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Gokulikā

A secondary division of the Vajjiputtakā, their immediate parent-body being the Mahāsaṅghikā. Later, from the Gokulikā, sprang two other schools — the Paññattivādā and the Bāhulikā (or Bahussutakā) (Dpv.v.40; Mhv.v.4 f; Mbv., p.96). Their most important heresy seems to have been that they considered all formations (saṅkhārā), without qualification, no better than a heap of embers (kukkuḷa) whence the flames have died out as from an inferno of ashes. They based this view on the Buddha’s declaration made in the Ādittapariyāya Sutta (“All is on fire, bhikkhus”) (Kvu.ii.7, p.208, and Points of Controversy, 127 f). This view was probably responsible for their other name of Kukkuḷikā or Kukkutikā) (Rockhill, 186 ff). It may be that Kukkuḷikā was their earlier name, of which Gokulikā was either a corruption or a derivation from the name of one of their teachers. However, all Pāḷi records give only the “Gokulikā” reading.