[Buddha-l] Eternalism

[Richard Hayes]

Jayarava asks:

> A colleague has asked me about the meaning of sassatadiṭṭhi
> (sassatadi.t.thi) which PED equates sassata to Vedic śaśvat
> ('sa'svat). The meaning "eternalism", with an emphasis on recurrance,
> seems clear enough, but I have been unable to identify the verbal
> root. There is śaś "leap" but can this be it? Can anyone help with
> this?

Not everything is derived from a dhātu. There is no indication in Apte's
dictionary that the Vedic śaśvat is believed to be derived from a root.
None of the speculations that you, Joanna and Erik have come up with are
grammatically possible. Until you can find a reliable authority to set
the record straight, the best bet is to take it as a primitive word
rather than as something derived from component parts.

-- 
Richard Hayes
Department of Philosophy
University of New Mexico