Q. Which of the following statements with regard to the Sthaviravada school of Buddhism is/are correct?
1.Sthaviravada sect emerged following the schism at the Second Buddhist Council in Vaishali, advocating strict adherence to original monastic rules.
2.It served as the doctrinal foundation from which the later Mahayana school directly originated, rejecting the ideal of individual Arhatship.
Select the answer using the code given below:
Answer: A
Notes:
Explanation:
- Statement 1 is correct: During the Second Buddhist Council at Vaishali (around 383 BCE), the Sangha split into two main factions: the conservative Sthaviravada (the Elders, who wanted to strictly preserve original monastic rules) and the more flexible Mahasanghika.
- Statement 2 is incorrect: The Sthaviravada school served as the direct precursor to Theravada Buddhism (not Mahayana). It maintained a realist philosophical framework and emphasized individual liberation (Arhatship). It was the Mahasanghika school that laid the intellectual groundwork for Mahayana.
