The Sarvastivada school of early Buddhism gained major institutional authority during the Kushana era. What was the core philosophical tenet implied by the school name Sarvastivada (Everything exists)?

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The school derived its name from the Sanskrit roots Sarva (all) and Asti (exists). They challenged the early Buddhist view of radical presentism. Sarvastivadins argued that if past actions had no existence, they could not produce karmic fruits now. Therefore, the essential elements (dharmas) must possess a perpetual nature that persists through the flow of time.

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