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Homage to the Blessed One, the Arahant, the Perfectly Enlightened One. In the Abhidhamma Piṭaka Named Aṭṭhasālinī Dhammasaṅgaṇī Commentary Beginning the Work Like compassion towards beings, the wisdom of the great sage; Flowed as he wished, in all knowable things. With mind uplifted by that compassion for beings; Residing in Tāvatiṃsa heaven, at the end of the miracles. At the foot of the Pāricchattaka tree, on the stone named Paṇḍukambala; Seated like the sun on Yugandhara. By thousands of world-systems, from all ten directions; Surrounded by a gathering of assembled devas. Having made his mother foremost, by the power of that wisdom; He set in motion the path of Abhidhamma discourse for the devas. Having bowed at the feet of that glorious Buddha; And having revered his true Dhamma, and made obeisance to the Saṅgha. By the power of this act of reverence, done to the Triple Gem; Having completely dried up all obstacles. By the bhikkhu Buddhaghosa, with pure conduct and morality; With subtle and stainless intellect, was earnestly requested. That which the God of Gods, having taught the devas, again; The Leader explained to the Elder Sāriputta. Having made the lake Anotatta, a place of attendance for the great sage; And that which having heard, that Elder brought to the earth. He proclaimed to the bhikkhus, thus it was held by the bhikkhus; Recited at the Saṅgīti, again by the sage of Videha. Of that Abhidhamma, deeply immersed in profound knowledge; Rich in diverse methods, from the beginning. That ancient commentary, by the great Kassapa and others, masters; Recited and re-recited, and later also by sages. Brought here by the Elder, the excellent Mahinda; Which to the island, was composed in the language of the island dwellers. Having removed from it that language, of the inhabitants of Tambapaṇṇi; Having raised it to a faultless language, in accordance with the textual method. Unmixed with the views of other schools, and unconfused; Clarifying the decisions of those dwelling in the Mahāvihāra. I will reveal the meaning, in the Agama and commentaries; Having taken what should be taken, To the wise and learned. All the meditation subjects, the practices, the higher knowledges, and insight, Since all these are explained in the Path of Purification, Therefore, without taking that, even with the entire collection, We will only make a word-by-word commentary. Thus, as I speak this, This discourse on the Abhidhamma, Listen attentively, For this discourse is rare. The Introductory Account Herein, in what sense is it Abhidhamma? In the sense of exceeding the Dhamma, of being a special Dhamma. The word "abhi" here indicates excess and distinction, as in "My painful feelings are intense, they increase, not decrease," and "of surpassing beauty." Therefore, just as among many raised umbrellas and flags, the umbrella that is of exceeding size and of special color and shape is called an "over-umbrella," and the flag that is of exceeding size and endowed with various attractive colors is called an "over-flag," and just as among many assembled princes and gods, the prince who is exceedingly superior and more distinguished in terms of birth, wealth, fame, and power is called an "over-prince," and the god who is exceedingly superior and more distinguished in terms of lifespan, beauty, power, and fame is called an "over-god," and in the same way, even such a Brahmā is called an "over-Brahmā," even so, this Dhamma is called "Abhidhamma" in the sense of exceeding the Dhamma, of being a special Dhamma. For in the Suttanta, the five aggregates are analyzed only partially, not completely; but in the Abhidhamma, they are analyzed completely according to the methods of questioning in the Suttanta division and the Abhidhamma division. Likewise, the twelve sense bases, the eighteen elements, the four truths, the twenty-two faculties, the twelve-linked dependent origination. Only in the analysis of the faculties is there no Suttanta division, and in dependent origination, there is no questioning. And in the Suttanta, the four foundations of mindfulness are only partially are distinguished, not incompletely; but having reached the Abhidhamma, they are distinguished completely by means of all three methods. Likewise, the four right efforts, the four bases of psychic power, the seven factors of enlightenment, the Noble Eightfold Path, the four jhānas, the four illimitables, the five precepts, the four kinds of analytical knowledge. Only here, in the analysis of the precepts, there is no Suttanta section. And having reached the Suttanta, knowledge is distinguished only in part, not completely; likewise, defilements. But having reached the Abhidhamma, by the method beginning with "knowledge-objects of one kind," after establishing the matrix, they are distinguished completely. Likewise, defilements by many methods, starting from one. And having reached the Suttanta, the distinction of the world-element is distinguished only in part, not completely; but having reached the Abhidhamma, the distinction of the world-element is distinguished completely by means of all three methods. Thus, it should be understood that the Abhidhamma is so called because it is the Dhamma that is additional and distinguished. In terms of the division into treatises, it stands as the seven treatises: the Dhammasaṅgaṇī, the Vibhaṅga, the Dhātukathā, the Puggalapaññatti, the Kathāvatthu, the Yamaka, and the Paṭṭhāna. This is the consistent account of the teachers here. But a sophist says: "Why is the Kathāvatthu included? Surely, it was established by Moggaliputtatissa Thera more than two hundred and eighteen years after the Parinibbāna of the Fully Enlightened One? Therefore, reject it because it is spoken by a disciple." "Then are the six treatises the Abhidhamma?" "I do not say so." "Then what do you say?" "The seven treatises." "Which do you include to make seven?" "There is something called the Mahādhammahadaya; with this, there are seven." "There is nothing new in the Mahādhammahadaya; only a few question-series remain; with the Kathāvatthu, there are seven." "No, not with the Kathāvatthu, there is something called the Mahādhātukathā; with that, there are seven." "There is nothing new in the Mahādhātukathā; only a small amount of text These are the remaining ones. Along with the *Kathāvatthu*, seven in total. For the Sammāsambuddha, while teaching the seven treatises, upon reaching the *Kathāvatthu*, established the framework with the eight openings of argument based on the two sets of five questions in the chapter on the person, and with the Pāli just enough for an incomplete recitation section in all the paths of argument. This is it: "Is a person found in truth and ultimate reality?" "Yes." "Is that person found in truth and ultimate reality from the truth and ultimate reality?" "That should not be said. Understand the refutation…pe… Is a person not found in truth and ultimate reality?" "Yes." "Is that person not found in truth and ultimate reality from the truth and ultimate reality?" "That should not be said. Understand the refutation…pe…. Everywhere is a person found, everywhere is a person not found, always is a person found, always is a person not found, in all is a person found, in all is a person not found in truth and ultimate reality" (Kathā. 15-16). Thus, the Teacher established it by showing the first refutation based on the first argument, the second based on the second…pe… the eighth based on the eighth. In this way, the establishment of the framework should be understood everywhere. While establishing this framework, he established it having seen this: "At the end of two hundred and eighteen years from my passing away, a monk named Moggalliputtatissa Thera, sitting among a thousand monks, combining five hundred suttas in his own doctrine and five hundred in opposing doctrines, will expound the *Kathāvatthu* treatise, the size of the Dīgha Nikāya." Moggalliputtatissa Thera also, while teaching this treatise, did not teach it by his own knowledge, but taught it by the method given by the Teacher, by the established framework. Thus, because it was taught by the method given by the Teacher, this entire treatise became known as the Buddha's own words. Just as... What like the Honeycomb Sutta and others? In the Honeycomb Sutta, the Blessed One, "From what source, bhikkhu, do perception-and-proliferation assail a man? If there is nothing here to welcome, nothing to approve, nothing to adhere to, this is the end of the underlying tendency to lust," having established this topic, rose from his seat and entered the monastery. The bhikkhus who received the Dhamma approached the Venerable Mahākaccāna, and asked the meaning of the topic established by the Ten-Powered One. The Elder, without speaking immediately upon being asked, to show respect for the Ten-Powered One, "Just as, friend, a man seeking heartwood, searching for heartwood," brought forth the simile of heartwood, like the heartwood tree is the Blessed One, the disciples are like branches and leaves, "For the Blessed One, friend, knowing, knows; seeing, sees; He is vision, he is knowledge, he is Dhamma, he is Brahma, the speaker, the proclaimer, the guide to meaning, the giver of the Deathless, the lord of the Dhamma, the Tathāgata," having praised the Teacher, and repeatedly urged by the elders, having explained the meaning of the topic established by the Teacher, "If you wish, venerable ones, you might approach the Blessed One himself and question him about this matter. If it agrees and accords with the knowledge of the All-Knowing One, accept it; if not, do not accept it," with this intention, "As the Blessed One explains it to you, so should you remember it," he dismissed them. They approached the Teacher and asked. The Teacher, without saying that Kaccāna spoke badly, as if raising a golden statue, lifted his neck,