Analysis of the Issue that Mahāyāna Buddhism has its Origins in the Mahāsāṃghika School

Abstract

In Thailand, there is a belief that Mahāyāna Buddhism originated from the Mahāsāṃghika school. However, when questioned about the origin of this concept, arguments often lack substantial empirical evidence, relying on perceived similarities between the Mahāsāṃghika school and Mahāyāna, such as non-canonical speech and a lax adherence to monastic discipline. This article aims to investigate these issues, with two primary objectives: 1) To study the idea that Mahāyāna Buddhism originated from the Mahāsāṃghika school and explore the reasons behind this notion. 2) To examine whether Mahāyāna Buddhism emerged from the Mahāsāṃghika school based on their similarities in non-canonical speech and lax adherence to monastic discipline, by analyzing data collected from primary evidence such as the Pāli Tipiṭaka of Theravāda, and other schools in Sanskrit and ancient Chinese. This includes various important scriptures and from secondary evidence such as related studies both locally and abroad. The present study’s findings reveal firstly that the assumption that Mahāyāna Buddhism originated from the Mahāsāṃghika school is due to two main reasons: (1) the congruence of ideas regarding the characteristics of the Buddha and the notion of the Bodhisattva, and (2) the interconnection between early Mahāyāna sutras and Mahāsāṃghika texts. Secondly, analysis shows that neither early Mahāyāna Buddhism nor the Mahāsāṃghika school exhibited characteristics of non-canonical speech and lax adherence to monastic discipline. Thus, the notion that Mahāyāna Buddhism originated from the Mahāsāṃghika school based on the commonality of non-canonical speech and a lax adherence to monastic discipline lacks substantial support.