The Definition of Saṅghabheda Attested in the Saṅghabhedavastu of the Mūlasarvāstivāda Vinaya
2023 Volume 71 Issue 2 Pages 896-893
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2023 Volume 71 Issue 2 Pages 896-893
Two types of saṅghabheda, namely cakrabheda and karmabheda, appear in the Abhidharmakośabhāṣya （AKBh）. Sasaki 2000, 57-123 and Mori 2000, 296-334 both examine the Vinayas based on the two definitions. However, there have been different opinions concerning the definition attested in the Saṅghabhedavastu （SBhV） of the Mūlasarvāstivāda Vinaya （MSV）. Sasaki points out that the passage in SBhV defines only cakrabheda. In contrast, Mori points out that the definition of karmabheda appears in SBhV as well, but is a later addition. This paper reexamines the definition of saṅghabheda attested in SBhV.
A comparison of the Sanskrit, Tibetan, and Chinese versions of SBhV reveals that the later technical term “karmabheda” is not likely to have occurred in the original text of SBhV. However, by comparison with AKBh, it is clear that the definition of karmabheda is attested in SBhV. The explanation of karmabheda found in the Abhidharma literature, like AKBh, is very likely to have been derived from the corresponding part of SBhV （or the prototype of the existing MSV）, and indeed, SBhV and AKBh share many common elements. In addition, the passage defining karmabheda in SBhV is not unique to MSV, because the same kind of question and answer content is also found in the Vinaya Piṭaka. Therefore, it is difficult to conclude that the relevant passage in SBhV is a later addition.
