1 00:00:00,262 --> 00:00:01,657 Past and future do not exist 2 00:00:02,262 --> 00:00:04,277 One of their own dared to say this 3 00:00:04,541 --> 00:00:05,416 At the end of the last episode 4 00:00:05,661 --> 00:00:06,980 I said someone stood up 5 00:00:06,982 --> 00:00:08,060 Frowning and saying 6 00:00:08,061 --> 00:00:09,297 The finer you dismantle things 7 00:00:09,541 --> 00:00:11,076 The further you may be from Buddha 8 00:00:11,262 --> 00:00:12,176 Past and future 9 00:00:12,461 --> 00:00:13,996 Are not real at all 10 00:00:14,141 --> 00:00:14,537 Today 11 00:00:14,821 --> 00:00:16,021 Let's see 12 00:00:16,021 --> 00:00:17,460 Who this person actually is 13 00:00:17,461 --> 00:00:20,676 How he dared to tear down a centuries-old edifice 14 00:00:21,358 --> 00:00:21,673 Hello 15 00:00:21,958 --> 00:00:22,472 Everyone 16 00:00:22,678 --> 00:00:23,653 I am Wang Lijie 17 00:00:24,037 --> 00:00:26,972 Let's recap the core conflict 18 00:00:27,197 --> 00:00:28,957 The Sarvastivada spent centuries 19 00:00:28,958 --> 00:00:32,412 Breaking teachings into 75 elements 20 00:00:32,637 --> 00:00:35,052 Creating a periodic table of Dharmas 21 00:00:35,277 --> 00:00:37,676 Then they reached a shocking conclusion 22 00:00:37,677 --> 00:00:39,252 Existence in the three periods 23 00:00:39,317 --> 00:00:40,612 The essence of Dharma is eternal 24 00:00:40,997 --> 00:00:41,552 Meaning 25 00:00:41,877 --> 00:00:44,173 Dharmas of past, present, and future 26 00:00:44,197 --> 00:00:46,052 All truly exist 27 00:00:46,197 --> 00:00:47,773 Past Dharmas haven't vanished 28 00:00:47,838 --> 00:00:49,917 Future Dharmas are already there 29 00:00:49,917 --> 00:00:51,732 Just waiting for their turn 30 00:00:52,877 --> 00:00:54,593 Why insist on this 31 00:00:55,117 --> 00:00:56,553 Because if the past doesn't exist 32 00:00:56,917 --> 00:00:58,172 Causality is broken 33 00:00:58,358 --> 00:00:59,693 The cause you planted yesterday 34 00:00:59,757 --> 00:01:01,932 If yesterday is completely gone 35 00:01:01,998 --> 00:01:04,273 Where does today's result come from 36 00:01:04,718 --> 00:01:05,473 From nothingness 37 00:01:06,117 --> 00:01:07,273 That wouldn't be dependent origination 38 00:01:07,518 --> 00:01:08,852 That's something from nothing 39 00:01:09,158 --> 00:01:09,913 So they say 40 00:01:10,277 --> 00:01:12,132 Past Dharmas must still exist 41 00:01:12,238 --> 00:01:14,173 Just in a different form 42 00:01:15,238 --> 00:01:17,173 The logic sounds tight 43 00:01:17,518 --> 00:01:18,192 But the problem is 44 00:01:18,557 --> 00:01:20,593 What is Buddha's core teaching 45 00:01:21,197 --> 00:01:22,132 Impermanence 46 00:01:22,598 --> 00:01:23,852 Everything changes 47 00:01:24,078 --> 00:01:26,173 Nothing is eternal 48 00:01:26,477 --> 00:01:27,432 Now you tell me 49 00:01:27,718 --> 00:01:29,012 The essence of Dharma is eternal 50 00:01:29,277 --> 00:01:30,912 The substance of Dharma is permanent 51 00:01:31,718 --> 00:01:32,393 Is this even compatible 52 00:01:32,798 --> 00:01:34,033 with impermanence 53 00:01:35,037 --> 00:01:38,453 This was the Sarvastivada's greatest rift 54 00:01:39,041 --> 00:01:40,440 Once a rift appears 55 00:01:40,442 --> 00:01:42,576 someone will try to mend it 56 00:01:42,841 --> 00:01:46,377 Four major masters in their history 57 00:01:46,442 --> 00:01:48,440 each proposed a solution 58 00:01:48,442 --> 00:01:50,257 to explain the same problem 59 00:01:50,601 --> 00:01:52,936 Dharmas of past, present, and future 60 00:01:52,961 --> 00:01:54,281 If the essence is unchanging 61 00:01:54,282 --> 00:01:55,757 then what exactly changes 62 00:01:56,282 --> 00:01:57,776 The first was Dharmatrata 63 00:01:57,921 --> 00:01:59,856 His theory: Change in State 64 00:02:00,041 --> 00:02:00,397 He said 65 00:02:00,802 --> 00:02:03,617 as dharmas move through time 66 00:02:03,681 --> 00:02:04,476 their state changes 67 00:02:04,642 --> 00:02:06,017 but their essence does not 68 00:02:06,162 --> 00:02:08,037 Like milk turning into yogurt 69 00:02:08,242 --> 00:02:09,201 it is still milk 70 00:02:09,201 --> 00:02:10,776 only the form has changed 71 00:02:11,387 --> 00:02:12,681 The second was Ghosa 72 00:02:12,986 --> 00:02:14,841 His theory: Change in Appearance 73 00:02:15,187 --> 00:02:15,542 He said 74 00:02:15,986 --> 00:02:17,442 the essence is unchanging 75 00:02:17,466 --> 00:02:19,042 but its appearance changes 76 00:02:19,227 --> 00:02:19,942 Like a person 77 00:02:20,347 --> 00:02:21,641 handsome when young 78 00:02:21,827 --> 00:02:23,401 wrinkled when old 79 00:02:23,546 --> 00:02:24,421 the look changes 80 00:02:24,507 --> 00:02:26,002 but the person remains the same 81 00:02:26,992 --> 00:02:28,447 The third was Vasumitra 82 00:02:28,792 --> 00:02:30,688 His theory: Change in Position 83 00:02:31,072 --> 00:02:31,387 He said 84 00:02:31,873 --> 00:02:33,327 the essence is unchanging 85 00:02:33,433 --> 00:02:34,767 the appearance is unchanging 86 00:02:34,913 --> 00:02:37,327 only its position in time changes 87 00:02:37,473 --> 00:02:38,752 Like a chess piece 88 00:02:38,753 --> 00:02:41,248 taken from the box to the board 89 00:02:41,313 --> 00:02:43,167 then put back again 90 00:02:43,512 --> 00:02:45,767 the piece is always the same 91 00:02:45,792 --> 00:02:48,008 only its presence on the board changes 92 00:02:48,577 --> 00:02:50,112 The fourth was Buddhadeva 93 00:02:50,577 --> 00:02:52,392 His theory: Change in Relation 94 00:02:52,898 --> 00:02:53,253 He said 95 00:02:53,618 --> 00:02:55,232 the essence is unchanging 96 00:02:55,538 --> 00:02:58,153 what changes is its relation to others 97 00:02:58,498 --> 00:02:59,373 Like a woman 98 00:02:59,778 --> 00:03:01,672 a mother to her son 99 00:03:01,818 --> 00:03:03,792 a wife to her husband 100 00:03:03,857 --> 00:03:05,632 and a daughter to her father 101 00:03:06,017 --> 00:03:06,693 She hasn't changed 102 00:03:07,017 --> 00:03:09,352 What changes is your perspective 103 00:03:10,079 --> 00:03:10,873 Four explanations 104 00:03:11,159 --> 00:03:12,653 All sound reasonable 105 00:03:13,319 --> 00:03:17,093 Sarvastivada chose Vasumitra's view as orthodox 106 00:03:17,518 --> 00:03:18,313 Why choose it 107 00:03:18,799 --> 00:03:20,093 Because it's the cleanest 108 00:03:20,359 --> 00:03:21,113 Dharma is dharma 109 00:03:21,359 --> 00:03:22,074 No change in category 110 00:03:22,319 --> 00:03:23,237 No change in appearance 111 00:03:23,238 --> 00:03:24,333 No change in relationship 112 00:03:24,438 --> 00:03:26,773 Just a change in position on the timeline 113 00:03:26,879 --> 00:03:27,354 Simple 114 00:03:27,718 --> 00:03:28,153 Elegant 115 00:03:28,398 --> 00:03:29,294 Practical 116 00:03:30,128 --> 00:03:31,123 But think carefully 117 00:03:31,449 --> 00:03:32,608 These four solutions 118 00:03:32,609 --> 00:03:33,924 Do they share a common problem 119 00:03:34,455 --> 00:03:35,255 Yes 120 00:03:35,648 --> 00:03:38,544 They all secretly preserve something unchanging 121 00:03:39,088 --> 00:03:41,623 Dharmatrata: category changes, essence remains 122 00:03:41,769 --> 00:03:44,264 Ghosaka: appearance changes, essence remains 123 00:03:44,368 --> 00:03:46,783 Vasumitra: position changes, essence remains 124 00:03:46,808 --> 00:03:49,424 Buddhadeva: relation changes, essence remains 125 00:03:49,688 --> 00:03:51,247 No matter how you spin it 126 00:03:51,248 --> 00:03:53,303 A bottom line must be kept 127 00:03:53,408 --> 00:03:54,463 The essence of dharma is unchanging 128 00:03:55,354 --> 00:03:56,629 But what did the Buddha say 129 00:03:57,034 --> 00:03:58,289 All conditioned things are impermanent 130 00:03:58,594 --> 00:03:59,588 All phenomena 131 00:03:59,953 --> 00:04:01,928 Nothing is unchanging 132 00:04:02,154 --> 00:04:03,108 Now you tell me 133 00:04:03,354 --> 00:04:04,969 There is this thing called essence 134 00:04:05,074 --> 00:04:07,029 Existing constantly through the three times 135 00:04:07,314 --> 00:04:08,029 Never changing 136 00:04:08,553 --> 00:04:11,108 Isn't this what Buddha spent his life dismantling 137 00:04:11,713 --> 00:04:12,708 You call it essence 138 00:04:12,993 --> 00:04:14,512 Brahmanism calls it Brahman 139 00:04:14,513 --> 00:04:15,189 Calls it Atman 140 00:04:15,433 --> 00:04:16,849 The eternal self 141 00:04:17,034 --> 00:04:17,828 The name changed 142 00:04:18,194 --> 00:04:19,208 The logic didn't 143 00:04:19,634 --> 00:04:21,113 You used Buddha's tools 144 00:04:21,113 --> 00:04:23,488 To build a house Buddha wouldn't live in 145 00:04:24,027 --> 00:04:24,662 This contradiction 146 00:04:24,987 --> 00:04:26,482 Wasn't found by outsiders 147 00:04:26,626 --> 00:04:29,265 But from within Sarvastivada itself 148 00:04:29,266 --> 00:04:30,681 Someone noticed it 149 00:04:30,866 --> 00:04:31,542 This group 150 00:04:31,787 --> 00:04:33,681 Was later called the Sautrantika 151 00:04:33,987 --> 00:04:35,621 In Sanskrit, it is Sautrāntika 152 00:04:36,027 --> 00:04:37,922 Meaning "relying on the Sutras" 153 00:04:38,186 --> 00:04:41,522 The Buddha's words are the only standard 154 00:04:41,826 --> 00:04:43,402 The treatises written by later generations 155 00:04:43,426 --> 00:04:45,546 Those increasingly complex Abhidharmas 156 00:04:45,547 --> 00:04:46,022 Sorry 157 00:04:46,227 --> 00:04:47,082 They don't count 158 00:04:47,306 --> 00:04:48,301 I believe exactly 159 00:04:48,467 --> 00:04:49,522 What the Buddha said 160 00:04:49,907 --> 00:04:52,441 This attitude is a manifesto 161 00:04:52,866 --> 00:04:53,821 It is equivalent to saying 162 00:04:54,227 --> 00:04:55,465 Over the past few centuries 163 00:04:55,467 --> 00:04:58,241 The Abhidharma system you built 164 00:04:58,266 --> 00:04:59,321 Might have gone astray 165 00:04:59,667 --> 00:05:01,482 We must return to the source 166 00:05:02,193 --> 00:05:03,889 The origin of Sautrāntika thought 167 00:05:03,954 --> 00:05:07,608 Is traced to a master named Kumāralāta 168 00:05:07,914 --> 00:05:09,729 Translated in Chinese as Tongshou 169 00:05:10,113 --> 00:05:12,928 He lived around the 2nd to 3rd century 170 00:05:13,233 --> 00:05:14,188 Regarding his life 171 00:05:14,594 --> 00:05:16,048 Historical records are very limited 172 00:05:16,313 --> 00:05:18,209 But his core ideas 173 00:05:18,274 --> 00:05:19,793 Were like a bomb 174 00:05:19,793 --> 00:05:22,729 Blowing a hole in the Sarvastivada edifice 175 00:05:22,993 --> 00:05:23,748 What did he say 176 00:05:24,274 --> 00:05:24,589 He said 177 00:05:25,074 --> 00:05:26,029 The past and the future 178 00:05:26,394 --> 00:05:27,649 Are not real 179 00:05:27,834 --> 00:05:29,269 Only this present moment 180 00:05:29,594 --> 00:05:31,048 Truly exists 181 00:05:31,736 --> 00:05:32,991 The impact of this statement 182 00:05:33,136 --> 00:05:35,032 You might not fully feel yet 183 00:05:35,537 --> 00:05:36,792 Let me translate it for you 184 00:05:37,417 --> 00:05:39,631 Sarvastivada spent centuries 185 00:05:39,696 --> 00:05:41,712 Building a precise system 186 00:05:41,897 --> 00:05:44,392 The foundation is "existence in three times" 187 00:05:44,897 --> 00:05:45,972 Kumāralāta walked over 188 00:05:46,337 --> 00:05:47,191 Knelt down 189 00:05:47,296 --> 00:05:48,131 Pointed at the foundation and said 190 00:05:48,816 --> 00:05:50,032 This part is fake 191 00:05:50,602 --> 00:05:51,477 You will immediately ask 192 00:05:51,921 --> 00:05:53,561 If the past no longer exists 193 00:05:53,561 --> 00:05:54,397 What happens to karma 194 00:05:54,921 --> 00:05:55,917 How can what I did yesterday 195 00:05:56,321 --> 00:05:57,517 Still have results today 196 00:05:58,082 --> 00:06:00,137 If the past cause has vanished 197 00:06:00,162 --> 00:06:01,356 Where does the present effect come from 198 00:06:02,001 --> 00:06:03,481 The Sautrāntika answer 199 00:06:03,481 --> 00:06:05,296 Is a brilliant model 200 00:06:05,402 --> 00:06:06,577 Called the Theory of Seeds 201 00:06:07,082 --> 00:06:07,517 They say 202 00:06:07,881 --> 00:06:09,696 the past Dharma has indeed perished 203 00:06:09,762 --> 00:06:10,556 But when it perished 204 00:06:10,881 --> 00:06:12,296 it did not leave nothing behind 205 00:06:12,561 --> 00:06:13,676 As it was perishing 206 00:06:14,001 --> 00:06:15,217 it took its own power 207 00:06:15,241 --> 00:06:16,277 and like a seed 208 00:06:16,522 --> 00:06:18,097 planted it into the next moment 209 00:06:18,361 --> 00:06:20,597 This seed passed to the next moment 210 00:06:20,921 --> 00:06:21,657 and the next 211 00:06:21,681 --> 00:06:22,116 and the next 212 00:06:22,561 --> 00:06:24,897 forming an uninterrupted stream of continuity 213 00:06:25,832 --> 00:06:28,528 This is the core concept of Sautrāntika 214 00:06:28,553 --> 00:06:30,687 called 'continuity, transformation, and differentiation' 215 00:06:30,952 --> 00:06:31,428 Continuity 216 00:06:31,752 --> 00:06:33,728 is the uninterrupted transmission 217 00:06:33,872 --> 00:06:34,387 Transformation 218 00:06:34,752 --> 00:06:36,968 is changing at every moment 219 00:06:37,312 --> 00:06:37,788 Differentiation 220 00:06:38,072 --> 00:06:39,648 is changing until a certain point 221 00:06:39,713 --> 00:06:40,908 when conditions ripen 222 00:06:41,233 --> 00:06:42,928 and the fruit emerges 223 00:06:43,192 --> 00:06:46,408 Note the fundamental difference from Sarvāstivāda 224 00:06:46,752 --> 00:06:47,827 Sarvāstivāda says 225 00:06:48,192 --> 00:06:50,031 the past cause is still there 226 00:06:50,033 --> 00:06:50,988 It is real and existent 227 00:06:51,353 --> 00:06:53,687 so the present fruit can find it 228 00:06:54,033 --> 00:06:54,827 Sautrāntika says 229 00:06:55,113 --> 00:06:55,428 No 230 00:06:55,872 --> 00:06:57,752 the past cause has already perished 231 00:06:57,752 --> 00:07:00,408 but it left a seed when it did 232 00:07:00,553 --> 00:07:02,831 This seed is like a relay baton 233 00:07:02,832 --> 00:07:05,247 passed forward moment by moment 234 00:07:05,512 --> 00:07:07,767 until the moment conditions ripen 235 00:07:07,872 --> 00:07:09,848 and the fruit naturally appears 236 00:07:10,390 --> 00:07:11,644 Let me give you an analogy 237 00:07:12,109 --> 00:07:14,044 The Sarvāstivāda view of causality 238 00:07:14,229 --> 00:07:15,925 is like a giant warehouse 239 00:07:16,349 --> 00:07:18,284 Everything that happened in the past 240 00:07:18,310 --> 00:07:21,245 is neatly arranged on the shelves 241 00:07:21,430 --> 00:07:23,125 never to be cleared away 242 00:07:23,510 --> 00:07:25,284 The karmic fruit you receive today 243 00:07:25,349 --> 00:07:29,245 is someone taking that cause from the shelf for you 244 00:07:29,789 --> 00:07:31,065 What about the Sautrāntika view? 245 00:07:31,510 --> 00:07:32,805 It is like dominoes 246 00:07:33,149 --> 00:07:34,144 The first tile falls 247 00:07:34,430 --> 00:07:35,805 it knocks down the second 248 00:07:35,909 --> 00:07:37,604 the second knocks down the third 249 00:07:37,909 --> 00:07:40,524 The first tile has long been lying still 250 00:07:40,709 --> 00:07:41,789 but its power 251 00:07:41,789 --> 00:07:43,709 Passed through every card 252 00:07:43,709 --> 00:07:45,404 Living within the chain 253 00:07:45,469 --> 00:07:47,365 Until the last card falls 254 00:07:47,767 --> 00:07:49,322 Which fits your experience 255 00:07:49,887 --> 00:07:50,863 Think about it 256 00:07:51,327 --> 00:07:53,183 You were hurt ten years ago 257 00:07:53,647 --> 00:07:54,322 That event 258 00:07:54,728 --> 00:07:55,942 Is long gone 259 00:07:56,288 --> 00:07:57,002 That scene 260 00:07:57,447 --> 00:07:58,262 Those people 261 00:07:58,327 --> 00:07:58,843 Those words 262 00:07:59,288 --> 00:08:00,582 Are all gone now 263 00:08:00,928 --> 00:08:01,642 But in your heart 264 00:08:02,007 --> 00:08:03,442 Does something remain 265 00:08:04,288 --> 00:08:06,022 Not the event itself 266 00:08:06,247 --> 00:08:08,663 But the trace it left 267 00:08:09,327 --> 00:08:11,303 Carried day by day 268 00:08:11,447 --> 00:08:12,783 Within your character 269 00:08:12,848 --> 00:08:14,382 Your reaction patterns 270 00:08:14,488 --> 00:08:16,622 Your unconscious avoidance 271 00:08:16,687 --> 00:08:18,423 Passed down to today 272 00:08:19,561 --> 00:08:21,156 Sarvastivada would say 273 00:08:21,400 --> 00:08:22,575 The event still exists 274 00:08:22,921 --> 00:08:25,736 Real in the past realm 275 00:08:25,760 --> 00:08:27,895 So it still affects you 276 00:08:28,241 --> 00:08:29,436 Sautrantika would say 277 00:08:29,760 --> 00:08:31,296 The event has perished 278 00:08:31,400 --> 00:08:32,616 But as it vanished 279 00:08:32,681 --> 00:08:34,976 It planted a seed in you 280 00:08:35,041 --> 00:08:38,056 Changing slightly every day 281 00:08:38,121 --> 00:08:39,675 Influencing every reaction 282 00:08:40,121 --> 00:08:41,175 Until one day 283 00:08:41,280 --> 00:08:43,055 A condition triggers it 284 00:08:43,081 --> 00:08:45,576 Appearing in a new form 285 00:08:45,760 --> 00:08:47,635 Which feels more real 286 00:08:48,280 --> 00:08:49,515 If you choose the latter 287 00:08:49,800 --> 00:08:50,616 Congratulations 288 00:08:50,640 --> 00:08:54,696 You share the masters' intuition 289 00:08:55,111 --> 00:08:58,486 If you know Yogacara 290 00:08:58,591 --> 00:09:00,446 You'll find something curious 291 00:09:00,831 --> 00:09:02,407 The Sautrantika seed theory 292 00:09:02,471 --> 00:09:05,366 And the Alaya-vijnana system 293 00:09:05,512 --> 00:09:09,366 Are like early and late versions 294 00:09:09,792 --> 00:09:11,590 Yogacara says Alaya 295 00:09:11,591 --> 00:09:13,767 Is a vast storehouse of seeds 296 00:09:13,951 --> 00:09:17,206 Storing all experiences 297 00:09:17,351 --> 00:09:19,606 Waiting for conditions to ripen 298 00:09:19,951 --> 00:09:20,627 This framework 299 00:09:20,951 --> 00:09:22,966 Is rooted in Sautrantika 300 00:09:23,471 --> 00:09:25,407 History of thought is like that 301 00:09:26,111 --> 00:09:29,086 A man planted a seed 2,000 years ago 302 00:09:29,111 --> 00:09:31,206 It stayed underground for centuries 303 00:09:31,311 --> 00:09:33,350 Until the time of Asanga and Vasubandhu 304 00:09:33,351 --> 00:09:34,387 When it finally broke through the soil 305 00:09:34,792 --> 00:09:36,887 And grew into a towering tree 306 00:09:37,944 --> 00:09:38,620 Speaking of Vasubandhu 307 00:09:39,105 --> 00:09:40,720 I need to clarify something here 308 00:09:40,824 --> 00:09:42,159 Because it is easy to get confused 309 00:09:42,345 --> 00:09:44,880 Vasumitra, one of the four masters mentioned earlier 310 00:09:44,904 --> 00:09:47,000 And Vasubandhu, who wrote the Abhidharmakosa 311 00:09:47,145 --> 00:09:48,319 Are not the same person 312 00:09:48,584 --> 00:09:51,039 Vasumitra was a defender of Sarvastivada 313 00:09:51,105 --> 00:09:52,720 He proposed the theory of temporal change 314 00:09:52,824 --> 00:09:54,480 Acting as the gatekeeper of that camp 315 00:09:54,704 --> 00:09:57,264 Vasubandhu lived around the 4th or 5th century 316 00:09:57,265 --> 00:09:59,079 Centuries after Vasumitra 317 00:09:59,716 --> 00:10:00,990 What did Vasubandhu do? 318 00:10:01,556 --> 00:10:04,170 He wrote the masterpiece Abhidharmakosa 319 00:10:04,694 --> 00:10:05,476 This treatise 320 00:10:05,476 --> 00:10:08,914 Seemingly organizes all Sarvastivada doctrines 321 00:10:08,915 --> 00:10:10,770 Like an encyclopedia 322 00:10:10,795 --> 00:10:14,250 Explaining the 75 Dharmas and real existence 323 00:10:14,275 --> 00:10:16,331 Making everything crystal clear 324 00:10:16,436 --> 00:10:17,630 But if you read closely 325 00:10:17,875 --> 00:10:18,755 You will find 326 00:10:18,755 --> 00:10:20,250 That while organizing it 327 00:10:20,275 --> 00:10:22,314 He used Sautrantika views 328 00:10:22,316 --> 00:10:24,770 To quietly undermine Sarvastivada 329 00:10:25,076 --> 00:10:25,910 What is this like? 330 00:10:26,395 --> 00:10:27,390 It is like an architect 331 00:10:27,716 --> 00:10:28,731 Taking a job 332 00:10:28,795 --> 00:10:31,731 To draw a complete blueprint of your house 333 00:10:31,875 --> 00:10:33,270 He draws it with extreme precision 334 00:10:33,596 --> 00:10:34,674 Every pillar 335 00:10:34,676 --> 00:10:37,331 And every wall is clearly marked 336 00:10:37,875 --> 00:10:39,755 But at key points on the blueprint 337 00:10:39,755 --> 00:10:41,370 He writes in red ink 338 00:10:41,596 --> 00:10:43,290 "Insufficient load-bearing here" 339 00:10:44,228 --> 00:10:46,363 The Abhidharmakosa is such a blueprint 340 00:10:46,549 --> 00:10:48,348 It allows every reader 341 00:10:48,348 --> 00:10:51,603 To understand the structure of Sarvastivada 342 00:10:51,628 --> 00:10:55,363 While seeing the building's weakest points 343 00:10:55,628 --> 00:10:57,083 Later critics said 344 00:10:57,189 --> 00:10:59,363 The Abhidharmakosa is dynamite for the wise 345 00:10:59,669 --> 00:11:02,027 Not a shell fired from the outside 346 00:11:02,029 --> 00:11:04,524 But a crack found in the internal structure 347 00:11:04,549 --> 00:11:05,883 Followed by a gentle push 348 00:11:06,185 --> 00:11:07,100 Stepping back 349 00:11:07,465 --> 00:11:08,984 To look at this entire history 350 00:11:08,986 --> 00:11:11,241 You will see a recurring pattern 351 00:11:11,746 --> 00:11:12,781 The Buddha said one thing 352 00:11:13,065 --> 00:11:14,521 All things are impermanent 353 00:11:15,026 --> 00:11:16,905 To explain this statement 354 00:11:16,906 --> 00:11:18,425 Later followers built a vast system 355 00:11:18,425 --> 00:11:19,680 Called the Abhidharma 356 00:11:20,185 --> 00:11:21,100 To make the system consistent 357 00:11:21,545 --> 00:11:22,761 They had to claim 358 00:11:22,825 --> 00:11:24,040 Dharmas exist eternally 359 00:11:24,585 --> 00:11:26,361 Then another group stood up and said 360 00:11:26,425 --> 00:11:27,864 To explain impermanence 361 00:11:27,866 --> 00:11:29,840 You created something eternal 362 00:11:29,986 --> 00:11:31,261 Isn't that a contradiction 363 00:11:32,512 --> 00:11:33,186 This pattern 364 00:11:33,512 --> 00:11:36,206 Recurs throughout human thought 365 00:11:36,592 --> 00:11:37,847 Not just in Buddhism 366 00:11:38,071 --> 00:11:41,566 Any attempt to capture living truth 367 00:11:41,671 --> 00:11:43,967 Eventually faces the same paradox 368 00:11:44,431 --> 00:11:45,686 The more precise the system 369 00:11:45,711 --> 00:11:48,086 The further it is from the living truth 370 00:11:48,392 --> 00:11:49,950 The more detailed the map 371 00:11:49,951 --> 00:11:52,806 The easier to mistake it for the land 372 00:11:53,272 --> 00:11:54,967 The Sautrantika saw this 373 00:11:55,232 --> 00:11:55,666 They said 374 00:11:55,992 --> 00:11:57,190 Stop drawing maps 375 00:11:57,191 --> 00:11:59,046 Go back to what the Buddha said 376 00:11:59,191 --> 00:12:00,186 The Buddha said impermanence 377 00:12:00,551 --> 00:12:01,526 And he meant it 378 00:12:01,992 --> 00:12:03,710 The past is gone when it perishes 379 00:12:03,711 --> 00:12:05,391 Don't claim it still exists 380 00:12:05,392 --> 00:12:06,727 Just to suit your system 381 00:12:07,729 --> 00:12:10,464 But the Sautrantika couldn't escape this 382 00:12:10,689 --> 00:12:12,224 Their theory of seeds 383 00:12:12,250 --> 00:12:16,344 Was refined and systematized by others 384 00:12:16,489 --> 00:12:20,464 Becoming the vast Yogacara system 385 00:12:20,609 --> 00:12:22,425 A tool used to dismantle systems 386 00:12:22,449 --> 00:12:24,464 Became a new system itself 387 00:12:24,689 --> 00:12:26,984 Perhaps this is the fate of cognition 388 00:12:27,170 --> 00:12:29,864 We cannot face reality empty-handed 389 00:12:30,010 --> 00:12:31,608 We always need a model 390 00:12:31,609 --> 00:12:33,584 A language, a map 391 00:12:33,689 --> 00:12:34,929 But every map 392 00:12:34,930 --> 00:12:37,025 Eventually becomes a wall 393 00:12:37,290 --> 00:12:38,925 Then someone must stand up 394 00:12:39,130 --> 00:12:40,265 To tear the wall down 395 00:12:40,329 --> 00:12:41,905 To reveal the view behind it 396 00:12:42,489 --> 00:12:43,584 Then someone else 397 00:12:43,650 --> 00:12:45,944 Turns that view into a new map 398 00:12:46,683 --> 00:12:48,018 So today's episode 399 00:12:48,084 --> 00:12:50,619 Is less about Sautrantika philosophy 400 00:12:50,763 --> 00:12:53,339 And more about a deeper question 401 00:12:53,683 --> 00:12:54,579 In your mind 402 00:12:54,683 --> 00:12:58,818 are there frameworks or theories you trust deeply 403 00:12:58,964 --> 00:13:00,979 that helped you at one stage 404 00:13:01,084 --> 00:13:03,202 but have now become a wall 405 00:13:03,204 --> 00:13:04,798 you haven't even noticed 406 00:13:05,724 --> 00:13:07,219 No need to answer now 407 00:13:07,403 --> 00:13:08,979 but just pay attention 408 00:13:09,204 --> 00:13:12,138 next time you're certain about something 409 00:13:12,364 --> 00:13:14,058 whether that certainty itself 410 00:13:14,283 --> 00:13:16,499 is worth examining 411 00:13:16,747 --> 00:13:17,102 Alright 412 00:13:17,467 --> 00:13:20,002 Sautrantika used the sutras as authority 413 00:13:20,068 --> 00:13:22,762 to dismantle Sarvastivada from within 414 00:13:23,387 --> 00:13:27,722 But Buddhist history didn't change via debate alone 415 00:13:28,227 --> 00:13:30,347 What truly flipped the board 416 00:13:30,347 --> 00:13:31,722 wasn't a philosopher 417 00:13:31,747 --> 00:13:33,002 but an emperor 418 00:13:33,308 --> 00:13:35,082 One who killed a hundred thousand 419 00:13:35,107 --> 00:13:38,002 then wept amidst a sea of blood 420 00:13:38,308 --> 00:13:40,163 His name was Ashoka 421 00:13:40,707 --> 00:13:41,882 He did one thing 422 00:13:41,948 --> 00:13:45,163 that turned Buddhism from a local sect 423 00:13:45,188 --> 00:13:48,362 into a global religion across half of Asia 424 00:13:48,747 --> 00:13:49,982 That is the story 425 00:13:50,268 --> 00:13:51,643 we will enter next time 426 00:13:52,566 --> 00:13:53,120 Do you think 427 00:13:53,365 --> 00:13:55,564 being questioned from within 428 00:13:55,566 --> 00:13:56,801 or attacked from without 429 00:13:57,165 --> 00:13:58,120 is more fatal for a theory 430 00:13:58,765 --> 00:14:00,341 Have you ever 431 00:14:00,365 --> 00:14:03,280 overturned a deep belief from within 432 00:14:03,806 --> 00:14:05,160 What did that feel like 433 00:14:05,726 --> 00:14:06,900 Tell me in the comments 434 00:14:07,853 --> 00:14:08,608 I am Wang Lijie 435 00:14:08,892 --> 00:14:10,067 See you next time