The four Schools of Philosophy

[Dharma Wheel]

The two school of philosophy
1. School of Buddhist philosophy
2. School of non-Buddhist philosophy

The four schools of philosophy
1. Vaibhasika
2. Sautrantika
3. Cittamatra
4. Madhayamika

Vaibhasika:
A lower school of Buddhist philosophy that assert the division of all
phenomena into the following five categories, and assert three times
as substantially existent.

1. Non-composite phenomena as permanent
2. Appearances as form (objects of perception)
3. Primary mind
4. Secondary minds
5. Non-associated compositional factors

Sautrantika School:
A school of Buddhist tenets of lesser vehicle relying mainly on the
original discourses of the Buddha and not on their commentaries. This
school asserts the existence of self-awareness (Rang-rig) and the
existence of an external entity (Chi-dhon)

Cittamatra / the main only school:
A Mahayana school of tenets called the Yogacara or Vijnanavada,
developed by Asanga and his brother Vasubandu. This school asserts
lack of duality between the object and object-perceiver and propounds
eight types of consciousness. There are two sub-schools.

1. True aspect mind only school.
Cittamatrins who assert that the appearance of gross form to the
sensory consciousness perceiving form in the mind of a non-Arya being
(one who has not perceived emptiness directly) is not contaminated by
latencies of ignorance.

2. False aspect mind only school.
Cittamatrins who assert that the appearance of gross form to the
sensory consciousness perceiving form in the mind of a non-Arya being
(one who has not perceived emptiness directly) is contaminated by
latencies of ignorance.

Madhayamika School:
The middle-view school, who assert emptiness as being free two
extremes-the extreme of existence and extreme of non-existence.
There are two sub-schools.

1. Svatantika Madhayamika School.

A Sub-school of Madhayamika philosophy, which asserts that all
phenomena exist by their own nature, inherently, but do not have true
existence.

2. Prasangika Madhayamika School.

The highest school of Madhayamika philosophy, which asserts that
phenomena do not exist by their own nature, inherently, not even on
the conventional level.