ABSTRACT
After the death of the Buddha, Buddhist monks began debating the details of his teachings and practices, and, as a result of their inability to reach consensus, the basic ethical-philosophical teachings of the Buddha went through a long process of development. In fact, the task of the Fourth Council was to arrange and systematize the doctrines of the Sarvāstivādins. However, owing to doctrinal differences, Buddhist schools continued to proliferate, giving rise to as many as thirty schools in India, China, Tibet, and Japan. The Abhidharma forms the foundation of this school of Buddhism. This school is called "Vaibhāṣika" because it follows the commentaryVibhāṣā on Abhidharma Jñānaprasthāna. "Sautrāntika" literally means "those who accept the authority of the sūtras." The Mādhyamikas follow the madhyama pratipad , or the Middle Path, of the Buddha. Prasaṇga (reductio ad absurdum) is a method of analysis that exposes the inherent self-contradiction of any perspective to demonstrate its absurdity.
