The concept of time in Buddhism

Abstract

The present thesis is an attempt to expound the philosophical study of time in India. Its main purpose is to give a clear picture of the Buddhist notion of time as discussed in its different schools: the Pali tradition, Vaibhasikas (or the Sarvastivadins), Sautrantikas and the Madhyamikas. It also deals with the three major non-Buddhist systems: Nyaya-Vaisesika, Samkhya-Yoga and Jainism. The first chapter deals with the substantive reality of time in Nyaya-Vaisesika, which is a realistic and pluralistic system. It accepts time (mahakala) as an instrumental cause, eternal, absolute, independent, unique, infinite and all-pervading. According to this system, finite time (khandakala), such as second, minute, hour, day, past, present or future, has no independent status, and is only an imposed property of eternal time (kalopadhi). In the second chapter, Samkhya-Yoga gives a tremendous shock to absolute time of the Nyaya-Vaisesika. Whereas Samkhya identifies time with change, actions or events, Yoga ascribes reality to moment (ksana), but denies its aggregates as absolute time. In the third chapter, Jainism maintains that time is real and a substance, but it does not possess corporeality, though it has existence. It propounds the semi-realistic and atomistic theory of time. The fourth chapter makes an analysis of the concept of time in Pali Buddhism dispersed through a vast number of Pali texts. The fifth chapter deals with the important controversy on time between the Vaibhasikas (or the Sarvastivadins) and the Sautrantikas. The sixth and final chapter provides a Madhyamika critique of time. It is to be noted that in the entire Buddhist tradition time has never been considered as a reality, though we do find in it some interesting passages on the three time-epochs, the past, present and future, which are often taken as the modes of existence. But they too are in no sense real as such. The first appendix gives some different lists of computations of time maintained by different texts. This is in addition to the lists given by Nyaya-Vaisesika and Jainism. The second appendix is a new critical edition of the Prasannapada, chapter XIX, which demonstrates the Madhyamika critique of time.