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Temporary Self-Cessation - The Past is the Future
The Sautrāntika school affirms the need to return to the original scriptures, considering the Buddha’s words as the foundation and valuing “Reasoning” – judgment based on those words – rather than indulging in philosophical speculation. While other schools such as the Theravāda and Sarvāstivāda honor the Abhidharma for its systematic nature, the Sautrāntika school cautions that excessive reliance on treatises can lead us away from the original teachings.
Two extremes to be avoided are summarized in these two verses:
- “Interpreting the scriptures literally, you wrong the Buddhas of the three times” – clinging to the words and losing the spirit of the teaching.
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“Abandoning even a single word of the scriptures is akin to the teaching of demons” – disregarding the words also distorts the Dharma.
A wise person is one who knows how to skillfully use the scriptures, not caught in the words yet preserving their profound meaning.
Living in mindfulness helps us to recognize the interbeing of the three times:
- The past (what has already passed)
- The present (the moment we have)
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The future (the potentials quietly forming)
By dwelling deeply in the present, we can bring the past back for healing and sow good seeds for the future right now. The concept of “vipāka” refers to the ripening and continuous transformation of karma: every thought, word, and action is a persistent seed that continues and shapes both our past and our future.
