One of the heterodox sects of Sri Lanka which branched off from the Theravāda (Mhv.v.13).

According to the Nikāya Saṅgraha (p.11) this secession took place four hundred and fifty-four years after the death of the Buddha, and in the fifteenth year of the reign of Vaṭṭagāmaṇī Abhaya. The Nikāya Saṅgraha gives an account of the origin of this sect. A monk called Mahā-Tissa, incumbent of Abhayagiri, was expelled by the Mahāvihāra fraternity for his association with families. He thereupon left with his followers and lived apart at Abhayagiri. They were strengthened by the arrival of some monks from Pallarārāma in South India, descendants of the Vajjiputtakā. Their teacher was Dhammaruci, and when they joined the Abhayagiri monks, Mahā-Tissa himself took the name of Dhammaruci and his followers became known as Dhammarucikā.

The Mahāvaṃsa Ṭīkā (p.176) says that Dhammarucika was the name given to the monks of Abhayagiri when they seceded from the Mahāvihāra, and gives elsewhere (p.676 f) the points on which they differed from the Theravādins. These points concerned minor teachings of the Vinaya. The Dhammarucikā became active in the time of Meghavaṇṇābhaya, and the king, after an enquiry into the matter, sent sixty of them into exile. They again became powerful in the time of Mahāsena, through the influence of Saṅghamitta, and almost succeeded in destroying the Mahāvihāra. However, this disaster was averted by the intervention of the king’s friend and counsellor, Meghavaṇṇābhaya, and Saṅghamitta was killed at the instigation of one of the queens (Mhv.xxxvii.17 ff).

In spite of Saṅghamitta’s untimely end, the Dhammarucikā seem to have enjoyed favour in Sri Lanka during a long period. Dhātusena gave over to them the Ambatthala-vihāra, which he built on Cetiyapabbata (Cv.xxxviii.75), and Kassapa I, bestowed on them the vihāra he built in the Niyyanti garden, and made all provisions for their comfort (Cv.xxxix.17).

Moggallāna I, gave over to them the Dalha-vihāra (Cv.xxxix.41) and Aggabodhi V the Rājinādīpika-vihāra (Cv.xlviii.1). Sena Ilaṅga, general of Kassapa IV, built for them the Dhammārāma and the Hadayunha-pariveṇa (Cv.lii.17, 18).

The Sāgaliyā were an offshoot of the Dhammarucikā.