/āgamas. I'm thinking of Pūraṇa Kassapa:
"...In acting or getting others to act, in mutilating or getting others to mutilate, in torturing or getting others to torture, in inflicting sorrow or in getting others to inflict sorrow, in tormenting or getting others to torment, in intimidating or getting others to intimidate, in taking life, taking what is not given, breaking into houses, plundering wealth, committing burglary, ambushing highways, committing adultery, speaking falsehood — one does no evil. If with a razor-edged disk one were to turn all the living beings on this earth to a single heap of flesh, a single pile of flesh, there would be no evil from that cause, no coming of evil. Even if one were to go along the right bank of the Ganges, killing and getting others to kill, mutilating and getting others to mutilate, torturing and getting others to torture, there would be no evil from that cause, no coming of evil. Even if one were to go along the left bank of the Ganges, giving and getting others to give, making sacrifices and getting others to make sacrifices, there would be no merit from that cause, no coming of merit. Through generosity, self-control, restraint, and truthful speech there is no merit from that cause, no coming of merit."
Is this a fair assessment of his position? Likely his doctrine centred around the aloofness of the soul from all action, since action is change. It's very likely the above is an implication of his thought, but as to if he really went around teaching the above I'm somewhat doubtful. It's the same with the Jains when they claim the Buddhists have lax morals because they aren't vegetarian. That if a Buddhist accidently ate human flesh there is no fault, so Buddhists are baby eaters. It went something like that, from what I can remember.
“Knowing that this body is just like foam,
understanding it has the nature of a mirage,
cutting off Māra’s flower-tipped arrows,
one should go beyond the King of Death’s sight.”
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Re: The Buddhist Schools of the Small Vehicle - The Mahāsāṃghika

Post by Lucas Oliveira »

Ceisiwr wrote: Sat Jun 26, 2021 1:19 pm In his book “The Buddhist Schools of the Small Vehicle” André Bareau discusses the various early Buddhist schools. Specifically he looks at what caused the different “schisms”, what is known regarding the texts each school had and their distinguishing doctrines. To do this Bareau draws upon a range of different sources such as Vasumitra, Bhavya, Vinītadeva the Kathāvatthu and other sources. It is an interesting book, which I would recommend to everyone. In discussing the early schools Bareau outlines the core doctrines of the Mahāsāṃghika and then discusses the unique doctrines of the sub-traditions and schools that developed within it, whilst for the Sthaviras he discusses the main traditions and sub-schools that it developed, with the entry on the Sthavira themselves being rather short. Below is a summary I’ve put together of the Mahāsāṃghika. I was going to do every tradition within one post, but as that is too time consuming and would present too big a wall of text I've decided to do it one tradition at a time. Perhaps then when I am finished they can all be collected together into one thread. I've also only selected the most interesting doctrinal points, rather than list them all (as they are quite numerous).
:thanks:

Thank you Ceisiwr!

Very interesting and important to know about these Schools of Buddhism.

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