Eighteen old schools

Old, known Buddhism under the name of Buddhism hīnayāna, gathers several schools, of which only survived until our days. If several classifications are discussed, Buddhist and enquiring in Buddhism eighteen old schools roughly speaking agrees to recognize.

The first schism

Third council of the History of Buddhism, the Council of Pāṭaliputra, will mark the first schisms. The texts which mention it are not agreement on the dates, nor on the events, but the council would have taken place towards 250 before J. - C. the sources of the Bouddhisme mahâyâna mention in the place the council of the Cashmere.

Eighteen schools

The first division in two groups

Certain sources describe a division in two groups:
  • the Sthavira vadin, or old, orthodoxe group;
  • the Mahāsaṅghika

According to Sthaviras

The Sthavira vadin are subdivided in ten branches:
  1. Mulasthaviravadin
  2. Sarvastivadin
  3. Vatsiputriya
  4. Dharmottariya
  5. Bhadrayaniya
  6. Sammitiya
  7. Mahisasaka
  8. Dharmaguptaka
  9. Suvarsaka
  10. Uttariya

The Mahasanghika are subdivided in eight branches:

  1. Mulamamahasanghika
  2. Ekavyavaharika
  3. Lokottravadin
  4. Bahusrutiya
  5. Prajnaptivadin
  6. Caityaka
  7. Purvasaila
  8. Aparasaila

This consitue also the point of view of Bhāvaviveka.

According to the Mahavamsa

  • Sthaviravadin
    • Mahisasaka
      • Sarvastivadin
        • Kasyapiya
          • Samkrantivadin
            • Sautrantika
      • Dharmaguptaka
    • Vatsiputriya
      • Dharmottariya
      • Bhadrayaniya
      • Sannagarika
      • Sammitiya

  • Mahasanghika

    • Ekavyavaharika
      • Gokulila
        • Prajnaptivadin
        • Bahusrutiya
          • Caityaka

According to Vasumitra

The first division in four groups

Other sources, as well as the historian Andre Bareau, consider from the start a division in four groups:
  • Sthavira vadin
  • Mahāsaṅghika
  • Sarvastivadin
  • Sammitiya

See too

  • Andre Bareau, Buddhist sects of the small vehicle , Paris 1955

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