SAUTRĀNTIKA

In the Pāli tradition, the Sautrāntika is described as the Kassapika from Sankantika branch of the Suttavādins. Vasumitra noted, that at the beginning of the 4th century AD there was one school named Sautrāntika called Samkrantivāda too, from Sarvastivāda. The name Sautrāntika is referred to those who take the suttas as valid authority rather than Abhidhamma. The founder of this school declared: „I take Ānanda their preceptor is Ānanda Thera,“ so it seems that Suttavādins were identical with the Sautrāntika.
Monks, who described themselves as Sautrāntikas entered6 the higher ordination from Sarvastivāda rite and they were suspecting the Abhidhama Piṭaka regarding the word of the Buddha. Vasumitra characterizes that Sautrāntika is distinguished from the Sammītiya sect and opposed to the doctrine of the early Buddhism. In Sautrāntika, it is said that the khandha does not pass from one existence to another and the original form khandha is only one nature. In other words, the five khandhas end in the attainment of Nibbāna. This view is allied to the doctrine of the Sammītiyas that the puggala ceases in the attainment of Nibbāna. For this doctrine of transference of khandhas through several existences, the Sautrāntika is also called Sankrantivādins. The present scholars favoring Sautrāntika showed the doctrine positions are not identical with ordination lineages and the followers of Sautrantika rejected the existence of dhamma7 as the present such as the present dhamma exists, the past dhamma existed and the future dhamma also will exist. However, the Sautrāntika took from the Sarvāstivādins' idea that the present dhamma lies in the dhamma exerting its characteristic activity. Though Vasubandhu belonged to Sarvastivāda school, in his writing to the Sautrantika views, he pointed out the differences between the Sarvāstivāda and Sautrāntika views: 1. Sautrāntika does not accept the Sarvāstivādins as authoritative 2. Sautrāntika believe, that there is no existences 3. Sautrāntika denied the citta-vippayuttas as not associating with the mind as mentioned by the Sarvātivādins' view. 4. Sautrāntika rejected the view of Sarvāstivādins that the past and future exist 5. Sautrāntika asserted the existence of the subtle citta and explained thereby the working of the formula of causation 6. Sautrāntika carried on the ksaniktva(?) doctrine. As stated above, the Sautrāntika plazed an important role in ancient time.