Make an account on Abhidhamma characteristics as depicted in Saṅgītisutta and Dasuttarasutta in Dīghanikāya

Abhidhamma Literature

(Course code: -)

Make an account on Abhidhamma characteristics as depicted in Saṅgītisutta and Dasuttarasutta in Dīghanikāya

(Assignment 01)

Lecturer:

Name: Student Number: Date: 30th Octomber 2015

Contents

1.     Introduction

2.     History of Abhidhamma

                                                                      I.            Derivation of Term “Abhidhamma”

                                                                   II.            The origin of Abhidhamma

3.     Development of Abhidhamma

                                                                I.            Early Abhidhamma

                                                             II.            Fundamental Abhidhamma

                                                          III.            Middle Abhidhamma

4.     Abhidhamma as a Piṭaka

5.     Abhidhamma characteristics depicted in Suttapiṭaka

                                                             I.            The summary of Saṅgῑtisutta

                                                          II.            The summary of Dasuttarasutta

                                                       III.            Abhidhamma characteristics depicted in Saṅgῑtisutta and Dasuttarasutta

6.     Writer’s Critical View

7.     Conclusion

8.     Bibliography 

Introduction

The Buddha’s precious Dhamma has categorized into three parts in Tripiṭaka as Suttapiṭaka, Vinayapiṭaka and Abhidhammapiṭaka. To identify differences among these three and its characteristics, definitions of commentaries are very important.

First Piṭaka is Suttapiṭaka. The commentary Samantapāsādikā define Sutta Piṭaka as below.

“Atthānam sūcanato, suvuttato ca savanato ca sudanato ca, suttānā suttasabhāgato ca, suttam suttanti akkhātam”

Because of denote the meaning well, promulgate the meaning well, can listen well, and use as a thread to collect various suttas in to one line, suttas named as sutta.

The word Vinaya derived like this, vi + naya, the prefix “vi” give the meaning of especial, the word “naya” means precepts which were enacted by Buddha such patimokkha, uddessa, parajika etc. Usual meaning of the word Vinaya is discipline. In vinaya piṭaka commentary Samantapasadika it mentioned as,

“vividhavisesa nayatta vinayanato ceva kayavaacaanam

Vinayattha vidhuuhi vinayo vinayoti akkhato”

“Because there include various especial precepts and discipline the body and word, expert on vinaya named vinaya as “vinaya”.

According Pārājikāpāli the Buddha proclaimed ten purposes of enacting vinaya. According to that purpose of vinaya not only discipline of body and word, but also survive of Buddhism and progress of the Saṅga community.

         

Third and most important Piṭaka in this work is Ahbhidhamma Piṭaka. After the Lord Buddha’s extinction gradually originated various schools in the Sanga community. These all schools had Tripiṭaka and their own Abhidhamma Piṭaka. But only Sarvastivadin and Theravadins had complete Abhidhamma Piṭaka. Today remains only Chinese and Tibetan translation of Sarvastivadin’s Abhidhamma Piṭaka and original Sanskrit Abhidhamma piṭaka cannot find. Theravada has their own original pali Abhidhamma texts completely.

 

However, when examine the characteristics of Abhidhamma, it seems that some of characteristics can be seen in Suttas in Suttapiṭaka too. Saṅgītisutta and Dasuttarasutta are specific suttas can be mentioned in that sector.

Through this assignment, my aim is to elucidate it more widely with commentary references.      

History of Abhidhamma

I.      Derivation of Term “Abhidhamma”

Abhidhamma which we normally believe that exceptionally subtle, deep, difficult to comprehend, and vast in scope or the deepest Dhamma of the Buddha. The 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 Atthasālini, the word “Abhi” has been given five meanings such as,

1. Vuddhi           -growth
2. Salakkhana    -with own characteristic
3. Pèjita             -revered
4. Pariccinna     -well classified
5. Adhika         -excellent or extra[1]

Ven. Buddhaghosa mentioned in Atthasalini, the Abhidhamma means,

“Tattha kenatthena abhidhammo dhammatireka dhammavisesattha” [2]

(Which can translate as the extra Dhamma or distinguish Dhamma is called as Abhidhamma.)

II.      The origin of Abhidhamma

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.

Development of Abhidhamma

Early Abhidhamma

There are three main characteristics in Early Abhidhamma

1.      They annotated and explained the sutta texts and gave definitions and explanations of terminology.

2.      They arranged and classified numerical doctrines according to numerals.

3.      They systematized the doctrines preached in the suttas and established a consistent method of practice.

Fundamental Abhidhamma

In this era, Abhidhamma independently developed as a Pitaka. Fundamental books of Abhidhamma wrote in this era. Time line of this era may since 3.B.C to 1 century A.C. Still abhidhamma consisted of explanation and interpretations of the Sutta. 

Middle Abhidhamma

Abhidhamma studies became abstract and objectively, and the study for the sake of practice which had been traditional. Since original Buddhism became the study for the sake of theory. In original Buddhism and the early Abhidhamma matter and mind were synthetically classified by such categories as five aggregates etc,  but in this middle period all forms were existence categorized into five groups as, Citta, cetasika, rupa, cittavippayuttadhamma, asankhatadhamma.

Abhidhamma as a Piṭaka

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 3^rd century B.C. and the literature of Abhidhamma can be divided into five stages as follows.

1.      Abhidhamma Pitaka             - Canon (7 books)

2.      AtthakathŒ                            - Commentaries (3 books)

3.      T´kŒ                                       - Sub-Commentaries (2 books)

4.      SangahakathŒ                        - Compendiums on Abhidhamma (9 books)

5.      SangahakathŒ TikŒ               -  Sub-commentaries on compendiums

1.      Canonical Abhidhamma (7) books

According to the Theravada tradition, there are seven books of Abhidhamma. Those are,

1.         Dhammasaögan´          -           enumeration of phenomena    

2.         Vibhaöga                     -           the book of analysis

3.         KathŒvatthu                -           the book on elements

4.         Puggalapa––atti          -           the book on human types

5.         DhŒtukathŒ                 -           the book of points of controversy

6.         Yamaka                       -           the book of pairs

7.         PatthŒna                      -           the book of conditional relations

2. Commentarial Abhidhamma (3) books

                 Ven. Buddhaghosa the great commentator came to Sri Lanka in the fifth century A.D. and wrote the commentary on the seventh book of Abhidhamma. They are as follows.

1.      Atthasālinī                      - the commentary to the Dhammasanganī

2.      Sammohavinodanī         - the commentary to the Vibhanga and

3.      Pancappakaranatthakathā - the combined commentary to the other last five treatises

3. Abhidhamma Sub-commentarial literature (2) books

                               I.            Mūla Tika written by Acariya Ananda vanaratana

                            II.            Anutika  written by Ven. Ananda’s pupil Dhammapala

The Abhidhamma Piṭaka contains the profound moral psychology and philosophy of the Buddha's teaching, in contrast to the simpler discourses in the Sutta Piṭaka. The knowledge gained from the sutta can certainly help us in overcoming our difficulties, as well as in developing our moral conduct and training the mind. Having such knowledge will enable one to lead a life which is peaceful, respectable, harmless and noble. By listening to the discourses, we develop understanding of the Dhamma and can mould our daily lives accordingly. The concepts behind certain words and terms used in the Sutta Piṭaka are, however, subject to changes and should be interpreted within the context of the social environment prevailing at the Buddha's time. The concepts used in the sutta are like the conventional words and terms lay people use to express scientific subjects. While concepts in the sutta are to be understood in the conventional sense, those used in the Abhidhamma must be understood in the ultimate sense. The concepts expressed in the Abhidhamma are like the precise scientific words and terms used by scientists to prevent misinterpretations.

It is only in the Abhidhamma that explanations are given on how and at which mental beats a person can create good and bad karmic thoughts, according to his desires and other mental states. Clear explanations of the nature of the different mental faculties and precise analytical interpretations of the elements can be found in this important collection of discourses.

Understanding the Dhamma through the knowledge gained from the sutta is like the knowledge acquired from studying the prescripti0ons for different types of sicknesses. Such knowledge when applied can certainly help to cure certain types of sicknesses. On the other hand, a qualified physician, with his precise knowledge, can diagnose a wider range of sicknesses and discover their causes. This specialized knowledge puts him in a better position to prescribe more effective remedies. Similarly, a person who has studied the Abhidhamma can better understand the nature of the mind and analysis the mental attitudes which cause a human being to commit mistakes and develop the will to avoid evil.

The Abhidhamma teaches that the egoistic beliefs and other concepts such as 'I', "you", 'man' and 'the world', which we use in daily conversation, do not adequately describe the real nature of existence. The conventional concepts do not reflect the fleeting nature of pleasures, uncertainties, impermanence of every component thing, and the conflict among the elements and energies intrinsic in all animate or inanimate things. The Abhidhamma doctrine gives a clear exposition of the ultimate nature of man and brings the analysis of the human condition further than other studies known to man.

The Abhidhamma deals with realities existing in the ultimate sense, or paramattha dhamma in Pali. There are four such realities:

Citta, mind or consciousness, defined as 'that which knows or experiences' an object. Citta occurs as distinct momentary states of consciousness.

Cetasika, the mental factors that arise and occur along with the citta.                      

Rupa, physical phenomenon or material form.

Nibbana, the unconditioned state of bliss which is the final goal.

Citta, the cetasika, and rupa are conditioned realities. They arise because of conditions sustaining them cease to continue to do so. They are impermanent states. Nibbana, on the other hand, is an unconditioned reality. It does not arise and, therefore, does not fall away. These four realities can be experienced regardless of the names we may choose to give them. Other than these realities, everything _ be it within ourselves or without, whether in the past, present or future, whether coarse or subtle, low or lofty, far or near _ is a concept and not an ultimate reality.

Citta, cetisaka(?), and Nibbana are also called nama. Nibbana is an unconditioned nama. The two conditioned nama, that is, cita and cetasika, together with rupa (form), make up psychophysical organisms, including human beings. Both mind and matter, or nama-rupa, are analysed in Abhidhamma as though under a microscope. Events connected with the process of birth and death are explained in detail. The Abhidhamma clarifies intricate points of the Dhamma and enables the arising of an understanding of reality, thereby setting forth in clear terms the Path of Emancipation. The realization we gain from the Abhidhamma with regard to our lives and the world is not in a conventional sense, but absolute reality.

Abhidhamma characteristics depicted in Suttapiṭaka

Summary of Saṅgῑtisutta

This is thirty third sutta of the Digha Nikaya (D.iii.207ff), preached at Ubbhataka, the new Mote Hall of the Mallas of Pava. They had invited the Buddha to consecrate it by preaching there, and this he did until late into the night. Then, seeing that his audience wished for more, he asked Sariputta to continue the preaching while he himself rested. Sariputta therefore preached the Sangiti Sutta, at the end of which the Buddha expressed his great appreciation of Sariputtas exposition.

This sutta, like the Dasuttara sutta, is arranged in a new plan, which is regularly followed in the Anguttara Nikaya of grouping the points or chief items brought forward, numerically, in arithmetical progression - in this case 1 to 10. This scheme is a kind of thematic index to the doctrines scattered through the Four Nikayas.

The Sarvastivadins held this Sutta in high esteem, and included it (under the name of Sangitipariyaya) among the seven books constituting their Abhidhamma Piṭaka. The Tibetan recensions attribute the Sutta to Maha Kotthita. The sutta treats of the dasadhamma (or ten conditions) in much the same way as the Puggala Pannatti deals with the dasapuggala (ten individuals).

Summary of Dasuttarasutta

Dasuttara Sutta is the 34th or the last Sutta of Digha Nikaya preached by the Chief Disciple Most Ven. Sariputta at the Gaggarāpokkharani in Campā, in the presence of the Lord Buddha. It is said that at the end of the discourse five hundred monks became Arahants. 

The Sutta consists of groups of doctrines – ten single doctrines, ten twofold doctrines, and so on up to ten tenfold. The Sutta is mentioned as describing the pārisuddhipadhāniyanga.

The Abhidhamma characteristics depicted in the Saṅgītisutta and Dasuttarasutta

Saṅgῑti sutta

“Abhidhamme abhivinaye udārapāmojjā”

“Mind & Matter, Classification of things or Dhamma”

The balance of the sutta – thirty pages in Walshe’s English translation – consists of a rehearsal of principles arranged in 230 numbered sets of items starting with groups of one and ending with groups of ten things. Thus, Sariputta speaks the balance of this sutta with the Buddha’s approval.

The principles were chanted as follows:

• Two sets of one thing;
• 33 sets of two things;
• 60 sets of three things;
• 50 sets of four things;
• 26 sets of five things;
• 22 sets of six things;
• 14 sets of seven things;
• 11 sets of eight things;
• six sets of nine things; and
• six sets of ten things.

There are therefore 1,010 principles summarized in this short text – an amazing number that we cannot possibly cover in the next hour. In fact, there are even more principles implied than this, because this list includes references to other groups, such as three unwholesome roots, four foundations of mindfulness, five aggregates, and many more. To attempt to cover it all would allow us just three and a half seconds per item. Nor can we meaningfully discuss the ten groups, because their only relationship with each other is the number of items in that group. This ingenious method, however, allowed the dharma to be passed on from generation to generation in an extremely succinct and comprehensive manner.

Dasuttara sutta

In this sutta, Sariputta is staying at the lotus pond of Gaggara in Campa, in the territory of the Angas. Here Sariputta classifies the dharma into ten sets of ten things, much as in the previous sutta. In fact, this sutta appears to be a distillation of the principles of the previous sutta. These things are inherently and absolutely true (says Sariutta), perfectly realized by the Tathagata. Here however there are “only” 550 items. Walshe points out that about 70% of these items overlap with the items listed in the previous sutta, for which reason we are discussing them together. However, it is still impossible to discuss each principle in the six and a half seconds that would be allowed, so the following should be regarded as a simplification with minimal elaboration.

The organization of the ten sets of things in sutta 34 follows a consistent logic: 

Wisdom

1. Which things greatly help?
2. Which things are to be developed?
3. Which things are to be thoroughly known?

Morality

4. Which things are to be abandoned?
5. Which things conduce to diminution?

Meditation

6. Which things conduce to distinction?
7. Which things are hard to penetrate?
8. Which things are to be made to arise?
9. Which things are to be thoroughly learnt?
10. Which things are to be realized?

You can see the logic of the progression from things that help to things that are to realized, which makes this list far more accessible than the one in sutta 33. In fact, the series of items may be seen as a summary recapitulation of the path itself. Items 1-3 clearly constitute a group, followed by items 4 and 5, and finally items 6 through 10, thus constituting three groups corresponding roughly to knowledge, morality, and finally meditation or spiritual praxis. Items 1, 2, 3, 6, 8, 9, and 10 have a positive character, whereas items 4, 5 and 7 have a negative cast. 4 and 5 also appear to be opposites of each other.

Each set of ten addresses each of these items by including an increasing number of one, two, three, etc. items. Perhaps by cross-referencing each of these groups of things we can gain a summary insight into the Buddhadharma. This will give us 55 principles in each category.

The following summary is a simplification of the items presented in the sutta, so each group may not appear to add up to exactly ten items. I have simplified the list in order to make it more accessible.

We could summarized those principles in to ten as this.

1. Things that Greatly Help: Tirelessness in wholesome states, mindfulness, clear awareness, association with good people, hearing the true dharma, dharma practice in its entirety, a favorable place of residence, perfect development of one’s personality, past meritorious acts, factors of endeavor, wisdom in the fundamentals of the holy life, wise consideration, and protective things.

2. Things to Be Developed: Mindfulness of the body with pleasure, calm, insight, concentration, foundations of mindfulness, factors of enlightenment, the Noble Eightfold Path, effort toward perfect purity, and absorption in the objects of concentration.

3. Things to Be Thoroughly Known: Contact, mind-body, feelings, nutriments, aggregates of grasping, sense-spheres, stations of consciousness, worldly conditions, and abodes of beings.

4. Things to Be Abandoned: Ego-conceit, ignorance, cravings, the hindrances, latent proclivities, and the wrong eightfold path plus wrong knowledge and wrong liberation.

5. Things Conducive to Diminution: Unwise attention, roughness, friendship with evil, unwholesome roots, attachments, mental blockages, disrespect, wrong practices, indolence, malice, and unwholesome courses of action.

6. Things Conducive to Distinction: Wise attention, gentleness, friendship with the good, wholesome roots, freedom from attachments, respect, right practices, effort, overcoming malice, and wholesome courses of action.

7. Things Hard to Penetrate: Concentration, the root of the defilement and purification of beings, the elements of deliverance, qualities of the True Person, inopportune times for leading the holy life, ontological differentiation, and the noble dispositions.

8. Things to Be Made to Arise: Unshakeable knowledge, the destruction of the defilements, knowledge of past, present, and future, knowledge of the Four Noble Truths, knowledge of right concentration, stability, perception, and thoughts of a Great Person.

9. Things to Be Thoroughly Learnt: Nutriment, the conditioned and unconditioned, the elements, the Four Noble Truths, the bases of deliverance, the grounds for commendation, the states of mastery, successive abiding’s, and the causes of wearing away.

10. Things to Be Realized: Unshakeable deliverance of mind, knowledge and liberation, knowledge of karma, the fruits of the ascetic life, the branches of dharma and knowledge and vision of liberation, the super knowledge’s, the powers of an arhant, the jhanas, and the Noble Eightfold Path plus knowledge and right liberation.

Writer’s Critical View

At the time of the first council, Suttapiṭaka and Vinayapiṭaka was compiled. Cullavaggapāli mentioned about Ven. Mahākassapa’s statement as,

“Handa mayaṃ āvuso dhammañca vinayañca saṅgāyāma”

 As well as five Nikāyas of Suttapiṭaka also complied separately at the same time. In that sense, Sangītisutta and Dasuttarasutta may have exist at the time of the 1st council as two suttas of Dīghanikāya as suttas which included Abhidhammic characteristics. So it elaborates that Abhidhammic characteristics are not a new concept to the early Buddhism.

Abhidhamma came in to exist as a piṭaka as a result of third Buddhist council. There might be arguments about the authority of Abhidhamma but according to my personal view, when examine the structure of  Dasuttara Sutta and Saṅgīti sutta which sililar to Mātika derivation in Abhidhamma, these suttas might be the beginning point of Abhidhamma classifications in Abhidhamma Piṭaka.

Conclusion

Sangiti Sutta and Dasuttra sutta shows the characteristics of the beginning of the Abhidhamma. In the Sangiti Sutta contains a long list of 903 dhammas in 227 different types arranged in numerical order of ones, pairs, and triads and up to ten. In the Dasuttara Sutta the listing of the doctrinal categories is made not only on their numerical order, but also in concern of their specific nature.  There have depicted the Abhidhammic characteristics such like mind and mater, classification of things (Dhamma). The Abhidhamma clarifies intricate points of the Dhamma and enables the arising of an understanding of reality, thereby setting forth in clear terms the Path of Emancipation. The realization we gain from the Abhidhamma with regard to our lives and the world is not in a conventional sense, but absolute reality.

Bibliography

Primary resources

ü  D iii, 1978, London, PTS

ü  D iii, 1978, London, PTS

ü  CV, 1978, London, PTS

ü  Attasālinī the commentary of Digha Nikaya, Ven. Buddhaghosa

ü  Samantapāsādika the commentary of Vinaya Pitaka, Ven. Buddhaghosa

Secondary resources

ü  Bhikkhu, Bodhi. Comprehensive Manual of Abhidhamma. Kandy, Srilanka: Buddhist publication society, 2006.

ü  Chandawimala, Rerukane. Abhidharma margaya. Boralesgamuwa: prabuddha publisher, 1987.

ü  Candawimala, Rerukane. Abhidharmartha sangrahaya. polgasovita: sikuru publisher, 2005.

ü  Narada. A manual of Abhidhamma. Taipei, Taiwan: Buddhist monastary society, 1979.

ü  S.K.N. in Encyclopedia of Buddhism, Vol. IV. Pp.696-702

ü  http//www.accesstoinsight.org/ptf/dhamma/sacca/sacca4/samma- sankappo/index.html

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[1] Introduction of Atthasalini

[2] Atthasalini by Ven.Buddhaghosa