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小乘二十部

Pronunciations

Basic Meaning: twenty schools of lesser vehicle Buddhism

Senses:

  • Twenty schismatic schools, twenty nikāya schools. A division of the various schools that branched out from the original Buddhist saṃgha that formed around Śākyamuni; also referred to as 部派佛教. The division into twenty is given by the Northern transmission, while the Southern transmission lists eighteen schools 小乘十八部. The original split into two occurred as a result of the controversy over the five non-Buddhist teachings of Mahādeva 五事妄語. The original debate, which occurred during the reign of King Aśoka 阿育王 resulted in the basic split between the Sthaviras 上座部 and the Mahāsāṃghikas 大衆部. Subsequently the Mahāsāṃghikas further branched out into nine groups, and the Sthaviras (Theravādins) into eleven. The nine in the Mahāsāṃghika category are:
    1. the Mahāsāṃghika (大衆部 transliterated as 摩訶僧祇 and 莫訶僧祇尼迦耶 (Mahāsāṃghika-nikāya). They are also known as the root-group Mahāsāṃghikas, and held Mahādeva 大天 to be their founder. One of their principle beliefs was that only the present has substance, while past and future do not.
    2. The Ekavyāvahārikaḥ 一說部， referred to in the Wenshuwen jing 文殊問經 as the 'school that holds to a single explanation.' Their central tenet was that both mundane and transmundane dharmas both lack an essence, and only exist as provisional appellations.
    3. The Lokôttaravādin 說出世部 (also translated as 稱出世間說部 and 出世間言語部) espoused the position that mundane dharmas based on error give rise to afflictions 煩惱. Afflictions produced karma 業, karma produces retribution (effects) 果報 and retribution is none other than suffering. Supramundane dharmas are produced based on the practices of the path, and the final result of these practices is known as nirvana 涅槃.
    4. The Kukkuṭika 雞胤部 also known as the Ash Mountain Dwelling school 灰山住部, Cave-Dwelling school 窟居部, and Gokulikā school 高拘梨柯部.
    5. The Bahuśrutīya 多聞部 also known as the school of Extensive Learning 得多聞部. This school was known for its development of profound philosophical positions.
    6. The Prajñaptivādin 說假部 also known as the school of Provisional Positing 施設論部, and Discriminating school 分別說部, 分別部. They took the position that existence has both real and unreal aspects.
    7. Caityaśaila 制多山部.
    8. Avaraśaila 西山住部.
    9. Uttaraśaila 北山住部.
    These last three groups were supporters of the Mahādevaʼs position on the five disagreements, and do not substantially differ from each other, their names being derived from their geographical locations. [Charles Muller; source(s): Ui, JEBD]
  • The eleven schools related to the Sthaviras are:
    1. The Haimavata 雪山部, also called the Original Sthaviras 本上座部, the First Sthaviras 先上座部 and so forth.
    2. The Sarvâstivāda 說一切有部 who believed that even though there was no permanence 無常 and no-self 無我, the triple world really exists based on the fact that its constituent factors (dharmas) 法 really exist. This school was extremely influential, coming to constitute much of what is presently categorized as Abhidharma Buddhism. Along with Sautrāntika, Sarvâstivāda doctrines held much influence on the development of the Mahāyāna Yogâcāra school.
    3. The Vātsīputrīya 犢子部, also known as the 可住弟子部 and 皤雌子部. They believed that there is no self outside of the five aggregates.
    4. The Dharmôttarīya 法上部, transliterated as 達摩鬱多梨部 and translated as 法勝部 and 法尙部.
    5. The Bhadrayānīya 賢冑部, also translated as 賢乘部, 賢部, and transliterated as 跋多羅耶尼部.
    6. The Sāṃmitīya 正量部, also translated as 一切所貴部 and 正量弟子部, transliterated as 三彌底部. They believed in the existence of a self.
    7. The Śaṇḍāgārika 密林山部, also called the Six Cities school 六城部.
    8. The Mahīśāsaka 化地部, also known as 大不可棄部, 彌沙部, 正地部, and 教地.
    9. The Dharmaguptaka 法藏部 also known as 法護部, 曇無德部, who are known in all later schools for their famous four part Vinaya 四分律.
    10. The Kāśyapīya 迦葉遺, also rendered as 迦葉比部, 飮光部, 善歳部, 飮光弟子部, and 迦葉惟.
    11. The Sautrântika 經量部, also known as 說度部, 經部, 說經部, 修妒路句, 僧迦蘭多, and 修多羅論. This school, based on the teachings of Kumārata 鳩摩羅多 had influence on the development of the Mahāyāna Yogâcāra school.
    [Charles Muller]
  • See 十八部論. [Charles Muller]
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    [Dictionary References]

    Bukkyō jiten (Ui) 537

    Bulgyo sajeon 477a

    Japanese-English Buddhist Dictionary (Daitō shuppansha) 295b/327

    Fo Guang Dictionary 928

    Bukkyō daijiten (Mochizuki) (v.1-6)2656c

    Copyright provisions

    The rights to textual segments (nodes) of the DDB are owned by the author indicated in the brackets next to each segment. For rights regarding the compilation as a whole, please contact Charles Muller. Please do not reproduce without permission. And please do not copy into Wikipedia without proper citation!

    Entry created: 2002-04-04

    Updated: 2022-06-17