Dear Bhante,

> Please forgive me. I didn't know that there are dictionaries that have a
> rather negative connotation of the word.

Actually, I think there is nothing wrong with "sect", although I personally
would prefer "school". Pocker concise dictionaries are not intended as
infallible works covering evry meaning -- in fact, most people use them
merely to check spellings ! A more recent and compendious dictionary from
OUP, The Oxford English Reference Dictionary" is more helpful. Its first
definition of sect is "a body of people subscribing to religious doctrines
different to those of others within the same religion" and later it also has
"a party of faction in a religious body", and also "the followers of a
praticular philosophy or school of thought".

>>Of course, Paravaadiis (deviating breakaway sects) such as the
>>members of so-called Mahasangika may want to downplay the mainstream
>>status of Arahants's Teachings, and may want to claim the equal
>>position. But, that can never happen because Paravaadiis are merely
>>puthujjanas, not Arahants.

A subsequent definition in the above dictionary seems apt here:
"sectarian": bigoted or narrow-minded in following the doctrines of one's
sect.

> Again, don't you think that this is somewhat too presuming a claim? Even
> in the additions to the Vinaya Pitaka, i.e., on the Second Council, it
> speaks
> only about the Mahasanghika's stand on loosening some parts of the Vinaya.

If by "Second Council" you mean the so-called Vaisali Council, this matter
was already discussed here a couple of weeks ago. Non-Theravadin sources
suggest that it was the the so-called "Theravadin" party who caused the
problem in their attempts to make the Vinaya stricter than it was in
contrast to the conservative Mahasanghikas who wanted to maintain the Vinaya
as it was. It would seem that the situation is quite confused and I feel
that no reliance should be placed on any single account which would tend to
be biased Hence your earlier admonishment to "read up the history by
objective scholars" is most apposite and welcome.

Best wishes,
Stephen Hodge