大衆部

(大衆部, 大众部)

[lang id =1028]摩調僧祇部 Mahāsāṅghikāḥ, the school of the community, or majority; one of the chief early divisions, cf. [lang id =1028]上坐部 Mahāsthavirāḥ or Sthavirāḥ, i.e. the elders. There are two usages of the term, first, when the sthavira, or older disciples assembled in the cave after the Buddha's death, and the others, the [lang id =1028]大衆, assembled outside. As sects, the principal division was that which took place later. The Chinese attribute this division to the influence of [lang id =1028]大天 Mahādeva, a century after the Nirvāṇa, and its subsequent five subdivisions are also associated with his name: they are Pūrvasailāḥ, Avaraśailāḥ, Haimavatāḥ, Lokottara-vādinaḥ, and Prajñapti-vādinaḥ; v. [lang id =1028]小乘.