In Buddhism

Tibetan Buddhism (Vajrayana or tantric Buddhism)

Source: Google Books: The Crystal Mirror of Philosophical Systems

The Four Philosophical Systems are known in Tibetan as grub mtha' bzhi.—Accordingly, [while describing the history of the Buddhists and the proponents of the four philosophical systems]: Many different standpoints exist regarding the layout of the basis, path, and result of the philosophical systems of Buddhist schools.

The Four Philosophical Systems are:

1) Vaibhāṣika: The Vaibhāṣikas hold that, in the final analysis, form, consciousness, and other dharmas are necessarily found. They hold also that, in the final analysis, the minutest partless particles and a continuum’s briefest partless moments necessarily exist. Thus Vaibhāṣikas maintain that partless particles are the compositional basis of gross physical forms and partless moments are the components of temporal continuity.

2) Sautrāntika: The Sautrāntikas assert that dharmas ultimately able to produce a result are specifically characterized, ultimately true, and established by their own characteristics; dharmas ultimately unable to perform a function are generally characterized, not established by their own characteristics, and conventionally true.

3) Cittamātra: The Cittamātrins assert that dharmas established from their own side, without being merely imputed by thought, are specifically characterized, established by their own characteristics, and truly established; while dharmas established as mere imputations by thought are the reverse.

4a) Svātantrika Madhyamaka: Although the Svātantrika Mādhyamikas claim dharmas as conventionally established in three ways, namely, established by their own characteristics, inherently established, and essentially established, they do not claim, even conventionally, their establishment in five other ways: truly established, perfectly established, ultimately established, established in reality, established by their own entity.

4b) Prāsaṅgika Madhyamaka: The Prāsaṅgikas say that the basic object of the innate egoistic view is the self that is imputed on the basis of the aggregates; and not only are the aggregates not the self, they claim, not even a single dharma is findable after searching for the imputed object. Schools from the Svātantrikas on down claim that if such a standpoint were true, admission of dependent arising would be undermined.

context information

Tibetan Buddhism includes schools such as Nyingma, Kadampa, Kagyu and Gelug. Their primary canon of literature is divided in two broad categories: The Kangyur, which consists of Buddha’s words, and the Tengyur, which includes commentaries from various sources. Esotericism and tantra techniques (vajrayāna) are collected indepently.

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Full-text: grub mtha' bzhi, Madhyamaka, Sautrantika, snyigs ma lnga, Svatantrika, Prasangika, Vaibhashika, Five impurities, chos kyi 'khor lo'i 'khor ba gsum, Cittamatra, Three turnings.

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