Abhayagiri
Abhayagiri, meaning "Mount Fearless," refers to an ancient Buddhist monastery and philosophical school in Sri Lanka. It was known for its inclusive approach, studying both Mahayana and Hinayana doctrines, and was considered a center for mystical teachings and the production of Arhats.
Where the word comes from
The term Abhayagiri originates from Sanskrit, composed of "abhaya" (fearless) and "giri" (mountain). It specifically denotes a prominent Buddhist monastery and later a philosophical school established in Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka, around the 1st century BCE.
In depth
Lit., "Mount Fearless" in Ceylon. It has an ancient Vihcira or ^lonastery in which the well-known Chinese traveller Fa-hien found 5,000 Buddhist ])riests and ascetics in the year 400 of our era, and a School called Ahhcnjagiri Vdsinah, "School of the Secret Forest". Tiiis philosophical school was regarded as heretical, as the a.seetics studied the doctrines of both the "greater" and the "smaller" vehicles — or the Mahagdna and the Ilinaydno systems and Triydna or the three successive degrees of Yoga ; just as a certain Brotherhood does now beyond the Himalayas. This proves that the "disciples of Katyayana" were and are as unscctarian as their humble admirers the Theosophists are now. (See "Sthavirah" School.) This was the most mystical of all the schools, and renowned for the number of Arhats it produced. The Brotherhood of Abhcnfagiri called them.selves the disciples of Katyayana, the favorite Chela of Gautama, the Buddha. Tradition says that owing to bigoted intolerance and persecution, they left Ceylon and passed beyond the Himalayas, where they have remained ever since.
How different paths see it
What it means today
The name Abhayagiri, "Mount Fearless," resonates with a profound courage, not of the battlefield, but of the mind liberated from the chains of dogma. Blavatsky's description of this ancient Sri Lankan monastery and its associated philosophical school paints a picture of a vibrant intellectual and spiritual ecosystem that dared to synthesize seemingly disparate streams of Buddhist thought. In an era often marked by sectarian division, the Abhayagiri Vihara, as noted by scholars like G.C. Mendis, stood as a beacon of inclusivity, studying doctrines from both the Mahayana and Theravada (or Hinayana) traditions. This was not merely an academic exercise; it was a practical embodiment of spiritual openness, recognizing that the path to enlightenment could be illuminated by multiple lamps.
The mention of the "School of the Secret Forest" and its ascetics studying "the doctrines of both the 'greater' and the 'smaller' vehicles" hints at a mystical dimension, a pursuit of deeper, perhaps esoteric, truths that lay beyond the exoteric pronouncements of established orders. The assertion that this school was considered heretical underscores the inherent tension between tradition and innovation in any spiritual lineage. Yet, Blavatsky frames this "heresy" as a testament to the school's "unsectarian" nature, a quality she clearly admired and saw mirrored in the nascent Theosophical movement. The legacy of Abhayagiri, with its emphasis on the "three successive degrees of Yoga" and its alleged migration beyond the Himalayas due to persecution, speaks to the enduring human quest for authentic spiritual experience, often pursued in the quietude of hidden valleys or the fearless expanse of the inner life. It reminds us that the most profound insights often arise when we dare to question boundaries and embrace the totality of wisdom.
RELATED_TERMS: Mahayana, Theravada, Yoga, Arhat, Bodhisattva, Enlightenment, Sectarianism, Syncretism
