The Buddhist Doctrine Of Momentariness: A Surve... | 2026 Release |

The ( Kṣaṇikavāda ) is a radical philosophical extension of the core concept of impermanence ( anicca ). While early Buddhist teachings observed that all things eventually decay, the doctrine of momentariness posits that all conditioned phenomena exist for only an infinitesimally brief moment before vanishing and being replaced by a nearly identical successor. Core Tenets of Momentariness

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 . The Buddhist doctrine of momentariness: A surve...

The "no-self" doctrine supported by momentariness, denying an unchanging core in beings. Criticisms from Rival Schools The ( Kṣaṇikavāda ) is a radical philosophical

: Nothing is static; the universe perishes and is "re-created" every instant. It emerged as a systematic theory during the

The smallest partless unit of time in which a phenomenon arises and perishes.

: 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

: Asserted that only the present moment is real; past and future are mere mental constructs.