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A passage for editorial review. A HISTORICAL STUDY OF THE TERMS HINAYANA AND MAHAYANA AND THE ORIGIN OF MAHAYANA BUDDHISI) 4 ’ of \ Uy an Oo fh" in | } { ae ce 2ESTE o PRINTED BY BRUPENDRALAL BANERJEE AT TAB CaLOUTTA UNIVERSITY PRESS, SENATE HOUSE, OALOUTTA Reg. No. 806B.—22-7.27—n. UVUAUAUL UT VT YH 00047218 Dedicated To The Sacred Memory of The Late SIR ASUTOSH MOOKERJEE, Saraswati, Sacuavecunioad: Kt., C.S.L, M.A, D.L., D.Sc., Ph.D., | but for whose warm encouragement and able support this work would possibly have never seen the light. PREFACE Since my appointment as a Post-Graduate teacher in the Department of Arts of the Calcutta University, it has been my intention to write a proper history of Indian Buddhism from the time of its founder up to the Pala dynasty, or more properly speaking, up to the: Mahomedan conquest of Eastern ~ India, and also a history of Buddhist Philosophy bearing on the Original and Developed forms of Buddhism. The genius of the late Sir Asutosh, the then Vice-Chancellor and the President of the Post-Graduate Council of the University, was not slow to perceive the bright prospects of a protracted study and research work on the subjects chosen. Under his patronage and encouragement I began my work, but unfortunately for me, the cruel hand of Time has removed that great soul from the arena of this world when any worthy offering of mine was yet to be made unto him. He, however, lived just so long as to witness the progress of my work which was already marked by a few sign- _posts—Sign-posts of theses on (1) What is Buddhism ?* (2) Shifting of the Centres of Buddhism in India,” (3) Early History of the Original Buddhist School,* (4) Historical Discussion on Buddhalogy * and (5)!Original and Developed Buddhism in Chart.6 The present work has been the fortunate or unfortunate. mile-stone up to ' Published in the Journal of Letters, Calcutta University, Vol. 4. 4 ydid, Vol. I. 5 Published in the Sir Asutosh Jubilee Commemoration Vol, III, Part II.~ + [bid, * Published by the Calcutta University in book form. viii PREFACE which the Friend-of-Scholars was with this humble enquirer of historical truths. I thought of publishing all these theses in one volume under the title of ‘ Introduction to the History of Indian Buddhism.’ But Sir Asutosh pleaded the utility of publishing this work separately on the ground of the independent intrinsic merit of it. I had only to yield to his superior judgment. This work, therefore, comes out, asa separate volume, as some of the others have already come. Tt is not out of ‘place, I think, to attempt to give here a rough idea of. the scope of this work. The introductory note raises a preliminary historical discussion on the terms ‘ Hinayana’ and ‘Mahayana.’ It has also aimed at clearing the ideas and associations of other significant dual terms used in. the Buddhist literature, such as, (1) Northern and Southern Buddhism (geographical division) ; (2) Vyaktayana and Guhyayana (from the view-point of Buddha’s way of preaching) ; (3) Sahajayana and Kathinayana (from the view-point of religion in practice, etc. Under this discussion I have been led to consider some of the philosophical and religious movements of the Hindus. The main book is divided into two parts. The first part is mainly devoted to a full discussion of the terms Hinayana and Mahayana from various points of view. The first chapter deals with the significance of the terms Hinayina and Mahayana and concludes that the terms respectively indicate : (1) ‘ Phenomenological perception’ and ‘ Ontological perception’ (from the point of view of Buddha’s percep- tion); PREFACE ix, (2) ‘ Expedient doctrines’ and ‘ True doctrines’ (from. the doctrinal point of view) ; (8) ‘Exoteric doctrines’ and ‘ Esoteric doctrines * ( from the view-point of Buddha’s way of preaching ) ; (4) ‘ Original Buddhism’ and ‘ Developed form of Buddhism’ (from historical point of view). The second chapter of the same part traces the origin of the terms. It bas been pointed out that the men of the Mahasanghika school cojned the terms. A full comparison of the doctrines and theories cf the Mahasanghikas and the Mahayana-Stitras on the Cosmic existence and human. being, bas led me:to conclude that tae Mahadsanghikas were the fore-runners of the Mahayanists. 1 have shown that all the Mahiyéna-Salras are but the exposition of the Buddha’s ‘ [ntrospectional perceptions * through the pe men of the Maha- sanghikas. . The third chapter raises the question “ Why did the men of the Mahasanghika School coin and use the terms Hinayana and Mahayana?” The inquiry has led me to the conclusion that the attempt of the orthodox party to cry down the so-called heretical Vajjian Monks at the Council of Vaisali by calling them ‘ qutaratq’ (holder of heretieal doctrines) ‘ qraftrg’ (sinful monk) incited them to coin words which could assert their. own supericrity over their rival party. In accordance with this spirit terms like ‘ Ekayana and Dviyana,’ ‘Buddhayana and Arhatydna,’ ‘ Bodhisattvayana and Sravakayana, began to be coined. The Vajjian Monks seem to have had satisfaction at last when they invented the terms ‘ Hinaydna and Mahayana. In the second part I have discussed the different application of the terms Hinayana and Mahiyana in the x PREFACE two periods of the making of Mahayana-Buddhism (or Mahayana-Sutra period) and of Mahayana teachers (or Mahayana-School period). In the Mahayana-Siitra period the term ‘ Mahayana’ was mainly used in the sense of ‘disclosing or unfolding one’s own real doctrines,’ having not the least indication of * rejecting other’s. doctrines.” At the same time the terms ‘Mahayana’ in relation to that of ‘Hinayana’ ‘indicated only the relation of Buddha’s Ontological and Phenomenological” perceptions respectively. But in the Mahayana-School period, specially from the time of Nagarjuna, these terms began to be used more in the sense of ‘rejecting ’ other’s doctrines as a fundamental feature, ' than merely ‘disclosing one’s own doctrines.’ They indicated a perceptual division still, but, at the same time, were applied to strike out a comparison of one school with another. The interest of this period is that not only schools of the Sthaviravada and Sarvastivada but that of the Mahasanghikas, the fore-runners of Mahayanists as well were grouped under ‘ Hinaydnism,’ while the schools of Nagarjuna, Maitreyanatha, Asatga, Vasu- bandhu and of Asyaghoya II, though they originally belonged to the Mahasanghika school in doctrine, emerged as the true Professors of ‘Mahayanism. The work concludes with a consideration of the use of the terms in the time of Nalanda University, the fabulous seat of Ancient Indian-Buddhist learning. The work has already been published in the Journal of Letters of the Calcutta University (Nos. 11 and 12 of the year, 1924). I deferred its publication in book form as I had.an intention of adding a few useful appendices _toit. In the appendices I had a mind to dwell on: (1) The significance of the original Buddhism and Buddha’s original doctrine ; PREFACE xi (2) A historical discussion on the relations between the Sistradhara, Sthaviravadins and Sarvastivadins ; (3) The original homes of the Mahayana-Sitras ; (4) The relation between the Mahayina-Sitras and the Mahdéyana-Schools ; (5) A historical discussion on the Dasabhiimi or the ten stages af the Bodhisattvas. I have prepared some of them, but others are yet to be worked upon, and my protracted illness threatens to defer the accomplishment of the task to some indefinite period. Prudence, on that ground, dictates to publish the work without the appendices. I hope to publish the results of my researches on the above-mentioned subjects in some well-known historical organ as soon as they will be ready for publication. My hearty thanks are due to my colleague Babu Sailendranath Mitra, M.A., who readily helped me in translating some P&li passages quoted in this book. My thanks are also due to Prof. B. M. Barua, M.A., D.Lit. (Lond.), for some useful suggestions which I got from him through our discussions on the subject-matter of this book. I cannot thank too much my beloved pupil Babu Kartickcbandra Mitra, M.A.,' who has helped me in various ways in the progress of writing this book. I am thankful also to my pupils Mr. Binode Behari Dasgupta, M.A., B.L., Mr. Ramanchandra Bhattacharjee, B.A, and Mr. Debendranath Bhattacharjee, B.A., who kindly read through the proofs, prepared the indices and contents, etc., for me. _ I cannot close the preface without a word of gratefulness to Mr. J. ©. Chakravorti, M.A., ' Now Swami Nirlepananda of the Ramkrishna Mission. xii PREFACE Asst. Registrar of the ! Calcutta University, and Mr, A. C. Ghatak, M.A., Superintendent of the University Press, but for whose able management the work could not have come out in its present form, AsvrosH BUILLINGS, | Cautcutra UNIVERSITY. The 31st March, 1927. R. Kiawvupsa. CONTENTS. Introductory Note ... bas 1. Theterms Northern and Southern— Geographical division of Buddhism. 2. The terms Mahayana and Hinayana— Doctrinal division of Buddhism... (a) The terms Vyaktayana (or Vyakta- upadesa) and - Guhyayana (or Guhyaupadega) is ai (6) The terms Sahajayana ae Kathi- nayana ... sas ns Part I. Chapter I. 1. The Stznificance of the terms Mahaya- na and Hinayana 2. Interrelation underlying between the two terms Mahayana and Hinaya. na as regards subject-matter indi- cated by them Chanter IT. 1. Through men of what school and at what time the terms Mahayana and Hinayana came to be used ve 2.