Editing Sarvastivada (section)

=== Vaibhāṣika ===
{{main|Vaibhāṣika}}
{{Buddhist Philosophy sidebar}}The Vaibhāṣika was formed by adherents of the ''[[Mahavibhasa|Mahāvibhāṣa Śāstra]]'' (MVŚ) during the council of Kashmir. Since then, it comprised the orthodox or mainstream branch of the Sarvāstivāda school based in Kāśmīra (though not exclusive to this region). The Vaibhāśika-Sarvāstivāda, which had by far the most "comprehensive edifice of doctrinal systematics" of the [[early Buddhist schools]],<ref name=":1">"one does not find anywhere else a body of doctrine as organized or as complete as theirs" . . ."Indeed, no other competing schools have ever come close to building up such a comprehensive edifice of doctrinal systematics as the Vaibhāśika." ''The Sautrantika theory of seeds (bija ) revisited: With special reference to the ideological continuity between Vasubandhu's theory of seeds and its Srilata/Darstantika precedents'' by Park, Changhwan, PhD thesis, University of California, Berkeley, 2007 pg 2</ref> was widely influential in India and beyond.<ref name=":2">''A Study of the Abhidharmahṛdaya: The Historical Development of the Concept of Karma in the Sarvāstivāda Thought''. PhD thesis by Wataru S. Ryose. University of Wisconsin-Madison: 1987 pg 3</ref>

As noted by KL Dhammajoti, "It is important to realize that not all of them necessarily subscribed to each and every view sanctioned by the MVŚ compilers. Moreover, the evolving nature of the Vaibhāṣika views must be recognized as well."<ref>Dhammajoti (2009), p. 76.</ref>

The Vaibhāśika-Sarvāstivādins are sometimes referred to in the MVŚ as "the Ābhidharmikas", "the Sarvāstivāda theoreticians" and "the masters of Kāśmīra."<ref>Dhammajoti (2009), p. 73.</ref> In various texts, they also referred to their tradition as ''Yuktavāda'' (the doctrine of logic), as well as ''Hetuvāda'' (the doctrine of causes).<ref>Dhammajoti (2009), pp. 56, 164.</ref>

The Vaibhāṣika school saw itself as the orthodox Sarvāstivāda tradition, and they were united in their doctrinal defense of the theory of  "all exists" (''sarvām asti''). This is the doctrine which held that [[Dhamma theory|dharmas]], past present and future, all exist.<ref name=":13" /> This doctrine has been described as an [[Eternalism (philosophy of time)|eternalist theory of time]].<ref>Kalupahana, David. ''A history of Buddhist philosophy, continuities and discontinuities'', page 128.</ref>

While the Vaibhāṣikas held that dharmas of the three times all exist, they held that only present dharmas have "efficacy" (''karitra''), thus they were able to explain how the present seems to function differently than the past or future.<ref>Westerhoff, 2018, p. 63.</ref> Among the different Sarvāstivāda thinkers, there were different ideas on how this theory was to be understood.<ref>Poussin; Pruden, ''Abhidharmakosabhasyam of Vasubandhu'', Vol 3, 1991, p. 808.</ref> These differences were accepted as long as they did not contradict the doctrine of "all exists" and can be seen in the MVŚ, which outlines the four different interpretations of this doctrine by the ‘four great Ābhidharmikas of the Sarvāstivāda’: Dharmatrāta, Buddhadeva, Vasumitra and Ghoṣaka.<ref name="Dhammajoti 2009, p. 75">Dhammajoti (2009), p. 75.</ref>

The doctrines of Sarvāstivāda were not confined to 'all exists', but also include the theory of momentariness (''ksanika''), conjoining (''samprayukta'') and causal simultaneity (''sahabhu''), conditionality (''hetu'' and ''pratyaya''), a unique presentation of the spiritual path (''marga''), and others. These doctrines are all inter-connected and it is the principle of 'all exists' that is the axial doctrine holding the larger movement together when the precise details of other doctrines are at stake.

In order to explain how it is possible for a dharma to remain the same and yet also undergo change as it moves through the three times, the Vaibhāṣika held that dharmas have a constant essence (''[[Svabhava|svabhāva]]'') which persists through the three times.<ref name=":3">Westerhoff, 2018, p. 70.</ref> The term was also identified as a unique mark or own characteristic (''svalaksana'') that differentiated a dharma and remained unchangeable throughout its existence.<ref name=":3" /> According to Vaibhāṣikas, ''svabhavas'' are those things that exist substantially (''dravyasat'') as opposed to those things which are made up of aggregations of dharmas and thus only have a nominal existence (''prajñaptisat'').<ref name=":3" />