Prof. Seishi Karashima: “Who Composed the Mahāyāna Scriptures?”The Mahāsāṃghikas and Vaitulya Scriptures
15 January 2016
Photo: Orna Almogi
In this talk, I demonstrate that the earlier composers of the so-called Mahāyāna-sūtras had named their texts vevulla / vaitulya / vaipulya (cf. Pāli vedalla), and only later these titles were changed to mahāyāna-sūtra. By investigating the earlier Chinese translations as well as the Chinese Buddhist catalogues, I also demonstrate the transition from vevulla (2nd century C.E.) to vaitulya (3rd century ~ 616 C.E.), and then to vaipulya (5th century onwards) and finally to mahāyāna-sūtra (5th century onwards). The 大方等大集經 (*Mahāvaitulya-Mahāsannipāta), which was compiled in 586 C.E, is apparently a collection of the vaitulya-cum-mahāyāna-scriptures. In this collection, there are passages that describe the various Buddhist schools, among which the description concerning the Mahāsāṃghikas is expressed in a positive way, while other schools are described negatively. We may assume that the composer of this vaitulya-scripture belonged to the school of the Mahāsāṃghikas. I assume that members of the Mahāsāṃghikas composed new scriptures, often consisting of questions and answers and condemning the conservative thoughts on Buddhist doctrines, and called these newly-composed texts vedulla / vaitulya, in the meaning of their being “irregular” as Buddha’s scripture but “incomparable, peerless”. Later, they came to be called in a more positive way as vaipulya “full development, abundance, plenty, fullness.” Much later still, they came to be called mahāyāna-sūtras as well. Those who composed, copied, read, recited, proclaimed these “new scriptures,” did not call themselves “Mahāyanists” at the beginning. They were after all members of the Mahāsāṃghikas and therefore, it is quite natural that the name Mahāyāna does not occur in early Indian inscriptions. Much later on, when the Mahāyāna scriptures and doctrine became much more popular, members of other schools acknowledged them and absorbed them as well.
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January 15th, 2015 - 16.00h
Universität Hamburg,
Alsterterrasse 1, Raum 117
Free Entrance.