When did the Mulasarvastivada school emerge in India?
The Mulasarvastivada school emerged in India during the 2nd century CE. Gregory Schopen places the development firmly within this period and notes its decline in India by the 7th century.
Questions about Mulasarvastivada
Short answers, pulled from the story.
Where did the Mulasarvastivada presence spread across Central Asia?
Missionary activities carried the Mulasarvastivada presence to regions now known as Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan. These movements spread monastic rules and teachings throughout areas where trade routes connected India with China and Persia.
What distinctive practice did Mulasarvastivada monks follow regarding their robes?
Adherents of the Mulasarvastivada Nikaya pulled up their robes on both sides, threading the ends through a belt and hanging them over it. Yijing documented this distinctive practice while observing life in Southeast Asian kingdoms such as Srivijaya.
How did Kukai influence Japanese Buddhist institutions with the Mulasarvastivada Vinaya?
Kukai founded the Shingon lineage in Japan during the early 9th century and required his students to study the Mulasarvastivada Vinaya specifically. This requirement ensured that Japanese monastic training followed a particular set of disciplinary codes distinct from other traditions.
Which translation forms preserve the Mulasarvastivada Vinaya today?
The Mulasarvastivada Vinaya exists in three forms: a 9th-century translation into Tibetan, an 8th-century translation into Chinese, and fragments of the original Sanskrit text. These translations preserved the monastic code through centuries of political change and religious evolution across the Himalayas and Central Asian steppes.
When did Bhutan host its first modern full ordination ceremony for women within the Mulasarvastivada tradition?
On the 23rd of June 2022, Bhutan hosted an official ceremony where 144 women received full ordination as bhikshunis. This event marked the first time in modern history that such ordinations occurred within Bhutanese borders.