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?
A
1 only
B
2 only
C
Both 1 and 2
D
Neither 1 nor 2
Correct Answer: Option B
Explanation
1. Statement 1 is incorrect. The Sautrantika and Sammitiya were prominent sects or schools within Buddhism, not Jainism. They belonged to the Hinayana/Sthaviravada tradition.
2. Statement 2 is correct. The Sarvastivadin school of Buddhism (whose name means "all things exist") indeed held the philosophical view that the fundamental constituents of phenomena (dharmas) were not wholly momentary but persisted through the three times (past, present, future), existing forever in a latent form. This contrasted with other Buddhist schools that emphasized momentariness more strictly.
3. Therefore, only statement 2 is correct.