Dharmaguptaka

The Dharmaguptaka were one of the early schools of Buddhism. They emerged in India and were prominent around the 3rd century CE. The school is often associated with Gandhara and regions further east, including Central Asia and China. Their Vinaya, the monastic rules, was particularly influential and became the basis for monastic ordination in many East Asian countries, including China, Korea, Vietnam, and Japan.

The Dharmaguptaka's doctrinal positions differed from other early schools. They emphasized the importance of the Vinaya and believed that the Buddha's teachings could be transmitted through a combination of scripture and practice. Unlike some other schools, they did not strictly adhere to the concept of anatta (no-self) in the same way, sometimes interpreting it as a relative emptiness rather than an absolute absence. They also held a unique view on the Bodhisattva path, suggesting that a Bodhisattva could achieve Buddhahood more quickly than other traditions might have understood. Their canon, which included sutras and abhidharma texts, was translated into various languages, contributing to the spread of Buddhist thought. The school's influence waned in India with the rise of Mahayana Buddhism, but its Vinaya tradition persisted in East Asia.