"This article examines materials concerning the role of dharmabhānakas, or "dharma preachers," in early Mahāyāna. It argues that early Mahāyāna can best be thought of as a primarily textual movement centered on the composition, use, and transmission of Mahāyāna sūtras, and that dharmabhānakas were its primary agents. This article examines materials concerning the role of dharmabhānakas, or "dharma preachers," in early Mahāyāna. It argues that early Mahāyāna can best be thought of as a primarily textual movement centered on the composition, use, and transmission of Mahāyāna sūtras, and that dharmabhānakas were its primary agents."