UPSC Prelims 2020 · Question 42 of 100
UPSC Prelims 2020 question on Buddhist Schools Sthaviravada
- ExamUPSC CSE
- Year2020
- PaperGeneral Studies Paper I
- SubjectArt and Culture
- TopicBuddhism and Jainism
- DifficultyHard
- TypeStatement
With reference to the religious history of India, consider the following statements:
1. Sthaviravadins belong to Mahayana Buddhism.
2. Lokottaravadin sect was an offshoot of Mahasanghika sect of Buddhism.
3. The deification of Buddha by Mahasanghikas fostered the Mahayana Buddhism.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Show answer
Answer: B. 2 and 3 only
Verdict
Correct statements: 2 and 3 → Option (b).
Analysis
The division of the Buddhist community in India in the first three centuries following the death of the Buddha (c. 483 BC) led to the formation of various sects. The first division occurred as a result of the Second Buddhist Council, held 100 years after the Buddha's death at Vaisali (Bihar), when the Acariyavadins (followers of traditional teaching) split away from the Sthaviravadins (followers of the Way of the Elders) and formed their own school known as the Mahasanghikas.
Statement by statement
Statement 1 – INCORRECT: Sthaviravadins followed a realist line. They taught that Buddhas are men — pure and simple, rejecting any notion of their being transcendental. It was from the Mahasanghikas (not Sthaviravadins) that the Mahayana was to evolve. Sthaviravadins are associated with Theravada (Hinayana) Buddhism, NOT Mahayana.
Statement 2 – CORRECT: Further subdivisions of the Mahasanghikas over the next seven centuries included the Lokottaravadin sect, whose philosophy was based on the concept of Lokottara Buddha (Supernatural Buddha), along with the Ekavyavaharikas and the Kaukkutikas.
Statement 3 – CORRECT: The Mahasanghikas differed significantly from the Sthaviravada in how they understood the nature of the Buddha. They were the first to attribute divinity to him and represent him in anthropomorphic form in statuary, setting a precedent that has continued to the present day. This deification fostered the rise of Mahayana Buddhism.
Extra UPSC info
Four Buddhist Councils — First (Rajagriha, 483 BC, under Ajatashatru); Second (Vaisali, 383 BC, under Kalashoka — led to split into Sthaviravadins and Mahasanghikas); Third (Pataliputra, 250 BC, under Ashoka); Fourth (Kashmir, 1st century AD, under Kanishka — formal split into Mahayana and Hinayana).