Title: The Buddhist Doctrine of Momentariness: A Survey of Origins and Structural Development 1. Introduction: From Impermanence to Momentariness
In early Buddhist thought, impermanence was a pragmatic observation of the transience of life. However, as Buddhist philosophy evolved—particularly within the Sarvāstivāda and Sautrāntika schools —this observation was systematized into a rigorous metaphysical theory. The core proposition is that an entity does not merely change; it ceases to exist entirely after one "moment" ( kṣaṇa ), giving rise to a successor that is nearly identical but numerically distinct. 2. The Mechanics of the Doctrine
The doctrine is largely absent from the earliest sutras, which focused on the fluidity of change rather than specific "mind moments". The Buddhist doctrine of momentariness: A surve...
Rather than time being a continuous flow, phenomena are dissected into a succession of discrete entities.
It emerged as scholars sought to organize the Buddha's teachings into a structured ontology. Key developments occurred in the early centuries BCE, notably within the Yogācāra tradition and the Sarvāstivāda school. Title: The Buddhist Doctrine of Momentariness: A Survey
By the time of Vasubandhu (approx. 4th/5th century CE), the doctrine had reached a high level of sophistication, providing a systematic defense against competing Brahmanical schools that argued for persisting substances. 4. Philosophical Proofs and Objections
Continuity is an illusion created by the rapid causal link between these moments ( santāna or "continuum"). Just as one candle flame appears stable but is actually a series of distinct combustions, the world is a stream of causally connected momentary entities. The core proposition is that an entity does
Change is not the transformation of a persisting object but the qualitative difference between entities in a series. 3. Historical Origins and Early Phase