Contents
1. Introduction
2. The
Abhidhamma
3. Traditional
ideologist views on the origin of Abhidhamma
4. Modern
concepts on the origin of Abhidhamma
5. Compare
and critical observation on both modern and traditional ideologist on the
origin of Abhidhamma
6. My
personal views on origin of Abhidhamma
7. Conclusion
8. Bibliography
Introduction
This assignment will be my best effort to
collect more facts regarding the critical observation on both modern and
traditional ideologist on the origin of Abhidhamma as well as my personal views
on the origin of Abhidhamma.
There are two major
divisions of Buddhism, Theravada, and Mahayana. Each has its own Abhidhamma.
Here I would to discuss about the Theravada Abhidhamma with the critical views
on modern and traditional views on origin of Abhidhamma.
There are some argument on the origin of
Abhidhamma. Traditionally they believe that Abhidhamma is the complete
discourses which preached by the Buddha but modern scholars believe that it has
developed and added in later periods. They both have shown their own views as
well as arguments to prove on the origin ofAbhidhamma.
This
assignments will be the best effort to conclude both views and come to one
conclusion.
The Abhidhamma
Abhidhamma is the third books of Tipitaka.
Which we normally believe that exceptionally subtle, deep, difficult to
comprehend, and vast in scope or deepest Dhamma of the Buddha. Abhidhamma can
be separated as two words such as Abhi+Dhamma. The word “Abhi” gives the
meaning of deep or higher and “Dhamma” means doctrine. The deep doctrine of
Buddha is called Abhidhamma. In introduction of Atthasalini, the word “Abhi”
has been given five meanings such as:-
1.
Vuddhi -growth
2.
Salakkhana -with own characteristic
3.
Pujita -revered
4.
Pariccinna -well classified
5.
Adhika -excellent or extra[1]
The Abhidhamma was
completed at the third Buddhist council after composing of Kathavatthupakarana
by Venerable Moggalliputta Tissa. The commentaries, sub-commentaries were
written after the 3rd century B.C. and the literature of Abhidhamma can
be divided into five stages as follows:
1.
Abhidhamma Pitaka -Canon
(7- books)
2.
Atthakatha -Commentaries (3- books)
3.
Tika -Sub-Commentaries (2- books)
4.
Sangahakatha -
Compendiums on Abhidhamma (9- books)
5.
Sangahakatha Tika -Sub-commentaries on compendiums
1. Canonical Abhidhamma (7) books:
According to the Theravada tradition there
are seven books of Abhidhamma. Those are:
1. Dhammasangani - enumeration of
phenomena
2. Vibhanga - the book of analysis
3. Kathavatthu - the
book on elements
4. Puggalapannatti - the book on human
types
5. Dhatukatha - the
book of points of controversy
6. Yamaka - the book of pairs
7. Patthana - the book of conditional relations
2. Commentarial Abhidhamma (3) books:
Ven.Buddhaghosa the great commentator came to the Sri Lanka in fifth
century A.D. and wrote the commentary to the seventh book of Abhidhamma. They
are as follows:
1.
Atthasālinī - the commentary to the
Dhammasanganī
2.
Sammohavinodani - the commentary to the Vibhanga and
3.
Pancappakaranatthakatha
- the combined commentary to the other last five treatises
3. Abhidhamma Sub-commentarial literature (2) books:
I.
Mula
Tika written by Acariya Ananda vanaratana
II.
Anutika written byAnanda’s pupil Dhammapala
Finally Ven.Buddhaghosa mentioned in Atthasalini
to define the Abhidhamma means “Tattha kenatthena abhidhammo dhammatireka
dhammavisesattha” [2]which can translate as the
extra Dhamma or distinguish dhamma is called Abhidhamma.
These are the
basic information on the Abhidhmma. In the second topic I hope to discuss under
the traditional concepts of origin and development of Abhidhamma.
Traditional
ideologist views on the origin of Abhidhamma
The
traditional ideologist views which means the commentator’s views on the origin
of the Abhidhamma. As I have mentioned earlier that traditionally they believe that
all the Abhidhamma has preached by the Buddha. Although the kathavatthupakarana
has composed by Moggaliputta tissa thero in third Buddhist council but commentators
mentioned that also the teachings of Buddha.
Many commentators have done great researches
on origin of the Abhidhamma. While modern scholars are rejecting the Abhidhamma
as Buddha’s teachings commentators show their evidence to prove that Buddha
preached Abhidhamma not by others.
Ven.Buddhaghosa the best commentator explains
on the origin of Abhidhamma as “Palichattamhi mulamhi pandukambala namake
silasanam sannissinno adicchowo yugandare mataram pamukha katva tassa pannaya
tejasa abhidhamma katha maggam desanam sa pavattaie.”
The Buddha preached Abhidhamma to gods with the
special His mother in the heaven.
The
second evidence shows by Ven.Buddhaghosa in Atthasalini that “Wo Pandita
abhidhammahi sabanna Buddhanamyeva visayo na annesam visayo.”[3]
All the teachings is preached by the Buddha not by
others. Again Ve. Buddhaghosa define in Atthasalini that which can translate as
the extra Dhamma or distinguish dhamma is called Abhidhamma.
“Tattha kenatthena abhidhammo dhammatireka
dhammavisesattha” [4]
To conclude to this topic that the accordance to the
traditional views them mentioned that all the seven books has preached by the
Buddha Himself. “Samma sambuddho sattappakaranani desito”.
Modern concepts
on the origin of Abhidhamma
Actually, modern ideologist believe that Abhidhamma
has developed in later period. Theravada traditions also agree on this points
because the kathavattuppakarana has written by the Ven. Moggaliputtatissa in
the third Buddhist council. Buddha has given permission to expand his Dhamma in
details. Ven.kaccayana was the best example for that because he was appointed
to explain Dhamma in details after Buddha preached it in brief.
Scholars, however,
generally date the Abhidhamma works to originating sometime around the third
century BCE, 100 to 200 years after the death of the Buddha. Therefore,
scholars not to represent the words of the Buddha himself, but those of
disciples and scholars generally claim the seven Abhidhamma works.
Dr. Rupert Gethin however said that
important elements of Abhidhamma methodology probably go back to the Buddha's
lifetime.
A.K. Warder and Dr. Peter Harvey both
suggested early dates for the Matikas on which most of the Abidhamma books are
based. Abhidhamma started out as elaboration of the suttas, but later developed
independent doctrines.
Frauwallner is
one of the few scholars who say that the ‘Abhidhamma-piṭaka originated
between 2nd century BC and 2nd century AD’. This date to a large extent, is
contradictory because the Atthakathās and the Vaṁsakathās have
it that the Abhidhamma-piṭaka came to an end
after Ven.Moggallīputta Tissa, the president of the third council,
composed and compiled the last book of the Abhidhamma-piṭaka immediately
after the council and that the whole of the Pāli Tipiṭaka together
with its commentaries was committed to writing in the first century B.C.
Accordingly, the full Abhidhammapiṭaka was already extant one century
before the date given by Frauwallner as the origin of
the Abhidhamma-piṭaka.
Thus, the
modern scholarship is yet to arrive at a unanimous conclusion on the origin of
the Abhidhamma-piṭaka. What the modern scholars
as Hinuber could suggest is that ‘the Abhidhamma-piṭaka is
considerably younger than both Sutta- and Vinaya-pitakas’.
Hence, the modern scholarship concludes that Abhidhamma was a gradual
development, interpretation, further elaboration, organization, and
systematization of the teachings found in the Suttapiṭaka. Terms
like ‘abhidhamme’ often alongside ‘abhivinaye’ occur in
the Sutta- and Vinaya-pitakas, but this particular term does not
necessarily mean the form of standardized Abdhidhamma we have today.
However since some suttas have the characteristics
of Abhidhamma we shall see some of them below so to determine how far
it’s logical to say that Abhidhamma has its origin in the Sutta
piṭaka.
The main argue
that modern scholars mention occur that Abhidhamma is well organized but
Buddha’s early teachings are not organized.
Therefore they believe that the origin of Abhidhamm
can belongs to the later periods.
Oscar von
hinober explains that these mātikā come into existence once. The Buddhist tried
to beyond the simple collections of discourse of the Buddha and began to
arrange the main point of His teachings in a systemic form which at the
sometimes could be easily memories. For examples are Sagathaka sutta and
Dasuttara sutta. According to the western, view that Sagathaka sutta and
Dasuttara sutta are the origin to Abhidhamma
One Tibetan
scholar’s saya tha Abhidhamma and matika are the same.
Argue
on unavailability of inception story in Abhidhamma. Because if that they do not
believe that Abhidhamma is preached by the Buddha.
In Dhammapada
Suttanipata also we cannot find Nidhana katha but we cannot say those are not
preached by the Buddha. As same as Abhidhamma also not having Nidhana katha is
not right to prove that this is not Buddha Desana
Atthasalini Samantapasadika Rasawahini and
Dhammasangini have shown many facts to prove that Abhidhamma is preached by
Buddha not by others. As a generation of Abhidhammika tradition can mention as
follows
1.
Buddha is the first Abhidhammika
2.
Ven.Sariputta
3.
Ven. Bhaddji
4.
Ven.Sobhita
5.
Ven.Piyajali
6.
Ven.Piyatissa
7.
Ven.Piyapala
8.
Ven.Kosiyaputta
9.
Ven.Siggawa
10.
Ven.Sandeha
11.
Ven.Mogalliputtatissa
Therefore when we examining the modern concept of
origination of Abhidhamma, the main conclude comes to Abhidhamma is later added
doctrine as well as developed from Sutta Pitaka.
Compare and
critical observation on both modern and traditional ideologist on the origin of
Abhidhamma
When we compare
with critically on both modern and traditional ideologist on the origin of Abhidhamma
what I understood is, the modern scholars are arguing that Abhidhamma is not
preached by the Buddha and traditionalist says that Abhidhamma is preached by
the Buddha. The let we move to critical observation on both ideas.
Atthasalini, is a commentary on Dhammasangani.
In its introduction Ven. Buddhaghosa says that if someone knows Abhidhamma, he
is a ‘Dhamma kathika’ (preacher). Others are not preachers of the Dhamma. Even
if they don’t preach, those who know Abhidhamma are the real preachers, because
if a question is asked, only they can solve it adequately. According to his statement I do not agree him
because if only Abhidhammic can consider as the dhamma preacher then
there were monks at the time of Buddha
who does not know much about Abhidhamma but well known in Vinaya Pitaka. Therefore they
are in especilist in Vinaradhara, Suttanata Dhara etc.
Traditionally Abhidhamma clearly
shows that it is a developed form of a collection of the basic teachings. These
early Suttas represent the fundamental teachings and developed the Buddha’s
teachings. For that Abhidhamma came to
be as an additional doctrine.
Some scholars said Ven.Moggallīputta Tissa has
composed that kathuvatthupakaran in third Buddhist council. Therefore, they
believe that it has not preached by Buddha. The commentators said for that
answer that although it has composed by Ven.Moggallīputta Tissa but the
original the Buddha preaches teaching.
Ven.Madalanivasasi Tissa bhikku and Gramavasi
Sumanadeva thero support to point out that the Buddha preaches the
Abhidhamma.As Nidhanakatha he mention that “Eakam samayam devesu viharati
Tavatimsanam parichattaka muli pandukambala silayam tatra kho bhagawa bhikkunam
abhidhamma katham kathase.
Not only that but also we find two Nidhana for
Abhidhamma.
1.
Forth week (catthuttam ratanagharam)
2.
Desana nidhana ( after seventh years)
Thus, the modern scholarship is yet to arrive at a
unanimous conclusion on the origin of the Abhidhamma-piṭaka. What the
modern scholars as Hinuber could suggest is that
‘the Abhidhamma-piṭaka is considerably younger than
both Sutta- and Vinaya-pitakas’. Hence, the modern scholarship
concludes that Abhidhamma was a gradual development, interpretation,
further elaboration, organization, and systematization of the teachings found
in the Suttapiṭaka.
According to Buddhaghosa explanation
on Abhidhamma “Ettha Abhidhammoti
sattimsu bodhipakkhiya dhamma” if thirty seven enlightenment factors are
consider as Abhidhamma then those are available in Kinti Sutta of M.N.
therefore we can get conclusion that Abhidhamma is originated from Suttapitaka.
Apart from these, the most important
of the Abhidhammic style teachings found in
the suttanta are the ‘mātikas’– meaning (as defined
by Bhikkhu KL Dhammajoti) ‘a matrix in the form of a list summarily
enumerating topics to be elaborated upon’. Long lists of
such mātikas can be found
in suttas like Sangītinsutta and Dasuttaransutta of
the Dīgha Nikāya. Accordingly, these mātikas are the basis of
all the seven texts of the present day Abhidhamma-piṭaka.
Prof.Oliver Abenayaka says that It
is true that Abhidhamma can find in Sutta pitaka but that does not mean about
Abhidhamma pitaka.
In
conclusion, there is, in fact, the seed of Abhidhamma (Matika) and gradually
Abhidhamma has been developed from the Buddha’s demise to the 3rd Buddhist
council. And then the Buddhist missionary took the Tripitaka with them and
introduced to various countries. As a result of that, Abhidhamma has been
developed gradually.
My
personal views on origin of Abhidhamma
Therefore
Abhidhamma is not a new development. It is an analysis of early Buddhist
teachings. Some do not accept Abhidhamma. They say that early Buddhism is
enough. But you cannot understand the other teachings without reference to
Abhidhamma or its commentaries.
Buddha preached
to different people according to their requirements. Therefore the suttas are
individual teachings. When we compare them, there arise many problems.
Abhidhamma is one attempt by the disciples to sort out these problems.
Abhidhamma is a philosophy of interpretations of early Buddhism. Therefore Abhidhamma
is an attempt by the Bhikkhus to interpret Buddha’s teachings.
In a conclude, I would like to say that if
commentators is telling lies the they lies about later additional sutta also
preached by the Buddha but they did not therefore they do not lie to us. There
are numbers of suttas, which has been added later to Tripitaka, but they have
clearly mention that those are later added suttas. Therefore, Commentators are
not-telling lies to us about the origin of Abhidha
Conclusion
As a conclusion we can find the term
Abhidhamma in Sutta and vinaya pitaka such as Matika,Abhidhammo,Abhivinayo.
Therefore, Abhidhamma is originated from Dhamma.
.
Bibliography
Primary reassures
Secoundary
resources
·
Bhikkhu, Bodhi. Comprehensive Manual of Abhidhamma.
Kandy, Srilanka: Buddhist publication society, 2006.
·
Chandawimala, Rerukane. Abhidharma
margaya. Boralesgamuwa: prabuddha publisher, 1987.
·
Candawimala, Rerukane. Abhidharmartha sangrahaya. polgasovita: sikuru publisher,
2005.
·
Narada. A manual of Abhidhamma.
Taipei, Taiwan: Buddhist monastary society, 1979.
No comments:
Post a Comment