Aspects of Mahayana Buddhism and its Relation to Hinayana c7.s3.t20.1

c7.s3.t20.1

In the Abhidharmakośa Vasubandhu expatiates on the Vaibhāṣika conception of Nirvāṇa. He first asserts that Nirvāṇa is one of the Asaṃskṛtas (unconstituted), and as against the objection of the Sautrāntikas that it might be a result produced by the mārga, he says that the mārga leads to the attainment or possession of Visamyoga (disconnection) or Nirvāṇa and that it is self-existent and not the fruit of mārga.¹ In answering the question of the Sautrāntikas as to the nature of the dharma called Visamyoga or Pratisamkhyā-nirodha, the Vaibhāsikas state that it is a dharma, the nature of which is real and inexpressible; only the Āryas realise it inwardly and individually. It is only possible to indicate its general characters, when the Pratisamkhyā-nirodha is said to be an entity (dravya), real, good, eternal, and distinct from others, it is called the Visaṃyoga.