V. The Schools of the Teachers

After the Second Council, the Buddhist community fractured into various sects. The Mahāsaṅghikas were the first to secede, altering the scriptures and monastic rules. From them and the original Theravāda line, eighteen distinct schools emerged, such as the Gokulikas and Ekavyohārikas. This chapter details the divergence of these groups, contrasting their innovative doctrines with the "True Doctrine" maintained by the elders, which eventually took root in Sri Lanka.