Buddhism

=====The Core teachings=====
According to Mitchell, certain basic teachings appear in many places throughout the early texts, which has led most scholars to conclude that Gautama Buddha must have taught something similar to the [[Four Noble Truths]], the [[Noble Eightfold Path]], [[Nirvana (Buddhism)|Nirvana]], the [[three marks of existence]], the [[Skandha|five aggregates]], [[pratītyasamutpāda|dependent origination]], [[Karma in Buddhism|karma]] and [[Rebirth (Buddhism)|rebirth]].{{sfnp|Mitchell|2002|p=34}}

According to N. Ross Reat, all of these doctrines are shared by the Theravada Pali texts and the Mahasamghika school's ''[[Salistamba Sutra|Śālistamba Sūtra]]''.<ref>Reat, Noble Ross. "The Historical Buddha and his Teachings". In: ''Encyclopedia of Indian Philosophy''. Ed. by Potter, Karl H. Vol. VII: Abhidharma Buddhism to 150 AD. Motilal Banarsidass, 1996, pp. 28, 33, 37, 41, 43, 48.</ref> A recent study by Bhikkhu Analayo concludes that the Theravada ''[[Majjhima Nikāya|Majjhima Nikaya]]'' and Sarvastivada ''[[Madhyama Agama]]'' contain mostly the same major doctrines.<ref>Analayo (2011). ''A Comparative Study of the Majjhima-nikāya''. Dharma Drum Academic Publisher. p. 891.</ref> [[Richard G. Salomon (professor of Asian studies)|Richard Salomon]], in his study of the Gandharan texts (which are the earliest manuscripts containing early discourses), has confirmed that their teachings are "consistent with non-Mahayana Buddhism, which survives today in the Theravada school of Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia, but which in ancient times was represented by eighteen separate schools."<ref>{{cite news |last=Salomon |first=Richard |date=20 January 2020 |title=How the Gandharan Manuscripts Change Buddhist History |newspaper=Lions Roar |url=https://www.lionsroar.com/how-the-gandharan-manuscripts-change-buddhist-history/ |access-date=2020-10-10 |archive-date=29 February 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200229000500/https://www.lionsroar.com/how-the-gandharan-manuscripts-change-buddhist-history/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

However, some scholars argue that critical analysis reveals discrepancies among the various doctrines found in these early texts, which point to alternative possibilities for early Buddhism.{{sfnp|Skorupski|1990|p=5}}{{sfnp|Bronkhorst|1998|pp=4, 11}}{{sfnp|Schopen|2002|pp=}} The authenticity of certain teachings and doctrines have been questioned. For example, some scholars think that karma was not central to the teaching of the historical Buddha, while other disagree with this position.{{sfnp|Matthews|1986|p=124}}{{sfnp|Bronkhorst|1998|p=14}} Likewise, there is scholarly disagreement on whether insight was seen as liberating in early Buddhism or whether it was a later addition to the practice of the four ''jhānas''.{{sfnp|Schmithausen|1981}}{{sfnp|Bronkhorst|1993|pp=77–78, Section 8.4.3}}{{sfnp|Vetter|1988|p=5, Quote: [T]hey do not teach that one is released by knowing the four noble truths, but by practising the fourth noble truth, the eightfold path, which culminates in right samadhi}} Scholars such as Bronkhorst also think that the four noble truths may not have been formulated in earliest Buddhism, and did not serve in earliest Buddhism as a description of "liberating insight".{{sfnp|Bronkhorst|1993|p=107}} According to Vetter, the description of the Buddhist path may initially have been as simple as the term "the middle way".{{sfnp|Vetter|1988}} In time, this short description was elaborated, resulting in the description of the eightfold path.{{sfnp|Vetter|1988}}