Sarvastivada

Sarvastivada ( Sanskrit: सर्वास्तिवाद Sarvastivada; Tibetan: thams cad yod par smra ba) is the name of the branch of Sthaviravada associated school of early Indian Buddhism, which is after the 3rd Council of Pātaliputta (now Patna ), about 253 BC. because of disagreements among others about the understanding of the Abhidhamma / Abhidharma from the School of Vibhajjavada, today Theravada, separated. The Sarvastivada was the most important of the so-called Hinayana schools of early Buddhism and especially in central and north-western India (now Pakistan) spread, with its effect also covering Indonesia, China, Tibet and Japan. He also made ​​a significant contribution to the emergence and development of the Mahayana. The school was greatly weakened the Islamic conquest of Central Asia and India in the 11th century and eventually went under.

Educational texts / sources

The School of Sarvastivada had its own, different from the Pali canon Sanskrit version of the discourses of the Buddha ( Sutra Pitaka ) and has its own Sanskrit version of the Abhidharma, although as the Theravada version of the Pali Abhidhamma also interesting However, seven books was causing significant differences in the content of the Pali scriptures which consisted of:

Your final form found in Abhidharmakosha ( " Treasury of Abhidharma "), an n by Vasubandhu in the 5th century BC compiled compendium. All Sarvastivada writings have been preserved only in fragments in Sanskrit, the largest part, however, is found in Tibetan and Chinese translation.

Moreover, There are two v. around the 1st century AD resulting from the standpoint of Sarvastivada written comments to the Abhidharma, which served as a template Vasubandhu: the Vibhasha (about: " detailed explanation " ) and the Mahavibhasha ( " large detailed explanation " to Jnanaprasthana ), the supporters of the Sarvastivada its nickname " brought in Vaibhashika ".

The Sarvastivadin of Mathura called themselves Mulasarvastivada ( Tibetan: gzhi thams cad yod par smra ba). Your advanced teaching represents a transition between hina and mahayanistischem Buddhism

Philosophy

As part of its epistemology devoted themselves to the Sarvastivadin an extensive analysis of the basic building blocks described in the Abhidharma literature of reality, the factors of existence ( skandhas ). In their opinion, it was possible to perceive all the factors of being immediately and directly ( bahya - pratyaksa ). They championed accordingly a pluralistic realism and distinguished four stages, through the those factors in the process of transience: Genesis ( jati ), existence ( sthiti ), decay ( Jarata ) and destruction ( vyaya ).

Since the existence of the factors of being so due to this transition phase lasted for several moments, this also had through the past, present and future across -existent (hence the name ' Sarvastivada ': Sanskrit sarvam asti = everything exists ). Certain conditions, so argued the Sarvastivadin that have occurred in the past, are prerequisites for the present condition, and the conditions which meet in the present, determine the course of the future. Actions (karma ) bring their respective effects produced - the fruits ( phala ) of these acts that preceded them in time. The Sarvastivadin illustrated this fact with the metaphor of a stone that rests quietly on a mountaintop. In this position it corresponds to a future dharma. Unit of stone in motion and rolls down the hill, it becomes a present dharma. Arrived at the foot of the mountain to rest, he has become a past dharma.

It had to the considerations of the Sarvastivadin be a direct causal link between the factors of existence of the three time periods, and this association they made on the permanent self- determined existence ( svabhava ) who awards for the factors of existence. The in its essence eternally existing factors change according to this view by the respective karmically related activation from a state of latency in a manifestation on to constitute the human experience horizon and the things of the world in this. After the binding, that are received for a certain time, the factors of existence, falls apart, the factors not completely extinguished, but always remain in effect until they are re-enabled in its potentiality. Redemption means in Sarvastivada analogous to the fact that none of the factors of existence is more activated - the stream of life ( bhavanga ) of the redeemed come to a standstill, is converted into a permanent state of rest. This state corresponds to the " static Nirvana", one of the three non -related ( asamskrta ) existence factors that are listed in the Sarvastivada addition to the related factors of existence: active Nirvana ( apratishthita - nirvana ), static Nirvana ( pratishthita - nirvana ) and space ( akasha ).

Each factor has existence in Sarvastivada about his him each intrinsic property ( svalakshana ), which distinguishes it from other factors. The seed that grows into a tree, has in its function as the cause of a characteristic feature that connects him with this and only this effect. The ability to produce a certain effect, is thus already invested in the cause.