The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions (1432 page)

BOOK: The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions
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Mah
s
ghikas
(the ‘Great Assembly’)
.
A body which broke away from the Elder (
Sthavira
) tradition of Buddhism after the Council of P
aliputra in 350 BCE (see
COUNCILS
). The Mah
s
ghikas distinguished themselves from the Sthaviras doctrinally in their conception of the Buddha as supramundane (
lokottara
), and socially by their acceptance of popular religious beliefs and practices, allowing a greater role to the laity.
Mah
sa
nip
ta
(s
tra collection):

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