The Central Conception of Buddhism and the Meaning of the Word "Dharma" c19.s2.19

c19.s2.19

*Sautrāntika*.—If they are always existent, how is the (remarkable result) brought about that they are called past or future? Therefore the words of our Sublime Lord, "there is a past, there is a future," must be understood in another sense. He proffered them when discussing with the Ājīvikas (who denied moral responsibility for past deeds). He strongly opposed their doctrine, which denied the connexion between a past cause and a future result. In order to make it known that a former cause and a future result are something which happened formerly and will happen in future, he categorically declared: "There is a past, there is a future." For the word "is" acts as a particle (which may refer to something existent and to non-existence as well). As e.g. people will say: "there is absence of light" (before it has been kindled), "there is absence of light after (it has been put out)," or the "light is put out, but I did not put it out". When Buddha declared that there "is" a past and there "is" a future, he used the word "is" in that sense.