Sarvastivada
The Sarvāstivāda school emerged during the reign of Emperor Aśoka, around the third century BCE. This early Buddhist group split from the Sthavira Nikāya, a conservative faction that had separated from the majority Mahāsāñghikas at the Second Buddhist Council. Historical accounts suggest these monks were expelled from Magadha and moved to Northwest India. There they developed into what became known as the Sarvāstivādin school. Some traditions claim that Majjhantika was sent by Aśoka on a mission to Gandhara, establishing an early presence there. Other narratives place the founding of a community in Mathura under the leadership of Upagupta, who is considered the fifth patriarch after Mahākāśyapa, Ananda, Madhyantika, and Śānaka. The exact chronology remains debated among scholars, yet evidence confirms their distinct identity existed by the middle of the 3rd century BCE.
Emperor Kanishka of the Kushan Empire provided crucial patronage to the Sarvāstivādins between 127 and 150 CE. During his rule, the sect flourished throughout North India, Kashmir, and Central Asia. A synod held in Kashmir during the reign of Kanishka II (c. 158, 176) resulted in the rewriting of the Astagrantha text by Katyayaniputra. This revised version became known as the Vibhasa Sastra or Great Commentary. The Kashmiri branch declared this new orthodoxy binding upon all adherents. However, not everyone accepted these changes. Western masters from Gandhara and Bactria maintained divergent views that challenged the Kashmiri position. These disagreements produced post-Vibhasa commentaries such as those by Vasubandhu and Samghabhadra. The latter spent twelve years composing a robust defense against criticisms raised by dissenting monks like Sthavira Srilata.
A central teaching of the Sarvāstivāda was that all dharmas exist across past, present, and future time periods. Dharmas refer to elementary components of existence or experience. According to this doctrine, phenomena do not come into being nor pass away; they persist through all three times equally. This belief justified karmic causation since actions taken in the past must still exist to produce results in the present. Four great Abhidharmikas offered different interpretations: Dhammatrata, Buddhadeva, Vasumitra, and Ghosaka. While their explanations varied, none contradicted the core principle entirely. The Vaibhasika school added that only present dharmas possess efficacy while maintaining constant essence throughout time. They argued that dharmas have an unchangeable self-characteristic distinguishing them from mere aggregations with nominal existence. This framework allowed them to explain how something remains identical yet undergoes change as it moves through temporal phases.
The tradition split into two major branches: the orthodox Vaibhasika and the critical Sautrantika schools. Early Darsantika monks like Dhammatrata and Buddhadeva existed within the fold but disagreed with mainstream views. These dissenters were sometimes called Western Masters or Foreign Masters outside Kashmir. They studied standard texts critically before eventually rejecting the Sarvāstivada doctrine of all exists. Later figures such as Vasubandhu became prominent leaders of this group. He authored the Abhidharmakosa, a highly influential work defending Sautrantika positions against Vaibhasika orthodoxy. In response, Samghabhadra composed the Nyayanusara over twelve years to refute these arguments. Though they rejected key tenets, Sautrantikas did not abandon Abhidharma methods entirely. Instead, they produced their own manuals including the Jnanaprasiddhi. Their influence extended beyond India, contributing to later traditions founded by Dignaga and Dharmakirti in Tibet.
Seven canonical texts form the foundation of Sarvastivada Abhidharma literature. These include the Mahavibhasa Sastra, Abhidharmakosabhasya, and others translated into Chinese during the 4th century CE. Samghadeva completed translations of foundational works around 390 CE in Southern China. Additional commentaries followed, such as those by Ghosaka, Dharma Sri, and Upasanta. Vasubandhu's Abhidharmakosa remains one of the most studied texts today. The Great Commentary (Mahavibhasa) contains two hundred fascicles in Chinese translation. It includes material with affinities to Mahayana doctrines while defining roles for sutras within the canon. Some scholars suggest it illustrates accommodations between Hinayana and Mahayana traditions. Kaniśka presided over the establishment of Prajnaparamita doctrines in northwest India according to historical records. These massive treatises became authoritative sources for both Indo-Tibetan and East Asian Buddhist studies.
The movement spread widely across Central Asia before disappearing by the seventh century CE. Pilgrims like Xuanzang visited Kucha in the Tarim Basin in 630 CE where Sarvastivadin communities still thrived under King Suvarnadeva. Monastic robes varied regionally; some sources describe dark red garments while others mention black attire. By the eighth century, imperial edicts favored Dharmaguptaka Vinaya over Sarvastivada rules throughout China. Yijing noted that Eastern China predominantly used Dharmaguptaka ordination lines while earlier periods saw Mahasamghika practices near Chang'an. Despite its decline, Mulasarvastivada Vinaya remains the monastic rule used in Indo-Tibetan Buddhism today. Evidence suggests influence extended as far as Indonesia by the 7th century. The tradition's disappearance marked the end of a once-dominant sect that had shaped centuries of philosophical debate across South and Central Asia.
Continue Browsing
Common questions
When did the Sarvastivada school emerge?
The Sarvastivada school emerged during the reign of Emperor Aśoka around the third century BCE. Historical evidence confirms their distinct identity existed by the middle of the 3rd century BCE.
Who provided crucial patronage to the Sarvāstivādins between 127 and 150 CE?
Emperor Kanishka of the Kushan Empire provided crucial patronage to the Sarvāstivādins between 127 and 150 CE. During his rule, the sect flourished throughout North India, Kashmir, and Central Asia.
What is the central teaching of the Sarvāstivāda regarding time?
A central teaching of the Sarvāstivāda was that all dharmas exist across past, present, and future time periods. According to this doctrine, phenomena do not come into being nor pass away but persist through all three times equally.
Which two major branches split from the Sarvāstivāda tradition?
The tradition split into two major branches: the orthodox Vaibhasika and the critical Sautrantika schools. Early Darsantika monks like Dhammatrata and Buddhadeva existed within the fold but disagreed with mainstream views.
When did the Sarvastivada school disappear from history?
The movement spread widely across Central Asia before disappearing by the seventh century CE. Pilgrims like Xuanzang visited Kucha in the Tarim Basin in 630 CE where Sarvastivadin communities still thrived under King Suvarnadeva.