The Buddhist Doctrine Of Momentariness: A Surve... -

The "stream" or continuum of causally linked momentary events that gives the appearance of a persistent object.

The smallest partless unit of time in which a phenomenon arises and perishes. The Buddhist doctrine of momentariness: A surve...

: Nothing is static; the universe perishes and is "re-created" every instant. The "stream" or continuum of causally linked momentary

: Buddhist logicians argued that only momentary things are real because real existence requires the ability to produce an effect. A permanent, unchanging entity would be causally inert and therefore non-existent. Historical Development : Buddhist logicians argued that only momentary things

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 .

: Later incorporated momentariness through commentaries like Buddhaghosa’s Visuddhimagga , particularly to explain how karma continues across the threshold of death. Philosophical and Ethical Implications