SautrÄntika
Sautrantika is the name of the branch of Sthaviravada associated school of early Indian Buddhism, the BC seceded to 150 from the school of Sarvastivada. In his teaching the interpretation Sautrantika forms a transition from early Buddhism to the Mahayana, and under the Mahayana schools closest to you. The school went out with the decline of Buddhism in India ( 11-12 c.), But their teachings act continued in Chinese Chan Buddhism and Tibetan Vajrayana Buddhism.
Origin and Philosophy
There were basic different perspectives that led to the emergence of Sautrantika. Firstly, the Sautrantikas rejected the scholastic literature of the Sanskrit Abhidharma of Sarvastivada off as not authentic, leaving only the portion of the Sanskrit sutras are (hence the name " Sautrantika " about: " those for whom [ the Tripitaka ] with the Sutras ends "; sutra of anta =" end "). Another problem was disagreement about the status of the basic elements of reality, the factors of existence ( dharmas ), for the break with the Sarvāstivāden.
" The criticism of Sautrantika turned especially against metaphysical attempts Sarvastivada, behind given out to recognize actual truths and to grasp theoretically. So the Sautrantika met the differentiating subjective awareness in object perception and awareness as three different dharmas with the argument that this is contrary deny the immediacy of human experience. "
Accordingly, the Sautrantikas turned against the idea of an inherent " self- existence " ( svabhava ), which awarded the Sarvāstivāden the factors of existence. For it was this a violation of the central Buddhist doctrine of " non-self " the same because the Sarvastivadin the factors of existence, which were originally intended as an aid in the meditative practice of " ultimate realities " ontologized, and in this way again a constant "self" introduced to the back door. The Sarvastivadin disassembled the self in its reality components, where these components but then turn to the level of " Eternal ", the latently exists across all three times in a "Dharma- sphere ".
The Sautrantikas represented ( and in accordance with the Pali Abhidhamma of Theravada ) a doctrine of instantaneity ( kshanikavada ), according to arise and pass away the factors of existence at the same moment in contrast. The existence factors therefore have to each other any time spatial extent and no linear cause-and- effect relationship. Prior to emergence, they were completely non-existent and in this non-existence they change again after their complete extinction over. Space and Nirvana, which included the Sarvastivadin in the category of unconditional ( asamskrta ) dharmas, the Sautrantikas defined, however, as the total absence of any dharmas - therefore, they also rejected the name of the unconditional existence factors.
There are, according to the Sautrantikas only the images of the reality experienced ( vijnapti ) because the factors of existence are so short-lived that they do not directly and immediately perceived, but only inferred ( bahya - anumeya ) can be. The Sautrantikas supplied with their doctrine that places consciousness at the center of analysis, the basis for the later Yogacara. Several developed in Sautrantika doctrines were adopted and further developed by the Yogacara. These include the theory of representation ( vijnapti ) and the doctrine of the stream of consciousness ( santana ), will leave a lasting impression in the specific, are stored and mature into later acts there as a seed ( bija ). Redemption means in Sautrantika, as later in the Yogacara, a final tearing that stream of consciousness - which causes the skandhas not meet again to condition a sequence existence.