RG ST 21 Lecture Notes - Lecture 6: Early Buddhist Schools, Parinirvana, Abhidhamma Pitaka
Document Summary
Teachings and organization of buddhism flourish from buddha"s lifetime for 150 years. New sects based on geography, different interpretations of buddhist doctrine, etc. After buddha"s parinirvana, a council was held to collect his authentic teachings. Bce) resulted in split between 18 factions or sects. Main rift was between the theravadins and mahasamgikas. After buddha"s death, monks collected and memorized his teachings. Oral texts are committed to writing in 1st cent. Buddha"s sermons memorized by his attendant ananda and recited at first council. Discourses of various length: short, medium, long. Topics include meditation, karma, poetry, narratives, and misc. advice. Based on buddha"s advice on monastic conduct memorized by upali. Contains the vows for individual liberation (pratimoksa) for monks and nuns with commentary. The early sangha had no vinaya rules - buddha instituted rules as they became necessary. Abhidharma ( higher truth, meta-instruction ) concerned with philosophy, psychology, metaphysics, etc. Started as a way to extract and memorize important doctrines from sutras.
