Early Buddhism

Another term that should be noted is my use of “early Buddhism.” As used here it is intended to be a substitute for the term “Hinayana Buddhism.” Hinayana translates as “lesser vehicle” and refers to the earliest forms of Buddhism that existed in India. This was not the term used by early Buddhists themselves; it was applied by later Mahayana (greater vehicle) Buddhists as a somewhat derisive label for those who preceded them. In some of the earlier academic literature of Buddhist studies, “Hinayana” also became a term used to describe the later forms of Buddhism found in Sri Lanka and parts of Southeast Asia. The use of “Hinayana” for these later forms of Buddhism was predicated on the idea that these forms of Buddhism, particularly those found in Sri Lanka, had undergone less change (or corruption) than the Mahayana Buddhism of Central and East Asia. Rather than Hinayana, I refer to Sri Lankan and Southeast Asian Buddhism as Theravada Buddhism, the term preferred by Theravadin Buddhists themselves.

I am also skeptical that Theravada Buddhism is a better model for early Buddhism than any other form of Buddhism. There is ample reason to suspect that it has gone through as many profound changes as any other Buddhist tradition. Almost all Buddhist sects claim that their teachings represent the original words of the Buddha. From my perspective, I see no reason to privilege one a priori. For this reason—in addition to the negative connotations of Hinayana—I prefer to use the term “early Buddhism” until such time as Mahayana and Theravada Buddhism began to emerge and diverge. Early Buddhism, as I use it, dates from the time of the Buddha through the second or third centuries CE. It should be noted, however, that the terminal date is extremely fluid. The process in which Mahayana Buddhism developed is exceedingly complex and existing academic understandings of it contested (see Schopen 2000). It is likely that some Buddhist sects adopted Mahayana practices more quickly than others. Even within individual sects some practices changed quickly, while other practices continued to follow earlier forms. Thus, the boundary between early Buddhism and Mahayana Buddhism is permeable and likely indefinable.