The Sautrantika School: Its origin in Early Buddhism
Prof. Dr. Miroj Sakya
1. Introduction
The purpose of this Mid-term paper is to present about the Sautrantika School and Its origin in Early Buddhism. When I talked about early Buddhism, I mentioned about the time after the Buddha passed away, and started from that period to the fourth council that the Sangha has conflicted on the opinions about the practice and philosophical issues, especially concerning the interpretation about the Abhidharma doctrine, which probably caused the different idea which lead to the differing schools and different ideas.
There were four main Buddhist schools in early Buddhism after Buddha passed away; (1).Vaibhasika, (2). Sautrantika, (3). Yogacara and (4). Madhyamika. The Vibhasika and Sautrantika School belong to Hinavâna(Theravâda), Yogacara and Madhyamika represent to Mahayana. Look like Sautrantika School is supposedly more progressive and more concerned with the Buddha’s teachings than other schools.
This mid-term paper I would really like to study more about this Sautrantika School. Therefore, this paper is focused on the Sautrantika School only. First of all, I would like to present the history of Sautrantika, its origin and development. Later I would to present about the principle doctrine of Sautrantika and the conclusion.
2. The History of Sautrantika School
The historical background of the Sautrantika is not known clearly from the sources, Some Scholar said that Sautrantika separated from the Sarvastivada before Christian era in the first century, and this school seems to be arising against the Sarvativada.
As we have learned that Sautrantika literally means "those who rely upon the sutras", and they reject the Abhidharma of other early Buddhist schools. The words "Sautrantika" is the Sansakrit term which similarly to the Pali “Suttantika” (Sutta+Antika) has the same primary meaning that “One who is expert in the Sutras” ', Some Buddhist Scholar explained that the name of Sautrantika means "the end of the sutras" which means the Buddha's final word on things, no more than that.
In the Early Indian Buddhism, the Sautrantika School is the branch of the Sarvastivada School. The Beginning the Sautrantika School starts from the time of Vasubandhu period in the fifth century.
Dr. Akira Hirakawa explained that the eighteen schools were arisen after the Buddha passed away. One hundred years after the Buddha passed away; the first separations were occurred in the Sangha and they separated into two groups, they are the Mahasamghika and Sthaviravada. One hundred years later, eight schools were split out from the Mahasamghika School; they were
(1). Ekavyavaharika,
(2). Lokottaravada,
(3). Kaukkutika,
(4). Bahushrutiya,
(5). Prajnaptivadin (also, Prajnaptivadin), (6). Chaityavadin, (7). Aparashaila, and
(8).Uttarashaila.
Schools of the Mahasanghika lineage
(total of nine schools; eight according to the Ch’en dynasty translation of the Samaya)
Mahasarighika
first schism (second century A.N. [after Buddha’s ntrpana]) second schism (second century A.N.) third schism (second century A.N.) fourth schism (end of the second century A.N.)
After Buddha passed away two hundred years; Sarvastivada was broken away from Sthaviravada School and later gave rise into nine branches. The nine branches were the
(1).Vatsiputriya,
(2).Mahishasaka,
(3).Kashyapiya,
(4).Sautrantika,
(5).Dharmottara,
(6).Bhadrayaniya,
(7).Sammatiya,
(8).Shannagarika, and
(9).Dharmagupta.
The eight schools that came from the Mahasamghika School, plus the ten schools which derived from Sarvastivada and its nine branches, all schools mixed together become to the eighteen schools. Then plus the original two schools, which are Sarvastivada and
Mahasamghika, and added to the previous eighteen schools, and then they altogether become twenty schools.
Schools of the Sthavira lineage (total of eleven schools; the original Sthavira and Haimavata schools are distinguished in the Ch’in translation, making a total of twelve) Sthavira j— Original Sthavira (Ch. pen shang-tso) or Haimavata first schism (beginning of third century A.N.) Sarvastivadin or Hetuvadin—|
fifth schism
Dharmaguptaka (third century A.N.)
sixth schism
Kasyapiya or Suvarsaka (third century A.N.)
seventh schism _
Sautrantika or Sankrantika (beginning of fourth century A.N.)
3. The Principle doctrine of Sautrantika School
Dr. Hajime Nakamura writes “The Sautrantika denied the authority of Abhidharma and admitted only that of the Su. tras.” Sautrantikas sometime was called Darstantika which means the exemplifiers in English. They were called „Sautrantika’ because they presented the theory mainly in certainly on the Buddha’s Sutras without following explanatory works (sastras). They were called „Darstantika’ (The Exemplifiers or those who apply and utilize the method of examples) because they taught all doctrines by all means of the examples. This is not to say that the Sautrantika refuse all the Abhidharma doctrines, but Sautrantika just considered onl y sutra to be the real teachings of the Buddha. That’s why the Sautrantika emphasized the authority of the sutra doctrine over the Abhidharma which they saw Abhidharma as the work of later disciples and not the real Buddha-Vacana (The words of the Buddha).
To summarize the principle doctrine of Sautrantika are as followings;-
1 . Sautrantika accepts the external objects (Bahya-rtha) and the mind (the classification of Dharmas into 45). 2. Sautrantika provides the theory of momentariness (ksanabhanguravada), they believed that the ultimate truth which functions was only in the present, the past has already ceased to exist and the future has not arisen yet. Everything is happening at the present time. 3. Sautrantika accepts the theory of Self-apperception (svasamvedana).
CONCLUSION
The Sautrantika School is one of the four great schools in early Buddhism. There were (1).Vaibhasika, (2). Sautrantika, (3).Yogacara and (4). Madhyamika. Even though the Sautrantika School was accepted only the Sutra , it doesn't mean Sautrantika reject all Abhidharma doctrine, but they said that Abhidharma is not necessarily in Buddha-vacana (the word of Buddha) because they claim that all the contents of Abhidharma are absorbed in the Sutras and later composed by the Buddha’s disciples.
Lastly, I do not claim this is a comprehensive paper on Sautrantika School. This mid-term paper may not give each and every detail of the Sautrantika School which is so vast but there are many aspects of the Sautrantika School which have definitely tried to bring out in as simpler and clearer manner as possible I can. I do hope that I will carry out much more comprehensive and detailed study on this topic in the future.
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Conze, Edward. Buddhist thought in India: three phases of Buddhist philosophy. Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan Press.1967.
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Hajime Nakamura, Indian Buddhism: A Survey with Bibliographical Notes.Japan: Kufs publication,1980. Hirakawa, Akira, and Paul Groner. A history of Indian Buddhism: from Sakyamuni to early Mahayana. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press, 1990. Kalupahana, David J. Buddhist philosophy: a historical analysis. Honolulu: University Press of Hawaii. 1976.
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Websites
http://www.chinabuddhismencyclopedia.com/en/index.php/Sautrantika school Retrieved on Oct.1, 2015 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Early Buddhist schools Retrieved on Oct.2, 2015 https://www.academia.edu/8634512/Essentials of Sautrantika Philosophy Retrieved on Oct.7, 2015
