Sects of Buddhism
Question
With reference to the religious history of India, consider the following statements: Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- 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.
Options
1 and 2 only
2 and 3 only
3 only
1, 2 and 3
Explanation
Sthaviravadins (Theravada) represent the orthodox, older school of Buddhism and do not belong to Mahayana Buddhism (Statement 1 is incorrect). The Mahasanghikas, who split from the Sthaviravadins, later developed sub-sects, one of which was the Lokottaravadin (Statement 2 is correct). The Mahasanghika concepts regarding the supra-mundane (lokottara) nature of Buddha laid the foundational theology for deification, which heavily influenced the rise of Mahayana Buddhism (Statement 3 is correct). > One-line conceptual takeaway: The split at the Second Buddhist Council seeded the ideological transition from orthodox Theravada to the deified concepts of Mahayana. Answer: (b).
Question details
Year
2020
Paper
GS Paper 1
Question
Q22
Subject
History
Sub-topic
Ancient India (general)
Type
Statement-based
Difficulty
Hard
Nature
Static
Source hint
NCERT Ancient India / RS Sharma
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