Anālayo

The Dawn of Abhidharma

Hamburg Buddhist Studies 2
Series editor: Michael Zimmermann
Anālayo

The Dawn of Abhidharma

Hamburg University Press

Publishing house of the Hamburg State and University Library
Carl von Ossietzky
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Contents

List of Figures 7
Foreword 9
Michael Zimmermann
Introduction 11
1 Reciting the Dharma and the Functions of Lists 15
1.1 The First Saṅgīti at Rājagṛha 15
1.2 Mātṛkā and Abhidharma 21
1.3 Summaries of the Dharma 29
1.4 The Seven Sets 49
2 Wisdom and Early Canonical Abhidharma 55
2.1 Wisdom and the Elements 55
2.2 The Term Abhidharma 69
2.3 Canonical Commentary 79
2.4 Early Canonical Abhidharma 86
3 Meditative Analysis and Omniscience 91
3.1 The Analysis of the Four Noble Truths 91
3.2 The Analysis of Absorption 100
3.3 The Buddha’s Awakening 110
3.4 The Buddha and Omniscience 117
4 Awakening and the Authentication of the Abhidharma 129
4.1 The Supramundane Path 129
4.2 The Path to Awakening 142
4.3 The Need for Authentication 148
4.4 The Buddha in the Heaven of the Thirty-three 156
Conclusion 167
Abbreviations 173
References 175
Index 219
List of Figures

Figure 1.1: Siddhārtha Learns Writing 25

Figure 1.2: Saṅgīti-sūtra Fragment 30
Figure 1.3: The Buddha’s Passing Away 48
Figure 2.1: The Twin Miracle 57
Figure 2.2: Mahāprajāpatī Requests Ordination 75
Figure 2.3: Punishment in Hell 85
Figure 3.1: The Stūpa of Śāriputra 108
Figure 3.2: Turning the Wheel of Dharma 115
Figure 3.3: Jain Tīrthaṅkara 124
Figure 4.1: Sujātā’s Offering 145
Figure 4.2: The Buddha’s Descent from Heaven 159
Figure 4.3: The Transmission of the Abhidhamma to Sāriputta 162
Foreword

About Hamburg Buddhist Studies

Buddhism has enjoyed a prominent place in the study of Asian religious

ideas at the University of Hamburg for almost 100 years, ever since the
birth of Buddhist Studies in Germany. We are proud that our pro-
gramme is housed in one of the pioneering academic institutions in
Europe at which the study of Buddhism has become a core subject for
students focusing on the religious dimensions of South and Central Asia.
With this publication series, the Numata Center for Buddhist Studies
at the University of Hamburg aims to honour this long-standing com-
mitment to research and share the results of this tradition with the aca-
demic community and the wider public. Today, Buddhist Studies as an
academic discipline makes use of a broad variety of approaches and
methods. The field covers contemporary issues as much as it delves into
the historic aspects of Buddhism. Similarly, the questions shaping the
field of Buddhist Studies have broadened. Understanding present-day
Buddhist phenomena, and how such phenomena are rooted in a distant
past, is not a matter of indulgence. Rather, it has become clear that
fostering such an understanding is one of the many crucial obligations
of modern multicultural societies in a globalized world.
Buddhism is one of the great human traditions of religious and phil-
osophical thought. The Hamburg Buddhist Studies series aims to discuss
aspects of the wide variety of Buddhist traditions that will be of interest
to scholars and specialists of Buddhism, but it also wants to confront
Buddhism’s rich heritage with questions whose answers might not be
easily deduced by the exclusive use of philological research methods.
Such questions require the penetrating insight of scholars who approach
Buddhism from a variety of disciplines building upon and yet going
beyond the solid study of textual materials. We are convinced that the
Hamburg Buddhist Studies series will contribute to opening up Buddhist
10 The Dawn of Abhidharma

Studies to those who are not necessarily trained in the classical

languages of the Buddhist traditions but want to approach the field with
their own disciplinary interests in mind. We very much hope that this
series will encourage a wider audience to take interest in the academic
study of the Buddhist traditions.

About this Publication

It is my great pleasure to introduce the second volume in the Hamburg

Buddhist Studies series, a study by Bhikkhu Anālayo, professor at the
Asien-Afrika-Institut of the University of Hamburg. This book is a com-
panion to his previous study of the Genesis of the Bodhisattva Ideal,
published in the same series. In the present book he turns to another im-
portant aspect in the development of Buddhist thought: the beginnings
of the Abhidharma.
Anālayo shows that the two main modes generally held in academic
circles to explain the arising of the Abhidharma – the use of lists (mātṛkā)
and the question-and-answer format – are formal elements that in them-
selves are not characteristic of Abhidharma thought. Going beyond the
notion that the coming into being of the Abhidharma can be located in
such formal aspects, he shows how the attempt to provide a comprehen-
sive map of the teachings gradually led to the arising of new terminol-
ogy and new ideas. He identifies the notion of the supramundane path as
an instance where fully fledged Abhidharma thought manifests in the
discourses, namely in the Mahācattārīsaka-sutta of the Theravāda tradi-
tion, as well as in otherwise unrelated discourses from the Dharmagup-
taka and Mūlasarvāstivāda traditions, extant in Chinese translation.
Anālayo concludes that what characterizes the Abhidharma is not the
mere use of dry lists and summaries, but rather a mode of thought that
has gone further (abhi-) than the Dharma taught in the early discourses
in general. Such progression emerges out of an attempt to examine
meticulously all the constituents of a particular transitory event.

Michael Zimmermann
Introduction

The purpose of wisdom

is disenchantment, dispassion,
and seeing as it really is.1

Theme

This book is a companion to my study of The Genesis of the Bodhisattva

Ideal, in which I explored what the early discourses have to offer re-
garding the beginnings of the bodhisattva ideal. In The Dawn of Abhi-
dharma, I similarly explore another development of comparable signifi-
cance for Buddhist thought: the emergence of the Abhidharma. In the
last chapter and the conclusions to the present study, I attempt to relate
these two trajectories that have been of such central influence in the
development of Buddhism.
My approach is based on studying selected early discourses, without
any pretence at offering a comprehensive coverage of all relevant mate-
rial. The beginnings of the Abhidharma have of course already been
studied by a number of scholars,2 hence there will be little that is spec-
tacular in the following pages. Yet I hope that what emerges through
approaching this topic from the viewpoint of the early discourses will
sustain the reader’s interest.
My exploration is divided into four chapters. In the first chapter I
begin with the notion of communal recitation of the Dharma, saṅgīti, in
particular taking up the Saṅgīti-sūtra as a discourse that exemplifies the
creation of summary listings, mātṛkā. With the second chapter I turn to
the cultivation of wisdom through knowledge of the elements as ex-
――――――
1
MĀ 211 at T I 790c22.
2
My ignorance of Japanese has prevented me from benefiting from research published
in that language.
12 The Dawn of Abhidharma

pounded in the Bahudhātuka-sūtra, and then examine the commentarial

nature of early Abhidharma works and the significance of the term
abhidharma itself. The theme of the third chapter is meditative analysis,
in particular the analysis of absorption attainment and of the four noble
truths, based on a study of relevant sections from the Anupada-sutta and
the Mahāsatipaṭṭhāna-sutta. In the same chapter I also turn to the rela-
tionship of the four noble truths to the Buddha’s awakening and to the
notion that the Buddha had attained omniscience. The path to awaken-
ing is then the topic of the fourth chapter, based on a study of the su-
pramundane path described in the Mahācattārīsaka-sutta. I continue
with the need in the Abhidharma and Mahāyāna traditions for authen-
tication as being the word of the Buddha, and the narrative employed in
the Theravāda tradition for this purpose, according to which the Buddha
taught the Abhidharma to his mother during a sojourn in the Heaven of
the Thirty-three.
By covering topics such as the Buddha’s omniscience and his sup-
posed teaching of the Abhidharma in heaven, I intend to bring out that
the beginnings of the Abhidharma would not be the product of dry
scholasticism alone. As an additional reminder of the multiplicity of
influences that would have shaped the emerging Abhidharma, I have
interspersed my discussions with various pieces of Buddhist art, in the
hope this will keep alive a sense of dimensions of the development un-
der study that can easily be overlooked in an approach that relies solely
on textual sources.

Sources

As with my previous study of the bodhisattva ideal, my main source

materials are the early discourses in the four main Pāli Nikāyas and
their parallels.3 Both studies are somewhat accidental results of my
――――――
3
The editions used and the procedure adopted are the same as described in Anālayo
2010c: 13. In the case of discourse titles, I use Sanskrit to refer to the different
versions of a discourse in general, but the Pāli title for the Theravāda version.
Translations throughout are my own.
 Introduction 13

research into the early discourses, in that I did not originally intend to
make a contribution to these two topics. Yet, the material that emerged
in the course of my studies prompted me to explore these two trajecto-
ries of Buddhist thought from the viewpoint of what can be discerned
about their beginnings in the textual corpus of the early discourses.
Since the publication of The Genesis of the Bodhisattva Ideal in 2010,
I have been able to clarify my methodological approach in more detail.
My Comparative Study of the Majjhima-nikāya in the light of its paral-
lels,4 published in 2011, shows that according to the evidence we have
at our disposal the early discourses are the genuine product of a long
period of oral transmission, rather than being material that for the most
part is the product of later harmonization and levelling. In a paper pub-
lished in 2012 I have contrasted this understanding with the proposi-
tions made by other scholars.5 In two papers published in 2013, I have
provided evidence for my reasons for considering the Ekottarika-āgama
collection as having incorporated later material than usually found in the
Pāli Nikāyas and the other Chinese Āgamas, showing that material has
been added to this collection in China.6
While the canonical Abhidharma texts in their finalized form show
clear signs of being school specific, the early stages of development
with which I am concerned in this study appear to have left their traces
in similar ways in different traditions. Here I think it is opportune to
keep in mind that the early discourse collections are not so much the
product of a school, but rather the final result of oral transmission over
long periods by successive generations of reciters, of whom only the
last generations could be considered members of a particular school.
Similarly, the beginnings of the development of the Abhidharma seem to
go back to an early period before the formation of schools.
――――――
4
Comparative information for each of the Majjhima-nikāya discourses studied in the
present book can be found in the respective sections of Anālayo 2011b, which I will
not again be referring to each time a discourse from this collection comes up in a
footnote to my study.
5
Anālayo 2012b.
6
Anālayo 2013c and 2013f.
14 The Dawn of Abhidharma

The evolution of the bodhisattva ideal and the development of Abhi-

dharma thought are of course multifaceted processes that can be studied
from a variety of perspectives, beyond what can be found in the early
discourses. Far from pretending to give an exhaustive account of the
range of factors that led to the emergence of these two aspects of Bud-
dhist thought, my contributions are just meant to present relevant mate-
rial from the textual corpus of the early discourses, in the hope of
thereby providing a point of reference for those who study the same
topic based on other material.
By way of example, my approach could be compared to discovering
fossils of an archaeopteryx. The fossils found clearly show that there
has been a development from reptile to bird, even though the particular
animal whose remains have been discovered was of course not the first
one to start jumping or gliding from one tree to the next. Comparable to
the fossils of an archaeopteryx, some early discourses reflect particular
stages in the development of Buddhist thought.

Acknowledgement

I am indebted to Adam Clarke, Lance Cousins, sāmaṇerī Dhammadinnā,

Dhatvisvari, Richard Gombrich, Oskar von Hinüber, Petra Kieffer-Pülz,
bhikṣu Kongmu, Michael Radich, Lambert Schmithausen, and Monika
Zin for commenting on this work in the various stages of its evolution. I
would like to dedicate this book in gratitude to Bhikkhu Bodhi for some
twenty years ago having made me proceed from the Abhidharma studies
I was doing then to studying the early discourses, which since then has
become my main area of interest.
1 Reciting the Dharma and the Functions of Lists

In this chapter I explore the oral dimension of the transmission of the

Dharma. I do so by studying the undertaking of communal recitation,1
saṅgīti, in its relationship to the Abhidharma. I begin with a survey of
the different Vinaya accounts of what was believed to have been recited
at the first saṅgīti held according to tradition at Rājagṛha. This then
leads me to the topic of the mātṛkās, succinct lists or summaries of the
teachings. Among the early discourses, a prominent instance of such a
summary list of the teachings is the Saṅgīti-sūtra.
After surveying the Saṅgīti-sūtra and other similar discourses, I take
up a succinct list found repeatedly in Buddhist texts: the “seven sets”,
comprising thirty-seven qualities or practices that are conducive to awak-
ening (bodhipākṣikā dharmāḥ). The overall thrust of my exploration in
this chapter is to investigate the significance of lists as aspects of oral
transmission and to explore how certain lists relate to the formation of
the Abhidharma.

1.1 The First Saṅgīti at Rājagṛha

In the ancient Indian setting, access to the Dharma, its study, and its
transmission were based on oral means. This makes the recital of the
Dharma an activity whose importance can hardly be overestimated. The
performance of communal recitation, saṅgīti, was and still is a regular
feature of Buddhist monastic communities, which are to assemble every
fortnight for the recitation of the code of rules, the prātimokṣa.
Besides its legal purposes, such prātimokṣa recital functions as an
expression of communal concord and harmony, which at the same time
――――――
1
With the expression “communal recitation” I follow the formulation used by Gom-
brich 1990: 25 and Cousins 1991: 27; on the term saṅgīti cf. also Tilakaratne 2000b
and Skilling 2009: 55–60.
16 The Dawn of Abhidharma

serves to strengthen a sense of identity in contrast with those who are

not part of the community. The recitation of the prātimokṣa in a united
community stands in direct contrast to a schism, as a result of which the
prātimokṣa will no longer be recited together by those who earlier formed
a single community.2
A characteristic feature of the recital of the prātimokṣa is that those
who participate in its oral performance are expected to be familiar with
the text. Thus the oral performance of such a recital is based on a text
whose wording is necessarily fixed.3 The function of having a fixed text
whose oral performance reaffirms harmony within the community is not
confined to the rules of the Vinaya, but can similarly concern aspects of
the teaching, the Dharma.
The recitation of the Vinaya and the Dharma in the form of a saṅgīti
held according to tradition at Rājagṛha soon after the Buddha’s demise
marks an event to which members of different Buddhist schools looked
back as having established their own collection of canonical texts as au-
thentic.4 The accounts of the first saṅgīti at Rājagṛha in different Vinayas
vary in their description of what was recited at that time. Most impor-
tantly for my present purpose, they differ on whether the Abhidharma
was part of the first saṅgīti or not.
The Mahāsāṅghika Vinaya reports that Ānanda first recited the four
Āgamas and the Kṣudraka-piṭaka,5 after which Upāli recited the Vinaya-
piṭaka.6 The presentation in the Mahīśāsaka Vinaya is similar, with the
――――――
2
Bechert 1961/1982: 65; cf. also Tieken 2000.
3
Allon 1997: 42 points out that “communal or group recitation or performance requires
fixed wording.”
4
The notion of the Buddhist canon in general and the Pāli canon in particular has been
discussed by a range of scholars; cf., e.g., Winternitz 1920/1968: 1–288, Renou 1953/
2001: 327–351, Warder 1961b, Webb 1975, Dhirasekera 1977, Bechert 1979/1993:
66–79, Lancaster 1979, Bond 1982, Norman 1983, Ray 1985, Gómez 1987/2005,
Hirakawa 1987, Lancaster 1987, Collins 1990, Hazra 1994, von Hinüber 1996/1997,
Oberlies 2000, Freiberger 2004, Harrison 2004, Freiberger 2011, Kleine 2011, and
Salomon 2011.
5
On the Kṣudraka-piṭaka and the Khuddaka-nikāya cf. Lamotte 1956 and 1957.
6
T 1425 at T XXII 491c16.
 Reciting the Dharma and the Functions of Lists 17

difference that here the recitation of the Vinaya by Upāli comes first,7 a
placing also found in other canonical accounts of the first saṅgīti. The
Theravāda Vinaya reports that once Upāli had recited the twofold Vi-
naya – the texts that combine the prātimokṣa for monks and for nuns
with background narrations and explanations – Ānanda recited the five
Nikāyas.8 None of these three Vinayas mentions the Abhidharma as a
collection in its own right in their account of the first saṅgīti. Elsewhere,
however, the Mahāsāṅghika Vinaya has numerous references to the
term abhidharma, an expression that in this Vinaya stands for the nine
aṅgas of texts,9 and thus not for a collection apart from the discourses.
A reference to the Abhidharma can also be found in the Mahīśāsaka
Vinaya. The relevant passage speaks of the ability to recite the discourses
and well understand the Abhidharma.10 Unlike the usage in the Mahā-
sāṅghika Vinaya, here the term Abhidharma does stand for something
apart from the discourses.
The same holds for the Theravāda Vinaya, which speaks of the
Abhidharma as something to be learned in addition to the discourses,
the stanzas (gāthā), and the Vinaya.11 Another reference mentions the
――――――
7
T 1421 at T XXII 190c29 reports Upāli’s recitation of the Vinaya, followed by Ānan-
da’s recitation of the discourses, which were collected in the form of the four Āgamas
and the Kṣudraka-piṭaka.
8
Vin II 287,8, following the reading ubhatovinaye in the Ee and Se editions, instead of
ubhatovibhaṅge found in Be and Ce.
9
T 1425 at T XXII 536b21: “the nine divisions of discourses are the Abhidharma”, 阿毘
曇者, 九部修多羅. A similar presentation can be found in the Mahāsāṅghika Lokot-
taravāda Bhikṣuṇī Vinaya, Roth 1970: 248,17 (§218): abhidharmo nāma navavidhaḥ
sūtrāntaḥ; with the nine then spelled out in the Mahāsāṅghika Lokottaravāda Abhi-
samācārikā Dharmāḥ, Karashima and von Hinüber 2012: 63,10 (§7.5): abhidharmmo
nāma navavidho sūtrānto sūtraṃ geyaṃ vyākaraṇaṃ gāthā udānaṃ itivṛttakaṃ jāta-
kaṃ vaipulyâdbhutādharmmā; cf. also Hirakawa 1980: 173f and Sung 1999: 174. The
list of nine aṅgas appears to be an earlier version of what in some traditions became
twelve aṅgas; cf., e.g., Kalupahana 1965: 616, von Hinüber 1994a: 122, and Nattier
2004: 168.
10
T 1421 at T XXII 132b12+16.
11
Vin IV 144,4; Horner 1942/1983: xii points out that here “the very presence of the
word gāthā is enough to preclude the term abhidhamma from standing for the literary
18 The Dawn of Abhidharma

Abhidharma as a topic of discussion, besides the discourses and the Vi-

naya.12 These references occur in a word commentary on the rules, in a
text that is basically an ancient commentary that has become canonical.13
A report of the first saṅgīti in the commentary on the Dīgha-nikāya, the
Sumaṅgalavilāsinī, then explicitly reports that the Abhidharma was re-
cited by the five hundred arhats who were held to have been present on
this occasion.14
Thus whereas the accounts of the first saṅgīti in these Vinayas seem
to have been finalized at a time when the Abhidharma had not yet be-
come a collection in its own right, other passages in the same Vinayas
not only show evidence of the usage of the term, but at times even seem
to imply awareness of the existence of such a collection.
Such awareness can also be seen in the case of the Dharmaguptaka
Vinaya account of the first saṅgīti. The Dharmaguptaka Vinaya reports
that, after the Vinaya-piṭaka had been compiled and the discourses had
been collected in the four Āgamas and in the Kṣudraka-piṭaka, other
――――――
exegesis of that name, for no reference to the third Piṭaka as such would have com-
bined a reference to part of the material, verses, which one of the Piṭakas finally came
to include”; according to Oldenberg 1879/1997: xii note 2, however, the references to
gāthā and to Abhidharma intend different parts of the Khuddaka-nikāya.
12
Vin IV 344,19, which according to Oldenberg 1879/1997: xii note 2, “we can unhesi-
tatingly assume to be an interpolation.”
13
As noted by von Hinüber 1996/1997: 64, this occurrence is in what is “a late part of the
Suttavibhaṅga in the Vinaya”. Another occurrence is part of a set of stanzas that con-
clude the first section of the Mahāvagga, Vin I 98,35, indicating that even though the
discourses and the Abhidharma may be lost, as long as the Vinaya does not perish the
dispensation will prevail. Other references in Vin I 64, 28 and 68,14 take the form
abhidhamme vinetuṃ abhivinaye vinetuṃ. I will discuss this type of occurrence, which
combines abhidharma with abhivinaya, in the next chapter.
14
After listing the canonical Abhidharma works, Sv I 15, 19 continues by indicating that
“‘this is called the Abhidharma-piṭaka’, having said this the five hundred arhats per-
formed its recital”, idaṃ abhidhammapiṭakaṃ nāmā ti vatvā pañca arahantasatāni
sajjhāyam akaṃsu. The momentousness of this event is then marked by an earthquake.
In this way, as already noted by Müller 1881: xxxiii, “between the time of the Kulla-
vagga [i.e., the account of the first saṅgīti in the Vinaya] and the time of Buddha-
ghosa the Abhidhamma must have assumed its recognised position by the side of
Vinaya and Sutta.”
 Reciting the Dharma and the Functions of Lists 19

texts were collected in the Abhidharma-piṭaka; in this way the tripiṭaka

was collected.15
Closer inspection brings to light a problem with this description.
Once the Abhidharma-piṭaka is mentioned as a piṭaka alongside the
Vinaya-piṭaka and the Kṣudraka-piṭaka,16 the tripiṭaka would corre-
spond to these three. The four Āgamas are thus left without a proper
placing in this tripiṭaka. This suggests that the reference to the Abhidhar-
ma-piṭaka as the final step in the compilation of the tripiṭaka would be a
later addition to the account of the first saṅgīti in the Dharmaguptaka
Vinaya, done without properly adjusting the formulation.
The Sarvāstivāda Vinaya goes further. Its account of the first saṅgīti
not only mentions the Abhidharma, but even reports that Mahākāśyapa
questioned Ānanda about the place where the Buddha had taught the
Abhidharma. Ānanda replied that the Buddha taught the Abhidharma at
Śrāvastī.17 The teaching given at that time was that breaches of the five
precepts are conducive to rebirth in hell,18 whereas keeping the five pre-
cepts leads to a heavenly rebirth.
――――――
15
T 1428 at T XXII 968b26: “they collected the Abhidharma-piṭaka; thus at that time
they collected the tripiṭaka”, 集為阿毘曇藏, 時即集為三藏. A comparable account
can be found in the 毘尼母經 (Vinaya-mātṛkā), a Vinaya text perhaps representing the
Haimavata tradition (cf. Anālayo 2012c: 450f note 6), which also mentions the collec-
tion of an Abhidharma-piṭaka, T 1463 at T XXIV 818a29.
16
T 1428 at T XXII 968b11: 毘尼藏 and 968b26: 雜藏.
17
T 1435 at T XXIII 449a19: “The elder Mahākāśyapa furthermore asked Ānanda: ‘In
what place did the Buddha first teach the Abhidharma?’ Ānanda replied: ‘Thus have I
heard, at one time the Buddha was staying at Śrāvastī’”, 長老摩訶迦葉復問阿難: 佛
何處始說阿毘曇? 阿難答言: 如是我聞, 一時佛在舍婆提. The providing of a location
of course serves to authenticate the teaching, something which the Mahāsāṅghika Vi-
naya and the Mūlasarvāstivāda Vinaya encourage even if the actual location has been
forgotten; cf. T 1425 at T XXII 497a6 and T 1451 at T XXIV 328c15 and 575b29, and
for the corresponding passage in the Tibetan Mūlasarvāstivāda Vinaya, together with
a discussion, Schopen 1997/2004 and 1998/2004: 283 note 59. A similar instruction
occurs in the introduction to the Ekottarika-āgama, T II 550b13, and in a commentary
that appears to have been compiled based on the already completed Ekottarika-āgama
translation (cf. Mori 1970 and Palumbo 2013: 163–265), T 1507 at T XXV 33b19.
18
T 1435 at T XXIII 449a22: “because of the five dangers, offenses, animosities, and
destructions, after death one will fall into hell, just as quickly as a strong person might
20 The Dawn of Abhidharma

The Sarvāstivāda Vinaya’s more detailed account of the recitation of

the Abhidharma in this way explicitly records a question-and-answer
exchange between Mahākāśyapa and Ānanda, which provides informa-
tion about the location where the Abhidharma was spoken by the Bud-
dha and what form this teaching had taken. Its presentation of a basic
summary of the moral conduct incumbent on any disciple of the Buddha,
however, is unexpected as a way of describing the first delivery of
Abhidharma teachings by the Buddha. It seems that this passage was
formulated at a time when the connotations of the term Abhidharma
were still somewhat undetermined.
With the Dharmaguptaka and Sarvāstivāda Vinaya accounts of the
first saṅgīti, the notion of the Abhidharma as a collection in its own
right emerges gradually, from a mere mention in the Dharmaguptaka
Vinaya to a report of the Buddha’s first preaching of the Abhidharma at
a specific location in the Sarvāstivāda Vinaya.
The account of the first saṅgīti in the Mūlasarvāstivāda Vinaya does
not explicitly mention the Abhidharma, although it reports that on this
occasion Mahākāśyapa recited the mātṛkā(s).19 The term mātṛkā derives
from mātṛ, “mother”,20 and conveys the sense of a succinct list or sum-
mary which can be expanded and serve as the skeleton for a detailed
――――――
bend or stretch an arm. What are the five? The first is killing, the second is stealing,
the third is sexual misconduct, the fourth is false speech, the fifth is drinking liquor”,
五怖罪怨滅故 (adopting a variant that adds 滅), 死後, 譬如力士屈伸臂頃, 墮於地獄.
何等五? 一者殺, 二者偸, 三者邪婬, 四者妄語, 五者飲酒. This is followed by indicat-
ing that one who abstains from these five will be reborn in heaven. For the same
teaching as the first delivery of the Abhidharma cf. also T 1509 at T XXV 69c 20.
Comparable expositions, though not related in any way to the Abhidharma or the first
saṅgīti, can be found in AN 5.173 at AN III 204,11 and AN 5.174 at AN III 204,27.
19
T 1451 at T XXIV 408b6: 摩窒里迦, with its counterpart ma mo in D 6 da 315b7 or Q
1035 ne 298b4. The Sanskrit term mātṛkā occurs regularly elsewhere in the Mūlasar-
vāstivāda Vinaya; cf., e.g., the Kośambakavastu, Dutt 1984b: 173,8, the Śayanāsana-
vastu, Gnoli 1978: 3,19 (=Dutt 1984c: 122,4), 44,16, and 71,6, the Poṣadhavastu, Dutt
1984d: 97,13, and the Kaṭhinavastu, Chang 1957: 58,8; cf. also the Divyāvadāna, Co-
well and Neil 1886: 18,15 and 333,7.
20
On the mātṛkā as a feminine symbol cf. Crosby 2008: 40, McDaniel 2009, and Ron-
kin 2014.
 Reciting the Dharma and the Functions of Lists 21

exposition. A textual mātṛkā is thus comparable to a “mother” in the

sense that it can give birth to a full exposition of a particular topic.21
In the context of a gradual evolution in the accounts of the first saṅ-
gīti from a recitation of Dharma and Vinaya (Mahāsāṅghika, Mahīśāsa-
ka, Theravāda) to a recitation that includes the Abhidharma (Dharma-
guptaka, Sarvāstivāda), perhaps the Mūlasarvāstivāda Vinaya reflects
an interim stage where what eventually came to be reckoned Abhidharma
was referred to as mātṛkā.

1.2 Mātṛkā and Abhidharma

The Mahāgopālaka-sutta of the Majjhima-nikāya describes several detri-

mental qualities of a monk. One of them is that he fails to approach
learned monks to improve his own understanding. These learned monks
are qualified in the Mahāgopālaka-sutta as bearing in mind the Dharma,
the Vinaya, and the mātṛkā(s).22
The corresponding passage in a Saṃyukta-āgama parallel, a collec-
tion probably transmitted by Mūlasarvāstivāda reciters,23 similarly de-
picts a monk who does not approach learned monks. Here it is the monk’s
own ignorance that is described, which manifests in his lack of knowl-
edge of the discourses, the Vinaya, and the Abhidharma.24 The basic im-
plication of the two presentations is the same, in that a monk who does
――――――
21
Cousins 2005b: 20 points to a stage that precedes this type of usage, in that “the word
mātikā in the sense of ‘headings’ precedes its use to mean a table of items or lists and
only subsequently does it come to be used in the singular with that meaning.”
22
MN 33 at MN I 221,22: dhammadharā vinayadharā mātikādharā, preceded by noting
that they are also bahussutā āgatāgamā, learned and well versed in an/the Āgama/s.
23
On the school affiliation of T 99 cf., e.g., Lü 1963: 242, Waldschmidt 1980: 136,
Mayeda 1985: 99, Enomoto 1986: 23, Hirakawa 1987: 513, Schmithausen 1987: 306,
Choong 2000: 6 note 18, Hiraoka 2000, Oberlies 2003: 64, and Bucknell 2006: 685;
on the provenance of the manuscript used for the translation cf. Glass 2010.
24
SĀ 1249 at T II 343a10: “he does not know the discourses, the Vinaya, and the Abhi-
dharma”, 彼不知修多羅, 毘尼, 阿毘曇; for a translation of SĀ 1249 cf. Anālayo 2010b.
Another occurrence of 阿毘曇, found in SĀ 727 at T II 195c29, has mātṛkā as its coun-
terpart in the corresponding Sanskrit fragment; cf. Waldschmidt 1967: 245,2.
22 The Dawn of Abhidharma

not know the discourses, etc., should approach learned monks who do
know them in an effort to improve his learning.
The fact that the mention of the mātṛkā(s) in the Mahāgopālaka-sutta
has a counterpart in a reference to the “Abhidharma” in the Saṃyukta-
āgama discourse mirrors the situation in the Vinayas, where the refer-
ence to the mātṛkā in the Mūlasarvāstivāda Vinaya has as its counter-
part the Abhidharma mentioned in the Dharmaguptaka and Sarvāsti-
vāda Vinayas. Similar to the situation in the Vinayas, where the Mahā-
sāṅghika, Mahīśāsaka, and Theravāda accounts of the first saṅgīti do
not mention mātṛkās or the Abhidharma, here, too, several parallels to
the Mahāgopālaka-sutta mention neither mātṛkās nor the Abhidharma.25
Now the relationship of mātṛkās to the development of Abhidharma
has been highlighted by a number of scholars.26 Yet, the Pāli commen-
tarial tradition understands the mātṛkās to be related rather to the Vinaya,
namely to the two codes of monastic rules, prātimokṣa.27 Since by the
――――――
25
EĀ 49.1 at T II 794b14 speaks of being knowledgeable in the twelve aṅgas and T
1509 at T XXV 74a28 of enquiring about the Dharma. Yet another parallel, T 123 at T I
546a13, does not have a counterpart to this particular quality at all. Notably, the com-
mentary on the present passage in MN 33, Ps II 263,21, describes the case of a foolish
monk who asks wrong questions, such as approaching a teacher of Abhidharma to ask
about Vinaya matters or else approaching a Vinaya teacher to put questions about
Abhidharma topics. This thus brings up both the topics of Abhidharma and Vinaya,
although this commentarial description is not a direct gloss on the expression mātikā-
dharā.
26
Cf., e.g., Kern 1896: 3, Winternitz 1920/1968: 9 note 1, Przyluski 1926: 334, Horner
1941: 292, Hofinger 1946: 230, Bareau 1951: 8–13, Migot 1952: 524–530, Warder
1961a, Frauwallner 1964: 59f, Ling 1970: 19, Misra 1972: 145, Anacker 1975: 59,
Jaini 1977: 45, Bronkhorst 1985: 305, Gómez 1987/2005: 1270, Gethin 1992/1993:
158–162, Cox 1995: 8, Buswell and Jaini 1996: 84–89, Watanabe 1983/1996: 42–45,
Gombrich 1990: 25, Hirakawa 1993/1998: 140–142, Norman 1997: 51, Dessein in
Willemen et al.1998: 12, Wayman 2000: 607, Dhammajoti 2002/2007: 1, Wickrama-
gamage 2002, Ronkin 2005: 27–30, Shravak 2008: 211, Ming Wei 2010: 202–204,
Dessein 2012: 142–145, and Skilling 2013: 155 note 214.
27
Thus, e.g., Mp II 189,23 glosses the expression mātikādharā as referring to dvemātikā-
dharā. Norman 1983: 96 comments that this commentarial gloss “probably arises
from the fact that mātikā means ‘summary,’ and can therefore be used both of a sum-
mary of the Pātimokkha rules and of the type of summary of contents which is found …
in the majority of the texts of the Abhidhamma-piṭaka.” As noted by Cox 1995: 8, in
 Reciting the Dharma and the Functions of Lists 23

time of the Pāli commentaries the existence of the Abhidharma-piṭaka

was a matter of fact, the circumstance that they nevertheless associate
the mātṛkās with the Vinaya gives the impression that this association
reflects an old tradition,28 and that the use of mātṛkās also bears an
important relation to Vinaya literature.29
A rationale for emphasizing the memorization of the mātṛkā qua
prātimokṣa as something that is worth explicit mention could be found
in the fortnightly observance which is to be carried out in any monastic
dwelling that houses four or more fully ordained monastics. The per-
formance of this observance requires that at least one of the monastics
is able to recite the prātimokṣa.
In view of this requirement, it would indeed be meaningful to make a
specific mention of the fact that someone who had not memorized the
Vinaya was nevertheless able to recite its mātṛkā, or perhaps even both
Vinaya mātṛkās by learning the prātimokṣa for bhikṣus and the prāti-
mokṣa for bhikṣuṇīs. Such an ability would be an important asset for
ritual purposes and thus would deserve mention on a par with the ability

――――――
this way “mātṛkā would not represent Abhidharma in particular, but rather would
refer to a method of exegesis that could be applied to either dhamma or vinaya.”
28
As pointed out by von Hinüber 1994b: 115, “damit wird mātikā also gerade nicht dem
Abhidhamma zugeordnet, sondern ein Bezug zum Vinaya hergestellt. Eigentlich hätte
eine Gleichsetzung von mātikā mit Abhidhamma zur Zeit der Kommentare … durch-
aus nahegelegen. Dies verleiht der Zuweisung von mātikā zum Vinaya besonderen
Nachdruck: Sie scheint auf einer alten Tradition zu beruhen.” Thus, as noted by
Norman and Pruitt 2001: xxxviii, it seems that “later usage was borrowed from the
Vinaya usage where mātikā refers to the Pātimokkha in the frequent formula dham-
madhara, vinayadhara, mātikādhara.”
29
According to an intriguing suggestion made by von Hinüber 1994b: 120f, the Abhi-
dharma-piṭaka might have come into being by combining textual material from the
Sūtra-piṭaka with the methodology of the Vinaya-piṭaka. In the words of von Hinüber
1995: 27, “perhaps it is not a coincidence that monks knowledgeable in Abhidharma
were particularly apt to decide Vinaya cases, because the way of thinking in both,
Buddhist philosophy and law, shows some similarities: the latter may have served as
a model for the former in which case the Abhidhamma is based on the application of
the methods developed in juridical thinking and on material drawn from the Suttas.”
For a discussion of Vinaya mātṛkās cf. also Sung 1999 and Clarke 2004.
24 The Dawn of Abhidharma

to expound the Dharma or the Vinaya. If references to those who bear

in mind the mātṛkā(s) were originally about knowledge of the two prāti-
mokṣas, then this would indeed be a commendable quality of a monk
and fit the context of the Mahāgopālaka-sutta.
Given the relation of mātṛkās to Vinaya literature, it would follow
that, even though the mātṛkās indubitably have played an important role
in the formation of Abhidharma texts, the basic function of such sum-
maries and lists is not characteristic of the Abhidharma alone. Such
summary lists simply facilitate memorization and teaching as aspects of
the oral performance of any text. That is, the employment of mātṛkās is
probably best understood as characteristic of oral Buddhist literature in
general.30 Their use is independent of whether the text to be memorized,
recited, or taught has features that reflect Abhidharma notions or not.31
In an oral culture, the use of lists is something quite natural, as it aids
clarity of thought and enables ease of communication.32 Lists are a re-
current feature and of considerable importance not only in oral tradi-
tions, but even in written culture;33 in fact writing in a way facilitates
――――――
30
Gethin 1992/1993: 149 explains that “much of the scriptural sutta material preserved
in the four primary Nikāyas can be regarded as exposition based around lists of one
sort or another … it seems clear that the proliferation of lists in early Buddhist litera-
ture has something to do with its being an ‘oral literature’ … indeed, a penchant for
analyzing something in terms of a neat categorized list is characteristic of much of
traditional Indian learning.”
31
Collins 1982: 109 notes that “it is not surprising in a predominantly oral culture that a
system of thought which depends as highly as does Buddhism on intellectual analyses
should come to preserve the content of its doctrine by accurate transmission of cate-
gorized lists, easily susceptible to rote-learning.” Gethin 1992/1993: 158 comments
that, without intending “to deny that a relationship exists between the mātikās and the
development of the Abhidhamma, it seems to me that to suggest any simple equiva-
lence of the two terms must be regarded as a misleading simplification.”
32
Ong 1982/1996: 34f explains that in an “oral culture, to solve effectively the problem
of retaining and retrieving carefully articulated thought, you have to do your thinking
in mnemonic patterns, shaped for ready oral recurrence … in an oral culture, to think
through something in non-formulaic, non-patterned, non-mnemonic terms … would
be a waste of time, for such thought, once worked through, could never be recovered
with any effectiveness.”
33
For a survey of the functions of lists in relation to writing cf. Goody 1977: 74–111.
 Reciting the Dharma and the Functions of Lists 25

the drawing up of more complex lists. Although writing has certainly

exerted an important influence on Abhidharma literature, 34 the initial
stages of development with which I am concerned here still take place
within a predominantly oral culture.35

Figure 1.1 Siddhārtha Learns Writing

The relief reflects the belief that in his youth the future Buddha learned writing. The
right side of the sculpture shows the young Siddhārtha paying respect to his
teacher who holds a manuscript in his hand; the left side shows Siddhārtha
writing on a board with an assistant holding an inkpot.

Gandhāra, courtesy Staatliches Museum für Völkerkunde München.36

――――――
34
The relevance of this tendency to the formation of the Abhidharma has been high-
lighted by McMahan 1998/2013: 223, who points out that “the attempt to systematize
the teachings of the sūtras into a consistent order came about from the relative free-
dom from temporal sequence that writing afforded. Abhidharma thought, with its
extensive lists, categories, correlations, headings and subheadings, bears the marks of
literate composition in that it culls teachings from a number of different sources and
attempts to systematize, synthesize, and categorize them. Such activities would be
extremely difficult if one were limited to the sequentiality that structures oral recita-
tion of memorized utterances. The simultaneous presence of written texts in visual
space is necessary for such work. The multiple categories and subcategories in the
Abhidharma and other commentarial literature are, in part, the products of the ability
to represent complex classificatory schemas spatially.”
35
On writing in relation to the early Buddhist discourses cf. Anālayo 2009e.
36
Picture taken by Swantje Autrum-Mulzer.
26 The Dawn of Abhidharma

The use of lists is also not confined to the Buddhist tradition, but would
have been known in the Jain tradition as well.37 The basic pattern of a
summary statement that can easily be memorized and then be used as
the basis for a more detailed explanation is similarly characteristic for
the Brahminical sūtras.38
Going beyond India, lists are of course known from other cultures as
well. Examples dating as far back in human history as about two mil-
lennia before the Common Era are the Sumerian King List, which gives
the names of kings and the duration of their reigns,39 and the Egyptian
Execration Texts, which list those considered hostile to the ruler.40
Once the general function of lists is appreciated, it becomes fairly
clear that the topic-wise division of the Saṃyukta-āgama/Saṃyutta-ni-
kāya and the numerical arrangement of the Ekottarika-āgama/Aṅguttara-
nikāya need not be seen as reflecting Abhidharma influence.41 Instead,
to arrange items by topic or in a numerical ascending order is simply a
natural way of organizing orally transmitted texts.
The fact that several topics used for the divisions of the Saṃyukta-
āgama/Saṃyutta-nikāya collections are prominent in Abhidharma texts –
such as the aggregates, the sense-spheres, etc. – simply reflects their
importance as central aspects of Buddhist doctrine. Their occurrence
does not have to reflect Abhidharma influence.
――――――
37
The Uttarajjhayaṇa, Charpentier 1922: 178,11 (24.1), uses the expression “eight māyās”
to introduce a summary of a teaching on the five samitis and the three guptis. Jacobi
1895/1996: 129 note 1 comments on this passage that the term “mâyâ, the Sanskrit
form of which may be mâtâ or mâtrâ … denotes that which includes in itself other
things … the word may also mean mâtri ‘mother’.”
38
Cf. Frauwallner 1971: 104.
39
Cf. the edition and study by Jacobson 1939.
40
Specimens were already published by Sethe 1926; cf. also, e.g., Ritner 1993: 136–142.
41
Pace Bronkhorst 1985: 316, who reasons that “the early existence of some kind of
Abhidharma would explain the peculiar shape of the Sūtrapiṭaka, or rather of two
sections of it, the Saṃyuktāgama/P. Saṃyutta Nikāya and the Ekottarāgama/P. Aṅ-
guttara Nikāya. The former arranges traditional utterances ascribed to the Buddha
subject-wise; the latter follows a scheme determined by the number of subdivisions in
the items discussed.”
 Reciting the Dharma and the Functions of Lists 27

An example would be the use of topic-wise divisions for grouping the

stanzas of the Dharmapada. The fact that stanzas are grouped under the
heading of, for example, citta or mārga need not be seen as a sign of
Abhidharma influence, even though the mind (citta) and the path (mārga)
are of course topics of central importance in Abhidharma texts.42
A numerical arrangement similar to that of the Ekottarika-āgama/
Aṅguttara-nikāya collection can also be seen in the Parivāra of the
Theravāda Vinaya, where the sixth chapter similarly proceeds from
Ones to Elevens.43 The same principle of numerical arrangement also
underlies the Jain Ṭhāṇaṅga.44 Again, such texts do not come under the
category of being Abhidharma. Thus Buddhist texts that adopt a topic-
wise or numerical arrangement are best reckoned as reflecting an
organizing feature commonly used in oral traditions. Such arrangement
could be, but certainly does not have to be related to the Abhidharma.
The same holds for the question-and-answer format, which in spite
of its formative influence on Abhidharma texts is not in itself a sign of
Abhidharma influence. For example, the Parivāra of the Theravāda
Vinaya also employs questions and answers.45 Nevertheless, the Pari-
vāra is on Vinaya matters and none of its formal features make it an
――――――
42
These are the headings of chapters 3 and 20 in the Pāli Dhammapada, Dhp 33–43 and
273–289, corresponding to chapters 6 and 8 in the Gāndhārī Dharmapada, Brough
1962/2001: 133 and 139, chapters 19 and 20 in the Patna Dharmapada, Cone 1989:
194 and 198, and chapters 11 and 28 in the Chinese Dharmapadas, T 210 at T IV
563a1 and 569a16 as well as T 211 at T IV 584b10 and 597b20.
43
Vin V 115,1 to 141,8.
44
This has already been pointed out by Pande 1957: 26 note 44; for an edition of the
text cf. Jambūvijaya 1985; for a study of its divisions cf. Krümpelmann 2006. The
Ṭhāṇaṅga proceeds from Ones to Tens, which may have been the original conception
of the Ekottarika/Aṅguttara collections as well; cf. in more detail Anālayo 2013f: 37f
note 109. Winternitz 1920/1968: 49f note 2 mentions other examples for the adoption
of a numerical principle, found in the Mahābhārata and in Christian literature.
45
Vin V 180,1 to 206,25. Norman 1983: 28 explains that “the fifteenth chapter (Upāli-
pañcaka) consists of a number of questions put by Upāli to the Buddha about the Vi-
naya, the answers to which were all in the form of sets of five. It is to be compared
with … the section of the Aṅguttara-nikāya entitled Upālivagga, where, however, the
Buddha’s answers are all in sets of ten”; cf. AN 10.31–43 at AN V 70,3 to 79,3.
28 The Dawn of Abhidharma

Abhidharma text. The same is the case for many discourses, where the
question-and-answer format frequently occurs. Even somewhat techni-
cal discussions like those reported in the discourses known in the Pāli
tradition as the Mahāvedalla-sutta and the Cūḷavedalla-sutta are not
necessarily Abhidharma in content.46
A collection of poetic sayings like the Pārāyana-vagga of the Sutta-
nipāta can also employ questions and answers. In the Pārāyana-vagga,
the term pucchā, “question”, functions as a header for the different sub-
sections that come after its introductory narration, which clearly marks
the catechetical style of the exposition.47 Yet the stanzas in this collec-
tion bear no sign of Abhidharma influence. Moving once again beyond
the confines of the Buddhist tradition, any kind of interview from an-
cient to modern days would have to rely, in one way or another, on the
question-and-answer format.
In sum, then, it seems to me that the two main approaches that have
been considered as explaining the coming into being of the Abhidharma –
the use of mātṛkās and the question-and-answer format – are features
that are not in themselves necessarily characteristic of Abhidharma
thought, however much they may have contributed to its formulation.48
――――――
46
MN 43 at MN I 292,1 and its parallel MĀ 211 at T I 790b8, as well as MN 44 at MN I
299,1 and its parallels MĀ 210 at T I 788a14 and a quotation in the Abhidharma-
kośopāyikā-ṭīkā, D 4094 ju 6b2 or Q 5595 tu 7a7, translated in Anālayo 2012c: 40–55
(for a survey of shorter quotations from both discourses in D 4094 or Q 5595 cf.
Anālayo 2011a: 1043f); for a detailed study of vaidalya cf. Skilling 2013.
47
Sn 1032–1123.
48
Ronkin 2005: 27 sums up previous scholarship as follows: “the prevalent accounts of
the historical origin and development of Abhidhamma literature proceed from two
explanatory tendencies based on two distinctive characteristics of the genre. Accord-
ing to the first line of thought, there is a close relationship between the evolution of
Abhidhamma treatises and an established feature they manifest, namely, the arrange-
ment of major parts of the material around lists of various types … more literally,
matrices (mātikā/mātṛikā) of doctrinal topics, which offer summaries or condensed
shorthand accounts of the Buddha’s Dhamma”; on which Ronkin 2005: 29 then com-
ments: “I do not deny the relationship between the mātikās and the evolution of the
Abhidhamma, but find an oversimplification in equating the two”; in fact, as pointed
out by Buswell and Lopez 2014b: 4, the mātṛkās appear to be just “an inevitable by-
product of the oral quality of early Buddhist textual transmission.” Ronkin 2005: 30
 Reciting the Dharma and the Functions of Lists 29

1.3 Summaries of the Dharma

A prominent instance of the use of mātṛkās among the early discourses

is the Saṅgīti-sūtra, a text that is basically an extended list of various
aspects of the teachings. Versions of this discourse are extant as follows,
here given according to their school affiliation:
– Dharmaguptaka tradition: a Dīrgha-āgama discourse extant in Chi-
nese translation;49
– Sarvāstivāda and/or Mūlasarvāstivāda tradition: a Dīrgha-āgama dis-
course preserved in Sanskrit fragments;50
– Theravāda tradition: a Dīgha-nikāya discourse in Pāli;51
– uncertain school affiliation: a discourse translated individually into
Chinese.52
The parallel versions agree in introducing Śāriputra as the speaker of
the discourse, who sets his presentation in contrast with the quarrelling
that had reportedly broken out among the Jains after the death of their
leader.53
――――――
then continues that “another explanation of the origination of the Abhidhamma draws
on a rather different feature of the Abhidhamma treatises, namely, their catechetical
style … formulated as an exchange of questions and answers.”
49
DĀ 9 at T I 49b26 to 52c11; translated and studied by Behrsing 1930. On the school
affiliation of T 1 cf., e.g., Demiéville 1951: 252f, Brough 1962/2001: 50, Lü 1963:
242, Bareau 1966, Waldschmidt 1980: 136, Mayeda 1985: 97, Enomoto 1986: 25,
Hirakawa 1987: 513, Schmithausen 1987: 318, Oberlies 2003: 44, Salomon 2007:
354 note 14, and Willemen 2008: 60.
50
Stache-Rosen 1968. According to the reconstructed order of the Sarvāstivāda/Mūla-
sarvāstivāda Dīrgha-āgama in Hartmann 2004: 125, the Saṅgīti-sūtra stands in third
position in the collection (preceded by the Daśottara-sūtra as the first and the Artha-
vistara-sūtra as the second discourse).
51
DN 33 at DN III 207,1 to 271,22.
52
T 12 at T I 226c3 to 233b19; for a more detailed survey of further parallels cf. An-
ālayo 2013e: 1f note 5.
53
Quarrels apparently broke out in the Jain community already during the lifetime of
Mahāvīra; cf. Deo 1956: 78f and von Glasenapp 1925/1999: 383. According to Jaini
1980: 84, during subsequent periods of Indian history “the divisiveness associated
with sectarianism was much more severe among Jainas than among the Buddhists.”
30 The Dawn of Abhidharma

The issue of contention was about the correct teachings, about the
Dharma and Vinaya taught by the leader of the Jains. The Sanskrit frag-
ment version depicts the quarrelling factions speaking to each other as
follows: “You do not know this Dharma and Vinaya, I know this Dhar-
ma and Vinaya.”54
Similar statements can be found in the Theravāda Dīgha-nikāya and
Dharmaguptaka Dīrgha-āgama versions of the Saṅgīti-sūtra.55 The for-
mulation highlights a predicament that must have been acutely felt in an
oral setting once a teacher had passed away: how to determine what he
taught, if there are no written records? The need to arrive at an oral con-
sensus on what the teacher had taught is precisely what informs the pur-
pose of the Saṅgīti-sūtra.

Figure 1.2 Saṅgīti-sūtra Fragment

The fragment contains the beginning of the Saṅgīti-sūtra.

Sanskrithandschriften aus den Turfanfunden (SHT I 594),

courtesy Berlin-Brandenburgische Akademie der Wissenschaften .

――――――
54
Stache-Rosen 1968: 44 (§w): (naitaṃ tvaṃ dharmavinaya)m ājān(āsi), aham etaṃ
(dharmavinayam ājānāmi).
55
DN 33 at DN III 210,4: “You do not know this Dharma and Vinaya, I know this
Dharma and Vinaya”, na tvaṃ imaṃ dhammavinayaṃ ājānāsi, ahaṃ imaṃ dhamma-
vinayaṃ ājānāmi; DĀ 9 at T I 49c8: “I know this Dharma, you do not know it”, 我知
此法, 汝不知此.
 Reciting the Dharma and the Functions of Lists 31

The fragment of the Saṅgīti-sūtra in figure 1.2 above reports that Śāri-
putra, after mentioning the first item in the list, instructs his listeners as
follows: “Here being united, unanimous, and in unison we will not dis-
pute due to uncertainty so that this holy life remains for a long time.”56
According to the Dharmaguptaka version of the Saṅgīti-sūtra, Śāri-
putra told the assembled monks that, in order to forestall any disputes,
“we should collect the Dharma and Vinaya in order to prevent dispute,
causing the holy life to remain for a long time.”57
The Theravāda versions record his words in similar ways: “here we
should all recite together, we should not dispute, so that this holy life
may endure and remain for a long time.”58 The beneficial effects of such
communal recitation are repeated regularly in the body of the Saṅgīti-
sūtra, continuously reaffirming the theme broached at the outset of the
discourse.
The main concern voiced in this way highlights how the performance
of communal recitation – saṅgīti – functions to foster harmony and
avoid dispute about the teachings.
In this way the Saṅgīti-sūtra has a function similar to the recital of
the prātimokṣa for a monastic community. Just as the prātimokṣa pre-
sents a summary of the essentials of the Vinaya in a form that can be
memorized even by those who are not professional reciters, so the Saṅ-
gīti-sūtra attempts to provide a summary of essential aspects of the
Dharma in a form more easily memorized than a whole collection of
――――――
56
The relevant text from the fragment SHT I 594 (= Sg 668aV), edited in Stache-Rosen
1968: 19, begins line 3: [t](aṃ) v(a)yaṃ sahiṃtā samagrāḥ saṃmodamāna bhū[t]vā
saṃśāyā(ya), and continues at the beginning of line 4: sthitikaṃ syāt. Following the
reconstruction in Stache-Rosen 1968: 45 (I.1), given without brackets but with cor-
rections and supplementations, this would then read as follows: taṃ vayaṃ sahiṃtāḥ
samagrāḥ saṃmodamānā bhūtvā saṃśāyāya na vivadāmahe, yathedaṃ brahmacar-
yaṃ cirasthitikaṃ syāt; cf. also Waldschmidt 1955: 314, SHT IV 412.33 V 5 and R1+4,
Waldschmidt and Sander 1980: 66f, and SHT IX 2273 Rx, Bechert and Wille 2004: 158.
57
DĀ 9 at T I 49c18: 宜集法律, 以防諍訟, 使梵行久立.
58
DN 33 at DN III 211,3: tattha sabbeh’ eva saṅgāyitabbaṃ (Ee: saṃgāyitabbaṃ) na
vivaditabbaṃ, yathayidaṃ brahmacariyaṃ addhaniyaṃ assa ciraṭṭhitikaṃ. For a
translation of the corresponding section from T 12 cf. Dessein 2012: 132f.
32 The Dawn of Abhidharma

discourses, not to mention all four collections.59 Both function as an ex-

pression of communal harmony.
Adherence to these mātṛkās, which have been publicly affirmed as
correct through the saṅgīti, is seen as essential for the welfare of the
community. In this way the Saṅgīti-sūtra takes its main thrust from an-
ticipating a situation that has impacted on the early Buddhist community
in various ways, namely the passing away of the Buddha. In order to
forestall dispute about the teachings at a time when the teacher will no
longer be there to clarify and settle disagreements, the Saṅgīti-sūtra sets
out its summary of the Dharma.
This function corresponds to what according to the traditional account
took place at the first saṅgīti at Rājagṛha, where communal recitation –
this time of the whole of the Dharma and Vinaya, instead of only the re-
spective mātṛkās – served as a response to the gap left by the death of
the teacher.60 The Gopakamoggallāna-sutta and its parallel confirm that
the Buddha’s role of providing guidance to his disciples was accorded
to the Dharma taught by him, once he had passed away.61
For the Dharma to fulfil this role, discord about what actually consti-
tutes the Dharma needs of course to be avoided. In the constantly fluc-
tuating piecemeal oral reception of the Dharma by various reciters
spread out over different regions of India,62 the notion of a saṅgīti held
――――――
59
Cousins 1983: 3f comments that “the Saṅgīti-suttanta of the Dīgha-nikāya … can be
viewed as a mnemonic summary of the contents of the nikayas.”
60
Similarities between the Saṅgīti-sūtra and the first saṅgīti held according to tradition at
Rājagṛha have recently been discussed by Peoples: 2012: 27–33 and Shravak 2012: 240f.
61
MN 108 at MN III 9,23 and its parallel MĀ 145 at T I 654b23.
62
Davidson 1990/1992: 293 depicts the situation as follows: “during the more than forty
years of the Buddha’s teaching career, there were many monks acting as authoritative
teachers of the doctrine throughout the kingdom of Magadha and its border areas. They
would cross paths with the master from time to time and receive new information as
his doctrine and teaching style developed. They would also receive new information
from one another during the fortnightly congregations, the summer rains retreats, and
whenever they met as their mendicant paths crossed. After forty years of their obtain-
ing new information through such contact, we may be certain that, by the death of the
Buddha, the process of receiving new ‘teachings of the teacher’ (śāstuḥ śāsanaṃ) had
become a well-accepted practice. The network of instruction was thus established,
 Reciting the Dharma and the Functions of Lists 33

at Rājagṛha establishes a yardstick for deciding what Dharma the re-

cently deceased Buddha had indeed taught. The same notion of a saṅgīti
informs the Saṅgīti-sūtra, with the difference that here concord on the
Dharma is established through the recitation of a mātṛkā of the teachings.
In fulfilment of this aim, the Saṅgīti-sūtra provides an extended list
of mostly doctrinal items, arranged in numerical order from Ones to Tens.
Although such formal presentation is a typical feature of Abhidharma
texts, it needs to be kept in mind that this is simply a convenient manner
of arrangement to facilitate ease of oral recall.63 The formalism of the
Saṅgīti-sūtra in fact goes only that far, that is, by arranging matters
under the numerical grid of Ones, Twos, etc., up to Tens. The number
of doctrinal terms allotted to each of the resulting ten subsections of the
discourse varies considerably in each category, the Ones and the Tens
having much fewer entries than, for example, the Threes and the Fours.
The number of doctrinal terms found in a subsection also tends to
vary between the parallel versions of the discourse. This can be seen in
the survey below, which lists the number of entries for each numerical
category in the four parallel versions, proceeding from left to right list-
ing the Sanskrit fragments of the Sarvāstivāda/Mūlasarvāstivāda Dīrgha-
āgama (Skt. DĀ), the Theravāda Dīgha-nikāya version (DN 33), the
version found in the Dharmaguptaka Dīrgha-āgama (DĀ 9), and the in-
dividual translation (T 12). This survey reflects only part of the differ-
ences, since besides variations in the overall count of items, the items
found in each section are not necessarily the same. The versions of the
Saṅgīti-sūtra clearly developed in different ways.
――――――
and doubtless most of the monks realized that much of what the Buddha had said
during his lengthy career remained unknown to them personally.”
63
The formal aspect of the presentation in DN 33 (and DN 34) has led Rhys Davids and
Rhys Davids 1921: 199 to consider these two discourses as being “practically Abhi-
dhamma rather than Sutta Piṭaka”; cf. also Buswell and Jaini 1996: 83, who propose
that “the Saṅgīti and Dasuttara suttantas … mark the start of Abhidharma literature
proper.” Yet, as Gethin 1992/1993: 157 explains, “the Saṅgītisutta’s method of ar-
rangement appears simply to bring together all lists containing the same number of
items, starting with ‘ones’ and ending with ‘tens’, and it is hard to see in this much
more than a convenient mnemonic device for remembering a large number of lists.”
34 The Dawn of Abhidharma

Skt. DĀ DN 33 DĀ 9 T 12
Ones: 3 2 2 1
Twos: 27 33 12 1
Threes: 50 60 37 3464
Fours: 50 50 36 39
Fives: 24 26 15 14
Sixes: 24 22 14 15
Sevens: 13 14 7 6
Eights: 10 11 4 4
Nines: 2 6 1 1
Tens: 2 6 1 1
A feature found similarly in the parallel versions points to an attempt to
facilitate precise oral recall, in that the sequence in which items are
placed in these discourses within the subsections from Ones to Tens at
times shows the employment of concatenation.65 The use of concatena-
tion in oral transmission ensures that items to be memorized remain in
the proper order. This takes place through the help of some similarity in
word form or meaning between a member of the list and what comes
next. Such linkage by way of association makes it easier for the mind to
connect the item being recited now with the next one and thus facilitates
precise recall. Instances of concatenation need not be original to a par-
ticular text, but often appear to come into being through rearrangement
during the period of oral transmission.
In what follows I survey a few instances of concatenation that are
found similarly in the Dharmaguptaka, Sarvāstivāda/Mūlasarvāstivāda,
and Theravāda versions of the Saṅgīti-sūtra.
――――――
64
It would also be possible to consider the count of Threes in T 12 as amounting to
thirty-five items, since the first member in the list, the three types of actions (bodily,
verbal, and mental), is further subdivided into wholesome and unwholesome mani-
festations; cf. T 12 at T I 227c8. From the manner of presentation, however, it seems
to me that this should be considered a gloss on what the discourse presents as a single
set of Threes.
65
For a discussion of concatenation in the prātimokṣa cf. von Hinüber 1999: 20; on con-
catenation in the early discourses cf. Allon 2001: 18–22 and Anālayo 2011a: 11–13.
Needless to say, the use of concatenation is not confined to the early Buddhist tradi-
tion, but is also found, e.g., in the Avesta; cf. Schwartz 2006.
 Reciting the Dharma and the Functions of Lists 35

Among the Ones the fact that “all beings persist through nutriment”
links to the next item in the list, according to which “all beings persist
through formations.”66 Here the expression “all beings persist” provides
a link between “nutriment” and “formations”.
The Twos continue from the couplet “lack of shame and absence of
fear of wrongdoing” to the couplet “shame and fear of wrongdoing”.67
Here the association is by way of terminology and meaning, as the first
couplet is the opposite of the second couplet.
Similar groupings can be found among the Threes. After the “three
roots of what is not wholesome” come the “three roots of what is whole-
some”;68 the “three kinds of wrong conduct” lead to the “three kinds of
right conduct”;69 and the “three reappearances in the sensual realm” are
followed by the “three happy reappearances”.70
――――――
66
DN 33 at DN III 211,22 (1.1 and 1.2): sabbe sattā āhāraṭṭhitikā, sabbe sattā saṅkhā-
raṭṭhitikā (Ee: saṃkhāraṭṭhitikā); Stache-Rosen 1968: 45 and 47 (1.1 and 1.2): (sar-
va)satvā āhārasth(i)tayaḥ … sarvasatvāḥ saṃskārasthāyinaḥ; cf. also SHT IV 412.33
R3, Waldschmidt and Sander 1980: 67: (saṃ)s[k]ā[ras]th(āyinaḥ); DĀ 9 at T I 49c20
(1.1 and 1.2): 一切衆生皆仰食存…一切衆生皆由行住 (adopting the variant 住 in-
stead of 往). T 12 at T II 227c1 has only the first of these two, according to which all
beings persist through nutriment.
67
DN 33 at DN III 212,12 (2.4 and 2.5): ahirikañ ca anottappañ ca, hiri (Be: hirī) ca
ottappañ ca; Stache-Rosen 1968: 50 (2.4 and 2.5): āhrīkyam a(na)vatrāpyaṃ ca and
hrīś ca vyavatrāpyaṃ ca; cf. also SHT IV 412.33 R5, Waldschmidt and Sander 1980:
67: (ā)hrī[ky]am-anavatrāpy(aṃ) ca, hrīś-ca vya[vatr]āpyaṃ [ca]; DĀ 9 at T I 49c25
(2.4 and 2.5): 一無慚, 二無愧 … 一有慚, 二有愧. T 12 does not have these two items.
68
DN 33 at DN III 214,19 (3.1 and 3.2): tīṇi akusalamūlāni … tīṇi kusalamūlāni;
Stache-Rosen 1968: 64f (3.3 and 3.4): trīṇy akuśalamūlāni and (trīṇi kuśala)mūlāni;
DĀ 9 at T I 50a8 (3.1 and 3.2): 三不善根 … 三善根. These two are also found in T 12
at T I 227c17.
69
DN 33 at DN III 214,23 (3.3 and 3.4): tīṇi duccaritāni … tīṇi sucaritāni; Stache-
Rosen 1968: 63 (3.1 and 3.2): trīṇi duścaritāni and (trīṇi sucaritāni); DĀ 9 at T I
50a12 (3.4 and 3.6): 三不善行 … 三善行. T 12 at T I 227c8 (3.1) has these two as a
single entry, as it first lists the three types of action (bodily, verbal, and mental), and
then adds that these can be further distinguished into wholesome and unwholesome
types; cf. also above note 64.
70
DN 33 at DN III 218,10 (3.40 and 3.41): tisso kāmūpapattiyo (Ee: kāmupapattiyo) …
tisso sukhūpapattiyo (Ee: sukhupapattiyo); Stache-Rosen 1968: 82f (3.34 and 3.35):
36 The Dawn of Abhidharma

Among the Fours, the “four yokings” precede the “four unyokings”;71
and among the Sevens the “seven untrue dharmas” have their counter-
part in the “seven true dharmas”.72
Thus alongside considerable variations, the parallel versions agree in
employing concatenation in these instances. Even with such occasional
aids to ensure maintenance of the proper sequence during oral transmis-
sion, however, to memorize the Saṅgīti-sūtra as a whole, with all of its
items in the correct order, is still a demanding task. This is especially
the case for disciples who are not part of the circle of reciters trained in
memorizing the collections of the early discourses. So in order to be
successful in fulfilling the purpose the discourse itself considers as cru-
cial – facilitating recitation of a summary of the teachings to ensure the
absence of strife among the Buddha’s disciples – the Saṅgīti-sūtra is
somewhat unwieldy.
For promoting communal harmony through group recitation, the
more disciples know the discourse by heart the better. All those who
know the discourse will be able to participate in a group recitation, as
active reciters or else as auditors who confirm the recitation through
their silent presence or even may correct the reciter in case a mistake
occurs.
Judging from the large number of variations found between the par-
allel versions of the Saṅgīti-sūtra,73 it seems probable that at an early
time the actual list was considerably shorter. It would be quite natural for
a shorter list to expand during oral transmission by incorporating items
――――――
tisraḥ kāmopapattayaḥ … tisras sukhopapattiyaḥ; DĀ 9 at T I 50b6 (3.27 and 3.28):
三欲生本 … 三樂生. Both sets of Threes are also found in T 12 at T II 228a7.
71
DN 33 at DN III 230,13 (4.32 and 4.33): cattāro yogā … cattāro visaṃyogā (Be and
Ce: visaññogā); Stache-Rosen 1968: 116 (4.36 and 4.37) catvāro yogāḥ … catvāro
vi(saṃ)yo(gāḥ); cf. also fragment Pelliot bleu 381 Va, Hartmann 1991: 255 (§142);
DĀ 9 at T I 51a22 (4.29 and 4.30): 四扼 … 四無扼. T 12 does not have these two items.
72
DN 33 at DN III 252,7 (7.4 and 7.5): satta asaddhammā … satta saddhammā; Stache-
Rosen 1968: 179f (7.6 and 7.7): saptāsaddh(armāḥ) … sa(pta saddharmāḥ); DĀ 9 at
T I 52a21 (7.1 and 7.2): 七非法 … 七正法. T 12 does not have these two items.
73
Cf. the comparative surveys in Behrsing 1930: 116–149 and Stache-Rosen 1968:
213–217.
 Reciting the Dharma and the Functions of Lists 37

that were considered to be of sufficient importance to merit inclusion in

this summary of the teachings. Different transmission lineages of the
discourse would have considered different items to be worthy of such
inclusion, resulting in the differences found between the parallel ver-
sions that have come down to us. In addition, however, it seems also
quite possible that at times a loss of text may have occurred, given the
somewhat unwieldy nature of the presentation and the fact that, along-
side occasional concatenation of the type described above, often items
follow each other without any evident connection, apart from belonging
to the same numerical category.
The need to facilitate the memorizing of a kind of mātṛkā of the teach-
ings has led to another solution in the Daśottara-sūtra, a discourse also
attributed to Śāriputra. Versions of this discourse are extant as follows,
listed according to their school affiliation:
– Dharmaguptaka tradition: a Dīrgha-āgama discourse extant in Chi-
nese translation;74
– Sarvāstivāda and/or Mūlasarvāstivāda tradition: a Dīrgha-āgama dis-
course preserved in Sanskrit fragments;75
– Theravāda tradition: a Dīgha-nikāya discourse in Pāli;76
– uncertain school affiliation: a discourse translated individually into
Chinese.77
Unlike the loose list of items in the Saṅgīti-sūtra, where the number of
entries under a numerical category varies considerably, the Daśottara-
sūtra consistently has ten items under each numerical category.78 More-
over, these ten items follow a fixed sequence applied to each numerical

――――――
74
DĀ 10 at T I 52c17 to T I 57b24.
75
Mittal 1957 and Schlingloff 1962.
76
DN 34 at DN III 272,1 to DN III 292,7.
77
T 13 at T I 233b23 to T I 241c19; on further parallels cf. Anālayo 2013e: 2 note 10.
78
Gethin 1992/1993: 157 explains that “the Dasuttarasutta … while also using the prin-
ciples of numerical association and progression, adapts them to produce a system for
placing an entire series of lists (100 to be exact) within a structure that precisely in-
dicates the role each plays in the Dhamma as a whole.”
38 The Dawn of Abhidharma

category, from the Ones to the Tens. In the Sanskrit fragment version
the sequence proceeds as follows:
1) greatly helpful (bahukaraḥ),
2) to be cultivated (bhāvayitavyaḥ),
3) to be understood thoroughly (parijñeyaḥ),
4) to be abandoned (prahātavyaḥ),
5) leading to diminution (hānabhāgīyaḥ),
6) leading to distinction (viśeṣabhāgīyaḥ),
7) difficult to penetrate (duṣprativedhaḥ),
8) to be aroused (utpādayitavyaḥ),
9) to be known directly (abhijñeyaḥ),
10) to be realized (sākṣīkartavyaḥ).79
The Dharmaguptaka and Theravāda parallel versions follow the same
trajectory.80 From the perspective of memorization this is a major im-
provement over the Saṅgīti-sūtra. The ten-times-ten pattern makes it
easy to notice when a particular item has been forgotten and also makes
it more difficult for new items to enter. Moreover, the thematic grid
provides a strong structural support for properly remembering textual
items. Besides facilitating oral recall, the above grid also invests the list
with a strong soteriological thrust, as the themes build up gradually
towards realization.
――――――
79
For the case of the Ones cf. the survey in Mittal 1957: 8f.
80
For the case of the Ones cf. DN 34 at DN III 272,10: “one thing is greatly helpful, one
thing is to be cultivated, one thing is to be understood thoroughly, one thing is to be
abandoned, one thing leads to diminution, one thing leads to distinction, one thing is
difficult to penetrate, one thing is to be aroused, one thing is to be known directly,
one thing is to be realized”, eko … dhammo bahukāro, eko dhammo bhāvetabbo, eko
dhammo pariññeyyo, eko dhammo pahātabbo, eko dhammo hānabhāgiyo, eko dham-
mo visesabhāgiyo, eko dhammo duppaṭivijjho, eko dhammo uppādetabbo, eko dham-
mo abhiññeyyo, eko dhammo sacchikātabbo; DĀ 10 at T I 53a2: “one thing is greatly
helpful, one thing is to be cultivated, one thing is to be understood, one thing is to be
extinguished, one thing [leads to] decline, one thing [leads to] increase, one thing is
difficult to comprehend, one thing is to be aroused, one thing is to be known, one
thing is to be realized”, 一多成法 (adopting a variant that adds 多), 一修法, 一覺法,
一滅法, 一退法, 一增法, 一難解法, 一生法, 一知法, 一證法. For a comparative study
of all four versions of the discourse cf. de Jong 1966/1979.
 Reciting the Dharma and the Functions of Lists 39

The Sarvāstivāda/Mūlasarvāstivāda Dīrgha-āgama contains a dis-

course belonging to the same genre of summaries of the Dharma which
has no parallel in the Theravāda canon or the Dharmaguptaka Dīrgha-
āgama. This is the Arthavistara-sūtra, whose speaker is Śāriputra.81 In-
stead of adopting a numerical order in its presentation, like the Saṅgīti-
sūtra and the Daśottara-sūtra, the items in its list proceed thematically,
following a trajectory that builds up to the attainment of full liberation
and freedom from rebirth.
Together with the Saṅgīti-sūtra and the Daśottara-sūtra, the Artha-
vistara-sūtra is part of a group of six discourses, the Ṣaṭsūtraka-nipāta,
found at the beginning of the Sarvāstivāda/Mūlasarvāstivāda Dīrgha-
āgama collection. The Ṣaṭsūtraka-nipāta was at times handed down in-
dependently of the whole collection.82 The importance accorded in this
way to summaries or maps of the Dharma is also reflected in the cir-
cumstance that the Saṅgīti-sūtra and the Daśottara-sūtra are explicitly
mentioned in the account of the first saṅgīti in the Dharmaguptaka and
Mahīśāsaka Vinayas.83
The Dharmaguptaka Dīrgha-āgama has another two discourses, at-
tributed to the Buddha, which also belong to the genre of summaries of
the Dharma. Both are without a parallel in the Dīgha-nikāya or the Sar-
vāstivāda/Mūlasarvāstivāda Dīrgha-āgama.84 Instead of the tenfold grid
used in the Daśottara-sūtra, the first of these two discourses, called “In-
creasing by One”, employs a fivefold scheme, whereas the second of
these two discourses, entitled “On the Three Groups”, makes use of a
threefold scheme.
――――――
81
The discourse has been preserved in Sanskrit fragments, in two Chinese translations,
and in a Tibetan translation: Hartmann 1991: 319–336, T 97 at T I 919b22 to 922a23,
T 98 at T I 922b5 to 924c28, and D 318 sa 188a7 to 193b7 or Q 984 shu 197b6 to 203a5.
82
The popularity of this group of six discourses has already been noted by Schlingloff
1962: 7; cf. also Skilling 1980: 30f and the study by Hartmann 1994.
83
T 1428 at T XXII 968b16 and T 1421 at T XXII 191a19; cf. also Mittal 1957: 14.
84
However, the first of the two, DĀ 11, is mentioned in the description of the Dīrgha-
āgama in the Mahīśāsaka Vinaya account of the first saṅgīti; cf. T 1421 at T XXII
191a19.
40 The Dawn of Abhidharma

The fivefold scheme in the “Discourse Increasing by One” works

through Ones to Tens based on the first four and the tenth topics in the
Daśottara-sūtra scheme, taking up items from the perspective of their
being:
1) greatly helpful,
2) to be cultivated,
3) to be understood,
4) to be extinguished,
5) to be realized.85
This discourse appears to be a shortened version of the presentation
found in the Daśottara-sūtra. Such an extract would be easier to memo-
rize than the whole of the Daśottara-sūtra, thereby enlarging the circle
of those able and willing to commit this particular summary of the
teachings to memory. The “Discourse Increasing by One” concludes
with an injunction by the Buddha that the monks should meditate with-
out negligence,86 emphasizing that the purpose of the discourse is to
provide an inspiration for actual meditation practice.
The threefold scheme in the “Discourse on the Three Groups” works
through Ones to Tens based on three topics:
1) what leads towards a bad destiny,
2) what leads towards a good destiny,
3) what leads towards Nirvāṇa.87
This discourse also appears to have taken its inspiration from the Dhar-
maguptaka version of the Daśottara-sūtra, as all the items listed under
the heading of what “leads towards Nirvāṇa” (3) correspond to what
should be “cultivated” according to the Daśottara-sūtra. In the case of
the Twos, Threes, Sixes, Nines, and Tens what leads to either a bad des-
tiny (1) or else a good destiny (2) corresponds to what leads to decline
――――――
85
In the case of the Ones, DĀ 11 at T I 57c2 reads as follows: 一多成法 (adopting a
variant that adds 多), 修法, 一覺法, 一滅法, 一證法; for a translation and study of DĀ
11 cf. Anālayo 2014d.
86
DĀ 11 at T I 59b5.
87
For the Ones, DĀ 12 at T I 59b20 reads: 一法趣惡趣, 一法趣善趣, 一法趣涅槃.
 Reciting the Dharma and the Functions of Lists 41

or else to increase according to the Daśottara-sūtra. In view of its brev-

ity, it seems probable that the “Discourse on the Three Groups” came
into being within an already existing Dīrgha-āgama, otherwise it would
hardly have merited inclusion in a collection of “long discourses”.88
Summaries of the Dharma can also be found in the Madhyama-āgama,
a collection probably transmitted by Sarvāstivāda reciters.89 One such
instance is the “Discourse on Explaining the Spheres”, which reports
the Buddha delineating topics that Ānanda should teach to junior monks,
that is, to monks who have recently been ordained.90 In what follows I
survey its list of thirty-one topics to be taught, which neatly exemplifies
the way such lists can build up. The discourse begins with the five ag-
gregates (1). Then it lists various aspects of sense-experience:
2) the six senses,
3) the six sense-objects,
4) the six types of consciousness,
5) the six types of contact,
6) the six types of feeling,
7) the six types of perception,
8) the six types of intention,
9) the six types of craving.
This thus offers a detailed breakdown of six sense-door experiences, a
topic to which I will return when discussing the meditative analysis of

――――――
88
DĀ 12 ranges from T I 59b14 to 60a27 only. For a more detailed discussion and a
translation of DĀ 12 cf. Anālayo 2013e.
89
The general consensus by scholars on the school affiliation of the Madhyama-āgama
has been called into question by Chung and Fukita 2011: 13–34; for a reply cf. An-
ālayo 2012c: 516–521.
90
MĀ 86 at T I 562a19 to 565c26; the identification of this discourse by Akanuma 1929/
1990: 13 as a parallel to MN 148 is not correct; instead MĀ 86 is best reckoned as not
having a known parallel. Minh Chau 1964/1991: 36 comments that this discourse “tes-
tifies to a rather late stage of development”, which together with MĀ 222 (a discourse
I will discuss shortly) exhibits differences in the discourse collections of the Thera-
vāda and the Sarvāstivāda traditions that “pave the way to their fundamental differ-
ences in their respective abhidharma works”.
42 The Dawn of Abhidharma

the four noble truths in the third chapter of this book. After this group
of Sixes related to sense-door experience come:
10) the six elements,
11) the twelve links of dependent arising, expounded in both the arising
and the cessation modes.
In this way, from the five aggregates (1) as a basic mode of analysis the
discourse proceeds by taking up another and similarly basic mode of
analysis, the six senses (2), which may have been the original starting
point of the discourse, judging from its title on explaining “the spheres”,
āyatana. The six senses then lead on to a detailed coverage of various
components of experience through the six senses (3 to 9). The natural
predominance of the number six that has resulted from this detailed
breakdown of sense-experience then finds its continuation by way of
the six elements (10), followed by yet another foundational teaching
whose standard mode of presentation involves a doubling of six, namely
the twelve links of dependent arising (11). Then the list continues instead
with items that come in Fours:
12) the four establishments of mindfulness,
13) the four right efforts,
14) the four bases for supernormal ability,
15) the four absorptions,
16) the four noble truths,
17) the four perceptions,
18) the four boundless states (apramāṇa),
19) the four immaterial attainments,
20) the four noble traditions (āryavaṃśa),
21) the four fruits of recluseship (śrāmaṇyaphala).
Here the first three items are meditative practices that form the begin-
ning of a list of seven sets, known in the tradition as being bodhipākṣikā
dharmāḥ, which I will discuss later on in this chapter. Other items are
meditative attainments: the absorptions (15), the boundless states (18),
the immaterial attainments (19), and the four fruits of recluseship (21),
the last representing the four levels of awakening. Thus in this group
meditative practices and attainments are a dominant theme, alongside
 Reciting the Dharma and the Functions of Lists 43

the four noble truths (16) and the proper mode of conduct exemplified
by the four noble traditions (20). Next comes a group of Fives:
22) the five perceptions ripening in liberation,
23) the five spheres of liberation,
24) the five faculties,
25) the five powers,
26) the five elements of release.
The five faculties (24) and powers (25) are also part of the seven sets,
which here come together with three items that similarly stand in close
relation to progress on the path to awakening: five perceptions ripening
in liberation (22), the five spheres of liberation (23), which are the oc-
casions when the breakthrough to awakening can take place, and the five
elements of release (26), which describe release from sensuality, ill will,
harmfulness, bodily form, and the sense of identity (satkāya).
Notably, even though this group consists of Fives, the five aggregates
(1) are not part of it, but rather come at the beginning. This gives the
impression of a gradual evolution of the whole list of thirty-one items,
since otherwise the numerical principle evident in its later part would
have been applied consistently by having the five aggregates as part of
the present group, followed by the Sixes as the next group. Instead of
Sixes, the list continues with Sevens:
27) the seven types of [spiritual] wealth,
28) the seven powers,
29) the seven awakening factors.
The first two groups here cover the same qualities of faith, morality,
conscience, shame, learning, generosity, and wisdom, mentioned under
two different headings (27 and 28). The awakening factors are again
part of the seven sets. The same holds for the next item in the list, which
is the noble eightfold path (30). The list concludes with the summit of
the Dharma (31), which stands for contemplation of impermanence,
duḥkha, emptiness and not-self.
The “Discourse on Explaining the Spheres” reports the Buddha mak-
ing the following statement for each of these thirty-one topics:
44 The Dawn of Abhidharma

If you give this teaching to the junior monks ... they will obtain ease,
they will obtain strength, they will obtain happiness, they will be
untroubled in body and mind, and they will practise the holy life for
their whole life.91
The concern expressed here is that newly ordained monks be taught in a
way that ensures they will continue to live the holy life, brahmacarya,
of a Buddhist monastic. This is reminiscent of the Saṅgīti-sūtra’s con-
cern to ensure that the holy life will remain for a long time.
Notably, the majority of the discourse’s topics recur as chapter head-
ings in the Dharmaskandha.92 Thus similar concerns and perhaps even
some degree of direct influence appear to connect the list of topics that
Ānanda should teach to young monks according to a Sarvāstivāda dis-
course and the basic thematic structure of an early work in the Sarvāsti-
vāda Abhidharma collection.
The last discourse in the Madhyama-āgama exemplifies another sig-
nificant tendency, namely the combining of different lists.93 Whereas
the “Discourse on Explaining the Spheres” shows the proliferation of a
single list, this discourse exemplifies another way of using lists: by way
of interrelation. The actual exposition in the discourse begins with the
following indication:
One who wishes to abandon ignorance should cultivate the four es-
tablishments of mindfulness. How should one who wishes to aban-
don ignorance cultivate the four establishments of mindfulness?94
――――――
91
MĀ 86 at T I 562b9 (for the first topic of the five aggregates): 若為諸年少比丘說教
此 … 彼便得安隱, 得力, 得樂, 身心不煩熱, 終身行梵行.
92
Watanabe 1983/1996: 54 points out the following correspondences with T 1537: (1)
→ chapter 19, (2) → chapter 18, (10) → chapter 20, (11) → chapter 21, (12) → chap-
ter 9, (13) → chapter 7, (14) → chapter 8, (15) → chapter 11, (16) → chapter 10, (18)
→ chapter 12, (19) → chapter 13, (20) → chapter 6, (21) → chapter 4, (24) → chapter
17 (although instead of the five faculties mentioned in MĀ 86, chapter 17 in T 1537
takes up twenty-two faculties), (29) → chapter 15, and (30) → chapter 10.
93
MĀ 222 at T I 805c10 to 809a25, another discourse that does not appear to have a
parallel in other discourse collections.
94
MĀ 222 at T I 805c13: 若欲斷無明者, 當修四念處. 云何欲斷無明者, 當修四念處?
 Reciting the Dharma and the Functions of Lists 45

In reply to this question, the discourse provides an account of the grad-

ual path, given in abbreviation, from the arising of a Tathāgata to the re-
moval of the five hindrances.95 Undertaking this gradual path provides
the proper basis for cultivating the four establishments of mindfulness.
This completes the first section of the exposition.
Undertaking the gradual path is similarly necessary for a variety of
activities in relation to ignorance which, including the already men-
tioned abandoning, are as follows:
a) to abandon it,
b) to abandon it repeatedly,
c) to be liberated from it,
d) to transcend it,
e) to root it out,
f) to extinguish it,
g) to know it completely,
h) to know it distinctly.
In this way, the effect of the four establishments of mindfulness in rela-
tion to ignorance is presented in terms of eight types of activities (a to h).96
This exposition – from abandoning to distinctly knowing – is then re-
lated to the four right efforts (2) instead of the four establishments of mind-
fulness, and then to several other items. These items are as follows:
1) the four establishments of mindfulness,
2) the four right efforts,
3) the four bases for supernormal ability,
4) the four absorptions,
5) the five faculties,
6) the five powers,
7) the seven awakening factors,
8) the noble eightfold path,

――――――
95
On the gradual path cf., e.g., Franke 1917: 50–80, Eimer 1976: 26–34, Bucknell 1984,
Meisig 1987b: 35–80, Ramers 1996, Freiberger 2000: 71-86, Sujato 2005: 157–159,
Melzer 2006: 12–24, and Anālayo 2015.
96
After 斷, MĀ 222 (e.g., T I 805c19) reads: 數斷, 解脫, 過度, 拔絕, 滅止, 總知, 別知.
46 The Dawn of Abhidharma

9) the ten totalities (kṛtsna),

10) the ten factors of one beyond training (aśaikṣa).
Once the discourse has worked through this list from (1) to (10), each
time by way of the eight activities (a to h), it moves from ignorance (i)
to the next of the twelve links of dependent arising, so that the entire
exposition is executed for each of them:
i) ignorance,
ii) formations,
iii) consciousness,
iv) name-and-form,
v) six senses,
vi) contact,
vii) feeling,
viii) craving,
ix) clinging,
x) becoming,
xi) birth,
xii) old age and death.
Thus the discourse as a whole is based on combining these three lists:
the list of eight activities (a to h), the list of ten mental qualities and prac-
tices (1 to 10), and the twelve links of dependent arising (i to xii).
If the discourse were to be executed in full, without abbreviations,
then it would become more than twice as long as the whole Madhyama-
āgama collection.97 Clearly, this discourse came into being with its
――――――
97
The gradual path account until the removal of the five hindrances given elsewhere in the
Madhyama-āgama covers nearly one page in the Taishō edition (cf., e.g., MĀ 146 at T I
656c27 to 657c21 or MĀ 187 at T I 733a16 to 734a8, the last is slightly shorter as it does
not explicitly mention the arising of a Tathāgata). Together with the activity to be under-
taken – such as abandoning ignorance through the four establishments of mindfulness –
this would amount to one full page. Executing the variations from abandoning to dis-
tinctly knowing (a to h) would result in eight pages. Repeating the same for the ten medi-
tative practices and qualities (1 to 10) would yield eighty pages. Applied to each of the
twelve links of dependent arising (i to xii) would result in a discourse of 960 pages in
length. The Madhyama-āgama (the longest of the four Āgamas preserved in Chinese
translation) ranges from T I 421a8 to 809a25 and thus covers 388 pages.
 Reciting the Dharma and the Functions of Lists 47

abbreviations already in place and it may well never have been recited
or written in its fully expanded form. Such combining of different lists,
with the resulting permutations usually given only in abbreviation, is a
feature found regularly in Abhidharma works. Nevertheless, the actual
contents of the discourse do not seem to reflect the influence of the
Abhidharma.
The same holds for the “Discourse on Explaining the Spheres”. Even
though its topics recur as chapter headings in the Dharmaskandha, the
presentation of these topics in the “Discourse on Explaining the Spheres”
does not appear to be an expression of Abhidharma thought.
A relationship between a discourse that presents a summary of the
Dharma and a canonical Abhidharma work becomes particularly evi-
dent with the Saṅgīti-sūtra, since a commentary on this discourse has
become a canonical work of the Sarvāstivāda Abhidharma collection
under the title Saṅgītiparyāya.
The Saṅgītiparyāya not only closely follows the list of topics in the
Saṅgīti-sūtra,98 it even has a similar introductory narration which re-
lates the exposition to the passing away of the Buddha. Similar to the
Saṅgīti-sūtra, the Saṅgītiparyāya emphasizes that the function of its ex-
position is to ensure harmony through the undertaking of communal
recitation:
We should now listen, the Buddha being [still] alive, and in harmony
collect the Dharma and Vinaya. Let there be no quarrel among the
disciples of the Blessed One after the Tathāgata’s final Nirvāṇa.99
In spite of the evidently close connection between these two works,
the contents of the Saṅgīti-sūtra appear to be just culled from various
discourses and in themselves do not seem to be Abhidharma, however
much the formal aspects of the discourse parallel characteristics of
Abhidharma texts.
――――――
98
Already La Vallée Poussin 1923/1971: vii noted that both are based on the same mātṛkā;
cf. also, e.g., Waldschmidt 1955: 300, Stache-Rosen 1968: 9f, and Tripāṭhī 1985.
99
T 1536 at T XXVI 367b22: 我等今應聞, 佛住世, 和合結集法毘奈耶, 勿使如來般涅槃
後, 世尊弟子有所乖諍.
48 The Dawn of Abhidharma

Figure 1.3 The Buddha’s Passing Away

The relief vividly expresses the sense of loss that the Buddha’s demise must have
evoked among many of his disciples. The Buddha is shown with his face covered by his
robes, conveying the fact that from now on his disciples will no longer be able to see
him or be seen by him. Directly below the covered face his close attendant Ānanda is
depicted overwhelmed by grief. The scene thus provides a telling contrast to the relief
on the cover of the present book, which shows the Buddha alive and delivering a
teaching, surrounded by listeners with devout attention.

Gandhāra, courtesy Museum für Asiatische Kunst, Berlin.100

――――――
100
Museum für Asiatische Kunst, Kunstsammlung Süd-, Südost- und Zentralasien, Staat-
liche Museen Berlin, Stiftung Preussischer Kulturbesitz, Inv. No I 80 (picture: Georg
Niedermeiser).
 Reciting the Dharma and the Functions of Lists 49

1.4 The Seven Sets

The need to ensure communal harmony, in the face of the apparent strife
between Jain followers, is also taken up in the Pāsādika-sutta and the
Sāmagāma-sutta, as well as in their parallels.101 The parallel versions re-
port that the Buddha taught a short mātṛkā, containing seven sets of men-
tal qualities and practices known as the bodhipākṣikā dharmāḥ:102
– the four establishments of mindfulness (smṛtyupasthāna),
– the four right efforts (samyakpradhāna),
– the four bases for supernormal ability (ṛddhipāda),
– the five faculties (indriya),
– the five powers (bala),
– the seven factors of awakening (bodhyaṅga),
– the noble eightfold path (āryāṣṭāṅga mārga).
The same seven sets of qualities and practices related to awakening also
feature in most versions of the Mahāparinirvāṇa-sūtra, where they oc-
cur as a teaching given by the Buddha right after he had given up his
will to live (āyuḥsaṃskāra).103 Other occurrences in Pāli discourses that
have a parallel in the discourse collections of other schools indicate that
these seven sets are gems of the Dharma,104 that they constitute the path
――――――
101
DN 29 at DN III 127,27 and its parallel DĀ 17 at T I 74a14 (which includes the four
absorptions, a characteristic feature of the Dīrgha-āgama already noted by Bronk-
horst 1985: 306 note 8); as well as MN 104 at MN II 245,8 and its parallels MĀ 196
at T I 753c6 and T 85 at T I 905a27.
102
For a detailed study of these seven sets cf. Gethin 1992.
103
DN 16 at DN II 120,3, Waldschmidt 1951: 224,14 (§19.9), DĀ 2 at T I 16c10 (which
includes the four absorptions), T 6 at T I 181b8 (which also includes the four absorp-
tions), and T 7 at T I 193a2. The seven sets are not mentioned in the corresponding
part of T 5; Waldschmidt 1944: 116 comments that T 5 changes the sermon in a rather
idiosyncratic way, such marked differences being repeatedly found in this version,
“wandelt das Predigtthema sehr eigenwillig ab. Solche starken Unterschiede gerade
bei Predigten finden sich in dieser Version mehrfach.”
104
AN 8.19 at AN IV 203,17 (cf. also Ud 5.5 at Ud 56,10 and Vin II 240,2) and its paral-
lels MĀ 35 at T I 476c20 and EĀ 42.4 at T II 753b2 (adopting a variant reading that
adds the four smṛtyupasthānas to the list).
50 The Dawn of Abhidharma

to the destruction of the influxes,105 and that having successfully culti-

vated them is characteristic of arhats.106
This basic list thus covers the mental qualities that tradition considers
crucial for progress to awakening;107 and it is this mātṛkā which accord-
ing to the Mahāparinirvāṇa-sūtra was taught by the Buddha just before
his passing away, and the mātṛkā that the Pāsādika-sutta and the Sāma-
gāma-sutta as well as their parallels recommend for ensuring commu-
nal harmony.
Even this rather short mātṛkā of seven sets already seems to be the
outcome of some degree of growth beyond what is absolutely necessary
from a practical perspective. Whereas the other sets take up what are
distinct presentations, notwithstanding some overlap, the five faculties
(indriya) are the same as the five powers (bala). Both cover the quali-
ties of faith, energy, mindfulness, concentration, and wisdom, the only
difference is the name given to these five: “faculties” or “powers”.108
――――――
105
SN 22.81 at SN III 96,7 and its parallel SĀ 57 at T II 14a7; a presentation which re-
curs as a discourse quotation in the Dharmaskandha, Dietz 1984: 52f and T 1537 at
T XXVI 511b12; and in the Abhidharmakośopāyikā-ṭīkā, D 4094 ju 72a1 or Q 5595
tu 80b7.
106
AN 8.28 at AN IV 225,5 and its parallels SĀ 694 at T II 188b26 (the same presenta-
tion is repeated with a different narrative introduction in the next two discourses, SĀ
695 and SĀ 696) and a quotation in the Abhidharmakośopāyikā-ṭīkā, D 4094 nyu
37a6 or Q 5595 thu 74b8.
107
The relation to progress towards awakening is the basic theme of several Pāli dis-
courses in which the seven sets occur, such as, e.g., MN 149 at MN III 289, 10 and its
parallels SĀ 305 at T II 87c3 and a quotation in the Abhidharmakośopāyikā-ṭīkā, D
4094 ju 205a3 or Q 5595 tu 234a3; or SN 22.101 at SN III 154,5 and its parallels AN
7.67 at AN IV 126,20, SĀ 263 at T II 67b12, and a Gāndhārī fragment (where only
the negative formulation has been preserved), Glass 2007: 198; cf. also the Mūlasar-
vāstivāda Vinaya, T 1448 at T XXIV 31c18 (leaving out instances in the Pāli dis-
courses that have no parallels in other traditions). As Gethin 1992: 235 points out,
“the nature of the appeal to the seven sets is a matter of appeal to practice and
experience rather than an appeal to theory and scripture.”
108
SN 48.43 at SN V 219,21 (of which no parallel seems to be extant) explains that in
principle the five powers are the same as the five faculties, a situation explained with
the help of a simile that describes looking at a river from an island in the middle of
the river. Depending on where one stands and in what direction one looks, one might
 Reciting the Dharma and the Functions of Lists 51

When considered from a practical perspective, a list of qualities and

practices that are essential for awakening covered under the seven sets
could be arrived at by mentioning only six sets, leaving aside the five
powers, once the five faculties have been mentioned.109 Although the
distinction between faculties and powers might be pointing to each set
performing different functions, in a bare list of qualities required for
reaching awakening it would seem sufficient if the set of five qualities –
faith, energy, mindfulness, concentration, and wisdom – is mentioned
just once.110
Be that as it may, the seven sets are found under the corresponding
numerical sections in the Saṅgīti-sūtra. The Fours of all four versions
of the Saṅgīti-sūtra list the establishments of mindfulness, the right ef-
forts, and the bases for supernormal ability in precisely this sequence.111
The faculties and powers occur among the Fives of all versions, except
――――――
see the water as two rivers (on both sides of the island) or as a single river (above or
below the island).
109
In fact the Saṅgīti-sutta only mentions the five faculties; cf. below note 112. Here it is
also noteworthy that, as observed by Choong 2012: 88f, “not one discourse is common
to the Bala Saṃyukta of SA and the Bala Saṃyutta of SN … it may be that both
traditions felt a need to fill up a nearly empty Bala Saṃyukta/Bala Saṃyutta. This
would mean that the Bala Saṃyukta in both traditions was a largely artificial creation.”
110
An advantage of mentioning both is that in this way the list of the bodhipākṣikā dhar-
māḥ comprises seven sets, in line with the symbolic sense of the number seven as
conveying a sense of completeness. Rhys Davids and Stede 1921/1993: 673 s.v.
satta4 explain that seven is “a collective and concluding (serial) number”, “with a
peculiar magic nimbus”; cf. also Senart 1882a: 285f and Sen 1974: 64. For a survey
of some examples that show a symbolic usage of seven as representative of a com-
plete time cycle in Buddhist texts cf. Anālayo 2011a: 471f note 158. According to
Dumont 1962: 73, the number seven in ancient India “indicates a totality”; Gombrich
1975: 118 notes that “seven is a favourite Vedic number”; cf. also Bhattacharyya
1969: 57: “seven was a conventional number favoured by the people.” On the num-
ber seven in religious traditions in general cf., e.g., Davidson 1917: 406, Keith 1917:
407f and 413, and Schimmel 1987: 15f. On the significance of seven in relation to
the mind’s ability to process information cf. Miller 1956.
111
DN 33 at DN III 221,6 (4.1–3); Stache-Rosen 1968: 93f (4.1–3); cf. also SHT VIII
1922aV, Bechert and Wille 2000: 103, SHT IX 2214 R, Bechert and Wille 2004: 137;
DĀ 9 at T I 50c9 (4.11–13); and T 12 at T I 228b16 (4.1–3).
52 The Dawn of Abhidharma

for the Theravāda discourse, which only has the five faculties.112 The
Sevens have the factors of awakening and the Eights the members of
the noble eightfold path.113
This is a remarkable degree of correspondence among the otherwise
quite divergent lists in the parallel versions of the Saṅgīti-sūtra. Such
correspondence supports the impression that the thirty-seven qualities
or practices assembled under the seven sets may have formed one or
even the starting point from which the list in the Saṅgīti-sūtra devel-
oped; and the Saṅgīti-sūtra in turn is clearly the basis for the Saṅgīti-
paryāya of the Sarvāstivāda Abhidharma collection.114
Although the Theravāda Abhidharma does not have a work corre-
sponding to the Saṅgītiparyāya, the same tendency can be seen at work
here as well. Thus, for example, a mātṛkā in the Dhammasaṅgaṇī matches
closely the list of terms under the Twos in the Theravāda version of the
Saṅgīti-sutta.115 Again, the Puggalapaññatti adopts the same basic pat-
――――――
112
DN 33 at DN III 239,15 (5.23); Stache-Rosen 1968: 153 (5.20–21); cf. also Or 15003/
131 Vb-c, Wille 2006: 106; DĀ 9 at T I 51b13 (5.6–7); and T 12 at T I 230a28 (5.7–8).
113
DN 33 at DN III 251,23 (7.2); Stache-Rosen 1968: 175 (7.1); DĀ 9 at T I 52b7 (7.7);
and T 12 at T I 232b28 (7.1). DN 33 at DN III 255,1 (8.2); Stache-Rosen 1968: 188
(8.1); DĀ 9 at T I 52b18 (8.3); and T 12 at T I 233a17 (8.4).
114
Bronkhorst 1985: 305 comments on the seven sets that “it seems clear that this is an
early, perhaps the earliest, list of the type that came to be called mātṛkā/P. mātikā
and formed the basis for the later Abhidharma works.” According to Buswell and
Jaini 1996: 82, “the beginnings of Abhidharma are found in certain fundamental list-
ings of dharmas … the most important of these early listings was that of the thirty-
seven limbs of enlightenment.”
115
This is the suttantamātikā in Dhs 7,14, which has its counterpart in DN 33 at DN III
212,9; a correspondence pointed out by Frauwallner 1964: 71 note 28. To illustrate
the close degree of correspondence, in what follows I list the serial number of the
item in the suttantamātikā in the Dhammasaṅgaṇī, followed by the number of the
corresponding item in the Twos of the Saṅgīti-sutta: 9→1, 10→2, 11→3, 15→4,
16→5, 17→6, 18→7, 19→8, 20→9, 21→10, 22→11, 23→12, 24→13, 25→14,
26→15, 29→17, 30→18, 31→21, 32→23, 33→24, 34→25, 35→27, 36→26, 37→28,
38→29, 39→30, 40→31, 41→32, and 42→33; at which point the suttantamātikā in
Dhs and the Twos in DN 33 both come to an end. Frauwallner 1972: 121 further
notes that the exegesis of these items in the Dhammasaṅgaṇī seems rather earlier and
at times incorporates discourse material, which further confirms the impression that
 Reciting the Dharma and the Functions of Lists 53

tern of proceeding from Ones to Tens as the Saṅgīti-sūtra and the Saṅgīti-
paryāya, here first presented in mātṛkā form, followed by working out
the details of this mātṛkā.116 The beginning parts of the Paṭisambhidā-
magga, a work of Abhidharma character found in the fifth Nikāya of the
Pāli canon, appear to be based on extracts from the Theravāda version
of the Dasuttara-sutta.117
Nevertheless, the Abhidharma is not the mere product of the pro-
liferation of lists. As the titles of the Saṅgīti-sūtra and of the Saṅgīti-
paryāya make clear, communal recitation is central to their purpose;
and the basis for such communal recitation is a text that provides as
comprehensive a summary of the teachings as possible. This is what
informs the list of the seven sets, the list in the Saṅgīti-sūtra, as well as
its exegesis in the Saṅgītiparyāya.
The dynamic that stands behind this trajectory is the wish to summa-
rize the teachings, to arrive at a succinct but still complete presentation
of the essentials of the Dharma. The function of such a presentation lies
in its providing a guide for practice and a basis for group recitation as a
way of ensuring harmony among the disciples after the teacher’s death.
It is because of this thrust towards comprehensive summarizing that sev-
eral of the lists surveyed in this chapter have had such an impact on the
emergence of the Abhidharma. I will examine other related dynamics
that contributed to the “dawn” of the Abhidharma in the next chapters.

――――――
this part of the Dhammasaṅgaṇī could go back to a text similar in kind to the Saṅgīti-
paryāya; cf. Dhs 226,36 (1309 to 1367). Aung 1910/1912: 115f highlights the impor-
tance accorded by tradition to the mātikā of the Dhammasaṅgaṇī, reflected in a series
of commentaries that have been composed on it in Burma.
116
Morris 1883/1972: ix introduces his edition of the Puggalapaññatti by remarking that
“its form seems to have been modelled upon that of the Saṅgîti-suttantaṃ of the Dîgha-
nikâya. This sutta, as technical and dry in its treatment of its subject as any Abhi-
dhamma treatise, and not, in many cases, any fuller than the Mâtikâ to the present
work, treats of the dasa dhammâ or ten conditions much in the same way as the work
before us deals with the dasa puggalâ or ten individuals”; cf. also Takakusu 1905: 161.
For a study of the Puggalapaññatti in relation to expositions on persons in the early
discourses and the light this sheds on the beginnings of the Abhidharma cf. Kuan 2014.
117
Warder 1982: xxxi–xxxiv.
2 Wisdom and Early Canonical Abhidharma

In this chapter I study a list of elements found in the Bahudhātuka-sūtra

and its parallels as part of a set of topics whose knowledge forms the
basis for the cultivation of wisdom. Then I turn to the significance of
references to the term abhidharma in the early discourses and to the na-
ture of early canonical Abhidharma texts. My overall aim in the present
chapter is to explore a few instances where passages in the early dis-
courses have gone through a process of expansion, as well as to ascer-
tain the basically commentarial nature of early canonical Abhidharma
texts.

2.1 Wisdom and the Elements

In what follows I briefly survey the significance of “wisdom” and the
“elements” in general, before turning to their exposition in the Bahu-
dhātuka-sūtra. According to the quote I have placed at the beginning of
the introduction to this book, the purpose of wisdom is disenchantment,
dispassion, and seeing as it really is.1 The central role of wisdom in
early Buddhist thought finds reflection in various similes, according to
which wisdom is like a knife that digs up ignorance,2 or that cuts the
bondage of desire.3 Wisdom could be compared to the rampart of a
――――――
1
MĀ 211 at T I 790c22: “wisdom has the purpose of disenchantment, the purpose of
dispassion, and the purpose of seeing as it really is”, 智慧者有厭義, 無欲義, 見如真義,
parallel to MN 43 at MN I 293,36: “wisdom has the purpose of direct knowledge, the
purpose of penetrative knowledge, and the purpose of abandoning”, paññā … abhiññat-
thā pariññatthā pahānatthā; cf. above page 11.
2
MN 23 at MN I 144,10 and its parallels T 95 at T I 918c26, SĀ 1079 at T II 282b28,
SĀ2 18 at T II 379c29, and EĀ 39.9 at T II 733c17.
3
MN 146 at MN III 275,18 and its parallels SĀ 276 at T II 75b12 (translated Anālayo
2010a: 348) and the Mūlasarvāstivāda Vinaya, T 1442 at T XXIII 793b22, with a
Tibetan counterpart in D 3 ja 56b5 or Q 1032 nye 54a1 (translated Martini 2010: 390);
cf. also the Yogācārabhūmi, T 1579 at T XXX 748a9 and Schmithausen 1969: 46,5.
56 The Dawn of Abhidharma

border town, which provides protection to its inhabitants and keeps off
enemies,4 or to the peak of a roof, which offers stability to the rafters.5 No
light shines brighter than wisdom,6 and the peak of wisdom is reached
with full liberation.7 Liberating wisdom then finds its expression in
early Buddhism in the scheme of the four noble truths, to which I will
turn in the next chapter.
Regarding the elements, the discourses frequently mention a set of
four: earth, water, fire, and wind. These four elements feature in the
description of mindfulness meditation in the form of smṛtyupasthāna,
where the body is to be seen as composed of these four basic material
qualities of solidity, fluidity, warmth, and motion.8 Alternatively the
four elements can become the object for the cultivation of meditative
absorption, dhyāna, in the form of a perceptual totality, kṛtsna.9 Adding
space and consciousness to these four elements yields a set of six ele-
ments, a detailed analysis of which can be found in the Dhātuvibhaṅga-
sūtra, the “Discourse on an Analysis of the Elements”.10
――――――
4
AN 7.63 at AN IV 111,8 and its parallel MĀ 3 at T I 423c19.
5
SN 48.52 at SN V 228,17 and its parallel SĀ 654 at T II 183b21.
6
SN 1.13 at SN I 6,18 and its parallels SĀ 1006 at T II 263b21 and SĀ2 232 at T II
458c11.
7
MN 140 at MN III 245,14 and its parallels MĀ 162 at T I 692a11 and a quotation in
the Abhidharmakośopāyikā-ṭīkā, D 4094 ju 40b4 or Q 5595 tu 44a4.
8
MN 10 at MN I 57,35 (= DN 22 at DN II 294,14) and its parallel EĀ 12.1 at T II 568a24.
Another parallel, MĀ 98 at T I 583b18, instead lists six elements. This seems to be a
case of later expansion, as the sixth element of consciousness does not fall naturally
under the main heading for this section, contemplation of the body.
9
A listing of the ten kṛtsnas, beginning with the four elements, can be found, e.g., in
DN 33 at DN III 268,20 (10.2) and Stache-Rosen 1968: 203 (10.1). On the original
sense of kṛtsna as a totality cf., e.g., Vetter 1988: 66f, Wynne 2007: 32f, and Anālayo
2009d: 668.
10
MN 140 at MN III 240,17 and its parallels MĀ 162 at T I 690c12, T 511 at T XIV
780a11 (which has the exposition of the six elements at an earlier point and thus not
in as direct a relation to wisdom as the other versions), and a quotation in the Abhi-
dharmakośopāyikā-ṭīkā, D 4094 ju 36a1 or Q 5595 tu 39a5. Wynne 2007: 39 and 36
explains that in Brahminic thought “element meditation, so we must understand, was
thought to be the yogin’s way of reversing the creation of the cosmos and attaining
liberation.” Thus “the progression ‘earth → water → fire → wind → space → con-
 Wisdom and Early Canonical Abhidharma 57

Figure 2.1 The Twin Miracle

The stele shows the Buddha performing the twin miracle, which requires the
simultaneous manifestation of fire and water emerging from different parts of one’s
own body,11 an expression of complete mastery over these material elements.
In the above stele fire can be seen to emerge from the Buddha’s shoulders
whereas water flows from his lower body.

Gandhāra, courtesy Musée Guimet.

――――――
sciousness’, seems to be little more than an inversion of a cosmogony identical to that
stated at Mbh [Mahābhārata] XII.224. From this perspective, the Buddhist lists of ele-
ment meditation seem to reflect a Brahminic cosmogony.”
11
On the twin miracle cf., e.g., Foucher 1909: 10–16, Lüders 1941/1966: 62–73, Brown
1984, Verardi 1988: 1540f, Karetzky 1990: 72f, Rhi 1991: 51–72, Schlingloff 1991,
Skilling 1997: 303–315, Zhu 2006: 255f, Anālayo 2009f, and Fiordalis 2010/2011:
401f.
58 The Dawn of Abhidharma

Less emphasis on the material aspect of existence is evident in another

recurrent analysis of elements in relation to the senses, where the six
senses, their objects, and the corresponding types of consciousness
together make up a set of eighteen elements. The eighteen elements
related to sense-experience and the six elements covering matter and
consciousness appear at the outset of a detailed survey of various ele-
ments in the Bahudhātuka-sūtra and its parallels. This discourse is ex-
tant in the following versions, given according to their school affiliation:
– Mūlasarvāstivāda tradition: a discourse preserved in Tibetan trans-
lation;12 a discourse quotation in the Abhidharmakośopāyikā-ṭīkā,
also extant in Tibetan translation;13 and a partial quotation that cov-
ers the exposition of the elements in the Abhidharmakośavyākhyā;14
– Sarvāstivāda tradition: a Madhyama-āgama discourse, preserved in
Chinese translation;15 and a discourse found as a quotation in the
Dharmaskandha, preserved in Chinese translation;16
– Theravāda tradition: a Majjhima-nikāya discourse, preserved in Pā-
li;17
– uncertain school affiliation: a discourse translated individually into
Chinese.18
The main topic of the Bahudhātuka-sūtra is wisdom, a topic broached
by contrasting a fool or foolishness with a wise one or being wise. Most
versions illustrate the predicament of foolishness with the example of a
fire that starts from little, but which may eventually burn down a whole

――――――
12
D 297 sha 297a2 to 301b2 or Q 963 lu 325b3 to 330b1.
13
D 4094 ju 28b2 to 33b4 or Q 5595 tu 31b1 to 36b6. The relevant passage in the Abhi-
dharmakośabhāṣya gives the count of sixty-two elements, Pradhan 1967: 18,7: evaṃ
bahudhātuke ’pi dvaṣaṣṭir dhātavo deśitāḥ.
14
Wogihara 1932: 55,17 to 56,9.
15
MĀ 181 at T I 723a8 to 724c3; translated in Anālayo 2012c: 255–267. Regarding the
school affiliation of this collection cf. above page 41 note 89.
16
T 1537 at T XXVI 501b25 to 502c18, where this discourse quotation forms the begin-
ning of the twentieth chapter on “many elements”.
17
MN 115 at MN III 61,4 to 67,34.
18
T 776 at T XVII 712b10 to 714a1.
 Wisdom and Early Canonical Abhidharma 59

house.19 The opposite case of wisdom requires insight into the central
categories of the Dharma, such as knowledge of the elements.
In what follows, I translate the part of the discourse that surveys the
elements whose knowledge leads to the gaining of wisdom. Since my
interest in the present study is the trajectory from the early discourses to
the early canonical Abhidharma, I base my study on the discourse quo-
tation found in the twentieth chapter of the Dharmaskandha, which reads
as follows:
Ānanda said: “How is a wise one skilled in the elements?”
The Buddha said: (1) “A wise one who knows and sees as they really
are eighteen elements is skilled in the elements: that is, one knows
and sees as they really are the eye element, the form element, and the
eye-consciousness element; the ear element, the sound element, and
the ear-consciousness element; the nose element, the odour element,
and the nose-consciousness element; the tongue element, the taste
element, and the tongue-consciousness element; the body element,
the tactile element, and the body-consciousness element; the mind
element, the mind-object element, and the mind-consciousness
element.
(2) “Again, knowing and seeing as they really are six elements
one is skilled in the elements: that is, one knows and sees as they
really are the earth element, the water element, the fire element, the
wind element, the space element, and the consciousness element.
(3) “Again, knowing and seeing as they really are six elements
one is skilled in the elements: that is, one knows and sees as they
really are the element of sensual desire, the element of ill will, the
element of harming, the element of dispassion, the element of non-
ill will, and the element of non-harming.
(4) “Again, knowing and seeing as they really are six elements
one is skilled in the elements: that is, one knows and sees as they
really are the element of pleasure, the element of pain, the element of
――――――
19
T 776 at T XVII 712b26 only describes the making of a fire, without detailing its det-
rimental effects. I take this to be a textual loss, since a reference to a fire on its own
does not illustrate the problem caused by a fool.
60 The Dawn of Abhidharma

joy, the element of sadness, the element of equanimity, and the ele-
ment of ignorance.
(5) “Again, knowing and seeing as they really are four elements
one is skilled in the elements: that is, one knows and sees as they
really are the element of feeling, the element of perception,20 the ele-
ment of formations, and the element of consciousness.
(6) “Again, knowing and seeing as they really are three elements
one is skilled in the elements: that is, one knows and sees as they
really are the sense-sphere element, the [fine-]material element, and
the immaterial element.
(7) “Again, knowing and seeing as they really are three elements
one is skilled in the elements: that is, one knows and sees as they
really are the material element, the immaterial element, and the ele-
ment of cessation.
(8) “Again, knowing and seeing as they really are three elements
one is skilled in the elements: that is, one knows and sees as they
really are the element of the past, the element of the future, and the
element of the present.
(9) “Again, knowing and seeing as they really are three elements
one is skilled in the elements: that is, one knows and sees as they
really are the inferior element, the middling element, and the sublime
element.
(10) “Again, knowing and seeing as they really are three elements
one is skilled in the elements: that is, one knows and sees as they
really are the wholesome element, the unwholesome element, and
the undetermined element.
(11) “Again, knowing and seeing as they really are three elements
one is skilled in the elements: that is, one knows and sees as they
really are the element of being in training (śaikṣa), the element of no
[longer] being in training, the element of being neither in training
nor no [longer] in training.

――――――
20
For ease of understanding, I adopt the standard rendering of saṃjñā (想) as “percep-
tion”, although the rendering “(conceptual) identification” proposed by Potter 1996:
128 would in my view better capture the significance of the term.
 Wisdom and Early Canonical Abhidharma 61

(12) “Again, knowing and seeing as they really are two elements
one is skilled in the elements: that is, one knows and sees as they
really are the element with influxes (āsava) and the element without
influxes.
(13) “Again, knowing and seeing as they really are two elements
one is skilled in the elements: that is, one knows and sees as they
really are the conditioned element and the unconditioned element.
“This is called being a wise one who is skilled in the elements.”21
Before comparing the actual elements listed in the different versions of
the Bahudhātuka-sūtra, I would like to note briefly a formal difference
between the parallel versions. In the above passage from the Dharma-
skandha, the Buddha expounds the whole list of elements without inter-
ruption. The same is the case for the other versions preserved in Chinese
and Tibetan translation. In the Pāli version, however, each time one set
of elements has been expounded, Ānanda intervenes with a question,
asking if there could be yet another way in which a monk can be reck-
oned skilled in the elements.22
In this way, the Majjhima-nikāya discourse differs from its parallels
by adopting a question-and-answer format. This formal difference does
not make the Majjhima-nikāya presentation any more an expression of
Abhidharma thought than its parallels. In fact, the Pāli version has the
shortest list of elements, so that it exhibits the tendency to compile lists
to a lesser degree than its parallels.
This observation relates back to my discussion in the last chapter, in
that the use of the question-and-answer format is simply a natural oc-
currence in an oral setting and need not in itself be seen as an expres-
sion of Abhidharma thought, however much this format may be promi-
nent in Abhidharma texts. The same also holds for the use of lists, as in
the present case. The mere fact of listing various elements does not
necessarily mean that the Bahudhātuka-sūtra must be influenced by the
――――――
21
The translated section is found in T 1537 at T XXVI 501c 14 to 502a8 (for ease of
reference, in my translation I number the sets of elements; the numbering is not found
in the original).
22
MN 115 at MN III 62,19+26+33 and 63,4+10.
62 The Dawn of Abhidharma

Abhidharma. Nor does the fact that this list is quoted in a canonical
Abhidharma text of the Sarvāstivāda tradition turn the Bahudhātuka-
sūtra into an Abhidharma text itself. Nevertheless, the growth of the list
of elements that can be discerned by comparing the parallel versions of
the Bahudhātuka-sūtra does reflect a tendency that is of considerable
relevance for the emergence of the Abhidharma.
Regarding the actual list of elements, the above set of sixty-two ele-
ments recurs in the Mūlasarvāstivāda versions and in the Sarvāstivāda
discourse found in the Madhyama-āgama. The same list also occurs in
the Saṅgītiparyāya,23 where it serves as a commentary on a reference to
being “skilled in the elements”, found in the Sarvāstivāda version of the
Saṅgīti-sūtra.24
The parallel to the Bahudhātuka-sūtra preserved as an individual
translation in Chinese, however, lists only fifty-six elements. It lacks
two sets of three:
– group (7): material/immaterial/cessation,
– group (8): past/future/present.
The Theravāda version in the Majjhima-nikāya lists only forty-one
elements. Besides groups (7) and (8), it also lacks the following sets:
– group (5): feeling/perception/formations/consciousness,
– group (9): inferior/middle/sublime,
– group (10): wholesome/unwholesome/undetermined,
– group (11): in training/no [longer] in training/neither,
– group (12): with influxes/without influxes.
Such variations could in principle be due to the following reasons: in-
tentional omission, loss of text, or expansion of text.
As regards the first possibility, intentional omission from the Thera-
vāda discourse seems improbable, since other Pāli discourses list the
elements that are not found in the Pāli version of the Bahudhātuka-sutta.
The four elements (5) corresponding to the four immaterial aggregates,
――――――
23
T 1536 at T XXVI 371a29 to 371b16.
24
Stache-Rosen 1968: 52 (2.10). Such a reference is also found in DN 33 at DN III
212,19 (2.10), but absent from the Twos in DĀ 9 and T 12.
 Wisdom and Early Canonical Abhidharma 63

which anyway are part of the standard list of the five aggregates in vari-
ous Pāli discourses, occur in the Mahāmāluṅkya-sutta, where these four
are employed as part of an analysis of concentration attainments.25 The
groups of three elements (7 to 11) are all mentioned in the Saṅgīti-sutta.26
The group of two elements (12) occurs, for example, in the Mahācattārī-
saka-sutta in relation to the factors of the eightfold path,27 a topic to
which I will return in a subsequent chapter. Given these occurrences,
there would have been little reason for those responsible for the trans-
mission of the Theravāda version to eliminate these groups from the
discourse deliberately.
The possibility of a loss of text is not particularly probable. Not only
does the Theravāda version in the Majjhima-nikāya not show any evi-
dent sign of textual loss, but this explanation would also require two
stages of accidental loss: a loss of the two groups (7 and 8) now absent
from the Theravāda version and the version preserved as an individual
Chinese translation; and then a separate loss of the other five groups (5
and 9 to 12). Although elsewhere in the same Majjhima-nikāya a sub-
stantial textual loss did occur,28 this left traces and moreover is a case of

――――――
25
MN 64 at MN I 436,21+29.
26
Group (7) in DN 33 at DN III 215,21 (3.14); group (8), further specified to be three
“periods”, at DN III 216,16 (3.24); group (9) at DN III 215,23 (3.15); group (10), in
the form of three “formations” that are meritorious, demeritorious, and imperturbable,
at DN III 217,25 (3.35); and group (11), further specified to be “persons”, at DN III
218,1 (3.36).
27
MN 117 at MN III 72,6; the same set of two is also applied to supernormal powers in
DN 28 at DN III 112,7, to happiness in AN 2.7 at AN I 81,1, and to the ten courses of
action in AN 10.133 at AN V 275,20.
28
An example is the Chabbisodhana-sutta, MN 112 at MN III 29,19 to 37,4, which in its
title announces an exposition of a sixfold purity, but the actual exposition only has
five such purities. The parallel MĀ 187 at T I 732a21 to 734a25 has six purities. The
Pāli commentary, Ps IV 94,23, reports an opinion voiced by what appear to be monks
from India, according to whom precisely the type of purity found only in MĀ 187 (cf.
T I 732b13) should be added to the exposition of MN 112 in order to fit the title chabbi-
sodhana. This makes it safe to conclude that MN 112 has lost the exposition of one
purity and thus a substantial portion of text at some point in its transmission; cf. in
more detail Anālayo 2012c: 223f.
64 The Dawn of Abhidharma

a single loss, not a double loss in stages as would be required in the pre-
sent instance.
The discourse versions of the Bahudhātuka-sūtra agree in covering
four topics, of which the first is the elements and the last is a survey of
impossibilities. The survey of impossibilities shows even more marked
differences between the parallel versions than the section on the elements.
As I have shown elsewhere, the variations found in this case make it
safe to conclude that textual expansion must have been at work in this
part of the discourse.29 In fact the 大智度論, whose title has been recon-
structed as the *Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa,30 explicitly reports that the
list of impossibilities in the Bahudhātuka-sūtra has been subsequently
expanded.31 Once there is clear evidence for expansion in the last part
of the discourse, it seems fair to conclude that variations in the first part
of the discourse probably also result from the same tendency.32
So out of the three explanations for the differences in the list of the
elements, the third explanation is the most probable, in that the descrip-
tion of the elements in the passage translated above would be the result
of a gradual expansion. During oral transmission such a gradual expan-
sion would be a natural occurrence, where the topic of a wise one’s skill
in knowing the elements could easily have attracted additional sets of
elements that the reciters considered as being relevant to the theme of
wisdom.
――――――
29
Anālayo 2012c: 273–278.
30
Cf. Demiéville 1950/1973: 470 note 1 and Lamotte 1970: viif.
31
T 1509 at T XXV 237a29 explains that “based on what the Buddha had said, the
treatise masters further expanded by declaring [more] possibilities and impossibili-
ties”, 諸論議師輩, 依是佛語, 更廣說是處不是處. Lamotte 1970: 1525 note 1 suggests
that this refers to the authors of the Abhidharma in particular, “le Traité a sans doute
en vue les auteurs d’Abhidharma qui ont considérablement augmenté la liste des pos-
sibilités et impossibilités dressée par le Buddha.”
32
This would be in line with a pattern described by Bodhi 2010: xii, where the “training
in wisdom, as an intellectual discipline, gave rise to the first great wave of Buddhist
philosophical thought in the period following the demise of the Buddha”, which paid
“increasing attention to the analysis and classification of the factors of experience that
served as the objects of wisdom. Specialist monks would have compiled ever longer
lists of elements, proposing various schemes of analysis and classification.”
 Wisdom and Early Canonical Abhidharma 65

Given that the present state of the discourse appears to be the result
of an expansion of the list of the elements, it would of course be possi-
ble that even the list of forty-one elements in the Theravāda version is
already an expansion of an even shorter presentation.
An indicator in support of such a hypothesis can be found in the case
of the group of six elements (4): pleasure, pain, joy, sadness, equanim-
ity, and ignorance. Once a list distinguishes between pleasure, pain, joy,
and sadness, neutral or equanimous feeling would naturally fall into
place as a fifth. The sixth item of ignorance, however, seems out of
place in what otherwise is a list of different types of affective tones.
Nevertheless, a firm conclusion does not seem possible, since the
comparative study of the parallel versions has not brought to light an
exposition of the elements that does not mention ignorance as part of
this group of six elements.
The full set of sixty-two elements found in the Dharmaskandha, how-
ever, clearly seems to be the result of amplification. The tendency to-
wards expansion makes itself felt in the version of the discourse quoted
in the Dharmaskandha in yet another way. Even though all versions, in-
cluding the Dharmaskandha, agree on mentioning as one of several al-
ternative titles for the discourse that it expounds four topics,33 the actual
discourse quotation in the Dharmaskandha has a fifth topic: the five ag-
gregates (skandha). The exposition of this fifth topic in the Dharma-
skandha reads as follows:
A wise one who knows and sees as they really are the five aggre-
gates is skilled in the aggregates. That is, one knows and sees the
aggregate of bodily form, the aggregate of feeling, the aggregate of
perception, the aggregate of formations, and the aggregate of con-
sciousness as they really are. This is called being a wise one who is
skilled in the aggregates.34
――――――
33
MN 115 at MN III 67,29: catuparivaṭṭo, D 297 sha 301a7 or Q 963 lu 330a8: leʼu bzhi
pa, T 776 at T XVII 713c27: 四品法門, T 1537 at T XXVI 502c17: 四轉, and D 4094
ju 33b3 or Q 5595 tu 36b5: leʼu bzhi pa.
34
T 1537 at T XXVI 502a13: 智者於五蘊如實知見, 是蘊善巧; 謂如實知見色蘊, 受蘊,
想蘊, 行蘊, 識蘊. 是名智者於蘊善巧.
66 The Dawn of Abhidharma

The aggregates also occur in the quotation found in the Abhidharma-

kośopāyikā-ṭīkā, where the skandhas are the first item in the exposition.
The Dharmaskandha instead has the aggregates as its third topic. The
discourse quotation in the Abhidharmakośopāyikā-ṭīkā merely mentions
the “aggregates”,35 and thus does not have a detailed exposition of the
type found in the Dharmaskandha. The fact that the other versions do
not mention the aggregates at all, the different placing of the topic of
the aggregates in these two versions, and the circumstance that the
Abhidharmakośopāyikā-ṭīkā merely mentions the aggregates make it
safe to conclude that this item must be a later addition.
Here it is also noteworthy that this apparent addition occurs in dis-
course quotations. The present case thus illustrates a basic tendency
where textual patterns that are already at work in some early discourses
tend to evolve further when discourses are preserved as quotations in
other texts.36 In the present case this further evolution creates to some
degree a redundancy, as four of these five aggregates have already
found inclusion as one of the groups of elements (5).
Now an addition of the five aggregates is only natural in a context
that describes the gaining of wisdom, given the eminent potential that
insight into the nature of the five aggregates has according to the early
discourses.37 Moreover, once the analyses into the elements and into the
six internal and external sense-spheres are mentioned, it would be natu-
ral to add the five aggregates as another standard mode of analysis. The
importance of these three sets can be seen, for example, in the Thera-
vāda Dhātukathā, which employs the aggregates, the sense-spheres, and
the elements as its basic scaffolding.38
――――――
35
D 4094 ju 29b1 or Q 5595 tu 32b1: phung po.
36
For another case where a discourse quotation shows the influence of later doctrinal
developments cf. Anālayo 2013d: 105f.
37
Gethin 1992: 56 explains that especially “the practice of watching rise and fall with
regard to the five aggregates of grasping seems to be particularly associated with the
gaining of the insight that leads directly to the destruction of the āsavas, directly to
awakening.”
38
This finds its expression in the recurrent question katīhi khandhehi katīh’ āyatanehi
katīhi dhātūhi saṃgahito?; cf., e.g., Dhātuk 1,23. Gethin 1986: 48 explains that “for
 Wisdom and Early Canonical Abhidharma 67

The choice of the aggregates in a discussion of the topic of wisdom

is thus not surprising. Their inclusion in the Dharmaskandha’s version
of the Bahudhātuka-sūtra is significant in so far as it throws into relief a
tendency at work also in the exposition of the elements. This is the at-
tempt to make the presentation as comprehensive as possible, through
the bringing together and assembling, saṃgraha, of all items that are in
some way related to the main topic of wisdom.39 This is an important
trajectory that from its roots in the early discourses becomes a central
factor in the Abhidharma enterprise.
The same tendency towards comprehensiveness can also be observed
in relation to the five aggregates themselves. Once the number five is
established, it is of course no longer possible to add further aggregates.
Yet, the tendency to bring together and assemble various items in an
attempt to be as comprehensive as possible can find its expression in the
definition of what each aggregate is held to include.
With the Abhidharma and later tradition, the fourth aggregate of for-
mations becomes an umbrella category for assembling all those items
that do not easily find an allocation under the other aggregates.40 This
differs from the original import of the fourth aggregate, which stood
mainly for volitional formations.41
In the early discourses the analysis of the five aggregates appears to
have had predominantly the function of drawing attention to those as-
pects of subjective experience that are prone to be grasped at and clung
――――――
the abhidhamma texts … the khandhas form one of the primary category headings by
means of which dhammas may be classified. Along with the twelve āyatanas and eight-
een dhātus, the five khandhas constitute … three different methods of classifying the
totality of dhammas that make up conditioned existence.”
39
Frauwallner 1963: 34 points out that the attempt to cover and order all aspects of ex-
istence in a comprehensive manner is in line with a general tendency in classical In-
dian thought, found similarly in Sāṃkhya and Vaiśeṣika thought.
40
This tendency has already been noted by, e.g., McGovern 1872/1979: 87, Stcher-
batsky 1922: 20, Rhys Davids 1936/1978: 324, Karunaratna 1979: 99, Bodhi 2000:
45, and Anālayo 2003: 205.
41
For a survey of the main nuances of the term saṅkhāra in the Pāli discourses cf., e.g.,
Hamilton 1996: 66–81 and Anālayo 2006c.
68 The Dawn of Abhidharma

to, hence the standard reference to five “aggregates of clinging”, upā-

dānaskandha. This perspective to some degree is lost from sight with
the attempt to fit all and everything into this fivefold analysis.42 As a re-
sult, the fourth aggregate comes to stand for a broad variety of factors
and thereby no longer functions as a pointer to the problem of identify-
ing with and clinging to one’s willpower and one’s ability to take deci-
sions and be in control.43
The tendency towards expansion of a topic appears to be in fact a
general trait of the orally transmitted texts of early Buddhism. As part
of this general tendency, the case of the Bahudhātuka-sūtra and its par-
allels reflects in particular an attempt to cover the topic of wisdom as
comprehensively as possible by combining various teachings given on
this topic into a single coherent whole. This appears to have led to an
expansion of the list of elements in order to bring in as many different
teachings on this subject as possible.
The same tendency towards comprehensiveness in matters of wis-
dom is also evident in the addition of the topic of the five aggregates in
quotations of the discourse, and in the fourth aggregate becoming an
umbrella term for anything that does not easily find allocation among
――――――
42
Williams 2000: 89 explains that “in the immediate centuries after the death of the
Buddha … even the five aggregates as simple unities were seen as obscuring a further
dissolution, analysis into a plurality of further elements. This analysis rapidly came to
embrace not just the psychophysical aggregates of a conscious being but also to in-
clude all things in the universe.”
43
Thus the Dhammasaṅgaṇī, for example, defines the fourth aggregate with the help of
a long list of various mental factors and qualities, Dhs 17,32, after which it concludes
by remarking that any other immaterial and conditioned qualities should be included
except for the aggregates of feeling, perception and consciousness, ye vā pana tasmiṃ
samaye aññe pi atthi paṭiccasamuppannā arūpino dhammā ṭhapetvā vedanākkhandhaṃ
ṭhapetvā saññākkhandhaṃ ṭhapetvā viññāṇakkhandhaṃ, ayam tasmiṃ samaye saṅkhā-
rakkhandho hoti. This clearly shows that the aggregate of formations has become an
umbrella category for whatever does not neatly fit into the other aggregates. Defini-
tions of the fourth aggregate in the Dharmaskandha and in the *Śāriputrābhidharma
introduce a distinction between formations that are conjoined with the mind, citta-
saṃprayukta, and those that are disjoined from the mind, cittaviprayukta; cf. T 1537
at T XXVI 501b16 and T 1548 at T XXVIII 547b13. This also reflects a rather evolved
understanding of the fourth aggregate.
 Wisdom and Early Canonical Abhidharma 69

the other aggregates. These instances point to a central task of the

emerging Abhidharma: the providing of an ever more complete and
precise map of the compass and significance of wisdom.44

2.2 The Term Abhidharma

Before turning to the nature of early canonical Abhidharma texts, in
what follows I examine references to the term abhidharma in the dis-
courses. Surveying the various instances in which the expression occurs
gives the impression of a gradual development from “abhidharma” as
something that is related to the Dharma to “Abhidharma” as an independ-
ent mode of thought and eventually a textual collection in its own right.
One type of occurrence in the early discourses involves the expres-
sion “abhidharma talk”, abhidharmakathā. This expression occurs in
the Mahāgosiṅga-sutta, which reads as follows:
Two monks engage in abhidharma talk and ask each other questions.
Asking each other questions, they answer without failing and their
Dharma talk proceeds.45
The corresponding passage in a parallel to the Mahāgosiṅga-sutta found
in the Madhyama-āgama reads as follows:
Two monks who are teachers of the Dharma discuss the profound
abhidharma with each other. They well comprehend and fully un-

――――――
44
Agganyani 2013: 2 notes that from the viewpoint of tradition the “Abhidhamma …
describes the full range of … human experience with all and everything. Studying
Abhidhamma can be compared with studying a map.”
45
MN 32 at MN I 214,24: dve bhikkhū abhidhammakathaṃ kathenti, te aññamaññaṃ
pañhaṃ (Se omits pañhaṃ) pucchanti, aññamaññassa pañhaṃ puṭṭhā vissajjenti no ca
saṃsādenti, dhammī ca nesaṃ kathā pavattanī (Be: pavattinī) hoti, where the attri-
bution of this statement to Mahāmoggallāna appears to be the result of an error in
transmission; cf. Anālayo 2007: 27–29. Muck 1980: 19 notes that the context shows
that “the fundamental outlook and concepts of what they [i.e., the two monks] were
discussing were familiar to both. They surely cannot be discussing moot, difficult
philosophical points, but basic, essential truths.”
70 The Dawn of Abhidharma

derstand the matters they ask [each other] about. Answering without
hesitation they teach the Dharma and discuss it with agility.”46
Another parallel preserved as an individual Chinese translation merely
speaks of having a vision of the four truths without any doubt;47 thus in
this version the term abhidharma does not occur at all.48
In the Mahāgosiṅga-sutta and its Madhyama-āgama parallel the ref-
erence to “abhidharma talk” or to discussing the “abhidharma” occurs
alongside “Dharma talk” or “teaching the Dharma”. This gives the im-
pression that the two terms Dharma and abhidharma are here interchan-
geable. In the Mahāgosiṅga-sutta, the prefix abhi- would thus convey
the sense of “about” or “concerning” the Dharma. The passage would
then describe having a talk “about the Dharma” and discussing “about
the Dharma”, abhidharma.49
The notion that the prefix abhi- conveys a sense of superiority ap-
pears to reflect a later understanding of the implications of the term. In
line with later understanding, the commentary on the Dhammasaṅgaṇī,
the Atthasālinī, refers to the present passage in support of the authentic-
ity of the Abhidharma-piṭaka as the Buddha’s word.50

――――――
46
MĀ 184 at T I 727b23: 二比丘法師共論甚深阿毘曇, 彼所問事, 善解悉知, 答亦無礙,
說法辯捷.
47
T 154 at T III 82a12; a statement that occurs only as part of a summary of the earlier
discussion among the monks, whereas the record of this part of the actual discussion
appears to have been lost. For a discussion of the absence of the qualification “noble”
found in this and several other early discourses preserved in Chinese cf. Anālayo 2006b.
48
The same holds for another parallel, EĀ 37.3 at T II 710c5, which does not have a
passage corresponding to this description at all.
49
Norman 1983: 97 explains that “the word abhidhamma is found in the Vinaya-piṭaka
and the Sutta-piṭaka, and seems in origin to be the preposition abhi together with the
word dhamme, with the meaning ‘as regards the dhamma’”; cf. also, e.g., Geiger and
Geiger 1920: 118f, Horner 1941, van Zeyst 1959, Wynne 2004: 110 note 29, Gethin
2005: 10020, and Sujato 2009: 228–230. As pointed out by von Hinüber 1996/1997:
64, “the word abhidhamme occurs in earlier parts of the canon, but without any tech-
nical connotation simply meaning ‘things relating to the teaching’. The commentary
explains abhidhamma as ‘higher dhamma’, As 2,14.”
50
As 29,1.
 Wisdom and Early Canonical Abhidharma 71

A discourse in the Aṅguttara-nikāya describes a group of elder monks

seated together “talking abhidharma talk”.51 In this case the Madhyama-
āgama parallel does not employ the term abhidharma at all, but rather
describes that these monks were “wanting to settle a matter of dispute,
namely to discuss what is Dharma and Vinaya, what is the Buddha’s
teaching”.52 This case would be in line with the impression that abhi-
dharma talk can simply stand for talk about the Dharma.53
Instead of the expression “abhidharma talk”, the Kinti-sutta, of which
no parallels seem to be known, speaks of a dispute about abhidharma.54
The context shows that the reference here is to the seven sets, which in
the Kinti-sutta have been listed just before,55 an understanding confirmed
by the Pāli commentary.56
Another type of occurrence of the term abhidharma in the early dis-
courses tends to come together with the term abhivinaya. Such usage
makes it fairly clear that the prefix abhi- will have to be understood in a
way that works for both terms, in the sense of some more detailed expo-
sition or commentary “about”, abhi-, the Dharma or the Vinaya.57 Here
――――――
51
AN 6.60 at AN III 392,23: abhidhammakathaṃ kathenti.
52
MĀ 82 at T I 557c21: 欲斷諍事, 謂論此法律, 此佛之教.
53
Regarding another occurrence of the expression abhidhammakathā in AN 5.79 at AN
III 107,4, Bodhi 2012: 1733 note 1086 comments: “I take the word abhidhamma here
to have a purely referential function, that is, to mean ‘pertaining to the Dhamma, re-
lating to the Dhamma.’” A parallel to AN 5.79, found in T 1481 at T XXIV 957b 25,
does not employ the term abhidharma, nor is the term found in what has been pre-
served from this discourse in a Sanskrit fragment; cf. SHT IX 2772, Bechert and
Wille 2004: 274. An exposition of the same topic in the Sarvāstivāda Vinaya, how-
ever, speaks of recitation of the discourses, the Vinaya, and the Abhidharma, T 1435
at T XXIII 359a17: 誦修多羅, 毘尼, 阿毘曇.
54
MN 103 at MN II 239,4: abhidhamme nānāvādā.
55
MN 103 at MN II 238,25.
56
Ps IV 29,3 explains that the term abhidhamma here stands for the seven sets, imesu
sattatiṅsabodhapakkhiyadhammesū ti attho.
57
Cousins 2005a: 14 comments that when abhidhamma occurs “with abhivinaya it
undoubtedly means originally ‘concerning the dhamma.’ Obviously, this is later
extracted to give a name to an already prestigious (or aspiring) proto-abhidhamma
literature.”
72 The Dawn of Abhidharma

abhivinaya might stand for the commentary that grew around the prāti-
mokṣa, the vibhaṅga, a feature common to the various Vinayas.58
The Tens of the Dasuttara-sutta in the Dīgha-nikāya describe having a
desire for the Dharma, delighting in hearing it, and finding exceeding
joy in the abhidharma and the abhivinaya.59 The sense of the passage
would be to find joy in what is “about” the Dharma and the Vinaya or
what “concerns” them. The parallel versions in fact just speak of the
Dharma.60
The Gulissāni-sutta recommends that a forest-dwelling monk should
apply himself to abhidharma and abhivinaya, explaining that otherwise
he might not be able to reply to questions regarding these two.61 Its Madh-
yama-āgama parallel recommends that the monk should train in explain-
ing and discussing the Vinaya and the abhidharma, otherwise he will
not know how to reply about these two.62 In this way, what in the Pāli
version is a reference to abhivinaya, in the Chinese parallel takes the
form of the Vinaya.
The same pattern recurs in relation to a set of discourses in the Aṅ-
guttara-nikāya. Whereas these mention “questions regarding abhidhar-
――――――
58
Watanabe 1983/1996: 26 comments that “Abhivinaya might actually refer to the Sutta-
vibhaṅga or Vinayavibhaṅga, the old commentary on the Pātimokkhasutta which is
incorporated in the Vinaya text (just as the Abhidhammavibhaṅga explains the dham-
ma).”
59
DN 34 at DN III 290,13 (to be supplemented from DN 33 at DN III 267,26): dhamma-
kāmo hoti piyasamudāhāro abhidhamme abhivinaye uḷārapāmujjo (Be: uḷārapāmojjo,
Se: oḷārapāmojjo), which is the sixth in a set of ten qualities.
60
Schlingloff 1962: 24,20: dharmakāmo bhava(ti dharma)rataḥ so ’bhīkṣṇaṃ dharmam
udāharati; DĀ 10 at T I 57a12: 好求善法, and T 13 at T I 240b15: 喜聞法, 喜聞法行,
但樂數說法. The parallels to DN 33 do not have a counterpart to this quality. The ref-
erence to finding exceeding joy in the abhidharma and abhivinaya recurs in AN 10.17
at AN V 24,17, AN 10.18 at AN V 27,18, AN 10.50 at AN V 90,27, AN 10.98 at AN
V 201,13, and AN 11.15 at AN V 339,2. The only parallel to these (i.e., to AN 10.17
and AN 10.18) is MĀ 95 at T I 577b2, which differs considerably and does not men-
tion abhidharma or abhivinaya.
61
MN 69 at MN I 472,5: abhidhamme abhivinaye yogo karaṇīyo … abhidhamme abhi-
vinaye pañhaṃ puṭṭho na sampāyati.
62
MĀ 26 at T I 455c14: 當學共論律, 阿毘曇 … 不知答律, 阿毘曇者.
 Wisdom and Early Canonical Abhidharma 73

ma and abhivinaya”,63 counterparts in the two Saṃyukta-āgamas speak

of questions about abhidharma and Vinaya.64
When in these passages the term abhidharma occurs alongside the
Vinaya, then this can easily give the impression that the term refers to a
textual collection, the Abhidharma. In this way, a simple dropping of
the prefix abhi- in the case of abhivinaya can substantially affect the
meaning, as a discussion “about Dharma” and “about Vinaya” becomes
a discussion of Abhidharma and Vinaya.
This shift in a way reflects what would have been the actual devel-
opment. Just as out of the abhivinaya the Vinaya as a canonical text
would have come into being, so out of abhidharma in the sense of dis-
cussions “about the Dharma” the type of thought would have developed
that eventually became the Abhidharma proper as a collection in its
own right.
The term Abhidharma in a developed sense occurs in several Chi-
nese Āgama discourses, where the Pāli parallels do not have such a ref-
erence.65 One such instance is a discourse in the Ekottarika-āgama that
describes four great standards (mahāpadeśa) to evaluate the authenticity
of a text. Such evaluation should be based on whether the text conforms
to the discourses, the Vinaya, and the Abhidharma.66 According to the
Pāli parallels, the evaluation should be based only on the discourses and
the Vinaya, without any mention of the Abhidharma.67
――――――
63
AN 3.137 at AN I 288,20, AN 3.138 at AN I 290,6, AN 3.139 at AN I 291,14, and AN
9.22 at AN IV 398,1.
64
SĀ 917 at T II 232c9: 若有問阿毘曇, 律 (the same expression recurs in SĀ 918 at T II
233a23 and SĀ 919 at T II 233b28) and SĀ² 143 at T II 428b20: 若有問難阿毘曇, 毘
尼 (the same expression recurs in SĀ² 144 at T II 428c26, with the corresponding text
abbreviated in another parallel, SĀ² 145).
65
In what follows I restrict my survey to occurrences in the Chinese Āgamas that have a
Pāli parallel.
66
EĀ 28.5 at T II 652b25 speaks of texts that “do not conform to the discourses, the Vi-
naya, and the Abhidharma”, 設不與契經, 律, 阿毘曇相應者.
67
DN 16 at DN II 124,9 and AN 4.180 at AN II 168,10; the same is the case for T 6 at T
I 182c4 and T 7 at T I 195c11; for a comparative study of the four mahāpadeśas cf.
Lamotte 1947.
74 The Dawn of Abhidharma

A version of these four great standards preserved in Sanskrit frag-

ments speaks of the discourses, the Vinaya, and the dharmatā;68 and a
Dīrgha-āgama version lists the discourses, the Vinaya, and the Dhar-
ma.69 While these versions do not mention the Abhidharma, it is easy to
see how the last member of their threefold lists could turn into a refer-
ence to the Abhidharma.
A reference to the Abhidharma can also be found in the Madhyama-
āgama version of one of the eight principles to be respected (guru-
dharma) which according to the traditional account the Buddha pre-
sented as a precondition for granting the higher ordination to his foster
mother Mahāprajāpatī Gautamī. According to this regulation, “if a
monk does not give permission for a nun to ask questions, the nun can-
not ask the monk questions about the discourses, the Vinaya, or the
Abhidharma.”70
These principles to be respected vary considerably among the differ-
ent accounts of this event.71 The listings of these eight in the Dharma-
guptaka, Mahāsāṅghika, Mahīśāsaka, Mūlasarvāstivāda, and Theravāda
Vinayas mention no prohibition on asking unauthorized questions.72

――――――
68
The fragments indicate that “they are not included in the discourses, they are not to be
seen in the Vinaya, they go against the nature of the Dharma”, Waldschmidt 1951:
238,19 (§24.6): sūtre nāvataran(ti vinaye) na saṃdṛśyante dharmatāṃ ca vilomayanti;
cf. also Nett 21,32, which similarly mentions the dhammatā alongside the suttas and
the Vinaya.
69
DĀ 2 at T I 17c6: “what has been said by him is not in the discourses, it is not the
Vinaya and not the Dharma”, 其所言非經, 非律, 非法.
70
MĀ 116 at T I 606a16: 若比丘不聽比丘尼問者, 比丘尼則不得問比丘經, 律, 阿毘曇,
a stipulation found similarly in the otherwise also very close parallel T 60 at T I
857a6 and in the Sarvāstivāda Vinaya, T 1435 at T XXIII 345c15.
71
For surveys of these eight principles cf., e.g., Waldschmidt 1926: 118–121, Horner
1930/1990: 118–161, Hirakawa 1982: 49–95 (in the notes to these pages), Kusumā
1987/2010: 29–32, Nolot 1991: 397–405, Heirman 1997: 34–43, Hüsken 1997: 346–
360, Heirman 1998, Chung 1999, Hüsken 2000: 46–58, Nagata 2002: 283–285,
Cheng 2007: 83–100, Salgado 2008, Sujato 2009: 51–81, Anālayo 2010e: 82–86, and
Hüsken 2010.
72
The listing of the eight principles can be found in the account of the foundation of the
order of nuns in the following Vinayas: Dharmaguptaka: T 1428 at T XXII 923a 28,
 Wisdom and Early Canonical Abhidharma 75

Only the Saṃmitīya Vinaya takes up a related case, prohibiting a nun

from asking a monk difficult questions.73 Thus the Abhidharma is not
mentioned in any of the Vinaya versions of this particular principle to
be respected.

Figure 2.2 Mahāprajāpatī Requests Ordination

The relief shows Mahāprajāpatī Gautamī requesting permission

from the Buddha to go forth in his dispensation.

Gandhāra, courtesy The Trustees of the British Museum.

The same holds for a version of this list of eight principles which occurs
in a biography of the Buddha preserved in Chinese; this text only envis-

――――――
Mahāsāṅghika: Roth 1970: 17,1 (§13; cf. also T 1425 at T XXII 471b1), Mahīśāsaka:
T 1421 at T XXII 185c20, Mūlasarvāstivāda: Schmidt 1993: 244,21 (the parallels are
T 1451 at T XXIV 351a1 and D 6 da 102a6 or Q 1035 ne 99a8; cf. also the discourse
quotations in D 4094 ju 212b7 or Q 5595 tu 242b6 and Wogihara 1936: 374,18), and
Theravāda: Vin II 255,6 (= AN 8.51 at AN IV 276,22). T 1463 (毘尼母經) at T XXIV
803b12 just mentions the eight, without expounding them individually.
73
T 1461 at T XXIV 670c11: “a nun cannot put difficult questions to a monk or teach a
monk student”, 比丘尼不得問難比丘, 及教比丘學.
76 The Dawn of Abhidharma

ages that a nun could ask the community of monks about the discourses
and the Vinaya.74
Another discourse in the Madhyama-āgama reports Śāriputra stating
that it is possible to enter the attainment of cessation for those reborn in
a particular heavenly realm,75 whereupon another monk repeatedly con-
tradicts him. Eventually the matter comes before the Buddha, who re-
bukes the other monk for engaging in a “discussion on the profound
Abhidharma”.76 The Pāli parallel in the Aṅguttara-nikāya similarly re-
ports the Buddha’s rebuke, without any reference to the subject matter
of the discussion being Abhidharma.77 A Tibetan parallel preserved as a
discourse quotation in the Abhidharmakośopāyikā-ṭīkā does have a ref-
erence to the Abhidharma, which in this case comes together with the Vi-
naya.78
The Sappurisa-sutta and its parallels list various qualities in relation
to which one should avoid conceit. One such quality in a version of this
discourse in the Madhyama-āgama is reciting the discourses, bearing in
mind the Vinaya, and studying the Abhidharma.79 The Pāli discourse
and a parallel preserved as an individual translation in Chinese mention
being learned or knowing the discourses, knowing the Vinaya, and
teaching the discourses or the Dharma.80 Neither has a reference to the
Abhidharma.
――――――
74
T 196 (中本起經) at T IV 158c27: “she is permitted to ask the community of monks
about matters related to the discourses and the Vinaya”, 得問比丘僧經律之事.
Precisely the same formulation recurs in T 1478 (大愛道比丘尼經) at T XXIV
946c12: 得問比丘僧經律之事; Heirman 2001: 284 note 48 quotes Hirakawa to the
effect that T 1478 might be a Chinese compilation.
75
For studies dedicated to the cessation attainment cf., e.g., Griffiths 1986/1991, Pieris
2003, Somaratne 2003 and 2006, and Stuart 2013.
76
MĀ 22 at T I 450a18: 論甚深阿毘曇; cf. also T 2145 at T LV 72a13.
77
AN 5.166 at AN III 194,18.
78
D 4094 ju 69b5 or Q 5595 tu 78a4: “engaging in a discussion on the Abhidharma and
the Vinaya”, chos mngon pa dang ʼdul baʼi gtam bya bar.
79
MĀ 85 at T I 561b27: 誦經, 持律, 學阿毘曇.
80
MN 113 at MN III 39,18 lists three separate qualities: being one who has heard much,
bahussuta, being one who bears in mind the Vinaya, vinayadhara, and being a teacher
 Wisdom and Early Canonical Abhidharma 77

The same pattern recurs in relation to another Madhyama-āgama

discourse, which reports the Buddha reflecting that he could give an ex-
position on the profound Abhidharma to a Brahmin visitor.81 A refer-
ence to the Abhidharma is not found in a Pāli parallel, nor in another
parallel preserved as an individual translation in Chinese.82 The actual
exposition given by the Buddha to his Brahmin visitor takes the form of
a poem that describes an awakened one. Such a poetic exposition is not
quite what one would associate with the term Abhidharma.
The Buddha’s reflection that he could give an exposition of the pro-
found Abhidharma recurs in another Madhyama-āgama discourse.83 In
this case, too, the parallel versions do not mention the Abhidharma.84
Another occurrence of the term Abhidharma can be found in the two
Saṃyukta-āgama parallels to the Mahāvacchagotta-sutta of the Majjhi-
ma-nikāya. The two discourses report the Buddha reflecting that he
would rely on the Abhidharma and the Vinaya when replying to the
question a wanderer was about to pose to him.85 The Buddha’s reply

――――――
of the Dharma, dhammakathika. T 48 at T I 838b4 describes one who “knows and has
heard the discourses, is able to teach the discourses, knows the Vinaya, knows [how]
to understand the discourses penetratingly”, 知聞經, 能說經, 知律, 知入通經.
81
MĀ 161 at T I 688c21 reports the Buddha’s reflection as follows: “I could teach him
the profound Abhidharma”, 我寧可說彼甚深阿毘曇.
82
MN 91 at MN II 144,16 and T 76 at T I 885c2 do not record any such reflection by the
Buddha.
83
MĀ 134 at T I 634c28: “I could teach the profound Abhidharma”, 我寧可說甚深阿毘
曇.
84
DN 21 at DN II 275,13, T 15 at T I 248a20, and T 203 at T IV 477a18 do report a
reflection by the Buddha that motivated him to reply to the questions his visitor Śakra
wished to ask, but in none of these versions does this reflection involve the Abhidharma.
The beginning parts of such a reflection, also without a reference to the Abhidharma,
have been preserved in SHT V 1421 R2, Sander and Waldschmidt 1985: 252; cf. also
Sander 1987: 157. Another parallel, DĀ 14 at T I 64a13, does not report any reflec-
tion, but only indicates that the Buddha expressed his willingness to reply to ques-
tions by Śakra.
85
SĀ 964 at T II 246b20: “I will now receive his [question] by relying on the Abhidharma
and the Vinaya”, 我今當以阿毘曇律納受於彼; and SĀ2 198 at T II 446a18: “I will
listen according to Abhidharma and Vinaya to what he asks about”, 吾當聽之, 若阿毘
78 The Dawn of Abhidharma

then consists in a rather basic teaching on wholesome and unwholesome

forms of conduct, again not quite what one would associate with the term
Abhidharma.
The Mahāvacchagotta-sutta does not mention any such reflection,86
only reporting that the Buddha announced that he could give teachings
in brief or in detail. In its gloss on this passage in the Mahāvacchagotta-
sutta, the Pāli commentary devotes some space to discussing the nature
of brief and detailed expositions, in the course of which it mentions the
seven works of the canonical Abhidharma as an example of teachings
that, from the commentarial viewpoint, should be considered as teach-
ings given in brief.87
If a similar comment had been found in the commentarial tradition
related to the Saṃyukta-āgama versions, such a remark might then have
influenced the wording of the discourse itself. Of course, in the absence
of access to such a commentary this remains hypothetical. Nevertheless,
other passages in the Saṃyukta-āgama do at times show the influence
of commentarial glosses that appear to have become part of the actual
discourse,88 so it would not be surprising if the same should hold true
for the present case as well. I will explore this topic in the next sub-
section of this chapter in more detail.
In sum, the basic meaning of the term abhidharma in those early dis-
courses where such a reference is also found in parallel versions seems
to be intending simply what is “about” the Dharma. This sense is to some
――――――
曇, 毘尼, 隨其所問. For another occurrence of the term Abhidharma in SĀ 1249 cf.
above page 21 note 24.
86
MN 73 at MN I 489,14.
87
Ps III 200,19.
88
For examples and a more detailed discussion cf. Anālayo 2010d, in which I also criti-
cally examine the assumption by Norman 1997: 158–160 that the commentaries were
transmitted independently of the discourses, which would make it difficult for the one
to influence the other. Such influence appears to reflect a recurrent pattern, already
noted by Malalasekera 1928/1994: 89, who explains that “it sometimes happened that
for a proper understanding of the text explanations of a commentarial nature were
quite essential; and in such cases the commentary was naturally incorporated into the
text and formed part of the text itself.”
 Wisdom and Early Canonical Abhidharma 79

degree similar to the definition the term abhidharma carries in the Mahā-
sāṅghika Vinaya, where it stands for all of the nine aṅgas of the Buddha’s
teaching.89
Comparable to the development evident in the Vinaya accounts of
the first saṅgīti, in some early discourses the Abhidharma begins to
emerge as an entity in its own right. The instances surveyed above tes-
tify to an increasing use and popularity of the term, presumably reflect-
ing the associations that the emerging Abhidharma evoked among the
reciters. At times the use of the term is not yet well defined and seems
somewhat accidental, such as when the Buddha delivers a poetic de-
scription of an awakened one to a Brahmin visitor, or when he decides
to reply to questions by an inquisitive wanderer, a description that may
have been influenced by a commentarial gloss.

2.3 Canonical Commentary

The tradition of accompanying a discourse during oral performance
with a commentary must hark back to very early stages in the develop-
ment of the Buddhist tradition. Such commentaries provide the audi-
ence with additional information on the circumstances believed to have
led to the delivery of a particular teaching or else offer an exegesis of
this teaching. During oral transmission, the more “historically” oriented
type of commentary that gives information about the circumstances of
the delivery of a teaching will naturally remain closely connected to the
discourse on which it comments.
The same is not necessarily the case for an exegesis of a particular
teaching. An explanation given in relation to one discourse on a certain
topic can easily be used in the same way when another discourse on the
same theme comes up for recitation. This would especially be the case
for a commentary on recurrent topics of doctrinal importance. In this
way, such a commentary can acquire a life of its own, in the sense of
becoming increasingly independent from the discourse on which it
originally commented. With the passage of time, it would not be sur-
――――――
89
Cf. above page 17 note 9.
80 The Dawn of Abhidharma

prising if out of a collection of more general commentaries an exegeti-

cal work in its own right came into being. This would explain the evolu-
tion of an exegetical tradition whose beginnings appear to be common
to the different Abhidharma traditions.90
The basic tendency for early commentaries to acquire canonical
status can be illustrated with examples from the Sutta-piṭaka. One such
example would be the Aṭṭhakavagga of the Sutta-nipāta. In the Pāli
canon this text is basically a collection of stanzas, and the background
narrations that describe the occasions believed to have led to the deliv-
ery of these stanzas are in the Pāli commentary on this work, the Pa-
ramatthajotikā.91 A Chinese translation of a parallel to the Aṭṭhakavagga,
however, combines background narrations and stanzas into one.92 Here
the prose narrations have the same “canonical” status as the stanzas.
A commentary on the Aṭṭhakavagga has also acquired canonical
status in the Pāli canon. This is the Mahāniddesa, which is found in the
Khuddaka-nikāya;93 modern-day Theravāda traditions are still in dis-
agreement about the precise contents of this nikāya.94 The Mahāniddesa
does not provide background narrations comparable to the Paramattha-
jotikā, but instead offers an exegetical commentary on the significance
of selected phrases found in the stanzas of the Aṭṭhakavagga.
An example illustrating the canonization of commentarial material
would be the tale of the murder of the female wanderer Sundarī. The
――――――
90
According to Mizuno 1961a: 43, “(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 systematised the doctrines
preached in the suttas … these were the distinct characteristics of the earliest Abhi-
dhamma.”
91
Sn 766 to 975 and Pj II 511,1 to 574,32.
92
T 198 at T IV 174b8 to 189c23, translated by Bapat 1945 and 1950.
93
Nidd I.
94
On divergent conceptions of the contents of the Khuddaka-nikāya cf., e.g., Bode 1909:
4f (criticized by Duroiselle 1911: 120f), Ñāṇamoli 1962: xii, Abeynayake 1984: 33–
46, Collins 1990: 108 note 11, von Hinüber 1996/1997: 42f, Norman 1997: 140f, and
Freiberger 2011: 218; the inclusion of Nett in the Be Pāli canon had already been no-
ticed by Oldenberg 1882: 61.
 Wisdom and Early Canonical Abhidharma 81

story goes that, to discredit the Buddha and his disciples, other wander-
ers had told Sundarī that she should visit Jeta’s Grove frequently. Then
the wanderers killed her and buried her in Jeta’s Grove, accusing the
Buddhist monks of having taken their pleasure with her and then killed
her.
This tale occurs in the Paramatthajotikā as a way of providing a
background to the third discourse in the Aṭṭhakavagga.95 The relevant
section in the Mahāniddesa only alludes to the story as part of its word
commentary, without giving it in full.96 The third discourse in the Aṭṭha-
kavagga has a parallel in the third discourse in the Chinese parallel. In
the Chinese version, the discourse begins with the tale of her murder,
followed by the corresponding stanzas which come interspersed with
prose.97
Besides being mentioned in other Pāli commentaries, the Sundarī
tale has also acquired canonical status in the Theravāda tradition, as it is
found in a discourse in the Udāna.98 In the case of the Udāna in general,
the situation is the reverse of that of the Aṭṭhakavagga. Whereas the Pāli
Udāna collection combines its stanzas with prose that provides a narra-
tive background, other Udāna collections consist for the most part only
of stanzas.99
――――――
95
Pj II 518,15 to 523,16 (which also includes a word commentary, besides the narration
of the tale), commenting on Sn 780 to 787.
96
Cf. Nidd I 62,6 and Nidd I 64,1.
97
T 198 at T IV 176b13.
98
Ud 4.8 at Ud 43,23; commentarial references to the tale are Jā II 415, 12 and Dhp-a III
474,5.
99
The Sanskrit collection, attributed to Dharmatrāta, has been edited by Bernhard 1965
(on which cf. esp. Schmithausen 1970); the Tibetan translation by Vidyaprabhākara
has been edited by Beckh 1911 and Zongtse 1990; a Chinese translation of an Udāna
collection can be found in T 213 at T IV 777a2 to 799c4. For Tocharian and Uighur
fragments cf. Sieg and Siegling 1931, Lévi 1933: 41–56, von Gabain 1954: 23f and
38–44, and Thomas 1971 and 1979. Commentarial material on the Udāna has been
preserved in the Udānavargavivaraṇa by Prajñāvarman, which has been edited by
Balk 1984. Parts of another commentary, the Udānālaṃkāra attributed to Dharma-
soma, have been preserved in Tocharian fragments; cf. Lévi 1933: 72–77 and Sieg
and Siegling 1933 and 1949.
82 The Dawn of Abhidharma

An exception is an Udāna collection preserved in Chinese translation,

which combines the stanzas with a word commentary comparable to the
Mahāniddesa.100 This Udāna collection does not report the story of Sun-
darī, however. Among the different Udāna collections the Sundarī tale
appears to be found only in the Pāli collection.
In this way, the placing of the Sundarī tale in different texts illus-
trates how the same process of commentarial material acquiring a ca-
nonical status can occur in different ways in the Buddhist traditions. In
the case of both the Aṭṭhakavagga and the Udāna, during oral transmis-
sion a collection of stanzas would have been accompanied by a com-
mentary that reported the circumstances of the delivery of the stanzas
and explained their significance.
At times, as in the case of the Chinese parallel to the Aṭṭhakavagga
or the Pāli version of the Udāna, in the course of transmission the re-
lationship between commentary and text became so strong that eventu-
ally the commentary became part of the text on which it commented.
The same is also evident in Vinaya literature, where the rules of the
prātimokṣa are embedded in a prose commentary, vibhaṅga.101 The
prose commentary in the Theravāda Vinaya exhibits the same twofold
features of providing a story, the vatthu, and an explanation of terminol-
ogy, the padabhājaniya. The conjunction of text and commentary in this
case has become so strong that the bare prātimokṣa is not found sepa-
rately in the canonical Vinaya of the Theravāda tradition.102

――――――
100
T 212 at T IV 609c17 to 776a13; on T 212 in relation to the Pāli Udāna collection cf.
Anālayo 2009a.
101
Goonesekere 1967: 336 notes that “the development of exegetical activity can best
be traced in the Vinaya Piṭaka. First, there were the rules or laws, the Pātimokkha,
which had to be observed by the bhikkhus and bhikkhunīs. In the Sutta-vibhaṅga not
only is a verbal commentary of the text of each rule given, but also an account of the
incident which led to its promulgation.”
102
In the words of von Hinüber 1996/1997: 9, “the Pātimokkhasutta is the only canoni-
cal text that has come down to us embedded in a second one, the second being its
commentary.” The situation in the Theravāda Vinaya does not mean that the prāti-
mokṣa is not canonical, pace Bronkhorst 1985: 315.
 Wisdom and Early Canonical Abhidharma 83

Other Vinayas similarly adopt the basic pattern of accompanying the

individual rules with a commentary,103 in addition to which they have
their prātimokṣa also separately.104 In this way, a combination of the
prātimokṣa as the basic mātṛkā with its “commentary” is a common
feature in the development of Vinaya literature in different traditions.
In view of this tendency of commentaries to acquire canonical status
in the case of the Sūtra-piṭaka and the Vinaya-piṭaka,105 it would be only
natural for the same tendency to influence the genesis of the Abhidhar-
ma-piṭaka as well. In other words, just as the combination of the prāti-
mokṣa with its commentary was central for the development of the Vi-
naya, so too the combination of mātṛkās with a commentary was instru-
mental in the development of the Abhidharma. Thus the use of a mātṛkā
together with its exegesis is a characteristic common to the Abhidharma
and the Vinaya, whose expositions often take the form of a commentary
on a summary list.
The part of the Vinaya that combines commentary with the prāti-
mokṣa rules (the Vinaya mātṛkā) carries the title vibhaṅga. The same
term vibhaṅga also serves as the title of a chapter (varga) in the Madh-
yama-āgama and the Majjhima-nikāya.

――――――
103
Dharmaguptaka: T 1428 at T XXII 568c6 (bhikṣu) and T 1428 at T XXII 714a 6
(bhikṣuṇī), Lokottaravāda-Mahāsāṅghika: Karashima and von Hinüber 2012 (bhikṣu)
and Roth 1970 (bhikṣuṇī), Mahīśāsaka: T 1421 at T XXII 1a7 (bhikṣu) and T 1421 at
T XXII 77b27 (bhikṣuṇī), Mūlasarvāstivāda: D 3 ca 21a1 or Q 1032 che 18b2 (bhikṣu)
and D 5 ta 25b1 or Q 1034 the 25a6 (bhikṣuṇī), Sarvāstivāda: Rosen 1959 (bhikṣu)
and T 1435 at T XXIII 302c15 (bhikṣuṇī).
104
Dharmaguptaka: T 1429 at T XXII 1015a18 (bhikṣu) and T 1431 at T XXII 1031a2
(bhikṣuṇī), Mahāsāṅghika: T 1426 at T XXII 549a7 (bhikṣu; cf. also Tatia 1975 for
the Lokottaravāda version) and T 1427 at T XXII 556a23 (bhikṣuṇī), Mahīśāsaka: T
1422 at T XXII 194c3 (bhikṣu) and T 1423 at T XXII 206b23 (bhikṣuṇī); Mūlasar-
vāstivāda: Banerjee 1977 (bhikṣu) and D 4 ta 1b1 or Q 1033 the 1b1 (bhikṣuṇī), Sar-
vāstivāda: von Simson 1986 and 2000 (bhikṣu) and Waldschmidt 1926 (bhikṣuṇī).
105
Rhys Davids 1900/1922: xxvi notes that “we have the old Commentary embedded in
the Vinaya and the Parivāra added as a sort of supplementary examination paper to it.
Then there is the Niddesa, a whole book of commentary, on texts now included in
the Sutta Nipāta … it is evident that commentary of different kinds had a very early
beginning.”
84 The Dawn of Abhidharma

Although the discourses in this chapter in the two collections adopt

an analytical mode of presentation that recurs in Abhidharma litera-
ture,106 this does not turn such discourses into Abhidharma texts them-
selves.107 Instead, they simply share with Abhidharma and Vinaya lit-
erature the basic procedure of combining a succinct statement of the
mātṛkā type with its exegesis.
The first four discourses in the chapter on vibhaṅga in the Majjhima-
nikāya offer an explanation of a poem on how one should best spend
one’s time. This does not seem to be the type of text that one would
naturally consider to be related to Abhidharma.
The same holds for the next two discourses in the collection, which
discuss karma and its fruit. The first of these two, the Cūlakammavi-
bhaṅga-sutta, explains that killing others – provided one does not end
up in hell for that – will make one become short-lived oneself. Hurting
others leads to becoming sick, by being angry one will become ugly, by
being stingy one will be poor oneself in the future, and so on (provided
one is not reborn in hell instead).
The popular appeal of this simple correlation of karma and its fruit
can be seen in the vast number of parallel versions extant for this dis-
course,108 and in the fact that this description has inspired sculptural
――――――
106
Ronkin 2005: 30 notes that “the Vibhaṅga-suttas of the Majjhima-nikāya … are char-
acterized by a catechetical style and are formulated as an exchange of questions and
answers. An elaborate catechetical style is the hallmark of the Kathāvatthu, but a
similar dialectical format also appears in several other Abhidhamma texts.” Cox
1995: 10 points out that in the case of, e.g., the Uddesavibhaṅga-sutta, “the format
closely resembles the method adopted by the Paṭisambhidāmagga and the Vibhaṅga,
which are structured according to uddesa, or statements … and niddesa, or analytical
exposition of those statements.”
107
Pace Buswell and Jaini 1996: 83, who refer to “the vibhaṅga-sūtras, which constitute
the second stage in the development of the Abhidharma”; cf. also Dessein in Willemen
et al. 1998: 13: “the second phase in the development of Abhidharma literature are
sūtras classified as ‘vibhaṅga’.”
108
MN 135 at MN III 202,11 to 206,31 has the following parallels, listed according to
the language in which they have been preserved: Chinese: MĀ 170 at T I 703c 21 to
706b10, T 78 at T I 887b4 to 888b10, T 79 at T I 888b15 to 891a12, T 80 at T I 891a17 to
895b20, T 81 at T I 895b25 to 901b18, and T 755 at T XVII 588c8 to 590b6; Khotan-
ese: Maggi 1995; Sanskrit: Kudo 2004 (cf. also Kudo 2006a, 2006b, and 2007,
 Wisdom and Early Canonical Abhidharma 85

reliefs well beyond the Indian subcontinent, namely the panels of the
Borobudur stūpa in Java.109

Figure 2.3 Punishment in Hell

The panel shows the terrible punishments in hell

that await those who perform evil deeds.

Borobudur, courtesy Volkenkunde Museum, Leiden.

Whereas karma is of course a topic covered in the canonical Abhidhar-

ma, the basic exposition shared by the Cūlakammavibhaṅga and its par-
allels would not fall under this category.
At the same time, however, some versions of the discourse build on
this basic exposition in a way that would more easily fit the category of
being an Abhidharma type of presentation. The case of the Cūlakamma-
vibhaṅga thus neatly shows that it is not analysis in the vibhaṅga form
itself, but how this at times proliferates which points to the emerging
Abhidharma.
――――――
Hoernle 1916/1970: 48–50, SHT VI 1210, Bechert and Wille 1989: 5, and several as
yet unpublished Schøyen fragments); Sogdian: Rosenberg 1920: 405; Tibetan: Lévi
1932: 183–214, D 339 sa 298b7 to 310a7 or Q 1006 shu 310b3 to 322a7; cf. also
Simon 1970; Tocharian: Lévi 1933; cf. also Sieg 1938. No other discourse in the
Majjhima-nikāya comes anywhere near having such an impressive number of paral-
lels preserved in such a variety of languages.
109
Cf., e.g., the study by Lévi 1937/1996.
86 The Dawn of Abhidharma

The same is also evident in the exposition of the elements in the Ba-
hudhātuka-sūtra, which shows that a basic driving force in the evolu-
tion of the Abhidharma proper is the wish to provide a complete map of
all that is related to wisdom. I will return to the impact of the same ten-
dency to expand lists in relation to the cultivation of meditation in the
next chapter of my study.

2.4 Early Canonical Abhidharma

The Bahudhātuka-sūtra is one of several discourses quoted in the Dhar-
maskandha, which regularly presents excerpts from a canonical discourse,
followed by an exegesis.110 The Saṅgītiparyāya shares this close relation-
ship to the early discourses, differing from the Dharmaskandha in being
based on a single discourse, the Saṅgīti-sūtra.
The Saṅgītiparyāya also employs other discourse quotations in its
exegesis of some of the doctrinal items that are listed in the Saṅgīti-
sūtra.111 This further underlines the close similarity between these two
Abhidharma works, the Dharmaskandha and the Saṅgītiparyāya.112 The

――――――
110
Cox 1995: 32 explains that, unlike the Saṅgītiparyāya, “the Dharmaskandha is not
structured as a commentary on a single sūtra, but rather contains excerpts from
various sūtras topically arranged with commentary on each. It begins each section
according to a traditional sūtra format, recounting first the circumstances under
which a particular discourse was delivered by the Buddha, followed by the contents
of the discourse and a brief exegetical analysis of these contents.” Dessein 2012: 149
similarly points out, regarding the Dharmaskandha, that “in a typical commentarial
form, the text provides explanatory glosses on sections of sūtra passages, explana-
tions that often result in an analysis that extends far beyond the sūtra passage it-
self … the methods of exegesis employed, however, are similar to those used in the
Saṃgītiparyāya”; cf. also Dietz 1984: 18.
111
Cf. the survey in Stache-Rosen 1968: 218–220. Lindtner 1996: 204 in his study of
the Saṅgītiparyāya describes the nature of the work as follows: “its manner of ar-
rangement appears archaic … it is mechanical without any deeper formative princi-
ple”, which would be a natural reflection of its basically commentarial nature.
112
Sakurabe 1993: 67f identifies the beginning stage in the development of Abhidharma
to involve “an early stage of explaining, organizing and classifying the terms in the
sūtras”, which he sees exemplified in the Saṅgītiparyāya and the Dharmaskandha.
 Wisdom and Early Canonical Abhidharma 87

same two works also share the feature of being attributed to chief disci-
ples.113
The Saṅgītiparyāya on several occasions refers to the Dharmaskan-
dha, which at first sight seems to indicate that it would be the later of
the two works.114 However, it is also possible that these references only
became part of the Saṅgītiparyāya during its translation into Chinese, as
the Dharmaskandha was the first of the two works to be translated.115
That is, the Saṅgītiparyāya may only be “later” in terms of when it was
translated into Chinese.
These two works are generally reckoned to represent the earliest
layer of the canonical Abhidharma literature of the Sarvāstivādins,116
differing from later works of the same genre which no longer show such
a close relationship to the discourses and which also do not place a
comparable emphasis on originating from a chief disciple.117 The close
relationship of the Saṅgītiparyāya and the Dharmaskandha to the early
discourses and their involvement with them quite probably reflects the
dynamics at work during an early stage in the formation of Abhidharma
thought.
――――――
113
Cf. below page 153 note 76.
114
Takakusu 1904/1905: 99 comments on the Saṅgītiparyāya that “among the seven
Abhidharma works it is posterior to none but the Dharma-skandha, which is fre-
quently quoted in it, and must therefore be anterior to it”; for a survey of such quotes
cf. Stache-Rosen 1968: 220.
115
Cox 1995: 47 note 62 observes that “as Watanabe … points out, these references to
the Dharmaskandha could have been added in the process of translation. Indeed, the
Dharmaskandha was translated first by Hsüan-tsang in 659 A.D. and would have
been familiar to Hsüan-tsang and his assistants when the Saṅgītiparyāya was trans-
lated from 660–663 A.D.”
116
Cf., e.g., Dessein 2012: 128 who notes that “the Saṃgītiparyāya and the Dharma-
skandha definitely are the oldest of the Ṣaṭpādābhidharma works. These texts are
organized according to a structure that is directly derived from the Sūtra literature,
and they expose the doctrine that is presented in the sūtras.”
117
Dessein 2012: 155 notes that with further developments the canonical Sarvāstivāda
Abhidharma “shows a gradually more loose relation to a particular sūtra or set of
sūtras. The latter is also evident in the fact that later Abhidharma texts no longer are
attributed to a direct disciple of the Buddha.”
88 The Dawn of Abhidharma

A comparable pattern appears to be evident in the early Abhidharma

literature of other schools. The Vibhaṅga of the Theravāda Abhidharma
regularly expounds a particular topic first from the viewpoint of the dis-
courses, the suttantabhājaniya, followed by tackling the same theme
from the viewpoint of the Abhidharma, the abhidhammabhājaniya. It is
remarkable that the Vibhaṅga in this way quite explicitly draws atten-
tion to the difference in perspective between the discourses and the early
Abhidharma.
The close similarity between the early Abhidharma works in their
relationship to the early discourses can best be seen in the fact that the
Vibhaṅga on several occasions draws for its expositions on the same
type of discourse quotations as serve as the starting point for the exposi-
tion of these themes in the Dharmaskandha,118 as well as in the corre-
sponding section of the *Śāriputrābhidharma, another early Abhidharma
work that has been attributed to the Dharmaguptaka tradition.119 The
similarity between these works in their relationship to the discourses
extends to the following topics:
– the four establishments of mindfulness (smṛtyupasthāna),120
– the four right efforts (samyakpradhāna),121
– the four bases for supernormal ability (ṛddhipāda).122
――――――
118
The correspondences between the Vibhaṅga and the Dharmaskandha have already
been pointed out by Frauwallner 1964: 78 note 43.
119
Bareau 1950; for a survey of various opinions on its school affiliation cf. Cox in Wille-
men et al. 1998: 164f. Regarding the school affiliation of T 1548, it is noteworthy that
DĀ 21 at T I 91c5 has a reference to constantly enjoying seclusion which, as pointed out
by Weller 1971: 240 note 177, does not fit the context and seems to be the result of a
transmission error. The same reference recurs in a quotation of this discourse in T 1548
at T XXVIII 658a28. This makes it highly probable that the two works stem from the
same transmission lineage; cf. Anālayo 2009b: 229 note 65. Several such similarities
between T 1548 and T 1 have been noted by Karashima Seishi in the footnotes to the
Japanese translation of the Dīrgha-āgama; cf. Karashima et al. 2000: 5.
120
Vibh 193,2 (chapter 7), Dharmaskandha, T 1537 at T XXVI 475c26 (chapter 9), and
the *Śāriputrābhidharma, T 1548 at T XXVIII 613a11 (chapter 6 in the apraśnaka
section).
121
Vibh 208,2 (chapter 8), T 1537 at T XXVI 467c25 (chapter 7), and T 1548 at T XXVIII
616c9 (chapter 7 in the apraśnaka section).
 Wisdom and Early Canonical Abhidharma 89

In the case of the four absorptions (dhyāna) the same pattern holds, al-
though here the length of the actual quotes differs. The Dharmaskandha
begins directly with a discourse quotation that describes the four absorp-
tions.123 The Vibhaṅga and the *Śāriputrābhidharma quote an extract
from the standard description of the gradual path first, before coming to
the same standard description of the four absorptions.124 Even though
the amount of text quoted from the discourses differs, the same basic
pattern is at work here as well.
In this way, these early Abhidharma works from three different tra-
ditions seem to have grown out of a common nucleus, which appears to
have been mainly discourse quotations on central themes of the type
listed above, combined with a commentarial exegesis. Thus the Abhi-
dharma, considered by tradition to encapsulate the highest doctrine and
to represent the acme of Buddhist wisdom, appears to have had its hum-
ble beginnings as a commentary on the discourses.125 What originally
was merely “about”, abhi-, the Dharma, eventually became the “supe-
rior” or “higher” Dharma, the Abhidharma,126 thereby overshadowing
in importance the texts on which it originally commented. I will return
to this sense of superiority in the fourth chapter of my study.
――――――
122
Vibh 216,2 (chapter 9), T 1537 at T XXVI 471c14 (chapter 8), and T 1548 at T XXVIII
617a22 (chapter 8 in the apraśnaka section).
123
T 1537 at T XXVI 482a29 (chapter 11).
124
Vibh 244,2 (chapter 12) and T 1548 at T XXVIII 619c28 (chapter 9 in the apraśnaka
section), followed at Vibh 245,5 and T 1548 at T XXVIII 620a3 by the standard
description of the four absorptions.
125
Mizuno 1961a: 43 notes that “the original Abhidhamma was a sort of commentary on
the sutta.” Warder 1961b: 52 explains that during the first period of transmission there
was “no clear line of demarcation between the Canonical traditions and the Commen-
tarial extensions of them”. Locating the origin of the Abhidharma within the commen-
tarial tradition would concord with a general tendency, noted by Deutsch 1988: 167,
where “Indian philosophy developed historically … as a commentarial tradition.”
126
Horner 1941: 310 comments that “of one thing we may be certain, and it is that abhi-
dhamma was never meant to oust dhamma from its pre-eminent position … rather it
appears as accessory material to dhamma, supplementary to it.” In the words of Rhys
Davids 1910/1911: 62, “Abhidhamma has a relation to Dhamma similar to that of by-
law to law.”
3 Meditative Analysis and Omniscience

In this chapter I explore the theme of analysis in relation to meditation

practice. The two meditation topics I take up are the analysis of the four
noble truths, based on the relevant section in the Mahāsatipaṭṭhāna-sutta
and not found in its Chinese parallels, and the analysis of absorption,
based on a study of the Anupada-sutta, a discourse without parallels.
Then I turn to the Buddha’s awakening from the viewpoint of his culti-
vation of absorption and his realization of the four noble truths, and fi-
nally examine the notion that he was omniscient. My central interest in
this chapter is the tendency of analysis to proliferate due to an attempt
to provide a more comprehensive coverage, in the course of which new
formulations and terms more typical of Abhidharma texts make their
appearance in the early discourses.

3.1 The Analysis of the Four Noble Truths

The Smṛtyupasthāna-sūtra presents a series of exercises for the cultiva-

tion of mindfulness, covering the areas of contemplation of the body,
feelings, mental states, and dharmas. The extant discourse versions are
as follows, given according to their school affiliation:
– Sarvāstivāda tradition: a discourse in the Madhyama-āgama, pre-
served in Chinese translation;1
– Theravāda: two discourses found in the Dīgha-nikāya and the Maj-
jhima-nikāya, extant in Pāli;2
――――――
1
MĀ 98 at T I 582b7 to 584b28, entitled 念處經, “Discourse on the Establishments of
Mindfulness”; MĀ 98 has been translated by Minh Chau 1964/1991: 87–95, Saddhā-
loka 1983, Nhat Hanh 1990: 151–167, Kuan 2008: 146–154, and Anālayo 2013d:
269–286.
2
DN 22 at DN II 290,1 to 315,14 and MN 10 at MN I 55,27 to 63,21, entitled Mahāsati-
paṭṭhāna-sutta and Satipaṭṭhāna-sutta, the “Greater Discourse on the Establishments
of Mindfulness” and the “Discourse on the Establishments of Mindfulness”.
92 The Dawn of Abhidharma

– uncertain school affiliation: a discourse in the Ekottarika-āgama,

preserved in Chinese translation.3
The discourse versions of the Smṛtyupasthāna-sūtra show considerable
variations,4 especially in relation to the first and fourth areas of contem-
plation, concerning the body and dharmas. In the case of contemplation
of dharmas, the Ekottarika-āgama version has two exercises, which are
contemplation of the awakening factors and of the absorptions. The
Madhyama-āgama version for this fourth smṛtyupasthāna lists three
forms of cultivating mindfulness, which alongside the awakening fac-
tors cover the sense-spheres and the hindrances. These three are also
found in the Dīgha-nikāya and Majjhima-nikāya versions, which in-
clude an additional two exercises: contemplation of the five aggregates
and of the four noble truths. Listing the versions in order of increasing
complexity, the topics of contemplation of dharmas described by them
are as follows:
Ekottarika-āgama: Madhyama-āgama: Dīgha-nikāya/Majjhima-nikāya:
1) awakening factors 1) sense-spheres 1) hindrances
2) absorptions 2) hindrances 2) aggregates
3) awakening factors 3) sense-spheres
4) awakening factors
5) noble truths
Compared to their Chinese Āgama parallels, the Dīgha-nikāya and Maj-
jhima-nikāya versions present the most extensive conception of the
compass of contemplation of dharmas. Not only that, but the otherwise
similar Pāli versions differ substantially in relation to the last of their
exercises for contemplation of dharmas, contemplation of the four noble
truths. In view of the importance accorded to the four noble truths in
various Buddhist traditions, it can safely be assumed that a reference to
――――――
3
EĀ 12.1 at T II 568a1 to 569b12, which is the first discourse in the 壹入道品, “Chapter
on the One-Going Path”; EĀ 12.1 has been translated by Huyen-Vi 1989, Nhat Hanh
1990: 168–177, Pāsādika 1998, and Anālayo 2013d: 286–295.
4
Comparative studies of the different versions can be found in Schmithausen 1976,
Bronkhorst 1985: 309–312, Sujato 2005, Anālayo 2011a: 73–9 and 2013d.
 Meditative Analysis and Omniscience 93

them would not have been removed, had it been part of the original ex-
position.5 Thus contemplation of the four noble truths may well be an
addition in the case of the Dīgha-nikāya and Majjhima-nikāya versions.
In fact, not only the Chinese Āgama parallels, but even the Satipaṭṭhā-
na-vibhaṅga in the Vibhaṅga of the same Theravāda tradition does not
mention the four noble truths in its survey of smṛtyupasthāna medita-
tion,6 as is also the case for the corresponding sections in the Dharma-
skandha and Jñānaprasthāna of the Sarvāstivāda tradition.7 Only the
*Śāriputrābhidharma has instructions on the four noble truths as part of
its exposition of smṛtyupasthāna.8
While probably a later addition, the four noble truths, being what ac-
cording to tradition constituted the first teaching delivered by the re-
cently awakened Buddha, would be a natural choice for inclusion in an
exposition of mindful contemplation of dharmas. Such contemplation
would inevitably have been influenced by the evolving significance of
the term dharma in the Buddhist traditions, making it quite understand-
able if various doctrinal items of importance came to be included under
this heading.9
The *Mahāvibhāṣā quotes a statement from a discourse according to
which all phenomena are included under the four smṛtyupasthānas.10

――――――
5
Schmithausen 1976: 248.
6
Vibh 199,12. Although Nyanatiloka 1938/1983: 39 and Thiṭṭila 1969: xlii seem to take
this as a case of intentional selection, it needs to be noted that this would not conform
to the procedure adopted elsewhere in the same work, where the relevant section from
the discourses is quoted in full. Instead, in the words of Bronkhorst 1985: 311, it seems
rather “that the ‘Original Vibhaṅga’ was composed before the 4 smṛtyupasthāna were
given the explanations we now find in the Sūtras.”
7
T 1537 at T XXVI 478b23 and T 1544 at T XXVI 1023b29.
8
T 1548 at T XXVIII 616b8: “he knows as it really is duḥkha, the arising of duḥkha, the
cessation of duḥkha, and the path to the cessation of duḥkha”, 如實知苦, 苦集, 苦滅,
苦滅道, which is followed by applying the same formulation to the influxes (āsava), 漏.
9
On the term dharmas in the smṛtyupasthāna context cf., e.g., Franke 1915: 488, Gom-
brich 1996: 35f, Dessein in Willemen et al. 1998: 12, Anālayo 2003: 182–186, Gethin
2004: 520, and Ronkin 2005: 37.
10
T 1545 at T XXVII 936c23.
94 The Dawn of Abhidharma

The *Śāriputrābhidharma formulates what would be the logical out-

come of such an all-encompassing scope of the four smṛtyupasthānas,
namely that the fourth smṛtyupasthāna covers anything that has not been
covered by the first three.11 In this way the evolution of the conception
of the fourth smṛtyupasthāna exemplifies a drive towards a comprehen-
sive coverage of all items perceived as relevant, a drive that appears to
have had a decisive influence on the evolving Abhidharma traditions.12
The actual instructions given in the Satipaṭṭhāna-sutta of the Majjhi-
ma-nikāya for contemplating the four noble truths are fairly brief, simi-
lar to the instructions given in the *Śāriputrābhidharma. The Satipaṭṭhā-
na-sutta enjoins that a practitioner should understand duḥkha, its arising,
its cessation, and the path:13
Here, monks, a monk knows as it really is: “this is dukkha”; he knows
as it really is: “this is the arising of dukkha”; he knows as it really is:
“this is the cessation of dukkha”; he knows as it really is: “this is the
path leading to the cessation of dukkha”.
The Mahāsatipaṭṭhāna-sutta found in the Dīgha-nikāya, however, gives
a detailed exegesis of each of the four noble truths, so that four lines of
text in the PTS edition of the Satipaṭṭhāna-sutta become nearly ten pages
(with considerable abbreviations) in the same edition’s version of the
――――――
11
T 1548 at T XXVIII 615b29.
12
Cox 1992/1993: 74 comments on T 1545 and T 1548 that “this expansion of the con-
tents of the fourth application [smṛtyupasthāna] reflects the general purpose under-
lying the Abhidharma enterprise as a whole: namely, to provide a soteriologically
coherent enumeration of all experienced phenomena.” Harrison 2003: 119 notes that
“the smṛtyupasthāna technique indicates that the practical and the theoretical are not
so far apart after all, in that its object is … the perception of experience in terms of a
prearranged set of categories and evaluations … Abhidharma is the detailed systema-
tization of this act of analysis.” Ronkin 2005: 119 explains that “the phrase ‘seeing
things as they really are’ initially indicated ‘comprehending the Buddha’s teaching
completely’, that is, fully grasping the four noble truths. Later on it gained a stronger
metaphysical bearing and began to signify ‘understanding how things operate’ and
‘what is the case’. Finally the phrase was ontologically interpreted as ‘knowing what
there is’”; cf. also Martini 2011: 166 note 101.
13
MN 10 at MN I 62,21 to 62,24.
 Meditative Analysis and Omniscience 95

Mahāsatipaṭṭhāna-sutta.14 This is in fact the main difference between

the two versions found in the Dīgha-nikāya and the Majjhima-nikāya,
namely the extent to which they describe contemplation of the four no-
ble truths.
The detailed exegesis in the Mahāsatipaṭṭhāna-sutta of the first and
the fourth truths – duḥkha and the path to its cessation – can also be found
in the Saccavibhaṅga-sutta of the Majjhima-nikāya.15 This discourse
and its parallels, attributed to Śāriputra, take as their theme the provid-
ing of an “analysis of the truths”. The exposition of the first and fourth
truths in the Saccavibhaṅga-sutta combines a short statement of each
with a word-by-word explanation.
Comparison of the Saccavibhaṅga-sutta with its parallels brings to
light that a Madhyama-āgama parallel and an individually translated
discourse provide a different word-by-word explanation,16 whereas an
Ekottarika-āgama parallel has no such word-by-word explanation, but
only the short statements of the first and fourth truths.17 This gives the
impression that an early version of this discourse may have only had
such short statements, a condition still reflected in the Ekottarika-āgama.
In fact the early discourses generally tend to present the four noble truths
and the noble eightfold path in a summary manner; detailed expositions
of the type found in the present instance are relatively rare.
In the present case, it seems that the commentarial type of explana-
tion of the words used in these short statements came to be part of the
exposition itself at some point during its transmission, resulting in dif-
――――――
14
DN 22 at DN II 304,26 to 313,27. The Be and Se editions of MN 10 also have this more
detailed exposition, and in the case of Be this is already found in the fifth saṅgīti edi-
tion. This appears to be a replacement of MN 10 with DN 22, as Be gives the title of
MN 10 as Mahāsatipaṭṭhāna-sutta; cf. also Trenckner 1888/1993: 534, who in the
notes to his edition of this part of the Majjhima-nikāya comments that the Phayre
manuscript of the India Office Library he consulted at this juncture “interpolates a
passage of some length, borrowed from the Mahāsatipaṭṭhānasutta of DN”.
15
MN 141 at MN III 249,9 and 251,7; the exposition of the path (fourth truth) has an-
other parallel in SN 45.8 at SN V 8,28.
16
MĀ 31 at T I 467c2 and 469a15 as well as T 32 at T I 814c8 and 816a17.
17
EĀ 27.1 at T II 643b18 and 643b22; translated in Anālayo 2006b: 148.
96 The Dawn of Abhidharma

ferent explanations found in the Saccavibhaṅga-sutta or else in the Madh-

yama-āgama parallel and the individually translated discourse. In other
words, comparative study suggests that the detailed exposition in the Sac-
cavibhaṅga-sutta reflects later developments.
When it comes to the second and third truths, however, the Saccavi-
bhaṅga-sutta only gives the standard definition of craving and its cessa-
tion,18 without providing a more detailed commentary on these two.
Whereas the Saccavibhaṅga-sutta only presents a detailed commen-
tary on the first and fourth item, the Mahāsatipaṭṭhāna-sutta has such a
presentation for all four. Here is the exposition of the second truth in
the Mahāsatipaṭṭhāna-sutta:
Monks, what is the noble truth of the arising of dukkha? It is this
craving which leads to further existence and is accompanied by
delight and lust, delighting here and there, namely craving for sen-
sual pleasures, craving for existence, and craving for non-existence.19
Monks, when this craving arises, where does it arise; when it
establishes itself, where does it establish itself? Whatever in the
world is of a pleasing nature and an agreeable nature; when arising,
it is there that this craving arises; when establishing itself, it is there
that it establishes itself. What is of a pleasing nature and an agree-
able nature in the world?
(1) In the world the eye is of a pleasing nature and an agreeable
nature; when arising, it is there that this craving arises; when estab-
lishing itself, it is there that it establishes itself. In the world the
ear … in the world the nose … in the world the tongue … in the
world the body … in the world the mind is of a pleasing nature and an
――――――
18
MN 141 at MN III 250,32.
19
The three types of craving – kāmataṇhā, bhavataṇhā, and vibhavataṇhā – are standard
in expositions of the second truth in the Pāli discourses, but are not mentioned in
Madhyama-āgama and Saṃyukta-āgama discourses, although the same is found in
the Dīrgha-āgama; cf. the parallels to the Saṅgīti- and Daśottara-sūtras, DĀ 9 at T I
50a21 and DĀ 10 at T I 53a25 (= DĀ 11 at T I 57c15), and the parallel to the Mahāni-
dāna-sūtra, DĀ 13 at T I 60c13. The three types of craving are also mentioned in an
Ekottarika-āgama discourse, EĀ 49.5 at T II 797c8; cf. also Choong 2000: 166, Delhey
2009: 69 note 4, and Anālayo 2011a: 70 note 216.
 Meditative Analysis and Omniscience 97

agreeable nature; when arising, it is there that this craving arises;

when establishing itself, it is there that it establishes itself.
(2) In the world forms … in the world sounds … in the world
odours … in the world tastes … in the world tangibles … in the
world mental objects are of a pleasing nature and an agreeable nature;
when arising, it is there that this craving arises; when establishing
itself, it is there that it establishes itself.
(3) In the world eye-consciousness … in the world ear-conscious-
ness … in the world nose-consciousness … in the world tongue-con-
sciousness … in the world body-consciousness … in the world mind-
consciousness is of a pleasing nature and an agreeable nature; when
arising, it is there that this craving arises; when establishing itself, it
is there that it establishes itself.
(4) In the world eye-contact … in the world ear-contact … in the
world nose-contact … in the world tongue-contact … in the world
body-contact … in the world mind-contact is of a pleasing nature
and an agreeable nature; when arising, it is there that this craving
arises; when establishing itself, it is there that it establishes itself.
(5) In the world feeling arisen from eye-contact … in the world
feeling arisen from ear-contact … in the world feeling arisen from
nose-contact … in the world feeling arisen from tongue-contact … in
the world feeling arisen from body-contact … in the world feeling
arisen from mind-contact is of a pleasing nature and an agreeable
nature; when arising, it is there that this craving arises; when estab-
lishing itself, it is there that it establishes itself.
(6) In the world perception of forms … in the world perception
of sounds … in the world perception of odours … in the world per-
ception of tastes … in the world perception of tangibles … in the
world perception of mental objects is of a pleasing nature and an
agreeable nature; when arising, it is there that this craving arises;
when establishing itself, it is there that it establishes itself.
(7) In the world volition in regard to forms … in the world voli-
tion in regard to sounds … in the world volition in regard to odours …
in the world volition in regard to tastes … in the world volition in
regard to tangibles … in the world volition in regard to mental ob-
98 The Dawn of Abhidharma

jects is of a pleasing nature and an agreeable nature; when arising, it

is there that this craving arises; when establishing itself, it is there
that it establishes itself.
(8) In the world craving for forms … in the world craving for
sounds … in the world craving for odours … in the world craving
for tastes … in the world craving for tangibles … in the world crav-
ing for mental objects is of a pleasing nature and an agreeable nature;
when arising, it is there that this craving arises; when establishing
itself, it is there that it establishes itself.
(9) In the world thought of forms … in the world thought of
sounds … in the world thought of odours … in the world thought of
tastes … in the world thought of tangibles … in the world thought of
mental objects is of a pleasing nature and an agreeable nature; when
arising, it is there that this craving arises; when establishing itself, it
is there that it establishes itself.
(10) In the world pondering on forms … in the world pondering
on sounds … in the world pondering on odours … in the world pon-
dering on tastes … in the world pondering on tangibles … in the
world pondering on mental objects is of a pleasing nature and an
agreeable nature; when arising, it is there that this craving arises;
when establishing itself, it is there that it establishes itself.
Monks, this is called the noble truth of the arising of dukkha.20
The Mahāsatipaṭṭhāna-sutta continues by applying the same procedure
to the third truth, depicting the cessation of craving by working through
the same set of details. The analysis of the second and third truths de-
scribed here is unique in the Pāli discourses. A description of the aris-
ing and establishing of craving in the Saṃyutta-nikāya employs similar
phrasing, but it applies this only to the six senses, corresponding to the
exposition found above in section (1).21 The discourse does not take up
the converse case of the cessation of craving (third truth) at all.
――――――
20
DN 22 at DN II 308,1 to 310,3 (for ease of reference, in my translation I number the
subsections; the numbering is not found in the original).
21
SN 12.66 at SN II 108,27 to109,5; the presentation in the parallel SĀ 291 at T II
82b16 is even more brief.
 Meditative Analysis and Omniscience 99

From the practical perspective of mindfulness training it makes

sense to explain that craving for what is pleasing and agreeable can
arise and establish itself in relation to each of the six senses (1) and the
corresponding objects (2), or to consciousness (3) representing the men-
tal experience of the sensory input. Once this much has been covered in
mindfulness practice, however, it seems of less practical relevance to
continue making the same point again and again as done in the Mahā-
satipaṭṭhāna-sutta, directing mindfulness also to the fact that craving
may arise in relation to the following aspects:
4) contact,
5) feeling,
6) perception,
7) volition,
8) craving,
9) thought,
10) pondering.
Stages (1) to (3) correspond to the standard presentation of the eighteen
elements: the six senses, their six objects, and the six corresponding types
of consciousness. Stages (4) to (7) appear to complement consciousness
(3) with the remaining four aggregates, if contact (4) can be taken to
represent the first aggregate of bodily form. Then follow craving (8),
thought (9) and pondering (10).
Particularly notable is that with stage (8) the exposition proposes that
craving arises and becomes established in relation to craving. From a
practical perspective, I find it difficult to conceive of a meaningful form
of mindfulness practice that contemplates this particular mode of the
arising of craving.
Several scholars have already pointed out that the more detailed ex-
position of the four noble truths in the Mahāsatipaṭṭhāna-sutta appears
to be an intrusion of commentarial exegesis into the discourse.22 This
――――――
22
Winternitz 1920/1968: 51 refers to DN 22 as an example for Dīgha-nikāya discourses
that give the impression of being enlarged versions of shorter texts through the ad-
dition of commentarial type of material. Bapat 1926: 11f considers this part of DN 22
to be “an amplified version of an originally small sutta … explaining, in a commen-
100 The Dawn of Abhidharma

detailed exegesis recurs in the Saccavibhaṅga of the Vibhaṅga.23 The

driving force behind such a detailed analysis appears to be the attempt
to cover the topic of craving in such a manner that any minor aspect
whatsoever is included. In this way, the simple indication: “this is the
arising of duḥkha” has evolved into a detailed breakdown of all possible
ways in which one might conceive of the arising of craving. While such
a detailed analysis in a canonical Abhidharma work is not surprising, to
find the same in the discourses is unexpected. A case that is to some ex-
tent comparable can be found in the Anupada-sutta, to which I turn next.

3.2 The Analysis of Absorption

The Anupada-sutta is a discourse in the Majjhima-nikāya of the Thera-
vāda tradition of which no parallel is known. The discourse begins with
the Buddha praising Sāriputta’s wisdom in detail,24 thereby broaching
basically the same theme of wisdom as informs the Bahudhātuka-sūtra
and its parallels. Following this praise comes a description of how Sāri-
putta contemplated various mental factors present in each of the four
absorptions and in the first three of the immaterial spheres.
The Anupada-sutta’s description not only takes into account the
mental factors specific to each absorption, but also lists a set of mental
factors that are invariably present during any absorption. Here is a

――――――
tarial fashion, the details of the four noble truths”; cf. also Barua 1971/2003: 369–371.
According to Thomas 1927/2003: 252, during the oral transmission of the early dis-
courses “there would also be the danger of unwittingly including discourses or com-
mentaries … which were not an original part of the collection. An instance occurs in
the case of the Satipaṭṭhāna-sutta … found in the Dīgha (No. 22) and Majjhima (No.
10), but in the former case a long passage of commentary on the Four Truths has been
incorporated.”
23
Vibh 101,22; cf. also Paṭis I 39,32.
24
MN 111 at MN III 25,5. A similar eulogy of Śāriputra’s wisdom can be found in sev-
eral discourses in the Madhyama-āgama; cf. MĀ 27 at T I 458b15, MĀ 28 at T I
461b10, MĀ 31 at T I 467b10, and MĀ 121 at T I 610b5, showing that the relation-
ship between this disciple and wisdom is a common feature in early discourses from
different traditions.
 Meditative Analysis and Omniscience 101

translation of the relevant section on the first absorption, which offers a

detailed analysis that is unique among the Pāli discourses:
Secluded from sensual pleasures and secluded from unwholesome
states, with application and exploration, with rapture and happiness
born of seclusion, Sāriputta dwelled having attained the first absorp-
tion.
The states in the first absorption were determined by him one by
one: application and exploration and rapture and happiness and men-
tal unification and contact, feeling, perception, volition, mind,25 de-
sire, determination, energy, mindfulness, equipoise, attention. Known
these states arose, known they remained, known they disappeared.
He understood thus: “Indeed, in this way these states, which have
not been, come into being; having been, they disappear.” Not being
in favour of or against these states, he dwelled being independent,
without being bound to them, being freed from them, being released
from them, with a mind that is without confines. He understood:
“There is an escape beyond this.”26
Reading the second paragraph can create a slight sense of awkwardness
through the inconsistent use of the conjunction “and”. This reflects an
irregularity found in the original. The list of mental factors specific to
each absorption in the Anupada-sutta employs the conjunction “and”,
ca, whereas the remainder of the list does not utilize any conjunction.27
Here is the relevant passage in Pāli:
vitakko ca vicāro ca pīti ca sukhañ ca cittekaggatā ca
phasso vedanā saññā cetanā cittaṃ chando adhimokkho viriyaṃ sati
upekkhā manasikāro.
――――――
25
Se instead speaks of “consciousness”, viññāṇa.
26
MN 111 at MN III 25,12 to 25,24.
27
This has already been noted by Rhys Davids 1900/1922: ix. The same pattern contin-
ues with the second and the third absorption. In the treatment of the fourth absorption,
MN 111 at MN III 26,32, already the first part of the list includes mental factors that
are not linked to each other by ca and that are not found in the standard description of
the fourth absorption.
102 The Dawn of Abhidharma

Thus while each of the first five factors comes with the conjunction ca,
the rest come without it. Once a list of different items makes use of the
conjunction “and”, there would be no reason why it should suddenly
stop using the same conjunction halfway through. This irregularity there-
fore suggests that the text combines two independent lists.
The part of the list of mental factors that does not employ conjunc-
tions is similar to an Abhidharma type of exposition, where the use of
conjunctions is often dispensed with. Another pointer to later influence
can be found in the expression “one by one determination”, anupadava-
vatthita, used in this part of the discourse. The term does not seem to
occur elsewhere in the Pāli discourses, but only in later texts.28
The impression that the mental factors mentioned during the later
part of the analysis of the first and other absorptions in the Anupada-sutta
could be a later addition finds further support in an internal inconsis-
tency, as occasionally factors are mentioned twice in the description of
the same dhyāna. By way of illustration I translate the description of the
third absorption:
With the fading away of rapture, dwelling in equipoise with mindful-
ness and clear knowing, and feeling happiness with his whole being,29
Sāriputta dwelled having attained the third absorption, which noble
――――――
28
Rhys Davids 1900/1922: viii considers MN 111 to be “an obvious patchwork”, noting
that the appearance of “two words – of anupada, and of vavatthita, ‘determined’ – which
are not the old idiom, suggest a later editing and show us that when this editing took
place, the period of the compiling of the naïf crude analyses of the Abhidhamma Piṭaka
was either at hand, or not far removed in time.” Nyanaponika 1949/1985: 55, com-
menting on the same occurrence, explains that “it is true that derivatives of the verb
vavattheti, vavatthita and particularly vavatthāna, are found very frequently in later
canonical books [such] as the Paṭisambhidā-Magga and the Vibhanga, and especially
in the commentaries and the Visuddhimagga. But vavatthita, ‘determined’ or ‘estab-
lished’, is likewise not such a highly technical term that the dating of a text could be
based on that evidence alone.”
29
The instrumental kāyena, found in the description of the third absorption, is an idio-
matic expression to convey personal or direct experience; cf. also Schmithausen 1981:
214 and 249 ad. note 50, Radich 2007: 263, and Harvey 2009: 180 note 10. My ren-
dering of 身 in the descriptions of absorption below in note 39 is based on the assump-
tion that this translates the same instrumental form.
 Meditative Analysis and Omniscience 103

ones declare to be one’s happily dwelling with equipoise and mind-

fulness.
The states in the third absorption were determined by him one by
one: (equipoise)30 and happiness and mindfulness and clear knowing
and mental unification and contact, feeling, perception, volition,
mind, 31 desire, determination, energy, (mindfulness), 32 equipoise,
attention. Known these states arose, known they remained, known
they disappeared.
He understood thus: “Indeed, in this way these states, which have
not been, come into being; having been, they disappear.” Not being
in favour of or against these states, he dwelled being independent,
without being bound to them, being freed from them, being released
from them, with a mind that is without confines. He understood:
“There is an escape beyond this.”33
In the second paragraph of the translation I have placed two terms in
parentheses; these terms are not found in all of the editions I consulted.
When they are found, they duplicate the terms I have put in italics. Thus
in two editions equipoise is mentioned twice, in three editions mindful-
ness is mentioned twice. This refers only to duplications within the sec-
ond paragraph, without taking into account the occurrence of these terms
in the first paragraph, which corresponds to the standard description of
the third absorption.
The same type of redundancy is even more evident in relation to the
fourth absorption, where in all editions consulted equipoise and mind-
fulness are listed twice in the analysis of mental factors present in this
experience.34 For the purpose of analytical insight into the mental fac-

――――――
30
Not mentioned in Be and Ce.
31
Se again speaks of “consciousness”.
32
Not mentioned in Ee.
33
MN 111 at MN III 26,13 to 26,26.
34
MN 111 at MN III 26,32: upekkhā … sati pārisuddhi … sati upekkhā (Ee both times:
upekhā); Schmithausen 1981: 231 note 116 has already drawn attention to this dou-
bling in the descriptions of the absorptions.
104 The Dawn of Abhidharma

tors found in an absorption, there would be no need to list the same mental
factor twice.
In addition to this doubling, a partial redundancy can also be found
in relation to the description of the third and fourth dhyāna, as the list-
ing of each of these absorptions mentions a particular type of feeling –
pleasant feeling in the case of the third absorption and neutral feeling in
the case of the fourth absorption – after which feeling in general is men-
tioned again.35 Since in the third absorption only pleasant feelings are
experienced and in the fourth absorption only neutral feelings are found,
from a practical perspective it seems redundant if the general category
of feelings is mentioned again.
These doublings further support the impression that the Anupada-sut-
ta’s description of the mental factors present in each absorption is a
combination of what originally were different lists. The list apparently
incorporated in the later part of the Anupada-sutta’s description seems
to reflect an Abhidharma type of analysis.36
It is instructive to compare the description of the four absorptions in
the Anupada-sutta with the degree of analysis provided in early canoni-
cal Abhidharma texts. The suttantabhājaniya of the Vibhaṅga, the Dhar-
maskandha, and the *Śāriputrābhidharma agree in taking their analysis
only up to the level of detail reflected also elsewhere in the early dis-
courses. Thus they are concerned with just those mental factors that are
――――――
35
Schmithausen 1981: 231 note 116 points out this redundancy, found in MN 111 at
MN III 26,17 (factor analysis of the third absorption): sukhañ ca … vedanā; and in
MN 111 at MN III 26,32 (factor analysis of the fourth absorption): adukkhamasukhā
vedanā … vedanā; a type of redundancy that recurs also in relation to the immaterial
attainments, where the specific perception related to each attainment is followed by
perceptions in general; cf. MN 111 at MN III 27,11: ākāsānañcāyatanasaññā … sañ-
ñā, MN 111 at MN III 27,24: viññāṇañcāyatanasaññā … saññā, and MN 111 at MN III
28,4: ākiñcaññāyatanasaññā … saññā. In all of these cases, the doubling occurs with-
in the factor analysis which comes after the standard description of these attainments.
36
Adikaram 1946/1994: 24 mentions the Anupada-sutta as an example of the type of
“material which may be considered as the main source of the later systematized Abhi-
dhamma”. Bodhi in Ñāṇamoli 1995/2005: 1320 note 1047 comments that “this min-
ute analysis of mental states into their components anticipates the methodology of the
Abhidhamma.”
 Meditative Analysis and Omniscience 105

specific to a particular absorption. Here are the descriptions of the first

and third absorptions from the Vibhaṅga:
Secluded from sensual pleasures and secluded from unwholesome
states, with application and exploration, with rapture and happiness
born of seclusion, he dwells having attained the first absorption …37
With the fading away of rapture dwelling in equipoise with
mindfulness and clear knowing, and feeling happiness with his
whole being, he dwells having attained the third absorption, which
noble ones declare to be one’s happily dwelling with equipoise and
mindfulness.38
The descriptions given of the first and third absorptions in the Dharma-
skandha and the *Śāriputrābhidharma are similar.39 The three works
continue by providing word explanations for the terms used in the stan-
dard description of the absorptions, thereby highlighting the signifi-
cance of the different aspects of these descriptions.
――――――
37
Vibh 245,5 to 245,7; my use of “he” here (and in the translation of T 1548 in note 39)
is based on the fact that the subject of the sentence is a bhikkhu (比丘), mentioned earlier.
38
Vibh 245,10 to 245,13.
39
T 1537 at T XXVI 482a29 (first absorption): “secluded from sensual pleasures and
from evil and unwholesome states, possessing application and possessing exploration,
with rapture and happiness born of seclusion, one dwells accomplishing the first ab-
sorption”, 離欲惡不善法, 有尋有伺, 離生喜樂, 初靜慮具足住, and at T XXVI 482b4
(third absorption): “secluded from rapture one dwells in equipoise with right mind-
fulness and right knowing, experiencing happiness with one’s whole being, which
noble ones declare to be a suitable equipoise, one dwells accomplishing the third
absorption,” 離喜, 住捨, 正念, 正知, 身受樂, 聖說應捨, 第三靜慮具足住. T 1548 at T
XXVIII 620a3 (first absorption): “secluded from sensual pleasures and from evil and
unwholesome states, possessing [directed] awareness and possessing [sustained] con-
templation, with rapture and happiness born of seclusion, he dwells accomplishing the
first absorption,” 離欲惡不善法, 有覺有觀, 離生喜樂, 成就初禪行; in the case of the
third absorption the present passage in T 1548 abbreviates, but a full description can
be found earlier in the same work at T XXVIII 602a1: “secluded from rapture dwell-
ing in equipoise with mindfulness and knowledge, experiencing happiness with his
whole being, he dwells accomplishing the third absorption, which as noble ones de-
clare is one’s happily dwelling with equipoise and mindfulness,” 離喜, 捨行, 念智, 身
受樂, 如諸聖人說, 捨念樂行, 成就第三禪行. For a comparative study of absorption
descriptions in a range of texts, which show considerable consistency, cf. Meisig 1990.
106 The Dawn of Abhidharma

In the case of the first absorption, seclusion from sensual pleasures

and unwholesome states points to the need to overcome the five hin-
drances, so that the practitioner can experience the inner rapture and
happiness that are “born of seclusion”. Besides this shift from sensual
pleasure to inner pleasure, a characteristic of the first absorption is the
presence of vitarka and vicāra.
Although the term vitarka in general stands for “thought”, in the con-
text of absorption attainment I understand it to convey the sense of a
directing of the mind that does not involve conceptual activity compara-
ble to ordinary thinking and reflection.40 Hence I adopt the rendering of
vitarka as “application”, instead of its more usual sense as “thought”, and
vicāra as “exploration”, instead of “pondering”.
In practical terms, a characteristic of the first absorption is the pres-
ence of some degree of mental application and its sustaining through
exploration, which is needed to keep the mind in its concentrated con-
dition. Once concentration deepens further, these will no longer be re-
quired.
In the case of the third absorption, its defining characteristic vis-à-vis
lower absorptions is the absence of rapture, which results in an equi-
poise in which mindfulness and clarity of knowing become prominent
features of the mind, all the while being accompanied by a profound
happiness that pervades the whole being of the meditator.
Awareness of the central aspects that characterize these experiences
serves a practical purpose, as it enables a clear recognition of the fac-
tors that are to be cultivated and of those that need to be left behind.
Such a degree of analysis would also be sufficient for the development
of insight, since to single out central mental components of an absorp-
tion experience suffices as a basis for developing insight into the condi-
――――――
40
Cousins 1992: 139 relates vitarka to “the activity of bringing different objects into
firm focus before the mind’s eye – be those objects thoughts or mental pictures.”
Shankman 2008: 40 points out that vitarka and vicāra as qualities of the first absorp-
tion “should never be understood as thinking or musing in the ordinary sense”; cf. in
more detail Anālayo 2013b. The position that the first absorption involves the pres-
ence of conceptual thought, however, is taken by Griffiths 1983: 60, Stuart-Fox 1989:
82, and Bucknell 1993: 397.
 Meditative Analysis and Omniscience 107

tioned, impermanent, unsatisfactory, and not-self nature of such experi-

ences. Thus, from a practical perspective, awareness of the absorption
factors specific to any absorption would be enough as a basis for the de-
velopment of tranquillity and insight.
The mental factors listed in what appears to be a later addition to the
Anupada-sutta’s treatment of the absorption factors – contact, feeling,
perception, volition, mind, desire, decision, energy, mindfulness, equa-
nimity, and attention – are invariably present in each of the four absorp-
tions. By including these factors within the scope of Sāriputta’s insight
contemplation, the Anupada-sutta’s treatment shifts from what is of di-
rect practical concern to what is of more general interest.41
Such a shift from immediate practical needs to a detailed description
is symptomatic of the Abhidharma taxonomy, which attempts to give an
account of mind and matter that is as exhaustive as possible.42 Compa-
rable attempts to arrive at a more comprehensive list of the mental fac-
tors present in the first absorption can in fact be found in the Dhamma-
saṅgaṇī, the Dharmaskandha, and the *Śāriputrābhidharma.43
――――――
41
Deleanu 2006: 516 note 127 comments that “as far as the Anupadasutta is concerned,
it also shows an Abhidharmic approach. From the standpoint of spiritual cultivation,
it is enough to know the main factors characterising the first jhāna. A list comprising
all mental factors of a meditative state betrays theoretical interests rather than practi-
cal concerns.”
42
According to van Zeyst 1961: 43, “in the suttas the doctrine is given with a practical
purpose, the development of morality, of insight, the attainment of realisation. In the
Abhidhamma the preacher has been replaced by the scholar, whose main interests are
definitions, technical determinations, analytical knowledge and synthetic logic.” Mi-
zuno 1961a: 43 explains that mind and matter “in early Buddhism … were explained
only as far as they had any connection with practice and emancipation. But here they
came to be examined as a whole … and there arose the method of classification unique
to the Abhidhamma.” Behind this difference stands a shift of interest; according to
Piatigorsky 1984: 8 “in the Suttas one is urged, taught or otherwise instructed how to
form the conscious experience of one’s life, in Abhidhamma it is the conscious ex-
perience itself which is exposed, categorized and classified to be thought of, medi-
tated on, memorized and recollected as such.”
43
Dhs 31,5 (abbreviated), T 1537 at T XXVI 483c28, and T 1548 at T XXVIII 621c13.
This list in the Dhammasaṅgaṇī is not a closed list, since it concludes by referring to
whatever other immaterial and dependently arisen states are present at this time; cf.
108 The Dawn of Abhidharma

The report in the Anupada-sutta that Sāriputta determined the mental

states of each absorption one by one endows the Abhidharma approach
to analysis with the prestigious authority of having been the actual form
of meditation practice undertaken by the disciple whom the early tradi-
tion reckoned as outstanding for his wisdom.44

Figure 3.1 The Stūpa of Śāriputra

The stūpa held to be of Śāriputra, a witness to the cult of this chief disciple
and thus an expression of the high regard accorded to him by tradition.

Nālandā, courtesy Namit Arora.

In this way, the Anupada-sutta clearly reflects the type of presentation

that became prominent with the Abhidharma and testifies to the ten-
dency of analysis to be invested with a value of its own. To borrow an
image from a discourse in the Saṃyutta-nikāya and its parallel in the

――――――
Dhs 31,6. It is only with later texts that such descriptions take the character of a
closed list giving a fixed set of states.
44
On the role of Śāriputra in relation to the Abhidharma in particular cf. Migot 1952:
519–523 and Ray 1994: 133f. Xuánzàng (玄奘) reports that it was characteristic for
followers of the Abhidharma to worship [the remains of] Śāriputra, T 2087 at T LI
890b13: 阿毘達磨衆供養舍利子.
 Meditative Analysis and Omniscience 109

Saṃyukta-āgama, the early teachings are like a handful of leaves.45 In

contrast, the present instance reflects an effort to go beyond the mere
handful in an attempt to collect as many leaves in the grove as possible.
The Atthasālinī makes this point quite explicitly in its defence of the
value and importance of the Abhidharma. According to its explanation,
Abhidharma is what exceeds and is distinct from the Dharma taught in
the discourses. In relation to a range of topics covering central early
Buddhist doctrines or mental qualities, the Atthasālinī considers the
analysis given in the discourses to be only partial, whereas the Abhi-
dharma provides a full analysis.46
This succinctly describes a major trend in the Abhidharma enterprise
towards exhaustiveness, towards giving a comprehensive inventory of
all that there is.47 At the same time it reflects an attitude that came to the
fore with the fully developed Abhidharma, by the time of which the in-
structions given in the discourses were perceived as somewhat lacking
and insufficient.
Similar to the instructions for contemplating the four noble truths in
the Mahāsatipaṭṭhāna-sutta, the analysis of the absorptions in the An-
upada-sutta reflects doctrinal concerns of the adherents of the emerging
Abhidharma. Whereas both cases have grown out of an interest in medi-
tative practice – the establishing of mindfulness and the attainment of

――――――
45
SN 56.31 at SN V 437,21 and SĀ 404 at T II 108a29.
46
As 2,27: “The Abhidharma is so called since it exceeds the Dharma and is distinguished
from the Dharma. On having mastered the discourse [method] the five aggregates are
analysed in part, not totally. On having mastered the Abhidharma … they are ana-
lysed totally,” dhammātirekadhammavisesaṭṭhena abhidhammo ti vuccati. suttantaṃ hi
patvā pañca khandhā ekadesen ’eva vibhattā no nippadesena. abhidhammaṃ patvā …
nippadesato vibhattā. This is followed by indicating that the same applies to the twelve
sense-spheres, the eighteen elements, the four truths, the twenty-two faculties, the
twelvefold causation, the four establishments of mindfulness, the four right efforts,
the four bases for supernormal ability, the seven factors of awakening, the noble eight-
fold path, etc.
47
Cox 2004: 5 explains that “in very simple terms, abhidharma attempts an exhaustive
and systematic accounting of every possible type of experience in terms of its ulti-
mate constituents.”
110 The Dawn of Abhidharma

absorption – the final results go beyond what other early discourses

consider necessary for successful practice.

3.3 The Buddha’s Awakening

According to the early discourses, the attainment of the absorptions and
the gaining of insight into the four noble truths were central features of
the path to awakening the Buddha himself followed. Independent of
what historical value one wishes to assign to such descriptions, they do
reflect the significance accorded by the early Buddhist tradition to the
absorptions and the four noble truths. This can thus be used as a basis
for comparison with the analysis of the absorptions and the four noble
truths in the way this is depicted in the Anupada-sutta and the Mahā-
satipaṭṭhāna-sutta.
The Buddha’s pre-awakening cultivation of absorption is recorded in
the Upakkilesa-sutta and its parallel. After successfully overcoming
various mental obstructions, he is described as cultivating concentration
of the following types:
1) with application and exploration,
2) without application but with a remainder of exploration,
3) without application and without exploration.48

This presentation involves a basic form of analysis whose focus is on

the role of vitarka and vicāra in particular. The three stages distinguished
proceed from the presence of both through an intermediate stage, in
which the former has disappeared and the latter still persists, to the ab-
sence of both. Whether the stage where vitarka has been overcome but
vicāra still persists is taken into account explicitly or only covered im-
plicitly depends on the perspective taken in regard to the development
of absorption.
――――――
48
MN 128 at MN III 162,14: savitakkam pi savicāraṃ samādhiṃ bhāvesiṃ, avitakkam
pi vicāramattaṃ samādhiṃ bhāvesiṃ, avitakkam pi avicāraṃ samādhiṃ bhāvesiṃ,
with its counterpart in MĀ 72 at T I 539b2: 有覺有觀定修學, 極修學, 無覺少觀定修
學, 極修學, 無覺無觀定修學, 極修學.
 Meditative Analysis and Omniscience 111

The more common presentation by way of the four absorptions has a

stronger emphasis on the affective tone that comes with deepening con-
centration and offers also a somewhat more detailed description of each
level of absorption. The deepening of concentration described proceeds
from the rapture and happiness of seclusion (first absorption), through
the rapture and happiness of concentration (second absorption) and the
happiness devoid of rapture (third absorption), to equanimity (fourth
absorption).
This more affectively oriented perspective does not need to take into
account the stage when vitarka has been left behind but vicāra still per-
sists, as this stage still falls under the category of rapture and happiness
related to seclusion. Although this level of concentration is more refined
than the rapture and happiness of seclusion experienced when vitarka is
still present, it still falls short of being the rapture and happiness of con-
centration experienced with the second absorption.
The above presentation in the Upakkilesa-sutta and its parallel in-
stead focuses on the gradual appeasement of the need to apply the mind
and sustain it on the object of concentration. Therefore the progressive
deepening of absorption is formulated from the viewpoint of the pres-
ence or absence of vitarka and vicāra.
These two modes of describing absorption experience do not entail a
substantial difference in regard to actual experience, but are complemen-
tary analyses of the same process of deepening concentration.
An account of the Buddha’s cultivation of the absorptions that em-
ploys the more usual mode of presentation by way of the fourfold
scheme can be found in a discourse in the Aṅguttara-nikāya. The dis-
course, which has no known parallel, depicts the Buddha’s cultivation
of the same nine successive concentration attainments as feature in the
Anupada-sutta. The description makes it clear that this progression took
place gradually and over an extended period of time.49 The same is also
――――――
49
The various attainments are preceded by the phrase aparena samayena; cf., e.g., for
the second absorption AN 9.41 at AN IV 441,8. This makes it clear that each attain-
ment should be understood to have taken place during successive time periods; for a
discussion of AN 9.41 in relation to the Buddha’s awakening (and his passing away)
cf. also Anālayo 2014b.
112 The Dawn of Abhidharma

evident in the Madhyama-āgama parallel to the Upakkilesa-sutta, which

explicitly indicates that the Buddha cultivated each of the different con-
centrations for days and nights.50
According to the Aṅguttara-nikāya discourse, what enabled the Bud-
dha to progress from the first absorption to the second was the over-
coming of vitarka and vicāra, and further progress to the higher absorp-
tions took place by leaving behind first rapture and then happiness. The
description confirms that, even in the case of the Buddha himself, basic
awareness of the factors specific to a particular absorption was consid-
ered a sufficient degree of analysis for practical purposes. This was
enough to enable him to recognize clearly the factors that are to be cul-
tivated and those that need to be left behind in order to attain a higher ab-
sorption. Such a relatively straightforward degree of analysis clearly
differs from the detailed scrutiny of the absorptions described in the
Anupada-sutta.
Turning from absorption to the four noble truths, these feature pro-
minently in what according to tradition was the Buddha’s first teaching
delivered after his awakening.51 Now according to the different versions
of the first teaching, the Buddha announced to his first five disciples
that what he had to convey was something new that had not been heard
before in the contemporary setting. It follows that from the perspective
of the early discourses the Buddha’s realization could not simply be
couched in standard formulations taken from the ancient Indian soterio-
logical and philosophical background. It is against this context that the
function of the basic teaching of the four noble truths as a form of analysis
emerges most clearly. This mode of presentation corresponds to a scheme
――――――
50
MĀ 72 at T I 538c9.
51
The argument raised by Bareau 1963: 180f (cf. also Bronkhorst 1993/2000: 107 and
Dessein 2007: 22) against associating the teaching of the four truths with the first
sermon is not convincing, as his study is flawed by the methodological problem of
not taking into account all parallel versions; cf. in more detail Anālayo 2012a and
2013a. The similar position taken by Anderson 1999/2001: 55f, based on observa-
tions made by Rhys Davids 1935: 723, appears to be the result of a misunderstanding
of the nature of the early discourses and the collections in which they are contained;
cf. Anālayo 2012a: 28–31.
 Meditative Analysis and Omniscience 113

of medical diagnosis. Expressed in medical terms, the basic teaching of

the four noble truths looks as follows:
disease: duḥkha
pathogen: craving
health: Nirvāṇa
cure: eightfold path
There is no firm evidence for the existence in ancient India of such a
scheme in medical literature that predates the time when the Buddha
lived.52 This is not surprising, since extant Āyurvedic treatises stem
from a later period. Some early discourses, however, explicitly compare
the four noble truths to medical diagnosis.53 This makes it in my view
fairly probable that some such diagnostic scheme was known, even
though this may have been in use only at a popular level.54 The choice
of an analytical scheme taken over from medical diagnosis would result
in a mode of presentation that in the ancient setting could have been
easily understood.
The use of such an analytical scheme for conveying the Buddha’s
awakening needs to be understood for what it is: a conceptual tool. The
awakening itself would of course have been his realization of Nirvāṇa,
corresponding to the third of the four noble truths, the cessation of duḥkha.
This is the one truth that according to the parallel versions of the first
sermon needs to be “realized”.
――――――
52
This has been discussed in detail by Wezler 1984: 312–324; cf. also Oldenberg 1881/
1961: 374 note 2, Har Dayal 1932/1970: 159, and Filliozat 1934: 301.
53
SĀ 389 at T II 105a24 to 105b20 (translated in Anālayo 2011b: 23f), SĀ2 254 at T II
462c9 to 463a23, T 219 at T IV 802a16 to 802b20, a quotation in the Abhidharma-
kośopāyikā-ṭīkā, D 4094 nyu 1b1 to 2b6 or Q 5595 thu 32b6 to 33b6, a quotation in
the Abhidharmakośavyākhyā, Wogihara 1936: 514,27 to 515,2, a partial quotation in
the Arthaviniścaya-sūtra, Samtani 1971: 159,6 to 160,7, and Uighur fragments,
Kudara and Zieme 1995: 47–52; for a more detailed discussion cf. Anālayo 2011b.
54
According to Zysk 1995: 149, “there is little doubt that the system of Buddhist mo-
nastic medicine and Hindu āyurveda derived from a common source. Contrary to the
view accepted by most orthodox Hindus, the origin of this shared system of healing is
to be found among the ancient communities of heterodox wandering ascetics, or śra-
maṇas.”
114 The Dawn of Abhidharma

With such attainment of Nirvāṇa, then, duḥkha would be fully under-

stood (by having realized what goes beyond it), craving would be eradi-
cated, the cessation of duḥkha would be realized, and the cultivation of
the eightfold path would reach its consummation.
The success of a medical analogy to convey the Buddha’s realization
is reflected in the narrative account of the first teaching in the different
canonical versions. The parallels agree that, on being taught this analytical
scheme, one of the five former companions of the Buddha attained stream-
entry,55 whereby the Buddha had set in motion the wheel of Dharma.
Elsewhere the discourses regularly report the attainment of stream-
entry taking place when the Buddha delivers a teaching on the four no-
ble truths.56 These passages give the impression that this basic degree of
analysis, based on a medical diagnostic scheme, was regarded as sufficient
for practical purposes, without a need for a detailed breakdown of the aris-
ing and cessation of duḥkha as described in the Mahāsatipaṭṭhāna-sutta.
In sum, the depiction of the Buddha’s own attainment of the absorp-
tions and of his insight into the four noble truths provides a significant
contrast to the degree of analysis of the absorptions and the four noble
truths advocated in the Anupada-sutta and the Mahāsatipaṭṭhāna-sutta.
When evaluating this contrast, it needs to be kept in mind that Buddhist
traditions hold that the Buddha awakened to omniscient knowledge.
――――――
55
In what follows I restrict my survey to the main canonical versions, given according
to the language in which they have been preserved. Chinese: SĀ 379 at T II 104a 9; T
110 at T II 504b7; EĀ 24.5 at T II 619b6; Mahīśāsaka Vinaya, T 1421 at T XXII
104c18; Dharmaguptaka Vinaya, T 1428 at T XXII 788b24; Sarvāstivāda Vinaya, T
1435 at T XXIII 448c14; Kṣudrakavastu of the Mūlasarvāstivāda Vinaya, T 1451 at T
XXIV 292b29; the same is also reported in a version of the first discourse found as a
discourse quotation in the Dharmaskandha, T 1537 at T XXVI 479c27. Pāli: SN
56.11 at SN V 423,13 (= Vin I 11,32). Sanskrit: Chung 2006: 94 (for a survey of San-
skrit fragments cf. also Chung 2008: 122f); Catuṣpariṣat-sūtra, Waldschmidt 1957a:
152,9 (§13.1); cf. also Chung 2006: 83; Saṅghabhedavastu of the Mūlasarvāstivāda
Vinaya, Gnoli 1977: 138,6; cf. also Chung 2006: 83; Mahāvastu, Senart 1897: 333,18.
Tibetan: D 31 ka 182a3 or Q 747 tsi 185b5; D 337 or Q 1003, Chung 2006: 94; and a
quotation in the Abhidharmakośopāyikā-ṭīkā, D 4094 nyu 29a6 or Q 5595 thu 65b1.
56
Hearing a teaching is one of the five occasions for attaining liberation; cf. in more
detail Anālayo 2009c and also the comment below page 129 note 3.
 Meditative Analysis and Omniscience 115

Figure 3.2 Turning the Wheel of Dharma

The relief shows the seated Buddha with his hands in the gesture of setting in motion
the wheel of Dharma. Below the Buddha in the centre is the wheel of Dharma,
with an antelope on each side, reflecting the location of the first sermon
at the Mṛgadāva. The wheel is surrounded by the first five disciples,
who listen with respectfully raised hands.

Sārnāth, courtesy Eric R. and John C. Huntington,

The Huntington Archive at The Ohio State University.
116 The Dawn of Abhidharma

In other words, even for reaching omniscience the relatively simple

analysis of the absorptions and the four noble truths appears to have
been considered sufficient, leaving little scope for arguing that more
detailed analysis is needed for progress to awakening.
Placing the descriptions of the Buddha’s own progress to awakening
alongside the Anupada-sutta and the Mahāsatipaṭṭhāna-sutta reveals a
trajectory that leads from a relatively basic and straightforward ap-
proach to detailed analyses concerned with minute details. While the
employment of analysis in itself is an integral part of early Buddhist
thought, the tendency for analysis to expand its scope and proliferate
points to the emerging Abhidharma.
To be sure, the topics taken up in the Anupada-sutta and the Mahā-
satipaṭṭhāna-sutta are rooted in meditation practice and experience.
Their starting points are the attainment of absorption and insight into
the four noble truths, central aspects of the path to awakening. Yet, with
the detailed analyses presented in these two discourses, basic practical
needs fade into the background. With this I am not intending to suggest
that Abhidharma lists cannot become the basis of fruitful meditation
practice.57 My point is only that the approach to meditation practice that
emerges from the early discourses is considerably simpler.
Although early Abhidharma analysis takes off from eminently prac-
tical concerns,58 in the course of its trajectory such concerns tend to lead
to analysis undertaken for its own sake.59 One need not look far for the
――――――
57
An example for fruitfully employing the lists and schemes of the developed Thera-
vāda Abhidharma tradition in actual meditation practice is the system of meditation
taught by the Pa-auk Sayādaw; cf., e.g., Catherine 2011.
58
Gethin 1998: 209 explains that the “Abhidharma represents the theoretical counter-
part to what the meditator actually experiences in meditation. It can be summed up as
the attempt to give a systematic and exhaustive account of the world in terms of its
constituent physical and mental events.”
59
According to Mizuno 1961b: 48, “it was a distinctive merit of the Abhidhamma that it
systematically unified various doctrines of original Buddhism … but it carried with it
some shortcomings … the abhidhammic studies gradually deviated from the practice
of the path and became mere theories for their own sake.” Tilakaratne 2000a: 21
comments that once “the Abhidhamma was perceived as … to be grasped only by the
most intelligent … this new approach implies a shift of priorities. Original Buddhism
 Meditative Analysis and Omniscience 117

cause of this tendency: it lies in the attempt to be as detailed and com-

prehensive as possible. Once the task is no longer just to point out the
way, but rather to provide a complete map of the whole territory to be
traversed, there is inevitably a danger that the actual road to be taken
might become buried under the amount of details provided.
The tendency in the Abhidharma traditions to attempt a comprehen-
sive coverage of all relevant items stands in a close relation to the belief,
shared by different Buddhist traditions, that the Buddha’s awakening
involved his gain of omniscient knowledge,60 to which I turn next.

3.4 The Buddha and Omniscience

The establishing of a relationship between knowing all and awakening
in general can be seen in a passage in the Itivuttaka and its Chinese
counterpart. The two versions state that it is not possible to attain awak-
ening without understanding and fully knowing “all”.61 Since in early
Buddhist thought the awakening of an arhat does not require the attain-
――――――
was a ‘soteriological’ system in which the Dhamma was compared to a raft to be given
up once it has served its purpose. The new situation was such that the very doctrine
seems to have become an end in itself.” According to Cox 2004: 4, “in its earliest stage,
that is, as elaborative commentary, abhidharma was guided by the intention simply to
clarify the content of the sūtras … in its final stage, abhidharma texts became complex
philosophical treatises … whose purpose was the analysis and elaboration of doctrinal
issues for their own sake.”
60
Agganyani 2013: 2 expresses the traditional belief as follows: “Abhidhamma stems
from [the] empirical knowledge of the Buddha which he acquired by his full enlight-
enment.”
61
It 1.7 at It 3,28: “Monks, not understanding and fully knowing all … it is impossible
to destroy duḥkha”, sabbaṃ, bhikkhave, anabhijānaṃ aparijānaṃ … abhabbo duk-
khakkhayāya. T 765 at T XVII 670a24: “Monks, you should know, without under-
standing all as it really is, without rightly having full knowledge of it … it is impossi-
ble to awaken, it is impossible [to attain] Nirvāṇa, it is impossible to realize the su-
preme peace”, 苾芻當知, 若於一切未如實知, 未正遍知 … 不能等覺, 不能涅槃, 不能
證得無上安樂. As Katz 1982/1989: 132 points out, regarding the Buddha being “‘all
knowing regarding spiritual matters’ … in this restricted sense, the arahant is equally
accomplished.” Here and in what follows my discussion of omniscience is based on
revised excerpts from Anālayo 2006a.
118 The Dawn of Abhidharma

ment of omniscience, here the mention of “all” clearly refers to insight

into the nature of all things, not to factual knowledge of everything.62
Other Pāli discourses use the term “all” in relation to the Buddha’s
awakening knowledge, where it appears to have the same sense. Ac-
cording to the Ariyapariyesanā-sutta, the recently awakened Buddha
proclaimed that he had come to know all.63 Parallels in the Madhyama-
āgama and in the Ekottarika-āgama do not record any claim by the
Buddha to knowing all.64
A discourse in the Aṅguttara-nikāya reports that the Tathāgata had
awakened to all that in the world is seen, heard, sensed, and cognized.65
――――――
62
In the early discourses in general, the term “all” refers to what can be experienced
through the six senses; cf., e.g., SN 35.23 at SN IV 15,11 and its parallel SĀ 319 at T
II 91a28; cf. also Lamotte 1976: 1748 note 2. Kariyawasam 1990: 233 notes that from
an early Buddhist perspective “sabba means the whole world of sense experience.”
Kalupahana 1992/1994: 43 similarly explains that “for the Buddha, ‘all’ or ‘every-
thing’ represented the subject defined in terms of the six senses and the object ex-
plained in terms of the six sense objects.” Nāgapriya 2006: 6 comments that in It 1.7
“knowing the ‘All’ (sabba) is equivalent to knowing the nature of the world (loka). It
is a spiritual insight into the way things are.” Guang Xing 2011: 192 explains that “the
Buddha declares that he knows all about our world of experience and that without
knowing this he would not be released from suffering.”
63
MN 26 at MN I 171,3: “I am one who has transcended all and known all”, sabbābhi-
bhū sabbavidū ’ham asmi (Ce: asmī).
64
MĀ 204 at T I 777b16 and EĀ 24.5 at T II 618c6; the term “all” does occur in MĀ
204, but only as a claim to being detached from all things, 不著一切法. A formulation
similar to MN 26 can be found in Udānavarga 21.1, Bernhard 1965: 278, and in the
Mahāvastu, Senart 1897: 326,5 (in this case even followed by sarvajño); cf. also
Chakravarti 1930: 261 and for a Tocharian parallel Sieg and Siegling 1933: 170.
65
AN 4.23 at AN II 23,28: “Monks, what in this world with its devas, Māra, and Brahmā,
among its population of recluses and Brahmins, devas and humans, is seen, heard,
sensed, cognized, reached, searched for, pondered over by the mind, all that the Ta-
thāgata has awakened to. Therefore the Tathāgata is so called”, yaṃ, bhikkhave, sa-
devakassa lokassa samārakassa sabrahmakassa sassamaṇabrāhmaṇiyā pajāya sade-
vamanussāya diṭṭhaṃ sutaṃ mutaṃ viññātaṃ pattaṃ pariyesitaṃ anuvicaritaṃ mana-
sā, sabbaṃ (Se: sammā) taṃ tathāgatena abhisambuddhaṃ. tasmā ’tathāgato ’ti vuc-
cati. The discourse continues by referring to the night of the Buddha’s awakening
with the verb abhisambujjhati, suggesting that the reference in the preceding sentence
would be to the same realization. A comparable statement is found also in AN 4.24 at
AN II 25,1; for a detailed study of which cf. Ñāṇananda 1974/1985.
 Meditative Analysis and Omniscience 119

According to its Madhyama-āgama parallel, the Tathāgata had awak-

ened to and attained all that is completely right.66
In these two cases the statement found in the Pāli versions is formu-
lated in such a way that it could alternatively be interpreted as a claim to
omniscience. While the original import of the passages in the Ariyapa-
riyesanā-sutta and the Aṅguttara-nikāya discourse seems to be that the
Buddha had acquired penetrative insight in relation to all aspects of ex-
perience, it is easy to see how such formulations could be understood
differently.
In fact the Pāli commentary on the Aṅguttara-nikāya takes the dis-
course to imply that there is nothing seen, heard, etc., by all beings that
the Tathāgata has not seen, heard, etc.67 That is, the commentary takes
the formulation in the discourse to refer to factual knowledge of all that
is seen, heard, etc.
According to another Pāli discourse, the Buddha explicitly denied
having ever made a claim to omniscience, clarifying that to attribute
such a claim to him amounts to misrepresentation.68 No parallel to this
discourse appears to be known.69
Another Pāli discourse which does have parallels records the Buddha
declaring that there is no recluse or Brahmin who has omniscient
――――――
66
MĀ 137 at T I 645b16: “whatever there is that is completely correct, all that the Ta-
thāgata understood, saw, realized, and attained”, 若有一切盡普正, 有彼一切如來知見
覺得; cf. also above note 65 the Se variant sammā instead of sabbaṃ.
67
Mp III 32,18 explains the import of the statement in AN 4.23 to be as follows: “Monks,
what is seen, heard, sensed, and cognized by all these beings, there is nothing that is
not seen, heard, sensed or cognized by the Tathāgata”, yaṃ, bhikkhave, imesaṃ sab-
basattānaṃ diṭṭhaṃ sutaṃ mutaṃ viññātaṃ, tattha tathāgatena adiṭṭhaṃ vā asutaṃ vā
amutaṃ vā aviññātaṃ vā n’ atthi.
68
MN 71 at MN I 482,14: “those who speak like this: the recluse Gotama is omniscient
and all-seeing, he claims to have complete knowledge and vision … they are not
speaking what has been said by me, they are misrepresenting me with what is untrue
and false”, ye … evam āhaṃsu: samaṇo gotamo sabbaññū sabbadassāvī, aparisesaṃ
ñāṇadassanaṃ paṭijānāti … na me te vuttavādino, abbhācikkhanti ca pana maṃ (Ee
and Se: man) te asatā abhūtenā ti.
69
Nevertheless, according to Warder 1970/1991: 137, “we ought probably to admit this
sūtra as an authentic part of the earliest Tripiṭaka.”
120 The Dawn of Abhidharma

knowledge at once,70 apparently in the sense that with a single state of

mind one cannot know everything.71 Counterparts to this statement in
the Madhyama-āgama and in the Bhaiṣajyavastu of the Mūlasarvāsti-
vāda Vinaya have the slightly different formulation that there is no other
recluse or Brahmin who has omniscient knowledge at once.72 This slight
difference in formulation leaves open the possibility of making such a
claim for the Buddha.
An Ekottarika-āgama discourse on Maitreya, which is without a par-
allel among the early discourses, reports that the Buddha understood all
that is past, present, and future.73 An explicit claim to omniscience can
then be found in a Madhyama-āgama discourse, according to which Uru-
bilvā Kāśyapa proclaimed in front of King Bimbisāra that his teacher,
the Buddha, was omniscient.74 A range of parallels to this episode do
not record such a claim.75

――――――
70
MN 90 at MN II 127,29 reports the Buddha stating that “there is no recluse or Brah-
min who at one time knows all and sees all; this is impossible”, n’ atthi so samaṇo vā
brāhmano vā yo sakideva sabbaṃ (Ee: sabbañ) ñassati sabbaṃ dakkhiti (Ee: dakkhīti),
n’ etaṃ ṭhānaṃ vijjatī ti.
71
Ps III 357,2 explains that the expression in MN 90 means being able to “know and see
all past, present, and future [events] through … a single state of mind”, ekacittena …
atītānāgatapaccuppannaṃ sabbaṃ ñassati vā dakkhati vā.
72
MĀ 212 at T I 793c6: “it has not been, it will not be, it also does not happen now that
there exists another recluse or Brahmin who at one time knows all, at one time sees
all”, 本無, 當不有, 今現亦無, 若有餘沙門梵志一時知一切, 一時見一切. D 1 kha
88b1 or Q 1030 ge 81b6: “it is impossible, it cannot be, there is no possibility that
another recluse or Brahmin knows all and sees all”, dge sbyong ngam bram ze gzhan
gyis thams cad shes paʼam, mthong ba gang yin pa de ni gnas ma yin go skabs med de
gnas med do.
73
EĀ 48.3 at T II 787c4: “the Tathāgata … thoroughly understands all in the three times:
future, past, and present”, 如來 … 當來, 過去, 現在, 三世皆悉明了; the same state-
ment recurs in T 453 (佛說彌勒下生經) at T XIV 421a8, which in fact seems to be
the same discourse preserved in the Taishō edition as a translation by a different
translator; cf. the discussion in Lévi and Chavannes 1916: 191 and in Legittimo 2010.
74
MĀ 62 at T I 497c29: “the Buddha has omniscient knowledge”, 佛一切智. Another
instance of a similar claim can be found in Th 722: “the omniscient and all-knowing
victor is my teacher”, sabbaññū sabbadassāvī jino ācariyo mama. Coomaraswamy
1936: 21 sees another affirmation of the Buddha’s omniscience in DN 24 at DN III
 Meditative Analysis and Omniscience 121

The Kathāvatthu then states that the Buddha was omniscient,76 and
the Pāli commentaries even go so far as to refer to the Buddha already
before his awakening as the “omniscient bodhisattva”.77 In a similar
vein, the Mahāvastu’s description of queen Māyā’s delivery speaks of
the birth of the “omniscient one”.78
According to the Paṭisambhidāmagga, the Buddha’s omniscient
knowledge was such that he knew everything past, present, and future.79
An understanding of the Buddha’s omniscience as including knowledge
of the future is also reflected in an Udāna collection preserved in Chi-
nese translation,80 as well as in the Yogācārabhūmi.81
――――――
28,8. Yet, the discourse itself only reports the Buddha claiming that he knows the
beginning, agga, and what goes beyond it. It is only the commentary which interprets
this passage as a reference to the Buddha’s omniscience, Sv III 829,32.
75
Sanskrit fragment 399 folio 106V2f, Waldschmidt 1932: 17 (or Waldschmidt 1962:
350,1 (§27d.8)); Skilling 1994: 80,7; T 41 at T I 825c26; the Dharmaguptaka Vinaya,
T 1428 at T XXII 797c22; the Mahāvastu, Senart 1897: 446,3; the Saṅghabhedavastu,
Gnoli 1977: 156,22; and the Theravāda Vinaya, Vin I 36,32; for further parallels cf.
Skilling 1997: 267–275.
76
Kv 228,24 qualifies the Buddha as “all-knowing, all-seeing”, sabbaññū sabbadassāvī.
According to Jayatilleke 1963/1980: 380f, the “attitude of not claiming omniscience
for the Buddha seems to have been maintained right up to the time when the Vibhaṅga
was composed, for this book gives the most elaborate account of the ten cognitive
powers of the Buddha … with no mention of his alleged omniscience.” He concludes
that “omniscience is claimed for the Buddha by disciples far removed in time from
the Buddha himself … [in] the very latest stratum in the Pāli Canon and that is even
after most of the books of the Abhidhamma had been completed.”
77
Ps II 135,21 speaks of the sabbaññubodhisatta, in contrast to the paccekabodhisatta.
78
The Mahāvastu states that “the omniscient one is born”, Senart 1890: 21,16: sarva-
jñaḥ jāyate, a reference that would not be meant literally, as just a little later in the
same work the bodhisattva refers to his omniscience as a future event: “I shall be-
come omniscient, all-seeing”, Senart 1890: 22,5: sarvajño sarvadarśāvī bhaviṣyaṃ.
79
Paṭis I 131,9 describes that through his omniscience the Buddha “knows completely all
that is conditioned and unconditioned … knows all that is past … all that is future … all
that is present, thus is his omniscient knowledge”, sabbaṃ saṅkhataṃ asaṅkhataṃ an-
avasesaṃ jānāti … atītaṃ sabbaṃ … anāgataṃ sabbaṃ … paccuppannaṃ sabbaṃ jā-
nāti ti sabbaññutañāṇaṃ. Kariyawasam 2002: 142 comments that the position taken in
Paṭis in regard to knowledge of the future “seems to depart radically from the Nikāyas”.
80
T 212 at T IV 760b26 indicates that “Buddhas … know the future”, 諸佛 … 知將來世.
122 The Dawn of Abhidharma

Such knowledge of the future is difficult to reconcile with the early

Buddhist doctrine of conditionality, according to which what will hap-
pen in the future is conditioned, but not determined. Omniscient knowl-
edge of the future would require that the future be predetermined.82 Un-
like knowledge of the past, knowledge of the future in its entirety would
thus be impossible from the early Buddhist doctrinal viewpoint.
That the Buddha was not originally believed to have been endowed
with complete knowledge of the future can also be seen in the back-
ground narrations given in the different Vinayas to explain what led to
the promulgation of various rules for the monastic community. Again
and again these narrations report that the Buddha changed an earlier
ruling because this had led to unforeseen problems.83 It clearly follows
that, at the time these parts of the Vinaya came into being, the Buddha
was not yet believed to have complete knowledge of the future.
The same also holds for the Sandaka-sutta and its Sanskrit fragment
parallel. The Sandaka-sutta highlights the difficulties that arise for a
teacher who claims to be omniscient when he has to explain any kind of
misfortune that may have happened to him. He might go begging with-
out getting anything, or take a road that leads to his being attacked by a
wild animal, or else have to enquire after the name of a particular vil-
lage and the way to reach it. On being questioned how such a thing could
have happened, an omniscient teacher will have to resort to evasive ar-
――――――
81
T 1579 at T XXX 499a4: “time is of three types; one: the past, two: the future, and
three: the present. Because of knowing as it really is in this way all elements, all mat-
ters, all categories, at all times, omniscience is so called”, 時有三種: 一過去, 二未來,
三現在. 即於如是一切界, 一切事, 一切品, 一切時, 如實知故, 名一切智.
82
Upadhyaya 1971: 276 notes that “the courses of future events … cannot be consid-
ered as wholly determined, and hence to speak of omniscience in relation to [the]
future is to maintain an impossible position.” Karunaratna 2004: 216 comments that
“knowing everything in the future would admit of a doctrine that is pre-determinist in
nature.”
83
Gombrich 2007: 206f points out that “the idea that the Buddha was omniscient is
strikingly at odds with the picture of him presented in every Vinaya tradition”. These
“show that the Buddha … occasionally made a false start and found it necessary to
reverse a decision. Since omniscience includes knowledge of the future, this is not
omniscience”; cf. also the dilemma raised at Mil 272,18.
 Meditative Analysis and Omniscience 123

guments, maintaining that he had to get no alms, had to take that road,
had to ask for the way.84
The Sanskrit fragment parallel envisages that such an omniscient
teacher may fall into a pond, a sewer, or a cesspool, or even bang his head
on a door, thereby further enhancing the absurdity of such a teacher’s
claim to omniscience.85 The Sandaka-sutta concludes that to follow such
a teacher is to embark on a spiritual life that brings no consolation.86
The criticism voiced in this discourse would be difficult to reconcile
with events associated with the life of the Buddha, such as his ordaining
of Devadatta,87 or even his going begging without receiving anything.88
Such events could only be explained by resorting to the type of evasive
arguments criticized in the Sandaka-sutta and its parallel. So it seems
that, similar to the Vinaya narrations, when the Sandaka-sutta and its
parallel came into being, the Buddha was not yet considered omniscient.
In the course of time, however, it was probably unavoidable that om-
niscient knowledge came to be attributed to the Buddha.89 In the ancient
――――――
84
MN 76 at MN I 519,22.
85
SHT III 942 R3, Waldschmidt et al. 1971: 205: palvalaṃ prapā[ta]ṃ syandanikāṃ
gūtho[ḍ]igallaṃ, R4: kavātaṃ vā [ma]r[date].
86
MN 76 at MN I 519,32: anassāsikam idaṃ brahmacariyan ti.
87
This problem is taken up in Mil 108,11; for a discussion of the Buddha’s omniscience
in this work cf. Endo 1990: 163–166; on Devadatta cf. the detailed studies by Mukher-
jee 1966 and Bareau 1991.
88
SN 4.18 at SN I 114,9, SĀ 1095 at T II 288a15, and EĀ 45.4 at T II 772b2.
89
Warder 1970/1991: 135 reasons that “since other śramaṇas had made this claim, or
had it made for them, it was perhaps natural that Buddhists should wish to set their
teacher at least as high as anyone had suggested it was possible to get.” According to
Jaini 1974: 80, “in the face of the extraordinary claims of the Jains for their Tīrthaṅ-
karas, however, it is inconceivable that the eager followers of the Buddha could have
long refrained from pressing similar claims for their ‘enlightened’ Master.” Werner
1981/2013: 59 comments that since “claims of omniscience had been made in the time
of the Buddha for other ascetic teachers … it is understandable that such a claim would
eventually be made also for the Buddha.” Naughton 1991: 37 suggests that probably
“later statements attributed to him [the Buddha] where he appears to claim some form
of omniscience for himself were interpolations created by disciples who felt uncom-
fortable comparing their teacher with Mahāvīra, who had claimed a literal kind of
omniscience all along.”
124 The Dawn of Abhidharma

Indian setting, a claim to omniscient knowledge was made by the leader

of the Jains.90 The Buddhist texts reflect awareness of such a claim.91

Figure 3.3. Jain Tīrthaṅkara

The stele shows the first of the Jain Tīrthaṅkaras.

All Tīrthaṅkaras are believed to have reached omniscience.92

Vidiśā Museum, courtesy John C. Huntington,

The Huntington Archive at The Ohio State University.

A commentary on the Ekottarika-āgama, preserved in Chinese transla-

tion, explains that the Abhidharma has in particular the function of de-
――――――
90
Dundas 1992: 29 notes that, according to Jain sources, Mahāvīra, “at the end of the
thirteenth year after his renunciation … attained supreme and unique (kevala) knowl-
edge, the omniscience which Jains regard as defining enlightenment.” Schubring
1962/2000: 169 explains that such realization results in “cognition of all that is, was
and will be.”
91
Cf., e.g., MN 79 at MN II 31,7 and its counterpart MĀ 208 at T I 784a16, which re-
port Mahāvīra’s claim to omniscience (a claim which MĀ 208 also attributes to the
other five of the six well-known contemporary teachers).
92
Dundas 1992: 18.
 Meditative Analysis and Omniscience 125

feating non-Buddhists.93 Similar indications can be found in the Vijñā-

nakāya and the *Mahāvibhāṣā,94 as well as in the Mahāyānasutrālaṃ-
kāra.95 These explanations point to the use of the Abhidharma as a tool
in competition and debate with other groups in the ancient Indian set-
ting.96
The same is also evident in the introduction to the Saṅgītiparyāya (as
well as the Saṅgīti-sūtra), discussed above,97 whose central purpose in
leading to communal harmony is explicitly contrasted with quarrels that
apparently broke out among the Jains after the death of their leader.
The elevation of the Buddha’s realization to omniscience appears to
have similarly been influenced by the need to match contemporary ri-
vals, especially those who, like the Jains, had a teacher believed to be
omniscient. Besides this parallelism, the basic tendency behind the evolv-
ing Abhidharma and omniscience is similar, in that both are about a com-
prehensive knowledge of all facts and details.
――――――
93
T 1507 at T XXV 34c22: “one who bears [in mind] the Abhidharma, however, can
defeat outsiders”, 但持阿毘曇者, 便可降伏外道.
94
T 1539 at T XXVI 531a14: “the Abhidharma … is a sword [towards] wrong doctrines”,
阿毘達磨 … 邪論劍. T 1545 at T XXVII 4a24: “because of its ability to defeat all
outside doctrines the Abhidharma is so called”, 能伏一切外道他論故, 名阿毘達磨.
Ronkin 2005: 26 explains that “the Abhidhamma texts became a medium by which
Buddhist masters developed their positions through the stimulating debate with non-
Buddhist opponents”; cf. also Franco 2000: 558 who comments on the Spitzer manu-
script, which “without doubt contained an Abhidharma work”, that “one of the most
remarkable features of the text(s) is frequent reference to non-Buddhist literature …
and notably to the non-Buddhist philosophical schools of Sām[k]hya and Vaiśeṣika.”
95
The Mahāyānasutrālaṃkāra indicates that “the Abhidharma ‘overpowers’, because it
overpowers the doctrines of others with regard to issues of disputations and so on”,
Lévi 1907: 54,21: abhibhavati ity abhidharmaḥ parapravādābhibhavanād vivādādhi-
karaṇādibhiḥ.
96
Cox 1992/1994: 64 comments on the composition and transmission of Abhidharma
texts that “a multiplicity of motives undoubtedly influenced these texts”, such as “de-
fending their canonical tradition vis-à-vis those of rival groups. Although modern
scholars often regard these concerns as secondary to what are assumed to have been
fundamental religious motives, we should not underestimate the actuality and im-
mediacy of such concrete historical issues for the bearers of these traditions.”
97
See above page 47.
126 The Dawn of Abhidharma

The Atthasālinī in its defence of the Abhidharma as the word of the

Buddha states that one who refuses the Abhidharma thereby refuses the
Buddha’s omniscient knowledge. Such a person is engaging in one of
the eighteen causes of a schism and should be chased away.98
This passage makes two significant points. One is the identification
of the Abhidharma with omniscient knowledge. In other words, the at-
tempt to provide a comprehensive coverage typical of the Abhidharma
is seen as an expression of the comprehensive knowledge the Buddha
was held to have gained through omniscience. The other point is the
allusion to schism, the very opposite of the communal harmony that is
the aim of saṅgīti, communal recitation. A person who questions the
canonicity of the Abhidharma is such a threat to the community that his
presence cannot be tolerated.
When seen from this viewpoint, it becomes clear that the Abhidharma
follows a current that also informs the notion of the Buddha’s omnis-
cience. Both provide a feeling of security through conveying a sense of
completeness. The completeness of understanding that the Buddha was
believed to have realized through his attainment of omniscience then
finds its counterpart in the comprehensive coverage offered in Abhi-
dharma treatises.
The elevation of the Buddha to the position of an omniscient teacher
and the attempt to develop a comprehensive map through the Abhidhar-
ma are interdependent. Both are to some degree a response to the emo-
tional need of the disciples at a time when the teacher had passed away.
They provide a sense of assurance direly needed in the struggle to en-
sure the survival of the fledgling community of Buddhist disciples in
their competition with outsiders.
Moreover, both are a move back to common Indian turf: the one by
placing the Buddha’s liberating insight on a par with the claims made

――――――
98
As 29,21: abhidhammaṃ paṭibāhento … sabbaññutaññāṇaṃ paṭibāhati … aṭṭhārasa-
su bhedakaravatthūsu ekasmiṃ sandissati … uyyojetabbo. Bapat and Vadekar 1942:
xvi drily comment that the author(s) of the Atthasālinī seem “to be quite aware of the
objections, raised by some unorthodox sectarians, to include Abhidhamma in the Bud-
dha’s ‘Word’.”
 Meditative Analysis and Omniscience 127

by other contemporary teachers to have complete factual knowledge of

all things; the other by presenting his teaching as a detailed inventory of
all that is,99 instead of being about letting go of whatever it may be.

――――――
99
Ronkin 2005: 249 points out that “the doctrinal development of the Abhidhamma
attests to its urge to turn the Buddha’s radical legacy into a rather more commonsense
worldview and supplement it with a metaphysical commitment of the kind which the
Buddha deliberately refused to admit. For this end the Abhidhammikas were willing
to make ideological concessions and accede to doctrines that may sometimes have
imposed more meaning on the earliest Buddhist teaching than it originally had.”
4 Awakening and the Authentication of the Abhidharma

My exploration in this chapter begins with the notion of the supramun-

dane path in the Mahācattārīsaka-sutta, before turning to descriptions
of the path in the early discourses in general. Then I take up parallel-
isms between the Abhidharma and the Mahāyāna in their attempt to be
recognized as authentic records of the Buddha’s word, and study the
tale according to which the Abhidharma was taught by the Buddha to
his mother during a sojourn in the Heaven of the Thirty-three. My main
concern in what follows is the emergence in the early discourses of dis-
tinct Abhidharma thought.

4.1 The Supramundane Path

In early Buddhist thought, the path to awakening is of course the noble

eightfold path,1 which is considered an ancient path rediscovered by the
Buddha.2 This eightfold path is the “stream” that is “entered” with
stream-entry.3 Working out the precise relationship of the eightfold path
to the attainment of stream-entry and higher stages of awakening is a
topic dealt with only in the Abhidharma traditions, although such con-

――――――
1
On the significance of the path in Buddhist thought in general, Buswell and Gimello
1992/1994: 3f comment that “the intrinsic efficacy of mārga generally dominates the
whole of Buddhism and leads it to privilege mārga in ways that other traditions do not.
Thus many of the most characteristic features of Buddhism appear to derive from its
emphasis on mārga.”
2
SN 12.65 at SN II 106,16 and its parallels in a Sanskrit fragment, Bongard-Levin et al.
1996: 80 (I.32); cf. also Lévi 1910: 440 and Tripāṭhī 1962: 103; and in SĀ 287 at T II
80c27, EĀ 38.4 at T II 718c6, T 713 at T XVI 827b7, T 714 at T XVI 828b21, and T
715 at T XVI 830a24.
3
SN 55.5 at SN V 347,25 and its parallel SĀ 843 at T II 215b18; the unconvincing sug-
gestion by Masefield 1986/1987: 134 that śrota in śrotāpanna refers to “hearing” over-
looks this definition.
130 The Dawn of Abhidharma

cerns are already reflected in the Mahācattārīsaka-sutta. The main ver-

sions of this discourse are as follows, given according to their school af-
filiation:
– Mūlasarvāstivāda tradition: a discourse quotation in the Abhidharma-
kośopāyikā-ṭīkā preserved in Tibetan translation;4
– Sarvāstivāda tradition: a Madhyama-āgama discourse, preserved in
Chinese translation;5
– Theravāda tradition: a Majjhima-nikāya discourse, preserved in Pāli.6
The Mahācattārīsaka-sutta and its counterparts examine the noble eight-
fold path from the viewpoint of right concentration. The parallel ver-
sions define right concentration as one-pointedness of the mind that is
supported by the other seven factors of the noble eightfold path. They
then show how these factors interrelate, indicating that right view func-
tions as a precursor for the other factors of the path.
The particular function of right view here is to differentiate between
right path-factors and their opposites, wrong path-factors. In this role,
right view has the support of right effort and right mindfulness. Right
effort stands for making an effort to overcome wrong path-factors and
to cultivate right path-factors, whereas right mindfulness is the quality
of awareness that is required to oversee this task.
The Mahācattārīsaka-sutta and its parallels describe this cooperation
of the path-factors right view, effort, and mindfulness in relation to
other path-factors like intention, speech, action, and livelihood, includ-
ing view itself. In each case, the parallel versions contrast wrong mani-
festations of the path-factors with their right counterparts.
The Pāli version stands alone in working instead through three in-
stances of the path-factors: wrong path-factor, mundane right path-factor,
and supramundane right path-factor. Here is the threefold exposition in
the case of the path-factor of intention in the Mahācattārīsaka-sutta:

――――――
4
D 4094 nyu 43b7 to 47b4 or Q 5595 thu 84b1 to 87b2.
5
MĀ 189 at T I 735b27 to 736c25; translated in Anālayo 2012c: 294–307. Regarding
the school affiliation of this collection cf. above page 41 note 89.
6
MN 117 at MN III 71,8 to 78,18.
 Awakening and the Authentication of the Abhidharma 131

Monks, what is wrong intention? Intention of sensuality, intention of

ill will, and intention of harming – monks, this is wrong intention.
Monks, what is right intention? Monks, I say that right intention
is of two types: monks, there is right intention that is with influxes,
partaking of merit, and resulting in the acquisition [of future rebirth].
Monks, there is right intention that is noble, without influxes, supra-
mundane, and a factor of the path.
Monks, what is right intention that is with influxes, partaking of
merit, and resulting in the acquisition [of future rebirth]? Intention
of renunciation, intention of non-ill will, and intention of non-harm-
ing – monks this is right intention that is with influxes, partaking of
merit, and resulting in the acquisition [of future rebirth].
Monks, what is right intention that is noble, without influxes, su-
pramundane, and a factor of the path? Whatever reflection, thought,
intention, mental absorbing, mental fixing, directing of the mind,
and verbal formation there is in the noble mind, the mind without
influxes of one who is endowed with the noble path and who is cul-
tivating the noble path – monks, this is right intention that is noble,
without influxes, supramundane, and a factor of the path.7
The most remarkable aspect of the Mahācattārīsaka-sutta’s threefold
exposition of intention is the distinction it draws between mundane and
supramundane instances of this path-factor. Such a distinction is not
found at all in the parallel versions in the Madhyama-āgama or in the
Abhidharmakośopāyikā-ṭīkā, nor does such a presentation recur else-
where in the Pāli discourses.8
The same threefold exposition continues in the Mahācattārīsaka-
sutta’s descriptions of the supramundane path-factors of right speech,
right action, and right livelihood.9 These are as follows, this time leav-

――――――
7
MN 117 at MN III 73,1 to 73,17.
8
The influence of a new conception of the “path” does seem to be evident to some de-
gree, however, in MN 27 at MN I 183,34; cf. the discussion in Anālayo 2011a: 192.
9
MN 117 at MN III 72,18 also presents a supramundane version of right view, which in
what follows I am not taking up for more detailed discussion.
132 The Dawn of Abhidharma

ing aside the descriptions of the corresponding wrong and mundane right
path-factors:
Monks, what is right speech that is noble, without influxes, supra-
mundane, and a factor of the path? Whatever avoiding, abstaining,
desisting, and refraining from the four types of verbal misconduct
there is in one of noble mind, whose mind is without influxes, who
is endowed with the noble path and who is cultivating the noble
path – monks, this is right speech that is noble, without influxes,
supramundane, and a factor of the path …10
Monks, what is right action that is noble, without influxes,
supramundane, and a factor of the path? Whatever avoiding,
abstaining, desisting, and refraining from the three types of bodily
misconduct there is in one of noble mind, whose mind is without
influxes, who is endowed with the noble path and who is cultivating
the noble path – monks, this is right action that is noble, without
influxes, supramundane, and a factor of the path …11
Monks, what is right livelihood that is noble, without influxes,
supramundane, and a factor of the path? Whatever avoiding,
abstaining, desisting, and refraining from wrong livelihood there is
in one of noble mind, whose mind is without influxes, who is
endowed with the noble path and who is cultivating the noble path –
monks, this is right livelihood that is noble, without influxes,
supramundane, and a factor of the path.12
Closer scrutiny of the above passages brings to light that some of the
Pāli terms used in the Mahācattārīsaka-sutta’s definition of supramun-
dane path-factors do not appear elsewhere in the Pāli discourses.13
In the case of right intention, expressions like mental “absorbing”,
appanā, and “mental inclination”, cetaso abhiniropanā, belong to the

――――――
10
MN 117 at MN III 74,6 to 74,11.
11
MN 117 at MN III 74,31 to 75,1.
12
MN 117 at MN III 75,22 to 75,26.
13
In what follows, my discussion is based on excerpts from Anālayo 2012c: 289–324.
 Awakening and the Authentication of the Abhidharma 133

type of terminology used only in the Abhidharma and historically later

Pāli texts.14
The string of terms “avoiding, abstaining, desisting, and refraining”
also does not recur in this form in other discourses in the four Pāli Ni-
kāyas, but is found in the same way in Abhidharma works like the Vi-
bhaṅga and the Dhammasaṅgaṇī.15 In the Vibhaṅga the above set of
terms occurs as part of an exposition of the path-factors according to
the specific method of the Abhidharma, the abhidhammabhājaniya, and
is different from the terms the same work uses when it analyses these
path-factors according to the method of the discourses, the suttantabhā-
janiya. In this way, the Vibhaṅga confirms that this mode of presenta-
tion reflects Abhidharma thought, differing from the mode of exposi-
tion found in the discourses.
Another noteworthy point is that the treatment of the path-factors
from a supramundane viewpoint in the Mahācattārīsaka-sutta qualifies
the mundane wholesome path-factors as “with influxes” and as “result-
ing in acquisition” (of future rebirth). Yet, the definitions given in the
Mahācattārīsaka-sutta for the path-factors of mundane right intention,
right speech, right action, and right livelihood recur in other Pāli dis-
courses as part of the standard definition of the noble eightfold path that
leads to the eradication of dukkha.16 What according to other Pāli dis-
courses leads to the eradication of dukkha, in the Mahācattārīsaka-sutta
is merely something that results in the acquisition (of future rebirth) and
that is associated with the influxes.
A different attitude towards the mundane wholesome path-factors
can also be seen in the circumstance that the Mahācattārīsaka-sutta ex-
plicitly considers each of the supramundane path-factors as a “factor of
――――――
14
The whole list recurs verbatim in Dhs 10,17 and in Vibh 86,8: takko vitakko saṅkappo
appanā vyappanā cetaso abhiniropanā.
15
The string of terms ārati virati paṭivirati veramaṇī found in MN 117 at MN III 74,9+35
and 75,25 recurs in the definition of these path-factors from the viewpoint of the
Abhidharma, the abhidhammabhājaniya, in Vibh 106,31+36 and 107,4; cf. also Dhs
63,35 and 64,2+7.
16
MN 117 at MN III 73,9, 74,3+29 and 75,20, paralleling the definitions given for these
path-factors, e.g., in MN 141 at MN III 251,16+19+23+26.
134 The Dawn of Abhidharma

the path”, maggaṅga, a qualification it does not use in relation to their

mundane counterparts. Yet the mundane wholesome path-factors would
certainly also merit being reckoned as “factors of the path”.
The restriction of this qualification to the supramundane path-factors
becomes understandable once it is recognized that this passage operates
from a distinct Abhidharma viewpoint. The use of the qualification
“factor of the path”, maggaṅga, is based on the idea of the “path” as
understood in the Abhidharma and the commentaries. Instead of cover-
ing a prolonged period of practice, here the “path” is understood to
refer only to the moment when any of the four stages of awakening is
attained. I will return to this topic below. So the reference to a “factor
of the path” in the Mahācattārīsaka-sutta has in view only the mind-
moment during which the supramundane path is experienced. From this
viewpoint, the mundane path-factors are indeed not fit to be reckoned
“factors of the path”.
Similarly, the qualification “without influxes” refers, in accordance
with the use of the same term in the Dhammasaṅgaṇī,17 to the four paths
and fruits. That is, the exposition of the supramundane path-factors in
the Mahācattārīsaka-sutta does not refer to the path-factors with which
an arhat is endowed, which is what the term “without influxes” usually
implies in the discourses. Instead, it describes the path-factors present at
the moment of attaining any of the four levels of awakening (or when
these attainments are re-experienced in meditative practice). This is a
significant shift in perspective, characteristic of the Abhidharma.18
――――――
17
Dhs 196,4: ariyāpannā maggā ca maggaphalāni ca … ime dhammā anāsavā.
18
Cousins 1983: 7 points to the “distinction between a sequential and a momentary ap-
proach … [as] the most characteristic difference between sutta and early abhidham-
ma”, in that one of the tendencies responsible for “the origin of the abhidhamma lit-
erature lies in … this shift from a sequential process orientation to a momentary or
event orientated standpoint.” Ronkin 2005: 16 similarly speaks of a “shift from ana-
lysing conscious experience in terms of processes to analysing it in terms of events.”
This shift in perspective from the discourses to the Abhidharma finds an illustration
in Ud-a 21,30, based on the different introductory phrases used in the canonical texts:
whereas the discourses and the Vinaya tend to use the accusative ekaṃ samayaṃ (on
the much discussed significance of the specification ekaṃ samayaṃ cf. also Anālayo
2014a) and the instrumental tena samayena, Abhidharma texts regularly employ the
 Awakening and the Authentication of the Abhidharma 135

The same focus on the mind-moment of awakening can be seen in

the circumstance that, instead of expounding supramundane right inten-
tion in terms of its content, the Mahācattārīsaka-sutta describes the
mental activities present in the state of mind of one who experiences
any of the stages of awakening.19 In the case of the three path-factors of
right speech, right action, and right livelihood, the Mahācattārīsaka-sut-
ta refers to the mental act of restraint. Clearly, a distinct Abhidharma
flavour pervades this presentation.
The perceived importance of this description can be seen in a dis-
cussion on the nature of the supramundane path, recorded in the com-
mentary on the Vibhaṅga, according to which a monk should ask an-
other monk if he is a “reciter of the ‘great forty’”(i.e., of the Mahācattā-
rīsaka).20 This question reflects the significance that was attached to the
present discourse, whose recall the commentaries apparently considered
an indispensable requirement for being able to engage in a discussion
on the supramundane path.21
At this point, the question could be posed to what extent the Mahā-
cattārīsaka-sutta’s overall exposition requires a presentation of the su-
pramundane path-factors. According to the preamble found similarly in
――――――
locative tasmiṃ samaye. Karunadasa 2010: 226 explains that, according to this dis-
tinction, when “the Abhidhamma uses the locative case, this is to show how time
serves as a location, a sort of receptacle for the coming together of consciousness and
its concomitants.” This seems to fit an apparently emerging fascination with the mo-
ment of time; cf. also below page 169f.
19
Bodhi in Ñāṇamoli 1995/2005: 1328 note 1103 comments that “the definition is for-
mulated by way of the cognitive function rather than the objective content.”
20
Vibh-a 320,26: tvaṃ tāva mahācattāḷīsakabhāṇako hosi na hosī ti pucchitabbo.
21
Whereas Adikaram 1946/1994: 31 and Goonesekere 1968: 689 simply list the mahā-
cattārīsakabhāṇaka in their discussions of the bhāṇaka tradition, without attempting
an explanation, Mori 1990: 125 takes the expression to be an example of “Bhāṇakas
who further specialized in some particular suttas.” Alternatively, perhaps the expres-
sion is used here simply to enquire if the other monk remembers the exposition given
in this particular discourse, equivalent to asking him: mahācattārīsakaṃ dhāresi? Be
that as it may, the use of the term definitely highlights the importance of MN 117,
which due to its unique exposition must have been, as it still is, an important refer-
ence point for discussions on the supramundane path.
136 The Dawn of Abhidharma

the parallel versions of the discourse, the main intent of the exposition
is to show the supportive function of the other seven path-factors for
right concentration. That is, the point at stake does not seem to be an
exposition of the path-factors individually. Instead, the intention of the
discourse appears to be to disclose their interrelation as a basis for de-
veloping right concentration, and in particular to highlight the function
of right view, right effort, and right mindfulness as means of correction
and support for the other path-factors. Such an intent of the exposition
would not require a description of supramundane path-factors.22
This becomes all the more evident with the parallel versions, where a
description of supramundane path-factors is not found at all.23 Never-
theless, the main topic of the discourse – the development of right con-
centration based on the other path-factors and the cooperation of right
view, right effort, and right mindfulness – is presented with similar, if not
increased, clarity in these versions. In sum, it seems safe to conclude
that the description of the supramundane path-factors must be a later
addition to the Mahācattārīsaka-sutta.
Whereas the Mahācattārīsaka-sutta is the only discourse in the four
Pāli Nikāyas to present a supramundane version of the path, a similar
presentation can also be found in the Saṃyukta-āgama preserved in
Chinese translation, probably representing a Mūlasarvāstivāda line of
transmission.24 Here is a translation of the exposition of the path-factor
of intention from the Saṃyukta-āgama:

――――――
22
This has already been pointed out by Meisig 1987a: 233.
23
The exposition of the path-factor of intention can be found in MĀ 189 at T I 735c29
and in the quotation in the Abhidharmakośopāyikā-ṭīkā at D 4094 nyu 44b7 or Q 5595
thu 84b1.
24
SĀ 785 at T II 203a19, which has a parallel in D 4094 ju 205b6 or Q 5595 tu 234b8
(cf. also D 4094 nyu 16a6 or Q 5595 thu 49b7 and D 4094 nyu 72b4 or Q 5595 thu
117a7; identified by Honjō 1984: 90 and 110) and in an Uighur fragment, G a6f,
Kudara and Zieme 1983: 302. A similar presentation of supramundane path-factors
can also be found in SĀ 789 at T II 204c14, which in actual fact corresponds to eight
discourses, each giving the mundane and supramundane version of one path-factor.
SĀ 789 provides the exposition for right view and then indicates that another seven
discourses should be similarly recited for the other seven path-factors. For a trans-
 Awakening and the Authentication of the Abhidharma 137

What is right intention? Right intention is of two types: There is

right intention that is mundane, with influxes, with grasping, [that
turns] towards [rebirth in] a good destination; and there is right
intention that is noble, supramundane, without influxes, without
grasping, that rightly eradicates duḥkha and turns towards the tran-
scendence of duḥkha.
What is right intention that is mundane, with influxes, with grasp-
ing, [that turns] towards [rebirth in] a good destination? It is right
intention [by way of] thoughts of renunciation, thoughts of non-ill
will, and thoughts of non-harming – this is called right intention that
is mundane, with influxes, with grasping, [that turns] towards [rebirth
in] a good destination.
What is right intention that is noble, supramundane, without in-
fluxes, without grasping, that rightly eradicates duḥkha and turns
towards the end of duḥkha? It is [when] a noble disciple gives atten-
tion to duḥkha as duḥkha, gives attention to its arising … to its
cessation … and to the path as path, [with a mind that] in the ab-
sence of influxes gives attention that is conjoined to mental states
[by way of] discrimination, self-determination, understanding, re-
peated inclination, and resolution – this is called right intention that
is noble, supramundane, without influxes, without grasping, that
rightly eradicates duḥkha and turns towards the transcendence of
duḥkha.25
The description of the supramundane path-factor of right intention in
this Saṃyukta-āgama discourse is similar to the corresponding part of
the Mahācattārīsaka-sutta. Unlike the Mahācattārīsaka-sutta, however,
the Saṃyukta-āgama discourse only covers right path-factors in their
worldly and supramundane manifestations, without mentioning wrong
manifestations of the path-factors. The Saṃyukta-āgama discourse also
does not take up the role of right view, right effort, and right mindful-

――――――
lation of SĀ 785 and SĀ 789 cf. Anālayo 2012c: 312–321. On the school affiliation
of the Saṃyukta-āgama cf. above page 21 note 23.
25
SĀ 785 at T II 203b2 to 203b11.
138 The Dawn of Abhidharma

ness in relation to other path-factors. These differences make it clear

that the Saṃyukta-āgama discourse is not a parallel to the Mahācattārī-
saka-sutta. Nor does this Saṃyukta-āgama discourse have a counterpart
elsewhere among the Pāli discourses. Instead, this discourse is another
instance of an exposition of the supramundane path-factors that would
have come into being without standing in a direct relationship to the Ma-
hācattārīsaka-sutta.
The supramundane path-factors of right speech, right action, and right
livelihood in the Saṃyukta-āgama discourse are as follows (leaving aside
the descriptions of the corresponding mundane right path-factors):
What is right speech that is noble, supramundane, without influxes,
without grasping, that rightly eradicates duḥkha and turns towards
the end of duḥkha? It is [when] a noble disciple gives attention to
duḥkha as duḥkha, gives attention to its arising … to its cessation …
and to the path as path, [having] gotten rid of desire [related to]
wrong livelihood,26 [with a mind that] in the absence of influxes
abstains from the four evil verbal activities and from any other evil
verbal activities, removes them and detaches from them, he strongly
guards himself against them and keeps himself back so as not to
transgress, does not go beyond the proper time, and bewares of not
overstepping bounds – this is called right speech that is noble, supra-
mundane, without influxes, without grasping, that rightly eradicates
duḥkha and turns towards the transcendence of duḥkha …27
What is right action that is noble, supramundane, without in-
fluxes, without grasping, that rightly eradicates duḥkha and turns
towards the end of duḥkha? It is [when] a noble disciple gives atten-
tion to duḥkha as duḥkha, gives attention to its arising … to its ces-
sation … and to the path as path, [having] gotten rid of desire [re-
lated to] wrong livelihood, with a mind that in the absence of in-
fluxes does not delight in or attach to the three evil bodily activities
or to any other of the number of evil bodily activities, he strongly
――――――
26
Here and below adopting the variant 貪 instead of 念.
27
SĀ 785 at T II 203b16 to 203b22.
 Awakening and the Authentication of the Abhidharma 139

guards himself against them and keeps himself back so as not to

transgress, does not go beyond the proper time, and bewares of not
overstepping bounds – this is called right action that is noble, supra-
mundane, without influxes, without grasping, that rightly eradicates
duḥkha and turns towards the transcendence of duḥkha …28
What is right livelihood that is noble, supramundane, without in-
fluxes, without grasping, that rightly eradicates duḥkha and turns to-
wards the end of duḥkha? It is [when] a noble disciple gives atten-
tion to duḥkha as duḥkha, gives attention to its arising … to its ces-
sation … and to the path as path, [with a mind that] in the absence of
influxes does not delight in or attach to any wrong livelihood, he
strongly guards himself against it and keeps himself back so as not
to transgress, does not go beyond the proper time, and bewares of
not overstepping bounds – this is called right livelihood that is noble,
supramundane, without influxes, without grasping, that rightly
eradicates duḥkha and turns towards the transcendence of duḥkha.29
Besides some variation in formulation, a prominent difference between
these descriptions and those offered in the Mahācattārīsaka-sutta is that
the Saṃyukta-āgama throughout places emphasis on the perspective of
the four noble truths. Each description of the supramundane path-fac-
tors mentions that the disciple gives attention to duḥkha, its arising, its
cessation, and the path to its cessation.30Another noteworthy point is that
the descriptions of supramundane right speech and action incorporate a
――――――
28
SĀ 785 at T II 203b26 to 203c3.
29
SĀ 785 at T II 203c8 to 203c13.
30
This difference is significant since, as pointed out by Cousins 1996: 52, “one of the
key areas of debate which eventually separated the two abhidhamma traditions of
Sarvāstivāda and Vibhajyavāda is the exact nature of the process by which enlighten-
ment is attained. This debate focussed precisely upon the realization of the four noble
truths at the time of achieving the ‘stages of sanctity’: stream-entry and so on. For the
Sarvāstivādins this was a process of gradual realization (anupūrvâbhisamaya) in which
the sixteen aspects of the four truths were separately known in successive moments.
The Vibhajyavādins on the other hand taught that the truths were realized simultane-
ously in a single moment (ekâbhisamaya).” On the Sarvāstivādin position in this re-
spect cf. also, e.g., Dhammajoti 2002/2007: 586–594.
140 The Dawn of Abhidharma

cross-reference to livelihood, as both are undertaken when the disciple

is free from the types of desire that are related to wrong livelihood.
Aside from such differences, however, the basic thrust of the pres-
entation is the same, in that the Mahācattārīsaka-sutta and the Saṃyuk-
ta-āgama describe supramundane path-factors from what is clearly an
Abhidharma viewpoint.
Another passage testifying to the same distinction between the mun-
dane and the supramundane path can be found in the Dīrgha-āgama ex-
tant in Chinese translation, probably stemming from a Dharmaguptaka
line of transmission.31 The passage in question occurs as part of the “Dis-
course on the Three Groups”,32 which belongs to the same genre of
summaries of the Dharma as the Saṅgīti-sūtra and the Daśottara-sūtra,
but which unlike these two does not have a parallel in the Pāli Nikāyas
or other Chinese Āgamas.33
The “Discourse on the Three Groups” distinguishes items arranged
from Ones to Tens according to whether they lead towards a bad des-
tiny, towards a good destiny, or towards Nirvāṇa.
When coming to the Eights, it takes up the eight path-factors as fol-
lows:
What eight states lead towards a bad destiny? They are the eight
wrong practices: wrong view, wrong intention, wrong speech, wrong
action, wrong livelihood, wrong effort, wrong mindfulness, and
wrong concentration.
What eight states lead towards a good destiny? They are worldly
right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood,
right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration.
What eight states lead towards Nirvāṇa? They are the noble eight-
fold path: right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right
livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration.34
――――――
31
Cf. above page 29 note 49.
32
DĀ 12 at T I 59b14 to 60a27; for a translation and study of DĀ 12 cf. Anālayo 2013e.
33
Cf. above page 39.
34
DĀ 12 at T I 59c28 to 60a4.
 Awakening and the Authentication of the Abhidharma 141

Although the “Discourse on the Three Groups” does not provide a de-
tailed exposition of individual path-factors comparable to the Saṃyukta-
āgama and the Mahācattārīsaka-sutta, its presentation builds on the
same distinction that underlies these two discourses: the mundane path
in contrast to the noble path. Moreover, in a manner similar to the Ma-
hācattārīsaka-sutta it follows a three-part presentation, where wrong
path-factors are followed by mundane right path-factors, and these in
turn are followed by noble right path-factors, in which case the signifi-
cance of the qualification “noble” emerges from these path-factors being
juxtaposed to the same path-factors qualified as “mundane”.
The concern in these different discourses with distinguishing be-
tween path-factors that are mundane and those that are noble or supra-
mundane shows that the beginning stages of the type of thought typical
of the Abhidharma found their expression similarly in the discourse
collections of the Dharmaguptaka tradition, of the Mūlasarvāstivāda
tradition, and of the Theravāda tradition.
Another indication to be gathered from these presentations is to con-
firm a point I made in the previous chapter. Early Abhidharma analysis
clearly has its root in meditation practice and experience, even though
its final results can at times be somewhat removed from average practi-
cal concerns.
In the present case, the rationale behind this evident concern with the
supramundane path is to shed light on what constitutes the essence of
the practice of the Dharma: the culmination of the path in the experi-
ence of awakening.35 The concerns voiced in this way are the outgrowth
of eminently practical questions like: how do the path-factors lead to
the moment of awakening? How do they operate at the time this is real-
ized?36 Such questions are not born out of mere dry scholastic concerns,
――――――
35
My use of the expression “experience” intends to reflect the early Buddhist concep-
tion of experience, such as expressed through the term āyatana; cf. in more detail An-
ālayo 2013a: 32f note 63 in reply to Sharf 1995 and 2000.
36
Frauwallner 1963: 35 notes that the early Abhidharma was first of all concerned with
the teachings on liberation, “als der älteste Abhidharma die Probleme, vor die er sich
gestellt sah, methodisch durchzudenken begann, wandte er sich zunächst dem zu, was
dem Buddhismus am meisten am Herzen lag, der Erlösungslehre.” Gethin 1992: 351
142 The Dawn of Abhidharma

however much they in the course of time led to scholastic elaborations

that are not always directly related to actual practice.

4.2 The Path to Awakening

In what follows, I turn to the notion of the path in the early discourses,
as a way to provide a contrast to the presentation in the Mahācattārīsa-
ka-sutta as well as in the Saṃyukta-āgama and Dīrgha-āgama discourses.
According to early Buddhist thought, the experience of awakening can
take place at four successive levels:
– stream-entry,
– once-return,
– non-return,
– arhatship.
The distinction between these four levels relates to the fetters that are
abandoned at each stage. Three out of the standard listing of ten fetters
are abandoned at stream-entry: belief in a permanent self, doubt, and
dogmatic clinging to particular rules and observances.37 Such abandon-
ment takes place right at the moment of experiencing stream-entry it-
self.38 The fetters of sensual desire and aversion are weakened with
――――――
points out that “the concerns of the early Abhidhamma are practical rather than purely
theoretical and scholastic; they arise directly out of the concerns of the Nikāyas them-
selves: what is going on in the mind when one tries to train it and wake it up?”
37
Dhp 271 shows that attachment to rules and observances can also become a problem
for Buddhist monks; the same point is also made in its Indic language parallels:
stanza 65 in the Gāndhārī Dharmapada, Brough 1962/2001: 128, stanza 271 in the
Patna Dharmapada, Cone 1989: 174, Udānavarga 32.31, Bernhard 1965: 440, and a
stanza in the Mahāvastu, Senart 1897: 422,8. Thus the problem posed by this fetter is
not solved by conversion to Buddhism; cf. also Anālayo 2003: 220 note 12.
38
Sn 231: “with his attainment of vision, three things are abandoned: the view of iden-
tity, doubt, and whatever [clinging] to rules and observances there may be”, sahā v’
assa dassanasampadāya, tayassu dhammā jahitā bhavanti, sakkāyadiṭṭhi vicikicchitañ
ca, sīlabbataṃ vā pi yad atthi kiñci. A similar description can be found in the Mahā-
vastu, Senart 1882b: 291,23: sarvaiva yasya darśanasaṃpadāyo, trayo sya dharmā
jahitā bhavanti, satkāyadṛṣṭī vicikitsitaṃ ca, śīlavrataṃ cāpi yad asti kiṃcit. Sanskrit
fragment SHT I 649 V2, Waldschmidt et al. 1965: 293, has preserved part of what
 Awakening and the Authentication of the Abhidharma 143

once-return and completely abandoned with non-return. The remaining

five fetters – craving for fine material existence, for immaterial exis-
tence, conceit, restlessness, and ignorance – are abandoned on becoming
an arhat, with which all the influxes, āsavas, are eradicated.
A recurrent formulation in the early discourses further distinguishes
between those who are on the way to the realization of any of these four
levels of awakening and those who have reached it. This results in a list
of eight noble beings, regularly mentioned in the context of recollection
of the community of noble ones.39
Such lists of eight noble beings appear to be common ground among
the early discourses preserved in various traditions,40 where the notion
of being on the way to the realization of any of the four levels of awaken-
ing has a prolonged period of progress in mind. Thus the path to awak-
ening is compared to the path to a town.41 Another simile describes
more specifically a path that leads to an ancient forgotten town in the
jungle.42 Alternatively, the path to awakening could be compared to the

――――――
appears to have been a quote of a similar statement; cf. also Skilling 1992: 141 and
1997: 601.
39
The standard description of the community of noble ones speaks of the “four pairs of
persons, the eight individuals”, where the eight comprise those who are on the path to
any of the four levels of awakening and those who have reached them; cf., e.g., MN 7
at MN I 37,25: cattāri purisayugāni aṭṭha purisapuggalā, and its parallel EĀ 13.5 at T
II 574b6: 四雙, 八輩.
40
At times there are variations in the sequence of enumeration which place those on the
path to an attainment after those who have already reached it; cf., e.g., DN 33 at DN
III 255,3, in which case parallels found in DĀ 9 at T I 52b19 and in the Saṅgītiparyāya,
T 1536 at T XXVI 441a13 (for similar lists in other texts cf. Skilling 1997: 420f),
reflect the order of attainment. For a survey of several such departures from the stan-
dard order of listing cf. Anālayo 2012d: 77f. Closer inspection gives the impression
that such variations are the results of errors during oral transmission, pace Manné
1995: 88, who holds that “the inconsistency of the ordering of the stages and their
fruit indicate[s] that the division into stage and fruit is spurious.” Variations in se-
quence are in fact a frequently found occurrence in orally transmitted material; cf.
Anālayo 2011a: 874–876.
41
MN 107 at MN III 6,3 and its parallels MĀ 144 at T I 653b7 and T 70 at T I 876a17.
42
Cf. above page 129 note 2.
144 The Dawn of Abhidharma

path that leads from the gate of a town to its ruler.43 Another simile
speaks instead of the path used by deer living in the wilds.44 There can
be little doubt that these passages see the journey along the path as some-
thing that involves a more or less extended time period leading up to
realization.
With the developed Abhidharma and the commentarial tradition a
shift in perspective occurs, and the path is seen as standing for a single
moment only.45
An example that illustrates this shift of perspective would be the
Dakkhiṇāvibhaṅga-sutta and its Pāli commentary. The parallel versions
of this discourse list those who are on the way to the realization of any
of the four levels of awakening among different recipients of gifts.46
In line with the developed notion of the path as standing for a single
mind-moment on the brink of awakening, the Pāli commentary on this
passage reasons that someone might attain the path just as he or she is
about to receive offerings.47
Needless to say, the Dakkhiṇāvibhaṅga-sutta and its parallels would
not have allotted a special place to those who are on the way to the
realization of a particular level of awakening, alongside those who have
reached the same level of awakening, if this were to refer only to those
whose breakthrough to liberation takes place precisely at the moment
they are receiving a gift.48

――――――
43
SN 35.204 at SN IV 195,10 and its parallels SĀ 1175 at T II 316a4 and a quotation in
the Abhidharmakośopāyikā-ṭīkā, D 4094 nyu 43b5 or Q 5595 thu 83a4.
44
MN 19 at MN I 118,14 and its parallel MĀ 102 at T I 590a15.
45
Bodhi 2000: 1491 explains that “what is innovative in the Abhidhamma is the concep-
tion of the supramundane path as a momentary breakthrough”; cf. also the detailed
discussion in Harvey 2013 and 2014.
46
Cf. MN 142 at MN III 254,28, MĀ 180 at T I 722b14, T 84 at T I 903c27, a quotation
in the Abhidharmakośopāyikā-ṭīkā, D 4094 ju 255b2 or Q 5595 tu 291a2, a Tocharian
fragment, YQ 1.20 1/2, Ji 1998: 182, and an Uighur fragment, folio 9a, Geng and
Klimkeit 1988: 202f.
47
Ps V 72,15.
48
Cf. also Gethin 1992: 131f.
 Awakening and the Authentication of the Abhidharma 145

Figure 4.1 Sujātā’s Offering

The medallion shows Sujātā offering food to the bodhisattva Gautama,

represented by his seat under the tree of awakening.

Amarāvatī stūpa, courtesy The Trustees of the British Museum.

The shift in perspective towards a conception of the path as a momen-

tary event, instead of seeing it as a more or less prolonged process, marks
a clear difference between the thought reflected in the early discourses
and later tradition.49 The shift from process to event evident here is char-
――――――
49
A shift towards momentariness has impacted on ancient Indian thought in general, cf.
the survey in Bronkhorst 2006: 292–297. Bronkhorst 2006: 296 then concludes that
“it seems hard to deny that this particular way of visualizing the world started within
a school of Buddhism” (his remark refers to conceiving time in terms of momentari-
ness and matter in terms of atoms). In the case of the Jain tradition in particular,
146 The Dawn of Abhidharma

acteristic of the Abhidharma.50 This makes it clear that the presentation

in the Mahācattārīsaka-sutta is definitely an example of Abhidharma
thought manifesting in the Pāli discourses, similar to the presentations
of the supramundane path in the Saṃyukta-āgama and the reference to
the same conception in the Dīrgha-āgama. Among the discourses sur-
veyed in my study so far, such occurrences of the notion of the supra-
mundane path appear to be the most prominent instances of Abhidhar-
ma influence.
In contrast, although the Saṅgīti-sūtra and the Daśottara-sūtra testify
to the development of summaries, mātṛkās, this is in itself not purely an
Abhidharma phenomenon, in spite of the undeniable importance of the
mātṛkās for the formation of Abhidharma texts. The growth of the list
of elements in the parallel versions of the Bahudhātuka-sūtra exempli-
fies a tendency towards comprehensiveness typical of the Abhidharma
enterprise, yet the elements that appear to have been added are for the
most part merely borrowings from other discourses.
With the detailed analyses of the four noble truths and of absorption
experience in the Mahāsatipaṭṭhāna-sutta and the Anupada-sutta, the
Abhidharma flavour becomes stronger, evident in the occasional use of
Abhidharma terminology and in the tendency for analysis to proliferate
for its own sake.
In the case of the Mahācattārīsaka-sutta, however, not only does dis-
tinct Abhidharma terminology emerge, but also distinct Abhidharma
thought evident in the description of the supramundane path. Although
――――――
Bronkhorst 2000: 598 notes that already the Sūyagaḍa (I.1.1.17) shows awareness of
the notion of momentariness as a Buddhist teaching; cf. Bollée 1977: 15. Bronkhorst
2000: 596 then comments that “the acquaintance of the Sūyagaḍa with the Buddhist
theory of momentariness, well before the idea of moments had been introduced into
Jainism”, makes it “plausible to assume that Jainism borrowed this idea from Bud-
dhist [thought]”. On the evolution of the notion of momentariness in Buddhist texts cf.
the study by von Rospatt 1995.
50
Cousins 1983: 7 explains that “the eightfold way is usually intended in the suttas to
show the path or process leading to enlightenment … with the abhidhamma it is seen
as existing as part of a single event on particular occasions e.g. at the moment of en-
lightenment … the early abhidhamma works are then an attempt to fix the structure of
Buddhist thought in terms of momentary events.”
 Awakening and the Authentication of the Abhidharma 147

positing a clear demarcation between what has had an influence on the

development of Abhidharma and what should be considered Abhidhar-
ma proper is not easy,51 it seems to me that with the Mahācattārīsaka-
sutta a mature stage of early Abhidharma thought is apparent. Depend-
ing on where one prefers to draw the demarcation line, the analysis of
the four noble truths in the Mahāsatipaṭṭhāna-sutta and the analysis of
the absorptions in the Anupada-sutta could also be considered as in-
stances that show Abhidharma influence.
In terms of the simile I used in the introduction to my study, like the
fossils of an archaeopteryx these discourses testify to a gradual devel-
opment that eventually was to find its consummation in the Abhidharma
as a genre of its own.52 Early stages of this development naturally ap-
pear in the discourses, which in the beginning were the arena within
which such new thought naturally could find an expression.53
While the stages of development that informed the early canonical
Abhidharma are thus evident in the discourses, as time went on the
Abhidharma eventually acquired such importance of its own that it
gradually overshadowed the discourses and eventually stood in their
place as the central point of reference for members of the tradition.54
――――――
51
Cox in Willemen et al. 1998: 170 notes that “we can find many sūtras that exemplify
the stylistic characteristics of Abhidharma texts. The transition to texts with a more
pronounced taxonomic and expository character was certainly a gradual one. Indeed,
the point of demarcation between sūtra and Abhidharma is very difficult to locate.”
52
Thomas 1933/2004: 160 notes that “in the sense of a method … Abhidhamma is no
doubt much older than the existing works of that name”, as several discourses give
the impression that “the method was already in existence when those suttas were re-
vised.” According to Horner 1942/1983: xi, “the term abhidhamma when found in the
Vinayapiṭaka and Suttapiṭaka … should be taken as referring to some material or
method in existence prior to the compilation of this Piṭaka [i.e. the third], and out of
which it was gradually elaborated and eventually formed.”
53
Skilling 2012: 429 queries “can we envisage a stage when the Abhidharma as a self-
conscious enterprise had not yet arisen or gained canonical status? At this stage – the
beginnings of Abhidharmic systematization – the natural format for reformulated ma-
terial was that of the sūtra, and the natural place was the Sūtrapiṭaka – where else to
place it?”
54
According to Hirakawa 1993/1998: 127,“even before the contents of the Sūtra-piṭaka
had been finalized, the Buddha’s disciples were analyzing his teachings with methods
148 The Dawn of Abhidharma

Subsequent developments in Abhidharma thought in fact are no longer

seen in the early discourses,55 but appear only in the canonical Abhi-
dharma collections, and then subsequently in the commentaries and
expositions that in turn became the arena for new thought once the
Abhidharma collections had reached a point of closure.
The process of canonization of Abhidharma as a genre of texts on its
own, apart from the discourses, inevitably led to the question of its au-
thenticity. The same problem confronted the upholders of the Abhidhar-
ma and the followers of the Mahāyāna: How to establish that these texts
should be recognized as the “word of the Buddha”?

4.3 The Need for Authentication

The notion of the “word of the Buddha” appears to have been flexible
right from the outset.56 Several discourses spoken by disciples conclude
with an endorsement by the Buddha, who states that he would have ex-
plained the matter in the same way, so the monks should memorize the
discourse as spoken by the disciple.57 In this way, such expositions re-

――――――
similar to those employed later in [the] abhidharma. These early analyses were often
incorporated into sūtras. After the Sūtra-piṭaka had been established and its contents
determined, abhidharma investigations were considered to be a separate branch of
literature … [and] later compiled into a collection called the Abhidharma-piṭaka.”
55
Mizuno 1969: 14f explains that “we come across a good amount of abhidharmic sūtras
in the Sūtra-piṭaka … but as this tendency became more specialized, the way of ex-
planation became totally different from what the sūtras were meant to have. The re-
sult was that it … had to separate itself into a different literary form under the head
‘abhidharma’.”
56
Bond 1975: 409f notes that “the concept of ‘the word of the Buddha’ was a formal
category or a theory which did not necessarily mean the Buddha actually spoke these
words, but [only that] they conformed in some way to what was taken to be the basic
lines of his teachings.”
57
An example would be MN 18 at MN I 114,3 and its parallel MĀ 115 at T I 604c17, in
which case another parallel, EĀ 40.10 at T II 743c 20, only reports that the Buddha
stated that he would have expounded the matter in the same way, without an injunc-
tion that the monks should memorize the discourse. The Atthasālinī refers to MN 18
in its defence of the authenticity of the Abhidharma, presenting it as an example of a
 Awakening and the Authentication of the Abhidharma 149

ceived canonical status and became as much part of the “word of the
Buddha” as if they had been spoken by the teacher himself.58 Even with-
out explicit approval from the Buddha, explanations and comments
made by disciples have become canonical discourses.
A case that points to features that recur in later discussions of scrip-
tural authenticity can be found in a discourse in the Aṅguttara-nikāya.
The discourse reports that Śakra, the ruler of the devas in the Heaven of
the Thirty-three, has descended to earth to find out if a teaching just de-
livered by the monk Uttara had originally been spoken by the Buddha.59
In reply to Śakra’s query, Uttara states that “whatever is well said is all
the word of that Blessed One, the arhat, the fully awakened one; I and
others speak taking that as our basis.”60
Uttara illustrates this with the help of a simile that describes a large
group of people who take grain from a great heap and carry it away in
various containers. On being asked where they got the grain, they will
answer that they got it from the great heap. The simile makes it clear
that the dictum was meant to indicate that the Buddha was the real
――――――
discourse that is reckoned as the word of the Buddha even though it was spoken by a
disciple; cf. As 5,1.
58
Malalasekera 1928/1994: 88f explains that “during the Master’s lifetime … discus-
sions, friendly interviews, and analytical expositions used to take place … sometimes
it happened that accounts of these discussions were duly reported to the Teacher, and
some of them were approved by him, and he would then ask the monks to bear the
particular expositions in mind as the best that could have been given. The utterances
of the disciples that won such approbation were treasured by the members of the com-
munity … and held in high esteem, honoured as much as the words of the Buddha
himself.” Mizuno 1982: 21 points out that discourses delivered “by authors both hu-
man and non-human were still regarded as the teaching of the Buddha because [these]
were reported to the Buddha, who verified their accuracy”; cf. also MacQueen 1981
and Skilling 2010.
59
AN 8.8 at AN IV 163,6; Arunasiri 2006: 634 comments that here “Sakka is presented
as supervising what the monks were preaching.”
60
AN 8.8 at AN IV 164,7: yaṃ (Se: yaṅ) kiñci subhāsitaṃ, sabbaṃ taṃ tassa bhagavato
vacanaṃ arahato sammāsambuddhassa, tato upādāy’ upādāya mayañ (Se: mayaṃ) c’
aññe (Se: dhaññaṃ) ca bhaṇāmā ti. This differs from the formulation in a rock edict
by Aśoka, according to which all that the Buddha said was well said, Bloch 1950: 154:
e keci bhaṃte bhagavatā buddhena bhāsite savve se subhāsite vā.
150 The Dawn of Abhidharma

source of anything Uttara had been teaching, even if Uttara had not
been repeating something that in this exact manner had already been
spoken by the Buddha.
The discourse then takes an interesting turn, as Śakra informs Uttara
that the Buddha had actually given this teaching earlier. However, mem-
ory of this teaching delivered by the Buddha had in the meantime been
lost among the four assemblies of disciples (monks, nuns, male lay fol-
lowers, and female lay followers).
Two features of this discourse are worth noting. One is the statement
made by Uttara, which taken out of its original context could be inter-
preted as implying that whatsoever is well said deserves for that reason
to be reckoned the word of the Buddha. The other feature is the idea
that memory of a teaching given by the Buddha had been lost among hu-
mans, but was still preserved in the Heaven of the Thirty-three.
Although there seems to be no known parallel to this Aṅguttara-nikāya
discourse, a counterpart to the first part of the statement attributed to
Uttara occurs in the Śikṣāsamuccaya. The Śikṣāsamuccaya proclaims
that “whatever is well said is all the Buddha’s word”, a statement that
has played an important role in the authentication of Mahāyāna texts as
the word of the Buddha.61 The Śikṣāsamuccaya continues by indicating
that one who rejects as inauthentic what should be reckoned as the word
of the Buddha will go to hell.
Rebirth in hell is also to be expected for a schismatic.62 According to
the Atthasālinī, one who refuses to recognize the Abhidharma as the
word of the Buddha thereby engages in one of the eighteen causes for a
schism.63 Combining the indications given in the Śikṣāsamuccaya and
the Atthasālinī, it becomes clear that rejecting the Abhidharma was con-
sidered to have consequences as dire as rejecting the Mahāyāna.
――――――
61
Bendall 1902/1970: 15,19: yat kiñcin … subhāṣitaṃ sarvaṃ tad buddhabhāṣitam; cf.
the discussion in, e.g., Lamotte 1944/1981: 80f note 2, Snellgrove 1958: 620, Mac-
Queen 1981: 314, McDermott 1984: 29, Collins 1990: 94, Williams 1991/2009: 42,
Lopez 1995: 27, Ruegg 1995: 180, and Silk 2008: 276.
62
AN 5.129 at AN III 146,28; cf. also the discussion in Silk 2007: 255.
63
As 29,21; quoted above page 126 note 98.
 Awakening and the Authentication of the Abhidharma 151

The need shared by upholders of the Abhidharma and of the Mahā-

yāna to establish the authenticity of their respective texts extends be-
yond the dismal prospects they predict for those who do not accept their
texts as the Buddha’s word. Both also share a sense of superiority vis-à-
vis the early teachings and those who confine their study of the Dharma
to them. From a fully fledged Mahāyāna viewpoint, the early discourses
are considered as teachings that are “inferior”, hīna.64 The teachings of
the Abhidharma in turn are considered by their followers to be “supe-
rior”, abhi-, in comparison to the early discourses.65
In this way, the early teachings increasingly tend to fade in impor-
tance and are eventually superseded by the new texts,66 a development
that in turn led to the formation of independent textual collections, the
Abhidharma-piṭaka and the Bodhisattva-piṭaka, considered to be supe-
rior to the early discourses.67
The parallelism between the Abhidharma and the Mahāyāna extends
beyond the formation of such collections, as both traditions have given
rise to texts in the form of dhāraṇīs.68 While this feature is of course
well known in the case of the Mahāyāna traditions, the beginnings of a
――――――
64
That “the āgamas are hīnayāna scriptures” is explicitly stated in T 1723 (妙法蓮華經
玄贊) at T XXXIV 655a13: 即阿含等小乘經是; on the significance and usage of the
term hīnayāna cf. Anālayo 2014c.
65
As 2,14 explains that in the case of the term abhidhamma, “the word abhi- is used by
way of exceeding and being distinguished”, atirekavisesaṭṭhadīpako hi ettha ’abhi’-
saddo. One out of several explanatory glosses quoted in the *Mahāvibhāṣā, T 1545 at
T XXVII 4b13, similarly indicates that “because this Dharma is superior, it is called
Abhidharma”, 此法增上故, 名阿毘達磨.
66
Cox 2004: 4f explains that with the fully developed Abhidharma “the very sūtras
from which abhidharma arose were now subordinated as mere statements in need of
analysis that only the abhidharma could provide. No longer serving as the starting
point for abhidharma exegesis, the sūtras were invoked only as a supplemental au-
thority to buttress independent reasoned investigation or to corroborate doctrinal
points actually far removed from their scriptural antecedents.”
67
On the Bodhisattva-piṭaka cf. the study by Pagel 1995.
68
The use of the Theravāda Abhidhamma as a basis for the creation of dhāraṇīs is dis-
cussed by McDaniel 2009; on Abhidharma recitation in Thailand and Burma cf. also,
e.g., Swearer 1995: 336.
152 The Dawn of Abhidharma

concern with dhāraṇīs can be seen already in comparatively early texts

not related to the Mahāyāna.69
The notion of superiority shared by the Abhidharma and the Mahā-
yāna has in the case of the former found expression in the belief that the
teachings of the Buddha cannot be understood without relying on the
Abhidharma. According to the Abhidharmakośabhāṣya, this had in fact
been explicitly stated by the Buddha himself.70
The high regard for the Abhidharma and its teachers in the Thera-
vāda tradition can be seen in the Mihintale Rock inscriptions from Sri
Lanka. The inscriptions record that those who have mastered the Abhi-
dharma should be given a higher share of the offerings received than
those who have mastered the Vinaya or the discourses.71
The same high regard also finds expression in the fact that the com-
mentary on the Dīgha-nikāya, the Sumaṅgalavilāsinī gives pride of place
to the Abhidharma-piṭaka in its description of the gradual decline of the
Buddha’s dispensation (sāsana) over a period of 5000 years. As things
gradually become worse, the Abhidharma-piṭaka is the first of the three
piṭakas to disappear, followed by the discourses and the Vinaya.72
In its description of the first saṅgīti, the same Sumaṅgalavilāsinī then
reports that the recitation of the Abhidharma-piṭaka was followed by an
――――――
69
Cf., e.g., Burnouf 1844/1876: 482, Winternitz 1912: 249, Waddell 1914: 37 (cf. the
reply by Winternitz 1920/1968: 380), Hoffmann 1939: 10f, Waldschmidt 1957b: 30–
32 (cf. also Waldschmidt 1958: 405), Bernhard 1967, Lamotte 1976: 1860, Braarvig
1985: 21f, Kariyawasam 1989: 519, Skilling 1992: 168f, Bongard-Levin et al. 1996:
31f, Schmithausen 1997: 53, Strauch 2007: 40–47, and Davidson 2009: 112–116.
70
Abhidharmakośabhāṣya 1.4 indicates that “without the instructions in the Abhidharma
a pupil is not able to understand the Dharma”, Pradhan 1967: 3,2: nahi vinā ’bhidhar-
mopadeśena śiṣyaḥ śakto dharmān pravicetum iti.
71
Wickremasinghe 1904/1994: 85; cf. also Goonesekere 1961: 54, Malalgoda 1976: 21
note 30, and Buswell and Lopez 2014a: 3. Rhys Davids 1908: 19 notes that the prefer-
ence shown in this inscription is also reflected in the Milindapañha, where “the acqui-
sition by the youthful genius Nāgasena of the contents of the Abhidhamma is ac-
claimed with wonder and delight in earth and heaven, while his rapid attainment of
the remaining piṭakas excites no such commotion”; cf. Mil 13,10.
72
Sv III 898,37: “the Abhidharma-piṭaka disappears first”, paṭhamaṃ abhidhamma-
piṭakaṃ nassati; for a study of various predictions of decline cf. Nattier 1991.
 Awakening and the Authentication of the Abhidharma 153

earthquake.73 In Buddhist thought the occurrence of earthquakes tends

to mark a particular event as important.74
A parallelism between early Abhidharma and early Mahāyāna texts
can also be found in the role played by chief disciples like Śāriputra,
who serve to provide additional authentication to the respective teach-
ings. Besides being depicted as a faithful disciple of the Mahāyāna,
Śāriputra also plays a central role in early canonical Abhidharma texts.75
The Saṅgītiparyāya and the Dharmaskandha are reckoned by some
strands of the Sarvāstivāda tradition to be the work of Śāriputra.76 The
*Śāriputrābhidharma, as its name indicates, was also believed to stem
from Śāriputra. The Atthasālinī reports that the textual order of the
Theravāda Abhidharma was devised by the same eminent disciple.77
――――――
73
Sv I 15,20; the earthquake marks the completion of the recitation of the tipiṭaka, of
which the Abhidhammapiṭaka was the last to be recited.
74
The tendency to associate important events with earthquakes seems to have had its
starting point in a set of three causes for an earthquake; cf. Przyluski 1918: 424,
Waldschmidt 1944: 107, Frauwallner 1956: 158, Bareau 1979: 79, and Anālayo
2013a: 19. Two of these three causes are a commotion of the elements and an act of
psychic power; the third is the only one where an earthquake marks an important
event: the death of the Buddha. For a study of earthquakes in Buddhist literature in
general cf. Ciurtin 2009 and 2012.
75
In his detailed study of Śāriputra, Migot 1952 dedicates a whole chapter (8) to Śāri-
putra in Mahāyāna texts, and another whole chapter (11) to Śāriputra in relation to the
Abhidharma.
76
The Saṅgītiparyāya is prefaced by a remark that attributes the work to Śāriputra, T
1536 at T XXVI T 367a5, and the work itself concludes with the Buddha praising
Śāriputra for having expounded it, T 1536 at T XXVI 453b13; cf. also T 1821 at T
XLI 8b26 and T 2154 at T LV 557a10. The Abhidharmakośavyākhyā, Wogihara 1932:
11,29, however, instead attributes the work to Mahākauṣṭhila: saṃgītiparyāyasya
mahākauṣṭhilaḥ [kartā]. The Dharmaskandha presents itself as the work of Mahā-
maudgalyāyana, T 1537 at T XXVI 453b25; cf. also the postscript to the work, T
1537 at T XXVI 513c16, as well as T 1821 at T XLI 8b27 and T 2154 at T LV 557a8.
In this case, the Abhidharmakośavyākhyā, Wogihara 1932: 11,27, attributes the work
rather to Śāriputra: dharmaskandhasya ārya-śāriputraḥ [kartā].
77
As 17,12: “the sequence of the Abhidharma texts was indeed devised by the Elder
Sāriputta”, abhidhammo vācanāmaggo nāma sāriputtattherappabhavo. The commen-
tarial tradition also relates the Paṭisambhidāmagga to this eminent disciple; cf. Paṭis-a
I 1,17 and Warder 1982: xlvi.
154 The Dawn of Abhidharma

The different Abhidharma traditions thus agree in according a central

role to Śāriputra as the chief disciple active in the formation of the ca-
nonical Abhidharma.
In the case of the Kathāvatthu, a work of the Theravāda Abhidharma
canon, tradition reports that this treatise was delivered by a disciple
named Moggaliputtatissa at the time of King Aśoka. The Atthasālinī
nevertheless argues that all of the seven texts of the Theravāda Abhi-
dharma collection should be considered the word of the Buddha. This
also holds for the Kathāvatthu, because its mātṛkā had already been laid
out by the Buddha in the wise foresight that a future disciple of his by
the name of Moggaliputtatissa would expound the Kathāvatthu based on
this outline.78
The position that the Abhidharma is the word of the Buddha is also
taken in the Sarvāstivāda tradition. Works like the Abhidharmakośa-
bhāṣya and the *Mahāvibhāṣā report that the Buddha had given Abhi-
dharma teachings on various occasions.79 Thus here, too, the contribu-
tion by chief disciples appears to be seen as mainly a matter of formal
arrangement and working out details. The difference between the The-
ravāda and Sarvāstivāda traditions in this respect is thus less pronounced
than one might have thought at first, given the explicit authorship attri-

――――――
78
As 4,3; cf. also Kv-a 1,15. The Kathāvatthu is mentioned in the account of the third
saṅgīti in the Samantapāsādikā, Sp I 61,13, but not in the account of the same event in
T 1462 (善見律毘婆沙) at T XXIV 684b10; cf. also Lamotte 1958/1988: 273, Guruge
2005: 106, Sujato 2006: 133, and Pinte 2011/2012: 45.
79
According to the Abhidharmakośabhāṣya 1.4, the Abhidharma “was spoken occasion-
ally by the Blessed One”, Pradhan 1967: 3, 2: sa tu prakīrṇa ukto bhagavatā; cf. also
the Abhidharmakośavyākhyā: “the Abhidharma … was spoken by the Blessed One
here and there”, Wogihara 1932: 12,5: abhidharmo … tatratatra bhagavatoktaḥ. The
*Mahāvibhāṣā, T 1545 at T XXVII 1b5, explains that “when the Blessed One was in
the world, in various places, directions and towns, for all those who had the inclina-
tion he discoursed on the path in various ways, analyzing and expounding the Abhi-
dharma in detail”, 世尊在世, 於處處方邑, 爲諸有情, 以種種論道, 分別演說阿毘達磨.
Thus, according to T 1562 (阿毘達磨順正理論) at T XXIX 329c18, “the Abhidharma
is certainly the word of the Buddha”, 阿毘達磨定是佛說. As T 1563 (阿毘達磨藏顯
宗論) at T XXIX 779b29 confirms, “the great teacher himself first spoke the Abhi-
dharma in detail”, 大師先自演說阿毘達磨.
 Awakening and the Authentication of the Abhidharma 155

butions of works like the Saṅgītiparyāya and the Dharmaskandha to

chief disciples.80
A problem in attributing the texts of the Abhidharma and of the Ma-
hāyāna to the Buddha or to chief disciples that lived at his time is of
course the account of the first saṅgīti at Rājagṛha. As discussed in the
first chapter of this study, several of the canonical Vinayas do not men-
tion a recitation of an Abhidharma collection at this time. Nor do the
different Vinayas report the recitation of Mahāyāna texts.
The Tarkajvālā, a sixth-century doxographical work that offers a de-
tailed examination of Buddhist schools and their tenets, confronts the
allegation that the Mahāyāna should not be reckoned the word of the
Buddha because it is not included in the discourses.81 In reply to such
allegations, the Tarkajvālā argues that the Mahāyāna is the word of the
Buddha which had been collected by bodhisattvas like Samantabhadra,
Mañjuśrī, Maitreya, etc. The teachings collected by them were not in-
cluded in the canonical collections because they were beyond the ken of
the śrāvakas responsible for collecting the word of the Buddha.82 In this
way, the idea that the Mahāyāna teachings are beyond the ken of ordi-
nary disciples expresses a sense of superiority found among both fol-
lowers of the Mahāyāna and adherents of the Abhidharma.
Another similarity can be seen in the divine origins attributed to the
disclosure of some of the texts. Tāranātha’s History of Buddhism, just to
mention one example, reports that Mahāyāna texts originated from the
realm of the nāgas, as well as from devas, gandharvas, and rākṣasas.83
――――――
80
Dhammajoti 2013: 12 sums up that “like the Theravādins, the Sarvāstivādins too main-
tain that the abhidharma was taught by the Buddha himself. But unlike the Thera-
vādins … the Sarvāstivādins ascribe their seven canonical texts to individual authors.”
81
The argument to be rejected is that “the Mahāyāna was not spoken by the Buddha, it
is not included in the discourses, etc.”, Eckel 2008: 307,28 (4.7): na buddhoktir mahā-
yānaṃ, sūtrāntādāv asaṃgrahāt.
82
The reply is as follows: “our basic collections were not compiled by the śrāvakas
because the teachings of the Mahāyāna were beyond their ken”, Eckel 2008: 336,8
(4.35cd): bdag cag gi rtsa baʼi sdud par byed pa nyan thos ni ma yin te, theg pa chen
poʼi gsung rab ni de dag gi yul ma yin paʼi phyir ro.
83
Schiefner 1868: 50,14.
156 The Dawn of Abhidharma

To be sure, the idea that canonical teachings may originate from ce-
lestial beings is not foreign to early Buddhism. Discourses in the Saṃ-
yutta-nikāya and Saṃyukta-āgama, for example, report various conver-
sations taking place between devas and the Buddha or his disciples.
At times, a deva may even give a teaching to a Buddhist monk, as in
the case of the Lomasakaṅgiyabhaddekaratta-sutta. According to the
Pāli version of this discourse the deva informed the monk of a poem,
spoken by the Buddha in the Heaven of the Thirty-three, of which the
monk was not aware.84 This brings to mind the discourse in the Aṅgutta-
ra-nikāya on the visit paid by Śakra to the monk Uttara and the relation
it establishes between a teaching given by the Buddha and the Heaven
of the Thirty-three. Returning to the Lomasakaṅgiyabhaddekaratta-sut-
ta, according to the two parallel versions the poem had been delivered
by the Buddha when he was in the Bamboo Grove at Rājagṛha, instead
of being spoken when he was in the Heaven of the Thirty-three.85
The Heaven of the Thirty-three features again in the Theravāda tra-
dition as the location for the delivery of the Abhidharma by the Buddha
during a sojourn in that celestial realm to give teachings to his mother.
In what follows I study some aspects of this tale.

4.4 The Buddha in the Heaven of the Thirty-three

The tale of the Buddha’s sojourn in the Heaven of the Thirty-three is

found in a range of sources. The canonical versions are as follows:
– Mūlasarvāstivāda tradition: a discourse in the Saṃyukta-āgama, pre-
served in Chinese translation, and a version of the tale found in the
Mūlasarvāstivāda Vinaya, preserved in Chinese and Tibetan;86
– uncertain school affiliation: a discourse in the Ekottarika-āgama
preserved in Chinese translation.87
――――――
84
MN 134 at MN III 200,12.
85
MĀ 166 at T I 698c20 and T 77 at T I 886b12.
86
SĀ 506 at T II 134a7 to 134c23 and T 1451 at T XXIV 346a14 to 347a18 with its
Tibetan counterpart in D 6 da 88a2 to 92a1 or Q 1035 ne 85a2 to 89a6.
87
EĀ 36.5 at T II 705b23 to 707c4.
 Awakening and the Authentication of the Abhidharma 157

In the Theravāda tradition, this tale is recorded only in commentarial

literature.88
The Saṃyukta-āgama discourse reports that the Buddha had been
spending the rains retreat in the Heaven of the Thirty-three, teaching the
Dharma to his mother and the assembled devas.89 The four assemblies
on earth longed for his return and asked Mahāmaudgalyāyana to invite
the Buddha to come back, pointing out that whereas devas can easily
visit the Buddha on earth, when he is in heaven human beings are un-
able to ascend to that realm to pay their respects to him.90
The contrast made in this way between the abilities of devas and
those of humans sets a basic theme that forms the background of the
whole tale, where the Buddha’s superiority as a teacher of humans and
devas is graphically depicted in his sojourn in heaven.
Unlike those who petition him, Mahāmaudgalyāyana of course has
the ability to fly up to heaven, so he obliges by ascending to the Heaven
of the Thirty-three himself to convey the message to the Buddha. In
――――――
88
Dhp-a III 216,17 to 226,3, Pj II 570,10 to 570,20, Jā 483 at Jā IV 265,17 to 266,5; cf.
also Vism 391,1 to 392,20. Another version of the story can be found in tale 86 of the
Avadānaśataka, Speyer 1909/ 1970: 89,1 to 94,16. For Sanskrit fragments cf. SHT III
835, Waldschmidt et al. 1971: 56f; SHT V 1145 and SHT V 1146 V1 to R1, Sander
and Waldschmidt 1985: 144f; and fragment Or 15009/49, Ye 2009: 125. Another ver-
sion occurs in the Chinese counterpart to the Aṭṭhakavagga, T 198 at T IV 184c25 to
185c9; cf. Bapat 1950: 36–42. The tale is also found in several biographies of the
Buddha; cf., e.g., T 156 (大方便佛報恩經) at T III 136b17 to 137b10, T 200 (撰集百
緣經) at T IV 247a1 to 247a8, and T 694 (佛說大乘造像功德經) at T XVI 791b10 to
792c25; for further references cf. Anālayo 2012e: 27 note 72 and for a detailed survey
of relevant texts from the Tibetan canon cf. Skilling 2008. In what follows, my dis-
cussion is based on extracts from Anālayo 2012e.
89
SĀ 506 at T II 134a9: “he was teaching the Dharma to his mother and the devas of the
Thirty-three”, 為母及三十三天說法.
90
SĀ 506 at T II 134a26: “the four assemblies of Jambudvīpa wish to see the Blessed
One but they do not have the supernormal power to ascend to the Heaven of the Thirty-
three to pay their respects to the Blessed One. The devas of the Thirty-three, [how-
ever], do themselves have the supernormal power to come down and be among hu-
man beings. We just wish for the Blessed One to come back to Jambudvīpa, out of
compassion”, 閻浮提四衆願見世尊, 而無神力昇三十三天禮敬世尊. 三十三天自有神
力來下人中. 唯願世尊還閻浮提, 以哀愍故.
158 The Dawn of Abhidharma

reply, the Buddha announces that in one week’s time he will return,
indicating the precise location where this will take place. The discourse
concludes by simply reporting that the Buddha indeed returned as pre-
dicted, without going into any further details as to how this took place.
Whereas the Saṃyukta-āgama discourse does not describe in any
detail the Buddha’s descent to earth, this forms a central motif in most
textual versions and artistic depictions of this tale. 91 Iconographic
presentations of this episode regularly portray the Buddha’s descent
from the Heaven of the Thirty-three with the help of a flight of stairs,
often showing three flights to convey that the descending Buddha was
flanked by Brahmā and Śakra,92 acting as his attendants.
In an aniconic portrayal of the Buddha’s descent, a flight of stairs
would be an obvious requirement for the whole image to work.93 With-
out some visible evidence of a path or a flight of stairs it would be diffi-
cult to express the idea of a descent if the one who descends cannot be
portrayed. Thus at the outset the depiction of stairs would have had a
symbolic function.94
Soon enough, however, the stairs appear to have been taken literally.
In fact some iconographic presentations show footsteps on the stairs,95
giving the impression that the artist(s) intended to portray real stairs
that the Buddha actually used to walk down. The Chinese pilgrims

――――――
91
Foucher 1905: 537 comments that “le fait le plus important dans l’imagination popu-
laire n’était ni son ascension, que l’on ne voit nulle part, ni même son séjour, qui
manque de pittoresque, mais bien sa ‘descente’ sur la terre (avarohana).”
92
Allinger 2010: 3 explains that “early Indian depictions – all those preserved are re-
liefs – almost always show three flights of steps … in aniconic depictions the stair-
ways are void of figures, while in iconic depictions they are occasionally replaced
with a single flight.”
93
Strong 2010: 976 points out that “in an ‘aniconic’ context, a ladder may have simply
been a convenient way of representing vertical movement, and once the tradition was
established, it was kept even after the appearance of the Buddha image.”
94
Regarding the symbolism of stairs in general cf., e.g., Guénon 1962: 244–247.
95
Cf., e.g., Coomaraswamy 1956 plate xi figure 31 middle section or Cunningham 1879
plate xvii middle section. For early representations of the same scene cf., e.g., Fábri
1930: 289, Lamotte 1958/1988: 339, Schlingloff 2000: 478f, and Skilling 2008: 42.
 Awakening and the Authentication of the Abhidharma 159

visiting India in fact describe the remains of the stairs that were believed
to have been used by the Buddha on this occasion.96

Figure 4.2 The Buddha’s Descent from Heaven

The scene depicts the Buddha’s descent from the Heaven of the Thirty-three with the
help of a flight of stairs, surrounded above, on the sides and below
by a multitude of devas and humans in respectful attitude.

Sāñcī stūpa, courtesy Eric R. and John C. Huntington,

The Huntington Archive at The Ohio State University.
――――――
96
Fǎxiǎn (法顯) reports that the three stairs had mostly disappeared into the ground, T
2085 at T LI 859c19, but the last seven steps were still visible, around which a monas-
tery was constructed. Xuánzàng (玄奘) then refers to the monastery which had the tri-
ple stairs in its precincts, T 2087 at T LI 893a24.
160 The Dawn of Abhidharma

The use of stairs also features in most textual versions of this tale. At
times these textual accounts seem to struggle with the contrast between
the ease with which the Buddha and Mahāmaudgalyāyana ascend to the
Heaven of the Thirty-three and the circumstance that the Buddha does
not use the same method on descending.97
The Ekottarika-āgama version explicitly tackles this issue, reporting
Śakra’s instruction that stairs should be constructed so that the Buddha
does not need to employ supernormal powers to descend to Jambudvīpa.98
The Mūlasarvāstivāda Vinaya turns to this problem in an even more
explicit manner. It reports Śakra asking the Buddha if he wishes to de-
scend to Jambudvīpa using supernatural power or on foot.99 The Bud-
dha opts for going on foot, whereupon Śakra has three flights of stairs
made.
The Mūlasarvāstivāda Vinaya continues with the Buddha reflecting
that some non-Buddhists might misinterpret this, thinking that due to
falling prey to attachment while being in the Heaven of the Thirty-three
the Buddha has lost his ability to use his supernatural powers. In order
to forestall such ideas, the Buddha then decides to descend halfway to
Jambudvīpa using supernatural power and cover the other half of the
journey on foot.100 Evidently tradition felt that the Buddha’s descent
from heaven by way of stairs required an explanation.
Now the idea of employing stairs would have occurred originally
when representing the Buddha’s descent in art, where at least in aniconic
depiction such a motif arises naturally. That is not the case for texts.
The above passages make it clear that in textual accounts the motif of
the stairs was felt as something of a misfit and requiring an explanation.
――――――
97
Strong 2010: 970 formulates the puzzling aspect of the textual accounts in this man-
ner: “why does the Buddha … need (or appear to need) a set of stairs to come back
down again to earth? Why does he not just fly or float down?”
98
EĀ 36.5 at T II 707a28; Bareau 1997: 23 note 19 comments that “apparemment, les
dieux veulent épargner au Buddha la peine de se servir de ses propres moyens sur-
humains. Ils veulent ainsi l’honorer et montrer qu’ils sont ses serviteurs, donc ses in-
férieurs.”
99
T 1451 at T XXIV 346c28 and D 6 da 91b1 or Q 1035 ne 88b4.
100
T 1451 at T XXIV 347a10 and D 6 da 91b6 or Q 1035 ne 89a2.
 Awakening and the Authentication of the Abhidharma 161

This makes it highly improbable that the idea of stairs originated

from a textual source. Instead, it must have originally arisen as a sym-
bol in an aniconic context and then subsequently have been taken liter-
ally. In other words, it seems to me that we have here an instance of
cross-fertilization between text and art, where an already existing tale is
concretized in art and this in turn influences textual accounts.101
Within this gradual evolution the Saṃyukta-āgama discourse appears
to testify to an earlier stage in the narrative development of this episode,
for it shows little interest in the details of the Buddha’s descent. In con-
trast, the record of the Buddha’s sojourn in the Pāli commentarial tradi-
tion belongs to the later versions that, apparently inspired by ancient In-
dian art, describe in detail the stairs used by the Buddha.102
In agreement with its canonical parallels, the Saṃyukta-āgama dis-
course reports that the Buddha had been teaching the Dharma to his
mother and the devas in the Heaven of the Thirty-three. According to
the Atthasālinī, however, the Buddha had visited his mother in the
Heaven of the Thirty-three in order to teach her the Abhidharma.103
The Atthasālinī then explains the further transmission of the Abhi-
dharma taught on this occasion as follows: the Buddha regularly came
down from the Heaven of the Thirty-three to Lake Anavatapta to take his
meal after having completed his almsround, and during these visits to
earth he transmitted to Sāriputta the teachings he had just given in heaven.
Sāriputta in turn passed these on to five hundred monk disciples of his,
and in this way the transmission of the Abhidharma was ensured.104
――――――
101
For a discussion of a comparable instance in relation to the narrative and artistic de-
piction of the conception of the Buddha-to-be cf. Foucher 1949: 38.
102
Dhp-a III 225,3 reports the construction of three flights of stairs, a bejewelled one in
the middle for the Buddha to descend, flanked by a golden and a silver one for the
celestials that attended on the Buddha during his return to earth.
103
As 1,4 indicates that the Buddha delivered the Abhidharma while he was dwelling in
the Heaven of the Thirty-three, vasanto tidasālaye. Tin 1976: 1 note 2 explains that ti-
dasa, “thirty”, is a frequent substitution in verse for tāvatiṃsa; cf. also Haldar 1977: 24.
104
As 16,17+35. Davidson 1990/1992: 304 explains that “the Theravādas adapted an old
story about the Tathāgata travelling to the Trayastriṃśa heaven during a rains retreat
to preach the dharma to his mother … as a basis for identifying the first teaching of
162 The Dawn of Abhidharma

Figure 4.3 The Transmission of the Abhidhamma to Sāriputta

According to the inscription that accompanies the painting, the scene depicts the
Buddha teaching the Abhidhamma to Sāriputta, passing on to his chief disciple
what he had just taught to the devas in the Heaven of the Thirty-three.

Pagan, courtesy Lilian Handlin.

That the Buddha taught the Abhidharma to his mother during his stay in
the Heaven of the Thirty-three seems to be an idea found only in the
Theravāda tradition.105 This brings to mind the case of the Lomasakaṅ-
giyabhaddekaratta-sutta, where again only the Theravāda discourse lo-
cates the Buddha’s delivery of a poem and its explanation in the Heaven
――――――
their Abhidhamma-piṭaka. There was still the problem of the manner of its transmis-
sion to one of the śrāvakas, since Mahāmāyā had remained in heaven.” This was
solved through the tale that during his sojourn in Trayastriṃśa the Buddha came
regularly down to earth, “where he taught the entire Abhidhamma to Sāriputta.”
105
Skilling 2008: 51 comments that “no other Buddhist school chose to locate the teach-
ing of the Abhidharma in the Trayastriṃśa abode … there was no suggestion that the
Abhidharma was taught anywhere but in Jambudvīpa.”
 Awakening and the Authentication of the Abhidharma 163

of the Thirty-three. According to the Theravāda commentaries, the Bud-

dha spoke this poem during the same sojourn in the Heaven of the Thirty-
three when he also delivered the Abhidharma.106
A problem with the Theravāda notion that the Buddha taught the
Abhidharma to his mother during his stay in the Heaven of the Thirty-
three is that the Pāli discourses report that his mother had been reborn
in Tuṣita Heaven, not in the Heaven of the Thirty-three.107 According to
early Buddhist cosmology, the devas of the Tuṣita realm are long-lived
and even a short fraction of time spent in Tuṣita Heaven equals a long
time period on earth.108
Thus it would not be possible to assume that behind this inconsis-
tency stands the idea that the bodhisattva’s mother arose first in Tuṣita
and then, still during the lifetime of the Buddha, passed away from
there to arise in the Heaven of the Thirty-three. Once she was living in
Tuṣita at the time the Buddha decided to visit her, however, it would
certainly have been more natural for him to be depicted as going di-
――――――
106
The commentarial tradition seems to consider both teachings to have taken place dur-
ing the same sojourn in the Heaven of the Thirty-three in the seventh year after the
Buddha’s awakening: the commentary on the Lomasakaṅgiyabhaddekaratta-sutta, Ps
V 7,8, explains that the Buddha gave this teaching in the Heaven of the Thirty-three
in the seventh year after his awakening. Regarding the teaching of the Abhidharma
to his mother, Sv I 57,5 indicates that the Buddha performed the twin miracle at Sā-
vatthī in the seventh year after his awakening, and according to Dhp-a III 216,13 it
was after the performance of the twin miracle at Sāvatthī that the Buddha decided to
spend the ensuing rains retreat in the Heaven of the Thirty-three. According to
Mochizuki 1940: 35, a range of different sources agree that the Buddha spent his
seventh rains retreat in this celestial realm.
107
MN 123 at MN III 122,2 and Ud 5.2 at Ud 48,6; this problem has already been noted
by Bareau 1974: 209.
108
AN 3.70 at AN I 214,3 and its parallels MĀ 202 at T I 772c9, T 87 at T I 911c27, and
SĀ 861 at T II 219b5 indicate that the lifespan of beings in the Tuṣita realm lasts for
4000 years, and a single day in this Tuṣita type of year corresponds to 400 years on
earth, a relationship described similarly in the Āyuḥparyanta-sūtra, Matsumura 1989:
80,25 (Skt.) and 94,29 (Tib.), with the Chinese version in T 759 at T XVII 602c 14.
Thus, from the viewpoint of tradition, by the time of the Buddha’s visit to the Heaven
of the Thirty-three only a tiny fraction of a single day in Tuṣita had passed since Māyā
had been reborn there.
164 The Dawn of Abhidharma

rectly to that realm to give her teachings, instead of going to the Heaven
of the Thirty-three.
The Mahāpadāna-sutta of the Theravāda tradition indicates that it is
a rule that the mother of a Buddha arises in Tuṣita after she dies. Accord-
ing to its Sanskrit counterpart, however, the mother of a Buddha will
rather be reborn in the Heaven of the Thirty-three.109 The Lalitavistara
similarly indicates that the mother of Gautama Buddha was reborn in
the Heaven of the Thirty-three.110 Thus the problem with the Buddha’s
visit to his mother in the Heaven of the Thirty-three, although she had
not been reborn in this realm, applies mainly to the Theravāda tradition.
The Atthasālinī’s attempt to authenticate the Abhidharma by present-
ing it as a teaching delivered by the Buddha to his mother may have
been inspired by an Indian tradition according to which the Buddha’s
mother had been reborn in the Heaven of the Thirty-three.111 Otherwise
there would be little reason for the Atthasālinī to locate the Buddha’s
mother in a realm where, according to the discourses of the Theravāda
tradition, she had not been reborn. In other words, the tale of the Bud-
dha’s teaching of the Abhidharma to his mother in the Heaven of the
Thirty-three appears to be a maladroit adaptation of an Indian tale to the
needs of the Theravādins to authenticate their Abhidharma collection.112
――――――
109
DN 14 at DN II 14,4 and Waldschmidt 1956: 113,9 (§6c.1).
110
Lefmann 1902: 98,4.
111
According to Mhv 37.225, Buddhaghosa wrote the Atthasālinī while he was still in
India, before going to Sri Lanka; cf. also Rhys Davids 1900/1922: xxvii, Malala-
sekera 1928/1994: 98, Bechert 1955: 355, Law 1973: 407, and Norman 1978: 42.
Pind 1992: 136f, however, argues against attributing the Atthasālinī to Buddhaghosa;
cf. also von Hinüber 1996/1997: 151. For a critical review of arguments raised by
Bapat and Vadekar 1942: xxxiii–xxxix against identifying Buddhaghosa as the au-
thor of the Atthasālinī cf. Hayashi 1999.
112
Rhys Davids 1908: 19 comments that the “legend … that the Abhidhamma was first
uttered by the Buddha in the Tāvatimsa heaven … is not consonant with the Buddhist
standpoint, that such an audience should be held capable of benefitting by disquisi-
tions on philosophical problems which had been withheld from the stronger intellects
of the … disciples, whom he instructs in the Suttanta. In fact, the legend sprang pro-
bably from the orthodox anxiety to invest with a sanction, not inferior to that of the
two earlier piṭakas, a series of compilations which are manifestly of later date, and
 Awakening and the Authentication of the Abhidharma 165

Whatever its historical origins, the proposal that the Abhidharma

was originally taught in the Heaven of the Thirty-three has become the
accepted lore of the Theravāda tradition. This form of presentation quite
vividly invests the Abhidharma with a celestial seal of approval and en-
hances the Abhidharma as something superior to other canonical teach-
ings, which for the most part are delivered on earth.
Another significant aspect of the story of this sojourn by the Buddha
in a heavenly realm is that it shows him fulfilling his filial duty by teach-
ing his mother the Abhidharma.113 In this way, he fulfilled his filial duty
not merely by giving her an ordinary discourse, but by initiating her
into the superior doctrine of the Abhidharma. This then established her
in the fruit of stream-entry.114
The notion that the Buddha’s teaching of the Abhidharma led his
mother to attain stream-entry brings me back to the topic explored at
the outset of this chapter, the supramundane path. From the Mahācattā-
rīsaka-sutta to the commentarial tale of the Buddha’s stay in the Heaven
of the Thirty-three, the relationship between the Abhidharma and awak-
――――――
the work of elaborating scholiasts.” Cf. also, e.g., Foucher 1949: 275, Reynolds and
Reynolds 1982: 18, Buswell and Jaini 1996: 80, and Salomon 2011: 167.
113
Needless to say, filial piety was an issue of considerable importance already in the
Indian setting; cf. Schopen 1984/1997 for epigraphic evidence and Strong 1983 as
well as Guang Xing 2005 for a study of relevant textual sources. Hence this motif
need not be seen as reflecting the influence of Chinese thought on the tale, pace
Faure 1998: 24, who reasons that “the apparent lack of filial piety of the Buddha
raised serious issues. In response to this criticism, Chinese Buddhists worked hard to
assert a typically Buddhist form of filial piety: the Buddha even went to heaven, we
are told, to preach the Dharma to his mother.”
114
Dhp-a III 222,6 indicates that the delivery of the Abhidharma teachings was espe-
cially meant for his mother, thereby establishing her in the attainment of stream-
entry, Dhp-a III 223,17. According to Dhp-a III 216,15, this is a pattern followed by
all Buddhas, i.e., they all ascend to heaven to teach the Abhidharma to their mothers.
Ohnuma 2012: 125 highlights that only her stream-entry, but not her final attainment
of Nirvāṇa is recorded, in contrast to the case of Mahāprajāpatī. In view of the time
relation that according to tradition obtains between human life and this particular
heaven (see above note 108) this need not have any deeper significance, but could
simply reflect the difference between progress from stream-entry to full awakening
when being a deva in Tuṣita in contrast to being a human being who has gone forth.
166 The Dawn of Abhidharma

ening appears to provide a continuous theme. The concerns behind these

presentations clearly stand in close relation to the essence of the whole
teaching, the experience of awakening.
Instead of merely serving as a raft to be left behind once one has
crossed over,115 however, the teachings on the path to awakening have
given rise to analysis undertaken for its own sake, a trajectory that has
led to the conceit of superiority and the need for authentication.

――――――
115
The simile of the raft can be found in MN 22 at MN I 134,30 and its parallels MĀ
200 at T I 764b19, EĀ 43.5 at T II 760a13, a discourse quotation in the Abhidharma-
kośopāyikā-ṭīkā, D 4094 nyu 74b6 or Q 5595 thu 119b7, and a quotation in T 1509
(大智度論) at T XXV 63c7; cf. Lamotte 1944/1981: 64.
Conclusion

Approaching the evolution of the Abhidharma from the viewpoint of

the early discourses puts into perspective the relationship between early
canonical Abhidharma works and specific discourses. When considered
from the viewpoint of the canonical Abhidharma collections, the fact
that the Saṅgītiparyāya is a commentary on the Saṅgīti-sūtra makes it
only natural that this discourse has been considered as being in some
way proto-Abhidharma. Once the Saṅgīti-sūtra is examined within the
context of other early discourses, however, this impression requires
some qualification. The fact that a commentary on the Saṅgīti-sūtra has
become a canonical Abhidharma work does not turn the Saṅgīti-sūtra
itself automatically into proto-Abhidharma. If this were the case, other
discourses quoted in the Dharmaskandha, *Śāriputrābhidharma, or Vi-
bhaṅga would also have to be considered proto-Abhidharma, even the
first sermon by the Buddha, just because it is quoted in the Dharmaskan-
dha.
The relationship of the Saṅgīti-sūtra to the Saṅgītiparyāya can rather
be seen to put a spotlight on the essentially commentarial nature of
early Abhidharma texts. What became the higher doctrine, considered
by tradition to be more profound and superior compared to the exposi-
tions given in the discourses, appears to have had its humble beginnings
as commentaries on these discourses. Such commentaries in the course
of time would have become increasingly independent from the texts on
which they commented. In this way what originally was merely “about”,
abhi-, the Dharma, eventually turned into the “superior” or “higher”
Dharma, the Abhidharma.
The canonical works that enshrine the Abhidharma clearly reflect the
important influence of mātṛkās in the form of summary listings and the
recurrent use of question-and-answer catechisms. Without in any way
intending to deny the formative influence of these central structural ele-
ments, when considered within the broader framework of Buddhist lit-
168 The Dawn of Abhidharma

erature in general, or even non-Buddhist literature, it becomes clear that

summary listings and the question-and-answer format cannot be consid-
ered as being themselves an expression of Abhidharma influence. In-
stead, these are simply tools of oral (and written) transmission that can
occur in various types of texts that may bear no relationship whatsoever
to the Abhidharma. The mātṛkā par excellence, the prātimokṣa, is cer-
tainly not Abhidharma.
The topic-wise and numerical arrangements of collections like the
Saṃyukta-āgama/Saṃyutta-nikāya and the Ekottarika-āgama/Aṅgutta-
ra-nikāya are a natural organizing structure for orally transmitted mate-
rial and not the outcome of Abhidharma influence. The same holds for
the employment of analysis, which does not automatically turn the text
in question into Abhidharma; nor do discourses and chapters in canoni-
cal collections that carry the name vibhaṅga in their title necessarily re-
flect the influence of Abhidharma. Such texts may just as well pertain
to the Vinaya or else be discourses that do not show any evident sign of
the impact of Abhidharma thought.
Instead of conceiving the evolution of the Abhidharma entirely in
terms of such formal aspects, the dawn of the Abhidharma can be seen
to have taken its main inspiration from a shift in perspective. Central
here is the attempt to be as comprehensive as possible, to supplement
the directives given in the early discourses for progress on the path with
a full picture of all aspects of the path in an attempt to provide a com-
plete map of everything in some way related to the path.
This drive towards all-inclusive coverage mirrors the notion of the
Buddha’s omniscient knowledge. The sense of comprehensiveness that
marks the Buddha’s attainment of omniscience finds its expression in
the comprehensive exposition of his wisdom in Abhidharma works.
Equipped with a complete map of the doctrine, the disciples are forti-
fied in their struggle for survival in competition with non-Buddhist
teachers and groups and in their attempts to maintain harmony within
the Buddhist fold. The completeness of the map ensures that, even
though the teacher is no longer available for personal guidance and
advice, all the information required for progress on the path is readily
available.
 Conclusion 169

In this way, the elevation of the Buddha to the position of an omnis-

cient teacher and the mapping of the doctrine in the Abhidharma appear
to be interdependent processes. Both to some degree respond to the
emotional need of the disciples at a time when the teacher had passed
away. Both also bring the teachings more in line with contemporary
ideas and notions in ancient India. Both in this way provide the raw
material for the construction of a sense of institutional identity, some-
thing that becomes more clearly evident in the period that sets in after
the initial development that I have attempted to trace in this study.
Within the context of analytical expositions, the drive towards a
comprehensive coverage of all that there is makes itself clearly felt in
the tendency to doctrinal and textual proliferation. The variations be-
tween the parallel versions of the Saṅgīti-sūtra clearly reflect the ten-
dency to proliferate by adding items. Yet, just as in the case of the
Bahudhātuka-sūtra, such proliferation still employs as its building
blocks material found elsewhere in the early discourses. This in a way
exemplifies the beginnings of a tendency more clearly evident in the
early Abhidharma of attempting to combine different teachings into a
unified coherent whole.
In the case of the detailed analyses of the four noble truths and of the
absorptions in the Mahāsatipaṭṭhāna-sutta and the Anupada-sutta, the
tendency to proliferate for the sake of a comprehensive coverage emerges
with increased clarity and begins to employ formulations and terms not
found elsewhere in the early discourses. Here the Abhidharma begins to
emerge as something of its own, evident in the use of specific terminol-
ogy and expressions. So these two discourses could perhaps be consid-
ered as the first twilight of the dawn of Abhidharma. Aspects of this
twilight are the Mahāsatipaṭṭhāna-sutta’s coverage of the second and
third noble truths by breaking down craving into a multitude of minor
aspects, and the Anupada-sutta’s complementary drive towards compre-
hensive coverage by listing all mental factors that could be found in a
particular absorption.
The attempt to give a complete list of all dharmas relevant to the pre-
cise definition of a particular event naturally tends to focus on a single
instant, instead of trying to cover a whole process. It is already a rather
170 The Dawn of Abhidharma

demanding task to provide a complete map of the building blocks of

what happens at one moment. It would be considerably more difficult to
do so for a process changing over a prolonged time period. In this way,
a focus on momentary events is a natural outcome of trying to provide a
complete coverage.
The Mahācattārīsaka-sutta shows a more mature stage of beginning
Abhidharma thought in its focus on a momentary event. In terms of the
dawn of the Abhidharma, with this discourse the sun has begun to rise
in the sky. The rays of light that shine forth in this way are not just the
outcome of dry scholastic speculation, but rather serve to illuminate the
most crucial concern of early Buddhist practice, awakening as the cul-
mination of the path. The conception of a supramundane path is simi-
larly reflected in the Dīrgha-āgama and the Saṃyukta-āgama, showing
that the arising of this idea was not limited to a particular school, nor
related to a specific discourse collection. The rather substantial contri-
bution to Buddhist thought that appears in these discourses involves a
shift from process to event, from concern with an ongoing process to
focus on a momentary instant. Here we find not only new terminology,
but also the appearance of new ideas.
For the dawn of the Abhidharma the notion of the supramundane
path, evident in the Mahācattārīsaka-sutta and the discourses from the
Dīrgha-āgama and the Saṃyukta-āgama, is of considerable importance.
Its importance is comparable to the notion that the bodhisattva Gautama
already at birth is supreme in the world and that in a former life he de-
cided to embark on the quest for Buddhahood, evident in the Acchari-
yabbhutadhamma-sutta and its Madhyama-āgama parallel, discussed in
my study of The Genesis of the Bodhisattva Ideal.
The gradual apotheosis of the Buddha, leading to the emergence of
the bodhisattva ideal, is also evident in the notion of his omniscience,
which in turn mirrors the Abhidharma’s drive for comprehensiveness.
In this way, not only the first refuge (the Buddha), but also the second
refuge (his teaching) evolved in a manner that effectively filled the
vacuum created by the demise of the teacher, fortifying the disciples in
their competition with non-Buddhist practitioners.
 Conclusion 171

The Theravāda tale of the Buddha’s sojourn in the Heaven of the

Thirty-three teaching his mother the Abhidharma, born out of a need to
provide authentication to the Abhidharma as an independent set of
scriptures, vividly expresses how the superiority of the Buddha informs
the supremacy of the Abhidharma.
So what, in sum, does the “Abhidharma” stand for? Clearly Abhi-
dharma is not just to be found in the use of dry lists or summaries. In-
stead, born out of what originally was a commentary on the Dharma,
Abhidharma has gone “further”, abhi-, than the Dharma, something that
is evident in the employment of new terminology and ideas. Arisen
from the wish to clarify the teachings of the recently deceased Buddha,
what is characteristic of the Abhidharma is a conception of wisdom that
aims at a complete coverage by surveying all the constituents of a single
moment in their interrelation, instead of merely monitoring a process of
disenchantment, dispassion, and seeing as it really is.
Abbreviations

AN Aṅguttara-nikāya
As Atthasālinī
Be Burmese edition
Ce Ceylonese edition
D Derge edition
DĀ Dirgha-āgama (T 1)
Dhātuk Dhātukathā
Dhp Dhammapada
Dhp-a Dhammapada-aṭṭhakathā
Dhs Dhammasaṅgaṇī
DN Dīgha-nikāya
EĀ Ekottarika-āgama (T 125)
Ee PTS edition
It Itivuttaka
Jā Jātaka
Kv Kathāvatthu
Kv-a Kathāvatthu-aṭṭhakathā
MĀ Madhyama-āgama (T 26)
Mhv Mahāvaṃsa
Mil Milindapañha
MN Majjhima-nikāya
Mp Manorathapūraṇī
Nett Nettipakaraṇa
Nidd I Mahāniddesa
Paṭis Paṭisambhidāmagga
Paṭis-a Saddhammappakāsinī
Pj II Paramatthajotikā
Ps Papañcasūdanī
Q Peking edition
SĀ Saṃyukta-āgama (T 99)
SĀ2 Saṃyukta-āgama (T 100)
Se Siamese edition
174 The Dawn of Abhidharma

SN Saṃyutta-nikāya
Sn Sutta-nipāta
Sp Samantapāsādikā
Sv Sumaṅgalavilāsinī
T Taishō edition
Th Theragāthā
Ud Udāna
Ud-a Paramatthadīpanī
Uv Udānavarga
Vibh Vibhaṅga
Vibh-a Sammohavinodanī
Vin Vinaya
Vism Visuddhimagga
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Index

A
abhidhammabhājaniya............. 88, 133 AN 6.60 ...................................... 71
abhidharmakathā .............................. 69 AN 7.63 ...................................... 56
Abhidharmakośabhāṣya .... 58, 152, 154 AN 7.67 ...................................... 50
Abhidharmakośavyākhyā ...................... AN 8.8 ...................................... 149
.............................. 58, 75, 113, 153f AN 8.19 ...................................... 49
Abhidharmakośopāyikā-ṭīkā (D 4094 or AN 8.28 ...................................... 50
Q 5595) .... 28, 50, 56, 58, 65f, 75f, AN 8.51 ...................................... 75
113f, 130, 136, 144, 166 AN 9.22 ...................................... 73
Abhidharma-piṭaka ...... 18f, 23, 70, 83, AN 9.41 .................................... 111
148, 151f AN 10.17 .................................... 72
abhivinaya ............................ 18, 71–73 AN 10.18 .................................... 72
absorption ... ...... 42, 45, 49, 56, 89, 92, AN 10.50 .................................... 72
100–116, 146f, 169 AN 10.98 .................................... 72
Acchariyabbhutadhamma-sutta ...... 170 AN 10.133 .................................. 63
Ānanda ..... 16f, 19f, 41, 44f, 49, 59, 61 AN 11.15 .................................... 72
Anavatapta ..................................... 161 Anupada-sutta ....... 100–112, 114, 116,
aṅgas ................................................ 17 146f, 169
Aṅguttara-nikāya: anupadavavatthita .......................... 102
AN 2.7 ........................................ 63 anupūrvābhisamaya........................ 139
AN 3.70 .................................... 163 appanā .......................................... 132f
AN 3.137 .................................... 73 apramāṇa ........................................ 42
AN 3.138 .................................... 73 apraśnaka ....................................... 88f
AN 3.139 .................................... 73 archaeopteryx ........................... 14, 147
AN 4.23 .................................. 118f arhat .......... 18, 50, 117, 134, 142f, 149
AN 4.24 .................................... 119 Ariyapariyesanā-sutta .................. 118f
AN 4.180 .................................... 73 Arthaviniścaya-sūtra ...................... 113
AN 5.79 ...................................... 71 Arthavistara-sūtra ..................... 29, 39
AN 5.129 .................................. 150 āryavaṃśa ....................................... 42
AN 5.166 .................................... 76 āsavas (influxes)...50, 61f, 66, 93, 131f,
AN 5.173 .................................... 20 133f, 137–139, 143
AN 5.174 .................................... 20 Aśoka ..................................... 149, 154
220 The Dawn of Abhidharma

Aṭṭhakavagga ..................... 80–82, 157 cittasaṃprayukta/cittaviprayukta ..... 68

Atthasālinī (As) ..... 70, 109, 126, 148– concatenation ............................. 34–37
154, 161, 164 craving, three types of ..................... 96
Avadānaśataka ............................... 157 Cūlakammavibhaṅga-sutta.............. 84f
Avesta .............................................. 35 Cūḷavedalla-sutta ............................. 28
āyatana ............................. 42, 66f, 141
Āyuḥparyanta-sūtra ....................... 163
D
Dakkhiṇāvibhaṅga-sutta ................ 144
āyuḥsaṃskāra .................................. 49
Daśottara-sūtra/Dasuttara-sutta ..... 29,
āyurveda ........................................ 113
33, 37–41, 53, 72, 96, 140, 146
B deer in the wilds, simile of ............. 144
Bahudhātuka-sūtra ..... 55–68, 86, 100, Derge edition:
146, 169 D 1 ........................................... 120
bala .......................................... 43, 50f D 3 ....................................... 55, 83
Bala-saṃyukta/Bala-saṃyutta ......... 51 D 4 ............................................. 83
Bhaiṣajyavastu ............................... 120 D 5 ............................................. 83
Bimbisāra ....................................... 120 D 6 ........................ 20, 75, 156, 160
bodhipākṣikā dharmāḥ ......... 42, 49–52 D 31 ........................................ 114
Bodhisattva-piṭaka ......................... 151 D 297 ................................... 58, 65
bodhyaṅga........................................ 49 D 318 ......................................... 39
Borobudur ........................................ 85 D 337 ....................................... 114
Brahmā .................................. 118, 158 D 339 ......................................... 85
Brahminical sūtras ........................... 26 D 4094......... 28, 50, 56, 58, 65f, 75f,
Buddha’s awakening .............. 110–119 113f, 130, 136, 144, 166
Buddha, apotheosis of .................... 170 desire, simile of cutting bondage of . 55
Buddha, passing away of ... 32f, 47, 50, Devadatta ....................................... 123
111, 171 Dhammapada (Dhp) ................ 27, 142
Buddhaghosa............................ 18, 164 Dhammasaṅgaṇī (Dhs) ... 52f, 68, 107f,
Buddhist canon ................................ 16 133f
dhāraṇīs ......................................... 151
C Dharmaguptaka Vinaya ....... 18–22, 39,
Catuṣpariṣat-sūtra ......................... 114
74, 83, 88, 114, 121
cessation attainment ......................... 76
dharmas, contemplation of ............ 92f
cetaso abhiniropanā ...................... 132f
Dharmaskandha..44, 47, 50, 58–68, 86–
Chabbisodhana-sutta ....................... 63
89, 93, 104f, 107, 114, 153, 155, 167
 Index 221

Dharmasoma ................................... 81 Divyāvadāna..................................... 20

Dharmatrāta .................................... 81
Dhātukathā (Dhātuk) ...................... 66
E
earthquakes .................................... 153
Dhātuvibhaṅga-sūtra ...................... 56
Egyptian Execration Texts .............. 26
dhyāna ...... 42, 45, 49, 56, 89, 92, 100–
ekābhisamaya ................................ 139
116, 146f, 169
Dīgha-nikāya discourses: ekaṃ samayaṃ ............................. 134f
DN 14 ...................................... 164 Ekottarika-āgama/Aṅguttara-nikāya ....
DN 16 .................................. 49, 73 ............................................. 26, 168
Ekottarika-āgama discourses:
DN 21 ........................................ 77
EĀ 12.1 ................................ 56, 92
DN 22 ..... 56, 91–99, 109f, 114,
EĀ 13.5 .................................... 143
116, 146f, 169
EĀ 24.5 ............................ 114, 118
DN 24 .................................... 120f
EĀ 27.1 ...................................... 95
DN 28 ........................................ 63
EĀ 28.5 ...................................... 73
DN 29 ...................................... 49f
EĀ 36.5 ............................ 156, 160
DN 33 .... 29–36, 51–53, 56, 62f, 72,
EĀ 37.3 ...................................... 70
143
EĀ 38.4 .................................... 129
DN 34 ............................ 33, 37f, 72
Dīrgha-āgama discourses: EĀ 39.9 ...................................... 55
DĀ 2 .................................... 49, 74 EĀ 40.10 .................................. 148
DĀ 9 ..... 29–36, 51–53, 62, 96, 143 EĀ 42.4 ...................................... 49
DĀ 10 ........................... 37f, 72, 96 EĀ 43.5 .................................... 166
DĀ 11 ............................ 39–41, 96 EĀ 45.4 .................................... 123
DĀ 12 ............................. 40f, 140f EĀ 48.3 .................................... 120
DĀ 13 ........................................ 96 EĀ 49.1 ...................................... 22
DĀ 14 ........................................ 77 EĀ 49.5 ...................................... 96
DĀ 17 ........................................ 49 Ekottarika-āgama, later elements ..... 13
DĀ 21 ........................................ 88 experience, notion of ...................... 141
Dīrgha-āgama, school affiliation of . 29
F
Discourse Increasing by One..... 39–41,
Fǎxiǎn ............................................. 159
96
fetters and awakening ................... 142f
Discourse on Explaining the Spheres
filial piety ....................................... 165
......................................... 41–44, 47
fire, simile of .................................. 58f
Discourse on the Three Groups ..... 40f,
formations, as umbrella category ... 67f
140f
four elements ........................ 56, 60, 62
222 The Dawn of Abhidharma

four noble truths ......... 42f, 56, 92–100, kṛtsna ......................................... 46, 56
109f, 112–116, 139, 146f, 169 Kṣudraka-piṭaka ........................ 16–19
Kṣudrakavastu ............................... 114
G
Gaṇakamoggallāna-sutta ................. 32 L
Gāndhārī Dharmapada ............ 27, 142 Lalitavistara .................................. 164
gradual path .............................. 45f, 89 liberation, occasions for attaining .. 114
Gulissāni-sutta ................................. 72 light, simile of ................................. 56
gurudharma .................................... 74f Lomasakaṅgiyabhaddekaratta-sutta ....
......................................... 156, 162f
H
Haimavata ........................................ 19 M
Heaven of the Thirty-three ........... 149f, Madhyama-āgama discourses:
156–165, 171 MĀ 3 ......................................... 56
hīnayāna ........................................ 151 MĀ 22 ....................................... 76
MĀ 26 ....................................... 72
I MĀ 27 ..................................... 100
ignorance, smile of digging up ........ 55 MĀ 28 ..................................... 100
indriya (5 faculties) ....... 43–45, 49–52 MĀ 31 ............................... 95, 100
island, simile of ................................ 51 MĀ 35 ....................................... 49
Itivuttaka (It) ............................... 117f MĀ 62 ..................................... 120
MĀ 72 ............................. 110, 112
J
MĀ 82 ....................................... 71
Jains .......... 26f, 29f, 49, 123–125, 145f
MĀ 85 ....................................... 76
Jambudvīpa .....................157, 160, 162
MĀ 86 ............................ 41–44, 47
Jātaka (Jā) .............................. 81, 157
MĀ 95 ....................................... 72
Java ................................................. 85
MĀ 98 ................................. 56, 91
Jñānaprasthāna ............................... 93
MĀ 102 ................................... 144
K MĀ 115 ................................... 148
Kathāvatthu (Kv) ........... 84, 121, 154 MĀ 116 ..................................... 74
Kaṭhinavastu .................................... 20 MĀ 121 ................................... 100
kāyena .......................................... 102 MĀ 134 ..................................... 77
Khuddaka-nikāya ................. 16, 18, 80 MĀ 137 ................................... 119
Kinti-sutta ........................................ 71 MĀ 144 ................................... 143
knife, simile of ................................. 55 MĀ 145 ..................................... 32
Kośambakavastu .............................. 20 MĀ 146 ..................................... 46
 Index 223

MĀ 161 ...................................... 77 Mahāparinirvāṇa-sūtra ................. 49f

MĀ 162 ...................................... 56 Mahāprajāpatī Gautamī ......... 74f, 165
MĀ 166 .................................... 156 Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa ........... 64
MĀ 170 ...................................... 84 Mahāsāṅghika Vinaya ...... 16f, 19, 21f,
MĀ 180 .................................... 144 74f, 79, 83
MĀ 181 ...................................... 58 Mahāsatipaṭṭhāna-sutta ...... 56, 91–99,
MĀ 184 ...................................... 70 109f, 114, 116, 146f, 169
MĀ 187 ................................ 47, 63 Mahāvacchagotta-sutta .................. 77f
MĀ 189 ............................ 130, 136 Mahāvaṃsa (Mhv) ....................... 164
MĀ 196 ...................................... 49 Mahāvastu .............. 114, 118, 121, 142
MĀ 200 .................................... 166 Mahāvedalla-sutta .......................... 28
MĀ 202 .................................... 163 Mahāvibhāṣā .......... 93, 125, 151, 154
MĀ 204 .................................... 118 Mahāvīra ............................... 29, 123f
MĀ 208 .................................... 124 Mahāyāna ............................. 150–155
MĀ 210 ...................................... 28 Mahāyānasutrālaṃkāra ................ 125
MĀ 211 .......................... 11, 28, 55 Mahīśāsaka Vinaya ... 16f, 21f, 39, 74f,
MĀ 212 .................................... 120 83, 114
MĀ 222 .......................... 41, 44–47 Maitreya ................................. 120, 155
Madhyama-āgama, length of .......... 46 Majjhima-nikāya discourses:
Madhyama-āgama, school affiliation MN 7 ........................................ 143
of ................................................ 41 MN 10 ............................ 56, 91–95
maggaṅga ..................................... 134 MN 18 ...................................... 148
Mahābhārata ............................. 27, 57 MN 19 ...................................... 144
mahācattārīsakabhāṇaka .............. 135 MN 22 ....................................... 166
Mahācattārīsaka-sutta ... 63, 129–141, MN 23 ........................................ 55
146f, 170 MN 26 .................................... 118f
Mahāgopālaka-sutta ................. 21f, 24 MN 27 ...................................... 131
Mahāgosiṅga-sutta ......................... 69f MN 32 ...................................... 69f
Mahākāśyapa .................................. 19f MN 33 ................................. 21f, 24
Mahākauṣṭhila ................................ 153 MN 43 .................................. 28, 55
Mahāmāluṅkya-sutta ....................... 63 MN 44 ........................................ 28
Mahāmaudgalyāyana ..... 153, 157, 160 MN 64 ........................................ 63
Mahāniddesa (Nidd I) .............. 80–83, MN 69 ........................................ 72
Mahāpadāna-sutta ........................ 164 MN 71 ...................................... 119
mahāpadeśa .................................... 73 MN 73 ...................................... 77f
224 The Dawn of Abhidharma

MN 76 .................................... 122f Mūlasarvāstivāda Vinaya .... 19–22, 50,

MN 79 ..................................... 124 55, 74f, 83, 114, 120, 156, 160, 172
MN 90 ..................................... 120
MN 91 ....................................... 77
N
Nettipakaraṇa (Nett) ................ 74, 80
MN 103 ..................................... 71
Nirvāṇa ..... 40, 47, 113f, 117, 140, 165
MN 104 .................................... 49f
noble eightfold path . 43, 45, 49, 52, 63,
MN 107 ................................... 143
95, 109, 113f, 129f, 133, 140, 146
MN 108 ..................................... 32
non-return ..................................... 142f
MN 111 ... 100–112, 114, 116, 146f,
169 O
MN 112 ..................................... 63 omniscience ............ 115–126, 168–170
MN 113 ..................................... 76 once-return .................................. 142f
MN 115 ......................... 58, 61, 65
MN 117 ..... 63, 129–141, 146f, 170 P
MN 123 .................................... 163 padabhājaniya ................................. 82
MN 128 ........................... 110–112 Pāli canon ........................................ 16
MN 134 .......................... 156, 162f Papañcasūdanī (Ps) ...... 22, 63, 71,
MN 135 ..................................... 84 78, 120f, 144, 163
MN 140 ..................................... 56 Paramatthajotikā (Pj II) .......... 80f, 157
MN 141 ............................ 95f, 133 Pārāyana-vagga .............................. 28
MN 142 ................................... 144 Parivāra .................................... 27, 83
MN 146 ..................................... 55 Pāsādika-sutta ................................ 49f
MN 149 ..................................... 50 path to a town, simile of ................ 143
Mañjuśrī......................................... 155 Paṭisambhidā-magga (Paṭis) .... 53, 84,
Manorathapūraṇī (Mp) ........... 22, 119 100, 102, 121, 153
mātikādharā ................................... 21f Patna Dharmapada .................. 27, 142
mātṛkā/mātikā ....... 20–24, 28f, 32f, 37, peak of a roof, simile of ................... 56
47, 49f, 52f, 83f, 146, 154, 167f Peking edition:
Māyā ...................................... 121, 163 Q 747 ........................................ 114
Mihintale Rock inscriptions ........... 152 Q 963 .................................... 58, 65
Milindapañha (Mil) .............. 122f, 152 Q 984 .......................................... 39
Moggaliputtatissa ........................... 154 Q 1003 ...................................... 114
momentariness .............................. 145f Q 1006 ........................................ 85
momentary event, focus on ............ 170 Q 1030 ...................................... 120
 Index 225

Q 1032 .................................. 55, 83 saṃjñā, translation of ...................... 60

Q 1033 ........................................ 83 Sāṃkhya ................................. 67, 125
Q 1034 ........................................ 83 Saṃmitīya Vinaya .......................... 75
Q 1035 .................. 20, 75, 156, 160 samyakpradhāna (right effort) .. 42, 45,
Q 5595 ...... 28, 50, 56, 58, 65f, 75f, 49, 51, 88, 109, 130, 136, 140
113f, 130, 136, 144, 166 Saṃyukta-āgama, discourses:
Poṣadhavastu .................................. 20 SĀ 57 ......................................... 50
Prajñāvarman ................................. 81 SĀ 263 ....................................... 50
prātimokṣa ... 15–17, 22–24, 31, 34, 72, SĀ 276 ....................................... 55
82f, 168 SĀ 287 ..................................... 129
pucchā ............................................ 28 SĀ 291 ....................................... 98
Puggalapaññatti ........................... 52f SĀ 305 ....................................... 50
SĀ 319 ..................................... 118
Q SĀ 379 ..................................... 114
question-and-answer .... 20, 27–29, 61, SĀ 389 ..................................... 113
167f SĀ 404 ..................................... 109
SĀ 506 ................................... 156f
R
SĀ 654 ....................................... 56
raft, simile of ................................ 166
SĀ 694 ....................................... 50
rafters, simile of ........................... 55f
SĀ 695 ....................................... 50
Rājagṛha ....................... 15f, 32f, 155f
SĀ 696 ....................................... 50
rampart of a border town, simile of . 56
SĀ 785 ............................. 136–139
ṛddhipāda .................................. 49, 88
SĀ 789 ................................... 136f
river, simile of ................................. 51
SĀ 843 ..................................... 129
roof, simile of peak ......................... 56
SĀ 861 ..................................... 163
ruler of town, simile of ................. 144
SĀ 917 ....................................... 73
S SĀ 918 ....................................... 73
Saccavibhaṅga .............................. 100 SĀ 919 ....................................... 73
Saccavibhaṅga-sutta ..................... 95f SĀ 964 ....................................... 77
śaikṣa ........................................ 46, 60 SĀ 1006 ..................................... 56
Śakra ............... 77, 149f, 156, 158, 160 SĀ 1079 ..................................... 55
Sāmagāma-sutta ............................. 49f SĀ 1095 ................................... 123
Samantabhadra ............................. 155 SĀ 1175 ................................... 144
Samantapāsādikā (Sp) .................. 154 SĀ 1249 ............................... 21, 78
saṃgraha ........................................ 67 SĀ² 18 ........................................ 55
226 The Dawn of Abhidharma

SĀ² 143 ..................................... 73 Or 15003/131 .............................. 52

SĀ² 144 ..................................... 73 Or 15009/49 .............................. 157
SĀ² 145 ..................................... 73 Pelliot bleu 381 ........................... 36
SĀ² 198 ..................................... 77 SHT I 594................................... 30f
SĀ² 232 ..................................... 56 SHT I 649 ................................. 142f
SĀ² 254 ................................... 113 SHT III 835 ............................... 157
Saṃyukta-āgama/Saṃyutta-nikāya . 26, SHT III 942 ............................... 123
168 SHT IV 412 ........................... 31, 35
Saṃyukta-āgama, school of ............ 2 1 SHT V 1145 .............................. 157
Saṃyutta-nikāya discourses: SHT V 1146 .............................. 157
SN 1.13 ..................................... 56 SHT V 1421 ................................ 77
SN 4.18 ................................... 123 SHT VI 1210 ............................... 85
SN 12.65 ................................. 129 SHT VIII 1922 ............................ 51
SN 12.66 ................................... 98 SHT IX 2214 ............................... 51
SN 22.81 ................................... 50 SHT IX 2273 ............................... 31
SN 22.101 .................................. 50 SHT IX 2772 ............................... 71
SN 35.23 ................................. 118 Sappurisa-sutta ................................ 76
SN 35.204 ................................ 144 Śāriputrābhidharma .......... 68, 88f, 93f,
SN 45.8 ..................................... 95 104f, 107, 153, 167
SN 48.43 ................................... 50 Śāriputra/Sāriputta ........ 29, 31, 37, 39,
SN 48.52 ................................... 56 76, 95, 100–102, 107f, 153f, 161f
SN 55.5 ................................... 129 Sarvāstivāda Vinaya ...... 19–22, 71, 74,
SN 56.11 ................................. 114 83, 114
SN 56.31 ................................. 109 Satipaṭṭhāna-vibhaṅga ..................... 93
Sandaka-sutta ............................... 122f satkāya ..................................... 43, 142
Saṅghabhedavastu ................. 114, 121 Ṣaṭpādābhidharma ........................... 87
saṅgīti.....15–22, 31–33, 39, 79, 95, Ṣaṭsūtraka-nipāta ............................. 39
126, 152, 154f Śayanāsanavastu .............................. 20
Saṅgītiparyāya ... 47, 52f, 62, 86f, 125, seven, symbolic sense of ................. 51
143, 153, 155, 167 Śikṣāsamuccaya ............................. 150
Saṅgīti-sūtra/Saṅgīti-sutta ... 29–39, 44, smṛtyupasthāna ........ 49, 56, 88, 92–94
47, 51–53, 62f, 72, 86, 96, 125, 140, Smṛtyupasthāna-sūtra/Satipaṭṭhāna-
143, 146, 167, 169 sutta ................................ 56, 91–95
saṅkhāra, as umbrella category....... 67f Sogdian fragments ......................... 144
Sanskrit fragments: Spitzer manuscript ......................... 125
 Index 227

śrāmaṇyaphala ................................ 42 T 84 ......................................... 144

Śrāvastī/Sāvatthī ...................... 19, 163 T 87 ......................................... 163
stream-entry ... 114, 129, 139, 142, 165 T 95 ........................................... 55
subhāsita ........................................ 149 T 97 ........................................... 39
Sujātā ............................................. 145 T 98 ........................................... 39
Sumaṅgalavilāsinī (Sv) .. 18, 121, 152f, T 110 ........................................ 114
163 T 123 .......................................... 22
Sumerian King List ......................... 26 T 154 .......................................... 70
summit of the Dharma ..................... 43 T 156 ........................................ 157
Sundarī ...................................... 80–82 T 196 .......................................... 76
supramundane path ........ 129–141, 144, T 198 ................................. 80f, 157
146, 165, 170 T 200 ........................................ 157
Sutta-nipāta (Sn) ............. 28, 80f, 142 T 203 .......................................... 77
suttantabhājaniya ............. 88, 104, 133 T 212 .................................. 82, 121
Sūyagaḍa ........................................ 146 T 213 .......................................... 81
T 219 ........................................ 113
T T 453 ........................................ 120
Taishō edition (except for Āgamas):
T 511 .......................................... 56
T 5 .............................................. 49
T 694 ........................................ 157
T 6 ........................................ 49, 73
T 713 ........................................ 129
T 7 ........................................ 49, 73
T 714 ........................................ 129
T 12 ......................... 29–36, 51f, 62
T 715 ........................................ 129
T 13 ...................................... 37, 72
T 755 .......................................... 84
T 15 ............................................ 77
T 759 ........................................ 163
T 32 ............................................ 95
T 765 ........................................ 117
T 41 .......................................... 121
T 776 ................................... 58f, 65
T 48 ............................................ 77
T 1421 .... 16f, 21f, 39, 74f, 83, 114
T 60 ............................................ 74
T 1422 ........................................ 83
T 70 .......................................... 143
T 1423 ........................................ 83
T 76 ............................................ 77
T 1425 .................. 16f, 19, 21f, 74f
T 77 .......................................... 156
T 1426 ........................................ 83
T 78 ............................................ 84
T 1427 ........................................ 83
T 79 ............................................ 84
T 1428 ... 18–22, 39, 74, 83, 88, 114,
T 80 ............................................ 84
121
T 81 ............................................ 84
T 1429 ........................................ 83
228 The Dawn of Abhidharma

T 1431 ....................................... 83 Theravāda Vinaya (Vin) .. 17f, 21f, 27f,

T 1435 ........ 19–22, 71, 74, 83, 114 49, 74f, 82, 114, 121
T 1442 ....................................... 55 Tīrthaṅkara .................................... 124
T 1448 ....................................... 51 Tocharian fragments .. 81, 85, 118, 144
T 1451 .......... 19–22, 114, 156, 160 town in the jungle, simile of .......... 143
T 1461 ....................................... 75 town, simile of rampart ................. 55f
T 1462 ..................................... 154 Tuṣita ..................................... 163–165
T 1463 ................................. 19, 75 twin miracle ............................. 57, 163
T 1478 ....................................... 76
T 1481 ....................................... 71
U
ubhatovibhaṅge/ubhatovinaye .......... 17
T 1507 ............................... 19, 125
Udāna (Ud) ...................... 49, 81f, 163
T 1509 .................... 20, 22, 64, 166
Udānālaṃkāra ................................. 81
T 1536 .. 47, 52f, 62, 86f, 125, 143,
Udānavarga ........................... 118, 142
153, 155, 167
Udānavargavivaraṇa ....................... 81
T 1537 ..... 44, 50, 58–68, 86–89, 93,
Uddesavibhaṅga-sutta ..................... 84
104f, 107, 114, 153, 155, 167
Uighur fragments .... 81, 113, 136, 144
T 1539 ..................................... 125
Upakkilesa-sutta .................... 110–112
T 1544 ....................................... 93
Upāli ......................................... 16f, 27
T 1545 ............... 93f, 125, 151, 154
Upālipañcaka ................................... 27
T 1548 ......... 68, 88f, 93f, 105, 107
Upālivagga ...................................... 27
T 1562 ..................................... 154
Urubilvā Kāśyapa .......................... 120
T 1563 ..................................... 154
Uttara ................................... 149f, 156
T 1579 .............................. 55, 121f
Uttarajjhayaṇa ................................ 26
T 1821 ..................................... 153
T 2085 ..................................... 159 V
T 2087 ............................. 108, 159 vaidalya ........................................... 28
T 2145 ....................................... 76 Vaiśeṣika ................................. 67, 125
T 2154 ..................................... 153 Vibhaṅga (Vibh) ..... 88f, 93, 100, 102,
Tāranātha ..................................... 155 104f, 133, 135, 167
Tarkajvālā .................................... 155 vibhavataṇhā .................................. 96
tasmiṃ samaye ............................ 134f vicāra ............................ 106, 110–112
tena samayena ............................. 134f Vidyaprabhākara ............................ 81
Ṭhāṇaṅga ....................................... 27 Vijñānakāya ................................. 125
Theragāthā (Th) .......................... 120 Vinaya-mātṛkā ............................... 19
 Index 229

Visuddhimagga (Vism) .......... 102, 157 X

vitarka .......................... 106, 110–112 Xuánzàng ............................... 108, 159

W Y
wheel of Dharma ......................... 114f Yogācārabhūmi .......................55, 121f
writing ........................................... 24f