Buddhist History
Guides to early Buddhism and the Buddhist schools, separating textual evidence, modern research, and later readings.
These pages separate early textual evidence, modern scholarly discussion, and later readings. Historical study sits beside practice; it does not replace it.
Early Buddhism
- What Early Buddhism Means
- India in the Buddha’s Time
- Life of the Buddha
- Formation of the Sangha
- A Guide to the Vinaya
- Early Buddhist Texts
- Agama and Nikaya Parallels
- The Four Noble Truths
- Dependent Origination
- Aggregates, Non-self, and Karma
- Early Practice
- The First Council
The schools
- An Introduction to the Schools
- The Second Council at Vesali
- Sthavira and Mahasamghika
- The Mahasamghika Schools
- The Sarvastivada School
- The Sautrantika School
- Vatsiputriya and the Person
- The Dharmaguptaka School
- Vibhajjavada and Early Theravada
- Formation of the Abhidharma
- Philosophical Debates of the Schools
- Textual Differences among the Schools
- The Schools and the Rise of Mahayana
- The Schools Travel East
Special topics
- Guide to the Samayabhedoparacanacakra
- Ashokan Edicts and the Schools
- Changing Understandings of the Buddha
- Jhana in Sutta and Abhidharma