With reference to the religious history of India, consider the following statements:

1. Sautrantika and Sammitiya were the sects of Jainism.
2. Sarvastivadin held that the constituents of phenomena were not wholly momentary, but existed forever in a latent form.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2

Explanation

Statement 1 is incorrect

• Sautrantika and Sammitiya were sects of early Buddhism.

Statement 2 is correct

• The Sarvastivadins, a school of realistic and pluralistic Buddhist philosophers, believed in the doctrine of “Sarvam asti” (everything exists), meaning that the elements or phenomena (dharmas) exist across past, present, and future, but not as a permanent self or soul. They maintained that these phenomena persist in a latent form, rather than being entirely momentary.

Answer: (b) 2 only; Difficulty Level: Hard