Origin of Abihidhamma

The Theravāda orthodoxy, nonetheless, based on the Atthasālinī (Buddhaghosa’s commentary to the 1st book of Abhidhamma), holds the popular traditional view that Buddha himself was the first ābhidhammika, adding that in the fourth week after His enlightenment, Buddha contemplated the seven books of the Abhidhamma-piṭaka. The commentary further mentions that prior to his 7th annual rainy retreats, Buddha, having ascended to the Tāvatiṁsa heaven, preached the Abhidhamma at a full stretch of three months to the gods assembled from ten thousand world systems headed by his mother goddess Mahāmāyā Devī. The reason for this is that in order to have a complete picture of Abhidhamma, it should be taught unceasingly from the beginning to the end; and only the gods, it is said, could remain in one position for full three months. Being human, however, Buddha came down onto earth for his midday meals leaving behind a self-created image of himself to continue the session in his absence. While on earth, He met Ven. Sāriputta and transmitted the Abhidhamma to him who in return taught to his own set of disciples. Subsequently, the Abhidhamma was retained in an oral transmission for generations up until the final writing down of the Tipiṭaka in Sri Lanka in the 1st century B.C.

Bhikkhu KL Dhammajoti, referring to the Abhidhamma-pitaka as the last of the Tipiṭaka, says, without coming to a specific conclusion regarding the origin of Abhidhamma, ‘this very probably reflects the historical fact that the Abhidharma texts were evolved and compiled as a piṭaka later than the other two’. Here if it was so, then it was also logical to conclude that the Vinaya-piṭaka was composed later than the Sutta-piṭaka for, the former position comes after the latter. However, from the ongoing discussion we are aware that the Sutta- and the Vinaya-piṭakas were recited almost simultaneously at the first Buddhist council. It was only a matter of naming the piṭakas rather than determining their respective origins by their traditional sequence.

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 theVaṁsakathās 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 Mahāgosiṅgasutta of the Majjhima Nikāya refers to monks like Venerables Sāriputta, Mahākassapa,Moggallāna and so on engaged in ‘abhidhammakathā’ in the form of questioning and answering.

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.

Similarly we find ‘vedalla-kathā’ – also a question and answering session on doctrinal issues either between the Buddha and disciples or among the disciples themselves. Accordingly, the Māhāvedallsutta and Cūlavedallasutta of Majjhima Nikāya are a testament to this category.

Further, in the Suttanta we also find ‘Vibhaṅga (exposition)-methodological teachings in brief and summarized manner which are to be further elaborated on either by Buddha himself or by a proficient disciple.

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.

Thus, mātikas found in the Suttanta are considered to have served as a major basis for the development and origin of the Abhidhamma-pitaka. This is further pushed forward by the fact that ‘…in the ancient triple designations given to the specialists of the Buddhist Canon – vinaya-dhāras, sutta-dhāras, (and) mātika-dhāras’ were mentioned instead of abhidhamma-dhāras for the last one. Therefore, it is highly logical that Abhidhamma could have resulted from the further elaboration and systematization of such mātika-type teachings already found in the Suttanta and to a lesser extent the Vinaya-piṭaka.

E.J.Tomas saya that term Abhidhamma now applied to the list of subjects discuss in the class of abhidhamma but also use  as synome of abhidhamma.

Given the highly technical, profound and penetrative teachings contained in the Abhidhamma-piṭaka, often said to be the philosophical, psychological & ethical teachings of the Buddha, it, (the Abhidhamma-piṭaka) is unmistakably the genius work produced by enlightened persons or person, a Buddha or a person equal to Buddha. This is supported by Nārada when he says, ‘whoever the great author or authors of the Abhidhammamay have been, it has to be admitted that he or they had intellectual genius comparable only to that of the Buddha’ . Even though Abhidhamma is said to surpass the Suttanta, the vohāra-vacana, it is certainly not suggested that one is inferior or superior to the other. Both differs only in the scope of exposition and method but both have the enlightenment potentiality – the door to nibbāna, for Buddha’s teachings have only one taste – the taste of nibbāna, the apex of Buddhist spiritual practice.

Prof.Oliver Abenayaka says that It is true that Abhidhamma can find in Sutta pitaka but that does not mean about Abhidhamma pitaka.

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.