English
The Abhidhammattha Sangaha and its Tika Vibhavini occupy an unrivalled position as a guide to students of The Abhidhamma or metaphysics of Buddhism. The author of the work was the Venerable Anuruddha, who lived in Tanjore in Southern India, about 953 years after The Buddha attained Parinibbana and was thus a contemporary of the famous commen- tator Venerable Buddhaghosa. The same author wrote two other works, the Namarfipa-pariccheda and the Paramartha- Vinischaya. Though various commentaries on The Abhidhammattha Sangaha, written by learned Bhikkus both in Ceylon and in India, are extant, it is universally admitted by learned men in Ceylon and in Burma, that in discrimination none can compare with the Vibhavini Tika. The authorship of this commentary is ascribed to The Venerable Sumangala who also wrote The Abhidhammattha Vikasini a commentary on The Abhidhamma- vatara. This Venerable Sumangala was a pupil of The Venerable Maha Sariputta of the Jetawana Temple in Polonnoruwa, to whom we owe the Sarartha-dipani, the commentary on the Vinaya. A student who receives instruction from an Abhidhamma scholar in the Abhidhammattha Sangaha and The Vibhavini i lO Tika, will find no difficulty in understanding all the Severn books on Abhidhamma and all their commentaries, without the assistance of a tutor. SYMBOLS SHOWING PRONUNCIATION OF WORDS. — long as in art as in panfia (Oci^) t as in to t as in thought bh as in bhavo (ft3®S)o) ch as in cha (Cf ) c as in citta (®eX53) d as in dosa (®^CS) tth as in atthakatha (adbtS^dj) tth as in paramattha (Od2)SS)) th as in tatha (GDcSd) dh as in atthadha (^^3)) e as in evan (C50o) u as in uttaran ((^C5C5do) yu as in Sampayutta (OOSCcgc^S^j) n as in atulan (qpCgCJo) jh as in tatramajjhattata (ca^^ct^C^C^OD) kh as in cakkhu (©t5:g) ph as in phasso (O<©caC03) INTRODUCTORY. NAMO TASSA BHACAVATO ARAHATO SAMMA SAMBUDDHASSA. Honour to the Exalted One, the Arahant Buddha Supreme ! Samma Sambuddha "* matulan ^ sasaddhamma ganuttaman ^ Abhivadiya bhasissan Abhidhammattha sangahpn ^ Tattha vuttabhidhammattha catuddha paramatthatd ^ Chittan ^ cetasikan '^ riapan ^ nibbanamiti ^ sabbatha <?t9t)3(?ce QS5j©cxso <]p^c)S®Qe) a^QOo With reverence I salute the peerless Buddha, the Law of Righteousness, and the Fraternity of supreme worth. Now I will speak in concise summaries of things contained in Abhi- dhamma-lore. These things are set forth in their ultimate sense as four categories vi^. (i) Consciousness (citta) (2) Mental properties (cetasika (3) Matter (rOpa) and (4) Nibbana. Notes i . Paramatthata (:3d®S©®e5o) is explained by the Ceylon Commentator as sammutin thapetva nibbattita paramatthavasena •( C0e;§f9o ct)©Ot^3 ^^^&f^tSi od®^S2)©®20 >— m an abstract or ultimate sense, avoiding the conventional usage. Notes 2. Sasaddhamma ganuttaman (00 00©^)® cS5-€geX55®o) is the truth of the Ariyans, that which always remains unchanged in the highest and ultimate sense deserving of honour and reverence, ^nd existing in the mind of only the Ariyans amongst the Devas and men. 12 Notes 3. Atulah (^t^^o) having no other equal in respect of moraHty, concentration, and insight. Notes 4. Samma Sambuddhan (flOS®)a^§S)c) is the exalted and enhghtened one who reahzcd all states and phenomena both conditioned and unconditioned without any help from others, and solely through the practice of the Ten Paramitas, on the completion of which he was able to attain Nibbana through three channels of emanicipation, the three salient marks being realized at the same time. Notes 5. Abhidhammattha sangahan (C]p<S©®®?50 aa)2dQDo) is a com- pendium of philosophy preached by the Enlightened One and embodied in the seven books of Abhidhamma Pitaka in such analysis as kusala, akusala, aggregates, ayatanas, elements,, controlling powers etc. Notes 6. Cittan (§e^e55o) is the aggregate of consciousness which is differentiated into 89 or 121 classes. The function of conscious- ness, thought, or mind is the discernment of objects. Although there are other correlations, the principle one is the correlation of object, which is responsible for the origination of a state of consciousness, without which a thought can never arise. Cons- ciousness is differentiated into 89 or 121 classes according to the mental properties or concomitants coexistent with it. Notes 7. Cetasikan (®§)03 8®o) is a mental state or property. There are in all 52 cetasikas. Feeling or vedana is one, Perception or sahna. is another. The remaining fifty mental states are collectively called — Sankhara or volitional activities. There are in all 52 cetasikas or mental concomitants such as contact, feelings 13 perception, volition, etc. The difference may be illustrated by a mixture containing several ingredients, the water being compared to the citta, ($t55e>) and cetasikas (®£a 8 S3) to the several ingredients. Of the two the principal one is the citta (€t550) ) as in ** Mano pubbangama Dhamma " ( ®<52fl9 Q^-^®)3cDS®3). Mind is the forerunner of mental states. Mental concomitants cannot arise without consciousness. Notes. 8. Rupan (d^Co) is matter which consists of the four great essen- tials and the 24 other material qualities derived therefrom. It is so called because it changes by reason of physical conditions as heat and cold. Although there is change in immaterial qualities too, they are not called ROpa (d^c) as the change is imperceptible, and subtle, and only the material qualities are called rtipa (d^o) because the change is perceptible and apparent in them. Notes 9. Nibbana (s^ES) 3 20) is the unconditioned state that becomes the object of the transcendental or supramundane classes of consciousness arising in the four paths and four fruits, Vana (®02$5) is craving Transcending the vana (®a20) is Nirvana (tft£)3a3) or Nibbana (6fi6)D253). It is the extinction or annihilation of the fire of lust, hate, and delusion. H 15 PART I. Chapter I Planes of consciousness Of these, first, consciousness is four-fold vi^. — (i) Consciousness as experienced in Kamaloka^. (2) Consciousness as experienced in Rupaloka. (3) Consciousness as experienced in Arupaloka. (4) Transcendental (supramundane) consciousness. Note i . Consciousness as experienced in Kamaloka (n3®3©©d ■©0>05o) is derived from Kame avacaratlti (SSij®® (^B€>5iS^fQ) — " that which moves about in, haunts, frequents the Kamaloka (S5o®®(59) and is applied to all classes of Kama consciousness whether of experience on occasion of sense stimulation or of re- presentative cognition, volition etc. Kama is either (i) that which desires, Kametiti Kamo (ca3®®lSt9 ta3®®9) or (2) that which is desired Kamlyatiti Kamo (aoa^oB xStStOJ®^)^). The former is subjective and the latter is objective, the latter may refer to the pleasures derived from sense, or to the eleven grades of Kamaloka life, where such pleasures prevail. These eleven consist o( (a) the four infra-human forms of existence vi^, states of misery, the world of Petas, the world of Asuras, and the animal kingdom. {b) in birth as human beings (f) and the six heavens of the devas. Hence there is no one English equivalent or adequate word for Kamavacara (S33)i98d) or Kamaloka (S®(50fi5)). (Therefore the word Kamaloka and for equivalent reasons, Rupaloka and Arupaloka will be retained.). Summary of Classes of Consciousness. Classes of Consciousness in the four worlds are as follows : — As experienced in Kamaloka \ do Rupaloka I Worldly do Arupaloka j Transcendental or Supramundane 54 15 12 _8 I (i) Consciousness as experienced in Kamaloka. (a) Types of Immoral Consciousness (h) do Resultant Consciousness (from past ill deeds) (r) do Resultant consciousness (from past good deeds) (^ do Ineffective consciousness (as to future result) Ahetuka (^©Wt^tSi) unconditioned Consciousness of the Beautiful. (a) Great types of Moral Consciousness (b) Great type of Moral Consciousness Resultant (c) Great types of Ineffective Consciousness (2) Consciousness as experienced in Rupaloka.