The literature of the personalists of early Buddhism

Personalism (Pudgalavada) was a remarkable and durable aspect of an important part of early Buddhism. For more than ten centuries it was taught and defended by several schools and had numerous followers but was strongly criticised by other Buddhist schools. The Literature of the Personalists (Pudgalavädins) of Early Buddhism, attempts to present an historical overview of the Personalist schools and studies on the formation and content of the doctrine (dharma) and monastic discipline (vinaya) of the Pudgalavadins, in accordance with the documentation available.

With respect to the doctrinal problem, the literary evidence which exists has revealed to us the main thesis of the Pudgalavadins, the pudgala, and fifteen other secondary theses.

The creation of the theory of the pudgala represents a reaction to the depersonalisation of the dogmatic
Abhidharma masters.