With reference to the religious history of India, consider the followi

With reference to the religious history of India, consider the following statements :

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Sthaviravadins belong to Mahayana Buddhism.
Lokottaravadin sect was an offshoot of Mahasanghika sect of Buddhism.
The deification of Buddha by Mahasanghikas fostered the Mahayana Buddhism.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?

1 and 2 only

2 and 3 only

3 only

1, 2 and 3

Answer is Right!

Answer is Wrong!

This question was previously asked in

UPSC IAS – 2020

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Statement 1 is incorrect. Sthaviravadins are associated with the Theravada school of Buddhism, which is considered one of the earliest schools and part of the Hinayana tradition (though Theravadins reject the term Hinayana). Mahayana Buddhism is a later, distinct tradition. Statement 2 is correct. The Mahasanghika school was one of the two main branches of early Buddhism after the Second Buddhist Council. The Lokottaravada sect, known for its transcendental view of the Buddha, was indeed an important offshoot of the Mahasanghika school. Statement 3 is correct. The Mahasanghikas held more liberal views regarding the nature of the Buddha and arhats compared to the Sthaviravadins. Their inclination to view the Buddha as a supramundane or deified being, emphasizing his transcendental nature (as seen in Lokottaravada), contributed significantly to the philosophical basis and popular appeal that characterized the later development of Mahayana Buddhism, which focuses on the universal potential for Buddhahood and the bodhisattva ideal.

The Mahasanghikas’ views on the Buddha’s nature paved the way for Mahayana Buddhism, and Lokottaravada was a Mahasanghika offshoot.

The split between Sthaviravada and Mahasanghika schools occurred primarily over matters of monastic discipline and interpretation of the Dharma. Mahayana Buddhism, which emerged centuries later, built upon some of the philosophical differences initiated by the Mahasanghikas.

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