三論玄義 1.7

1.7

Second, crushing the Abhidharma. This has two parts: 1. setting forth their tenet, and 2. refuting it. A follower of the Sarvāstivāda introduced their tenet, saying: "The Abhidharma is called the incomparable dharma (abhidharma). Influx-free roots of wisdom match reality and set [one] apart from the ordinary; because its efficacy is pre-eminent, it is called 'incomparable.' It surpasses the four clingings and transcends the three realms; it is praised by all the sages and venerated by the six destinies. Should anyone dare raise objections, we will bend them with reason." Question: Whoever wishes to establish a thesis must first trace the origin of the school. How many types of Abhidharma are there in all? Answer: There are very many classes and genres, but to explain them briefly there are six: First, the Abhidharma on the characteristics of dharmas spoken by the Tathāgata himself, which flourished widely in India but was not transmitted to China. Second, Śāriputra, who stood adjacent to the ultimate as second to the Sage, composed an Abhidharma in twenty fascicles to explain the Buddha's words, which was transmitted to this land. Third, over three hundred years after the Buddha's extinction, there was a great arhat possessed of the three knowledges and six supernormal knowledges, whose family name was Kātyāyana, who composed the Jñānaprasthāna (Eight Skandhas) in twenty fascicles, which was transmitted to this land. As for the "eight": 1. Miscellaneous, 2. Fetters, 3. Knowledges, 4. Actions, 5. Great [Elements], 6. Faculties, 7. Absorptions, and 8. Views. As for "skandha" (jiandu), it is translated as "aggregate"; because each of these eight meanings has its own category, they are termed "aggregates" on that basis. Fourth, within six hundred years [after the extinction], there were five hundred arhats who were disciples of Kātyāyana; in Northern India they jointly composed the Vibhāṣā to comment on the Jñānaprasthāna. Vibhāṣā means "extensive exposition" here; it was translated in West Liangzhou in a total of one hundred fascicles. Meeting with fire from war, only sixty fascicles are extant, which explain only three of the skandhas. Fifth, after seven hundred-odd years, the arhat Dharmaśreṣṭhin, disliking the Vibhāṣā as too extensive, epitomised its essential doctrines and composed two hundred and fifty verses, named the Abhidharmahṛdaya, in four fascicles, which was also transmitted to this land. Sixth, within a thousand years, Dharmatrāta, considering the Vibhāṣā too extensive and the four fascicles [of the Abhidharmahṛdaya] extremely concise, further composed three hundred and fifty verses, adding to the four fascicles to make six hundred verses altogether, named the Saṃyuktābhidharmahṛdaya. In the interim there was also the Abhidharma of the Six Treatises. The Mahāprajñāpāramitāśāstra states: "Maudgalyāyana, Vasumitra, and other masters of treatises jointly composed them; none were transmitted to this land. Only the Prakaraṇapāda is one among the six, and it exists in this land." Furthermore, there is the *Amṛtarasa-śāstra in two fascicles, its author unknown, which was also transmitted to this land. Although the Abhidharma differs in its classes and genres, its primary tenet explains that one attains the Path by seeing existence.