The "no-self" doctrine supported by momentariness, denying an unchanging core in beings. Criticisms from Rival Schools
The doctrine was not present in the earliest discourses of the Buddha, which were more pragmatic about change. It emerged as a systematic theory during the and was later refined by prominent scholars such as Vasubandhu , Dignāga , and Dharmakīrti .
: Instead of objects enduring over time, existence is seen as a rapid succession of discrete, momentary entities. The Buddhist doctrine of momentariness: A surve...
The smallest partless unit of time in which a phenomenon arises and perishes.
The "stream" or continuum of causally linked momentary events that gives the appearance of a persistent object. : Instead of objects enduring over time, existence
: Later incorporated momentariness through commentaries like Buddhaghosa’s Visuddhimagga , particularly to explain how karma continues across the threshold of death. Philosophical and Ethical Implications
: Asserted that only the present moment is real; past and future are mere mental constructs. The "no-self" doctrine supported by momentariness
: Reframed momentariness within "consciousness-only," viewing external objects as streams of momentary mental events.