Vada in Theory and Practice: Studies in Debates, Dialogues and Discussions in Indian Intellectual Discourses c8.s5.1

c8.s5.1

The four schools of Buddhist philosophies have been mentioned in Chap. 2. The Sautrāntika (Representationism) and the Vaibhāṣika (Direct Realism) are the earliest. The other two schools, the Śūnyavāda and the Vijñānavāda attempt a liberal interpretation of the *buddha-vacanas* and they are more inclined towards metaphysical thinking. These two fall under the Mahāyāna (great vehicle), whereas the Sautrāntika and the Vaibhāṣika fall under the Hīnayāna (little vehicle).