Description:

Why are there so many schools of Buddhism? Are the observable differences mere cultural variations, or are they the result of fundamentally incompatible visions of the truth? With a weighing of traditional mythologies and modern theories a new picture of the early sectarian period emerges. The three existing monastic lineages are discovered to have sprung from the same tightly knit community centred around the forest monasteries of Mathura. None of them have originated through ‘schism’. Thus, while the schools may differ in doctrine and practice, the monastic lineages originated as one. See sectsandsectarianism.googlepages.com for downloads and supplementary material. Bhikkhu Sujato was ordained in the Thai forest tradition, and is the abbot at Santi Forest Monastery near Sydney, Australia. His approach to Dhamma combines meditation with innovative scholarship. His publications include A Swift Pair of Messengers, A History of Mindfulness, and Beginnings.