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nd so do I reveal all those laws that are ever holy and: correct from the very first. And the son of Buddha who has completed his course shall once be a Jina. It is hut my skilfulness which prompts me to manifest three vehieles; for there is but one vehicle and one track ; thera is also but one instruction by the leaders.’ Again, in the same Siitra :— “fafa fe un ae widal vafos ‘dita Bat THAT ’ fafea gar feueraquen sarmfaufa ataariy y”* “ The line of the Jaw forms an unbroken_ continuity and the nature of its properties is always manifest. Knowing this, the Buddhas, the highest’ of men, shall reveal this single vehicle.” * The above quotation shows that the term ‘ Ekayana”’ indicates Buddha’s perception on cosmic existence. Again, in the same Siitra :— “qatare mfiqe aaa wari va @uarfa afee qeard | 4 faifesarftga feat ar eat ar ar dfacad i” ** Sariputra, by means of one sole Vehicle, to wit, the Buddha- vehicle, Sariputra, do I teach creatures the law ; there i is no second Vehicle nora third. ae Above quotation shows the term ‘ Ekayana’ points to Buddha’s perception on ‘ Human life.’ + Saddharmapunidarika-siitra, Part T, p. 48. * §, B. E., Vol. XXI, p. 48, > Saddharmapundarika-siitra, Part I, p. 53. +S. BE, Vol, XXI, p. 53, Saddharmapundarika-sitra, Part I, pp. 40, 42, 44, . © §,B. E., Vol. XXI, pp. 40, 41, 48. HOW THE TERMS WERE COINED: 123 The same expression we find in the Prajfiaparamita- stitras.’ This being the vase, it became quite evident that the term ‘ Ekayana’ or‘ Anuttaraydua,’ etc., were used + by Buddha’s immediate disciples. Not only that, but it may not be wrong to observe that such terms were used even in the lifetime. of Buddha himself. (1) The term Ekayana. Our problem here 1s to discuss how Mahasanghikas appropriated the term ‘ Ekayana’ for their own use. From what has been discussed above, we can easily imagine and come to the conclusion that as soon as the Mahisanghikas were excommunicated yo Ae with such ‘disparaging epithets as ‘ Adharma-vadin ’ and ‘Papa-bhiksu,’ they began to seek for such a term whereby they could display the superiority of their own doctrine and disparage that of their opponents. But they could not find any other suitable term than the term ‘ Kkayana.’ They found it in the Original teachings of Buddha which were- common to all of his disciples and followers at that time. They applied it to their own doctrine; that is to say, they used it parti- cularly for the indication of Buddha’s Ontological perception on hoth ‘cosmic existence’ and ‘ human life.’ And they thought it to be the most suitable term to distinguish themselves from their opponents so. far as doctrinal superiority is concerned. On the other hand - they called the Sthaviras by the name of ‘ Dviyana’ * gagamal FAR aa aifeawe ABTS THAMAMGST ........... ETI 1” ( Astaséhasrika-prajia paramita-siitra, p. 422, of Bibliotheca Indica Edition. Again in the same Siitra :-— : ‘“eraa, gait mgsaq qqa ai afrawafaa: gemeaenaa mer: ww Tae wae a wae cada fe arewala aga ata Hfrewa TeTgT: aua nex: ?? (The same Siitra, p. 139.) 124 ORIGIN OF MAHAYANA BUDDHISM with # view to indicate their inferiority. But it appears to me that some time afterwards the Mahasanghikas get themselves puzzled over the term ‘Ekayana’ as being common to both parties, indicating on one hand Buddha’s Ontological perception from their point of view, while expressing the idea of ‘ Night-fold noble path’ of the Original Buddhism as well as of the Sthaviras on the other hand. ‘Therefore, they came to realise that the term was not so suitable as they first thought it to be. Hence, the Mahasanghikas once more began to search for another appropriate one. .__This_t time Rikey invented the term ‘ Buddhayana’ or ‘ Bodhisattvayana.’ (2) The terms Buddhayana and Bodhisativayana. In the Pali Nikaya and the Chinese translation of the Four Agamas, we find the terms ‘ Ekayana,’ etc., but no mention has been made therein of the term of - *Buddhayaina’ and ‘ Bodhisattvayana’; while throughout the Mahayana Siitras particularly in the earlier ones, these terms are several times met with. So we can at once hold that as soon as the Mahasanghikas found that the term ‘Ekayana’ did not suit their purpose, they, after searching for a more appropriate one coined the terms ‘Buddhayina’ and ‘Bodhisattvayana.’ It bse in ae sonneation not be improper to say that the Se atten totes ' Rae ‘and * Bodhisattvayaua.’ were invented an while the ‘ Mahayana ’ was the last term that they could adopt and apply for themselves. The terms ‘ Buddhaydna’ and Bodhisattvayana ’ which they preferred to ‘Ekayana’ were invented and applied by them to indicate the superiority of their doctrines, or in other words, they applied these terms to indicate Buddha’s Ontological’: percepti-ns, calling at the same time the HOW THE TERMS WERE COINED 195 doctrines of the Sthaviras by the terms ‘ Arhatyana’ ‘Sravakayana’ indicative of their inferiority. For example, the Saddharmapundarika-siitra states thus :— “aaa aefafacar ageart quate afiag 1” “The best and the most excellent vehicle in the whole of the threefold world is the Buddha-vehicle magnified by the Sugatas,’’* Again, in the same Sitra :— Y “qatard infiga araareasari va Quafa afed quar 0° “I do lead the teaching of Tathagata-knowledge or the right path, Sariputra. By means of one sole vehicle to wit, the Buddha-vehicle, Sariputra, do I teach creatures the law.” * The same statements are found about six times in the same chapter in the same Sitra.> We also come across the same expressions mentioned several times in the Prajidparamita and Avatamsaka-siitras. Here we should bear in mind that of.the terms ‘ Buddhayana’ and ‘Bodhisattvayana,’ the former has been used more frequently than the latter. The latter again has been used as being synonymous of the former in the Mahayana Sitras. For example, in the Astasahasrika-prajiaparamita sutra :— “qaaafe aaa aca quart aifaraar aa squad: aeyafaen: w? “There is only one vehiueo vm, wuuunsyaua, vu Bodhisattvayana, as has been pointed-out by venerable Subhiti.” ’ Saddharmapundarika-siitra, Part I, p. 11. * $8. B. E., Vol. XXI, p. 11. 3 Saddharmapugdarika-siifra, Part I, p. 40. * 8. B. E., Voh XXI, p. 40 5’ Pp. k., Part I, pp. 41,: 49, 48, 44, etc, * P, 819, Bibliotheca Indica Edition. 126 ORIGIN OF MAHAYANA BUDDHISM Again, the identical expressions occur several times in the Chinese translation of Prajiapiramitad-sitras and in Avatamsaka-sitra, etc.’ Let us discuss a little further as to the relation of these two terms. The term ‘ Bodhisattvayaéna’ indicates a vehicle by which all human beings can attain Bodhisattva-hood, while the term ‘ Buddhayana’ indicates a vehicle by which all human beings can attain Buddha-hood. We should also know that the Bodhisattva-hood is the previous stage of a Buddha or one who is on the way of attaining perfect knowledge ; while the Buddha-hood the highest stage ‘of the former or one who has already attained the Perfect Knowledge. Therefore, properly speaking Bodhisattva and Buddha do not much differ from each other, the only difference being as regards the stage of Perfection. So the terms ‘ Buddhayana’ and ‘ Bodhisattvayana,’ though they go by different namings, yet express the same idea as it were. Regarding this we find a nive examply in the Chinese translation of the Paiicavinsati-sihasrika- Prajiapiramita-stitra. Where ‘ Bodhisattvayana’ has been termed ‘ Bodhisattva-Buddhayana.’? We also find a nice explanation of Nagarjuna in his. Prajiaparamita- Sastra, :— “The question’ is, whether this vehicle (yana) is the dharma of Buddha or the dharma of Bodhisattva” The answer is:—This is the dharma of Bodhisattva... and this vehicle possessed the great power and can at once obtain Buddha-hood.”* Here our question is how then the Mahasanghikas could invent -these terms and why did “they rest satisfied with them? In answer, I should like to say that the Mahasanghikas thought that such terms * Ytich Bundle, Vol. 9, p. 10b, Vol. 3, p..24b, 42a, Bla, Vol. 4, p. 142, p. aaa and T’ien Bundle. Vol. 6, p. 45a, of Chinese Tripifaka. Yach Bundle, Vol. 2, p. 10b. 3 Wang Bundle, Vol. 3, p. 52a, HOW THE TERMS WERE COINED? 127 ean only be used to indicate an important aspect of Buddha’s Introspectional perception. In other words, these terms they thought, were clearly indicative ci Buddha’s Ontological perception on human life,’ é.c., the realization of the highest life having no beginning and no end which Siddhartha discovered himself as soon as he attained to the Buddha-hood. Again, through his experience and perception he understood that - all human beings originally possess the ‘nature of, Buddha’ (Buddha-svabhiva) or ‘the mind of Buddha’ (Buddha- citta). Nay, he understood not only this much but also that all human beings were. originally possessed of Bodhisattva-hood and Buddha-hood having no_ beginning and no end. Therefore, he tried to make men realise the highest life which he himself attained. Why Buddha made such exertion is clearly expressed in the following statement of Saddharmapundarika-siitra: ‘aang mftqa qnnTaeaRataacay awe AETAT i Ia BGA aA seqarTdge aa sera afed aa WeMASIAAAAAIg aad Wer | ARTA wa daw Wa saad aaTamaeiadenatgiafed aeat aM seqaaadTR ae seat! AMT Safaferd wearat aad seqarndawt Mar were | ae- namaufaaagg fafad werat aaa seqemadai an waa. amamaedaananesagater = qari AaAAY SEPAAAGTR Grae Sera |”! “ Wor, Sariputra, it is for a sole object, a sole aim, verily a lofty object, a lofty aim that the Buddha, the Tatha- gata, etc., appears in the world. And what is that sole object, that sole aim, that lofty object, that lofty aim of the Buddha, the Tathagata, etc., appearing in the world ?