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The History of Buddhist Thought c28.s1.t4: C. Abhidhamma-Piṭaka

The History of Buddhist Thought c28.s1.t4

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C. Abhidhamma-Piṭaka

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Unlike the two other Piṭakas the Abhidhamma of the Theravādins is quite distinct from that of the Sarvāstivādins. That of the Theravādins consists of seven independent works. The tradition is that they were thought out by Buddha in the fourth week after his enlightenment :—

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(1) *Dhammasaṅgaṇi*. “Enumeration of dhammas,” i.e. mental elements or processes.

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(2) *Vibhaṅga*. “Distinction or determination.” Further analysis of the matter of the foregoing.

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(3) *Dhātukathā*. “Discussion of elements.” On the mental elements and their relations to other categories.

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(4) *Puggalapaññatti*. “Description of individuals,” especially according to their stages along the Noble Path.

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(5) *Kathāvatthu*. “Subjects of discussion,” discussions and refutations of doctrines held by other schools.

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(6) *Yamaka*. “Book of pairs,” called by Geiger an applied logic. The subject matter is psychological, and the analysis is arranged in pairs of questions.

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(7) *Paṭṭhāna*. “Book of relations,” an analysis of the relations (causality, etc.) of things in twenty-four groups.

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The Abhidhamma of the Sarvāstivādins also consists of seven works,¹ one main work followed by six supplements, and unlike the Theravādin Abhidhamma they are not attributed directly to Buddha, but to seven disciples, four of whom are elders recognized by the Theravādins.

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¹ They now exist only in Chinese translations, and have been summarized and analysed by Professor Takakusu (*JPTS*. 1904–5, pp. 67 ff.). The Sanskrit names of six of the works omitting Vijñāna-kāya are given in *Mvyut*. 65. Bu-ston says that the Vaibhāshikas of Kashmir regard them as belonging to the word of Buddha (trans. by E. Obermiller, p. 49).

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(1) *Jñāna-prasthāna*, by Kātyāyanīputra. “The course of knowledge.” It is a long work, and discusses most of the philosophical concepts (bonds, karma, material elements, organs, concentration, views) involved in attaining knowledge.

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(2) *Saṅgīti-paryāya*, by Mahā-Kausṭhila or Śāriputra. “Section for recitation.” It consists of lists of doctrinal terms arranged numerically like the *Saṅgīti-sutta* in the *Dīgha*, on which Takakusu thinks it is modelled.

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(3) *Prakaraṇa-pāda*, by Vasumitra. “Work (on Abhidhamma).” A discussion on dhammas (doctrinal concepts). Vasumitra is the name of a well-known Sarvāstivādin author.

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(4) *Vijñāna-kāya*, by Devaśarman. “Group (of subjects) on consciousness.” Chinese tradition puts the author a century after Buddha’s death.

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(5) *Dhātu-kāya*, by Pūrṇa or Vasumitra. “Group (discussing) mental elements.”

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(6) *Dharma-skandha*, by Śāriputra or Maudgalyāyana. “Aggregate of dharmas,” discussing the chief philosophical concepts as in No. 1.

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(7) *Prajñapti-śāstra*, by Maudgalyāyana. “Book of instruction.” The instruction is on cosmological and secular matters, the qualities of a Bodhisattva and a Buddha, etc.

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Although there is some similarity in these titles to the Abhidhamma works of the Theravādins, the works are quite independent. When we consider that the other two Piṭakas have a common basis, it is possible to draw the important conclusion that the existing Abhidhamma works are much later than the contents of the first two Piṭakas, and arose when the two schools were definitely separated. Their sectarian character is also indicated by a description of the Abhidhamma Piṭaka quite different from these, which is given in the account of the first Council in the Dharmagupta Vinaya.¹ This account lets us know what the author of it imagined the primitive Abhidhamma to be, and he must have relied on his knowledge of the Dharmagupta Canon of his time. But although this school was a branch of the Sarvāstivādins, there is no recognition of the Abhidhamma as understood either by the Theravādins or Sarvāstivādins.

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¹ Quoted below, p. 278.

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The word abhidhamma is found in the suttas. It means “further dhamma” or “special dhamma”. In Majjh., i, 214, two monks are said to hold an abhidhamma discussion (abhidhammakathā). The same procedure is referred to in Ang., iv, 397, where a monk who duly knows the four Truths is asked a question about abhidhamma and abhivinaya, but leaves it alone and cannot expound it. Evidently an elaboration and analysis of the doctrinal principles is intended, just as abhivinaya would mean a casuistic discussion of the rules of discipline. There is no separate Abhivinaya, for the elaboration of the rules of discipline exists in the Vinaya itself. The codification of such principles requiring exposition would give rise to the mātikā (mātṛkā), the “lists”, which form the basis of the Abhidhamma books, and now form a kind of table of contents. The elaboration of these principles, their definition and their proof by adducing sutta passages would form Abhidhamma proper. This is in fact what we actually find in the two existing Abhidhamma collections. They are two sets of text-books compiled by two schools of teachers who independently undertook to expound the same subject matter.

Cites (3)