On early Buddhism

[thomaslaw]

Note: Early Buddhism includes both essential teachings (such as knowing-seeing the four noble truths, the notion of anicca, dukkha, anatta, and the middle way) and non-essential teachings (such as adaptations of Vedic religious myths).

This is because there were two phases in Early Buddhism: 1. Samyutta/Samyukta Buddhism based on saṃyukta-kathā 相應教 (the synthesis of the three aṅgas), and 2. Nikaya/Agama Buddhism based on the four principal Nikayas/Agamas.

On the historical stratification of buddhist doctrine on the evidence of the early buddhist texts

Accordingly, there were two phases in Early Buddhism: 1. Samyutta/Samyukta Buddhism based on saṃyukta-kathā 相應教, and 2. Nikaya/Agama Buddhism based on the principal four Nikayas/Agamas. However, the extant Nikayas/Agamas are sectarian texts. One can seek an understanding of early Buddhist teachings by studying them comparatively. We also do not have the Mahāsāṅghika Saṃyukta-āgama; it is not likely to find out accurately what the original version of the Saṃyukta/Saṃyutta text would have been.