Social Dimensions of Early Buddhism

Contents......Page 5
Abbreviations......Page 9
Glossary......Page 11
Acknowledgements......Page 13
The problem......Page 14
The sources......Page 15
Key terms in the Buddhistd sources......Page 18
Monarchies, gana-sahghas and state formation......Page 20
Khattiya clans and the gana-sanghas......Page 25
Expansion of agriculture......Page 29
The second urbanization......Page 33
Craft production and trade......Page 35
The pattern of landholding......Page 36
Emergence of a stratified society......Page 39
Occupational groups and the process of tribal assimilation......Page 42
The importance of kinship ties......Page 43
Women in the Buddhist literature......Page 44
Philosophical speculation in the sixth century b. c.......Page 48
Renuncation: The samana tradition......Page 49
Renouncers and householders......Page 51
Samanas and brahmanas......Page 52
Brahmana as a normative term......Page 57
Other sects at the time of the Buddha......Page 59
Buddhism and other sects......Page 62
The sangha......Page 68
The bhikkhus and the laity......Page 71
Dana versus yanna......Page 72
The laity}s influence on the sangha......Page 75
The new society and the phenomenon of renunciation......Page 77
Changing connotation of the term gahapati......Page 78
The domains of power, religion and economy......Page 79
Khattiya, brahmana and gahapati......Page 80
The gahapati as controller of property......Page 82
The gahapati as associated with agriculture......Page 83
The brahmana-gahapati......Page 85
Gahapati, setthi and setthi-gahapati......Page 86
Gahapati as employer of labour......Page 92
Gahapati as a status term......Page 93
The pahanati’s association with wealth......Page 95
The gahapati’s special relationship with the sahgha......Page 97
Gahapati and gamani......Page 98
Landholding in the gana-sahghas......Page 100
Tension within the gana-sahghas......Page 102
Some implications of clan ownership of land......Page 103
Clan ownership of land, khattiyas, and the gana-sanghas......Page 104
The gahapati, the family, agriculture, and the private control of land......Page 105
Buddhism and caste......Page 107
Two schemes of categorization in the Buddhist texts......Page 111
Terms of categorization......Page 113
High and low strata in Buddhist texts......Page 114
Regional dimension of stratification......Page 115
The relationship of kula, kamma, and sippa......Page 116
Empirical relevance of vanna, jati and kula......Page 117
The Buddhist view of social stratification: the sangha......Page 121
Stratification outside the sangha......Page 122
Principles of stratification based on kula, kamma and sippa......Page 124
Evidence of stratification from Ceylon......Page 126
The importance of the gahapati in the Buddhist view ofstratification......Page 131
The problem......Page 135
The method......Page 136
'The sangha......Page 137
Social origins of important bhikkhus......Page 138
Important bhikkhus of khattiya origin......Page 141
The laity......Page 144
The brahmana component of the laity......Page 145
Important gahapati supporters of the Buddha......Page 147
Other prominent supporters of the Buddha......Page 150
Khattiya, brahmana, and gahapati: key figures in the Buddhist texts......Page 153
Wealthy supporters of Buddhism......Page 155
The importance of kinship ties in the extension of support to Buddhism......Page 156
Analysis of the social composition o f the early Buddhists......Page 158
General ideas on kingship......Page 163
The origin of kingship in the Buddhist genesis myth......Page 164
Seven symbols of sovereignty......Page 165
Despotic kingship at the time  of the Buddha......Page 171
Legitimate exercise of power......Page 172
Arbitrary exercise of power......Page 173
Arbitrary exercise of power......Page 174
Normative kingship: the cakkayatti dhammiko dhammaraja......Page 176
The creation of just social order......Page 178
The righteous king as an alternative to the despotic king......Page 181
The king and the sahgha......Page 182
VII. Conclusion: Early Buddhism in Historical Perspective......Page 190
A. Select List of Terms Depicting Various Stratain Early Buddhist Literature......Page 195
B. List of Categories appearing in Early Brahmi Inscriptions......Page 204
C. The Social Background of the Bhikkhusand Upasakas......Page 211
Bibliography......Page 234
Index......Page 243