Abhayagiri = dhammaruciya?

In reply to RobertK,

> In the Pali texts the word Abhayagiri is usually used for a NON-
> orthodox sect in Sri lanka.

Right you are --I can only note that I described them as "an orthodox
lineage", not "the orthodox lineage".  I'm sure they considered themselves
orthodox --and the actual differences of doctrine and Vinaya between the
Abhayagiri and the Mahavihara may have been quite slight (the arguments to
the contrary seem to rest on identifying the Abhayagiri as "Mahayana", then
assuming everything we know about the Mahayana from later periods applied to
them...).

I'm pretty sure that from the perspective of the distant Burmese, the
Dhammaruciya monks of Abhayagiri were not so heterodox compared to the
Mahavihara; as I recall, almost no specific doctrinal issues about the
Dhammaruciya are recorded?

About the only thing I know about the Dhammaruciya is that they took the
Vinaya rules about putting a blue ink blot (or other discolouration) on
every robe very seriously --and as a result their robes were prominently
stained blue (apparently a distinction from other monks in the region).  I
may be embellishing this in my memory a bit; but they were known for
blue-coloured robes, and the supposed reason related to the rules of
discolouration.  Sorry.

E.M.

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