Been a while since I read that. I'm from time to time enjoying Sarvastivada Abhidharma from Bhikkhu Dhammajoti which is a 550+ pages info-heap densely packed with all the relevant aspects of the sect.alex123 wrote: If anyone is interested to read this long article on Sarvastivada
http://ccbs.ntu.edu.tw/FULLTEXT/JR-ADM/bastow.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Any comments about it? They do seem to have their reasons for asserting what they do.
I personally find Sarvastivada itself is quite cool; if youre someone drawn to further inquiry its prolly better than Theravada since first of all at least some of the commentarial material is actually available and secondly because it can answer questions that the Theravada cannot. Apart from the ones already mentioned this would for example be ones related to the workings of karma and of what f.e. distinguishes an arya from a putthujana, which becomes explained by the appropriation (prapti) of certain dharmas to the mind-stream; the latter obviously cant be explained by Theravadins because of their lack of atemporal existents. On the other hand side, while the Sarvastivadins explanation of prapti for example shows their honesty and interest in creating a useable and meaningful philosophy out of the snippets of information in the suttas, its enhancements like this which also show the big drawback of religious philosophy so typical for it - namely that the seeming explanations are just extensions of a fixed system based on not much more than unproven premises. This is more obvious in mystical traditions like f.e. the jewish Kabbalah or the Vajrayana where layers and layers of symbols and interconnections are produced which in their complexity and apparent perfection seem to point to some (mystical) truth or law while in fact only being the outcome of a wishful mind making the parts fit or - as in the example of dhammic appropriation - just creating new parts.
But if one ignores this maybe necessary drawback the school has some interesting teachings and answers; it mightve even survived up until today in enhanced form if the Yogacarins wouldnt have marched in with their easier-to-swallow alaya-vijnaana idea which probably was also more appealing to the people not interested / trained in abhidhammic analysis. Funnily of course nowadays many people cant even grasp that concept