Who founded the Pudgalavāda school of Buddhism?
The Pudgalavāda school is believed to have been founded by the elder Vātsīputra in the third century BCE. It arose from the Sthavira Nikāya as one of a group of early Nikāya Buddhist schools.
Questions about Pudgalavada
Short answers, pulled from the story.
What is the pudgala doctrine in Pudgalavāda?
The pudgala is a "person" or "being" that the Pudgalavādins held to be real but "inexpressible." It is neither identical to the five aggregates that make up a human being nor entirely separate from them. The doctrine was the school's way of accounting for karma, rebirth, and the attainment of nirvāṇa.
Why was Pudgalavāda criticized by other Buddhist schools?
Critics argued that the pudgala doctrine too closely resembled belief in a permanent self, which all Buddhist traditions reject. The Vibhajyavādins, Sarvastivādins, Sautrantikas, and Madhyamaka philosopher Candrakirti all wrote formal responses. The Buddhist philosopher Vasubandhu's critique in the Abhidharmakośa became the most widely cited refutation.
What were the major Pudgalavāda sub-schools and where were they active?
The main sub-school was the Saṃmitīya, which was especially prominent in Sindh and Gujarat during the Maitraka dynasty (470-788 CE). Three other sub-schools were the Dhammuttariyas, Bhadrayanikas, and Sandagarikas. The Saṃmitīyas maintained an important center of learning at Valabhi University in Gujarat.
What Pudgalavāda texts survive today?
Four Pudgalavāda texts survive, all in Chinese translation: the Traidharmakaśāstra, the Ssu a-han-mu ch'ao chieh, the Sammatiyanikayaśāstra, and the Vinayadvavimsatividyaśāstra. The Traidharmakaśāstra was translated into Chinese twice.
How large was the Pudgalavāda Saṃmitīya following in ancient India?
Étienne Lamotte, drawing on the travel writings of Xuanzang, concluded the Saṃmitīyas were the most populous non-Mahāyāna sect in India. L. S. Cousins later revised this to roughly a quarter of all non-Mahāyāna monks, still the largest single share. One estimate places 350 of 450 Buddhist monasteries in the Sindh under Saṃmitīya control.