The doctrine functions through several key philosophical mechanisms:
The following is a survey paper based on the origins and development of this doctrine, particularly drawing from the seminal work of Alexander von Rospatt, The Buddhist Doctrine of Momentariness: A Survey of the Origins and Early Phase of this Doctrine Up to Vasubandhu. The Buddhist doctrine of momentariness: A surve...
Change is not the transformation of a persisting object but the qualitative difference between entities in a series. 3. Historical Origins and Early Phase Historical Origins and Early Phase The ( kṣaṇikavāda
The ( kṣaṇikavāda ) represents a radical interpretation of the fundamental concept of impermanence ( anitya ). While early Buddhism taught that all things are subject to change and decay, the later formal doctrine of momentariness posits that all existence is atomized into discrete, momentary events that vanish as soon as they arise. The Buddhist doctrine of momentariness: A surve...