The Spread of Buddhism

the first turning of the wheel of the doctrine 23

the accounts of the vinaya and s tra literature belong to a later phase

of philosophical development.

3. Treatment of the Subject in Sarvstivda
   Abhidharma Literature

As outlined above, it is evident from the vinaya and the s tra literature

of the different Hnayna schools that it is likely that very early in

the history of Buddhist philosophy, the concept of the middle mode

of progress—the eightfold noble path—and the concept of the four

truths as the content of the teaching of the Buddha were connected.

It is also evident from this literature that these four truths became the

subject of further abhidharmic interpretations, and that Kau inya

was seen as the  rst person to be converted as a result of the sermon

in the Deer Park in Vras.

3.1. Abhidharma Sources

The Mahsghika and Sarvstivda discussion under investigation

here, is recorded in the philosophical literature of the Sarvstivdins, the

school that issued from the Sthaviravdins at the council of Paliputra

at the beginning of the third century after the Buddha’s parinirva.^33

This school developed into a number of geographically and chrono-

logically differentiated philosophical schools and sub-schools. One of

these sub-schools was the Vaibh

ikas, a Sarvstivda group based in

Kamra. They are named after the *Abhidharmamahvibhstra (Great

Commentary on the Abhidharma), one of three extant vibhs—com-

mentaries—on Ktyyanputra’s *A

askandha/ Jñna prasth na («Apitan

bajiandu lun» (T.1543)/«Apidamo fazhi lun» (T.1544)). The vibhs are

characterised by a highly polemical nature and elements of schol-

arly debate.^34 According to tradition, it was in Kamra that these

Vaibh

ikas compiled the *Abhidharmamah vibhstra during the reign

of the Ku

a king Kani ka. As Kani ka is referred to in the work as a

“former king”,^35 at least some parts of the work must postdate Kani ka.^

Furthermore, given that the Sarvstivda works were, from the third

century onwards, heavily in uenced by the Vaibh

ika viewpoints, it

(^33) See Bareau 1955a, pp. 115–118; Prebish 1974, pp. 253–254.
(^34) See Cox 1995, pp. 33–34.
(^35) T.1545.27.593a15.
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