Social Dimensions of Early Buddhism

Abstract

Abbreviations ; Glossary ; Acknowledgements ; I. Introduction ; II, The Political, Economic, Social, and Religious Environment at the Time of Buddha ; Section I: The Political Background of Buddhism Monarchies, gana-sartghas and state formation —Khattiya dans and the gana-sahghas ; Section II: Economy and Society at the Time of Buddha ; Expansion of agriculture - The second urbanization - Craft production and trade - The pattern of landholding — Emergence o f a stratified society — Occupational groups and the process of tribal assimilation - The importance of kinship ties - W omen in the Buddhist literature ; Section III: The Religious Milieu ; Philosophical speculation in the sixth century B.C. — Renuncation: the samana tradition – Renuncation householders - Santanas and brdhmanas - Brdhmana as a normative term — Other sects at the time of the Buddha - Buddhism and other sects - The sahgha - The bhikkhus and the laity - Dana versus yahha - The laity’s influence on the sahgha - The new society and the phenomenon of renunciation; III, The Gahapati ; Changing connotation of the term gahapati - The domains of power, religion and economy — Khattiya, brdhmana and gahapati - The gahapati as an element of the king's sovereignty - The gahapati as controller of property - The gahapati as tax payer - The gahapati as associated with agriculture - The brdhmana-gahapati - Gahapatit setthi, and setthi-gahapati - Gahapati as employer of labour - Gahapati as a status term - The gahapaiVs association with wealth — The gahapatis as extenders of popular support to Buddhism - The gahapati’s special relationship with the sahgha - G/ttjrirt/ih' and gdmant — Gahapati. from householder to agriculturist - The social organization of the gana- sahghas - Landholding in the gana-sahghas - Tension within the gana-sahghas - T wo types of sahghas — Some implications of clan ownership of land - Clan ownership of land, kkattiyas and the gana-sahghas - The gahapati, the family, agriculture and the private control of land; IV. Social Stratification as Reflected in the Buddhist Texts ; The problem - Buddhism and caste - Two schemes of categorization in the Buddhist texts - Terms of categorization - High and low strata in Buddhist texts - Regional dimension of stratification - The relationship of kula, kantma, and sippd - Empirical relevance of vanna, jati, and kula — The Buddhist view of stratification; the sahgha - Stratification outside the sahgha — Principles of stratification based on kula, kamma and sippa - Evidence of stratification from Ceylon-The importance of the gahapati in the Buddhist view of stratification ; V. The Social Background of the Early Buddhists ; The problem — The method — The sahgha - Social origins of important bhikkhus — Important hhikkhus of khattiya origin - The laity - The brdhmana component of the laity - Important gahapati supporters of the Buddha - Other prominent supporters of the Buddha — Khattiya, brahmana, and gahapati; key figures in the Buddhist texts - Wealthy supporters of Buddhism - The importance of kinship ties in the extension of support to Buddhism-Analysis of the social composition of the early Buddhists; VI. The King in Early Buddhism 150 General ideas on kingship - The origin of kingship in the Buddhist genesis myth - Seven symbols of sovereignty — Despotic kingship at the time of the Buddha - Legitimate exercise of power - Arbitrary exercise of power — Normative kingship: the cakkavatti dhammiko dhammardja - The creation of just social order - The king and the sahgha ; VII. Conclusion: Early Buddhism in a Historical Perspective ; Appendices ; A. Select List of Terms Depicting Various Strata in Early Buddhist Literature ; B. List of Categories appearing in Early Brahmi Inscriptions ; C. The Social Background of the Bhikkhus and Upasakas ; Bibliography ; Index ;