Dear Frank Kuan:

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Frank Kuan "the abidhamma (3rd pitaka) got added at
the 3rd

> council during the asoka period. This was like, 500
> years or something after the buddha's death? If
> Mahakassapa was so careful not to let any of the
> Buddha's most trivial minor things slip thorugh the
> cracks from the vinaya pitaka at the first council,
> how did he let a whole body of work of abidhamma not
> get recorded for posterity?
> HMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM."

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HMMMMMMMMM...bop !!!
The Abhidhamma was probably composed circa 300 - 500
years after Buddha�s Parinibbana. At Sutta Pitaka we
find many texts that are verses and poems by other
monks and nuns, posed at very simple words. But, as a
personnal opinion, I consider The abhidhamma as a
r�sum� or review at the very teeth of many, many
duscussions and dialogues between Buddha and his
bikkuhs, between one each other or with laypeople. See
the Vibhangapali, for example - a complete catechism
of buddhist doctrine,coined up perhaps with the
purpose of "all right, boy! If you know only these
answers it�s O.K. for me!"
But if you look around other works at the same
"era", you will find at jainism�s works by Kundhkhund,
Bhadrabahu and others a clear and deep influence of
the Abhidhamma, mainly at the "Samaysara" and the
"Niyamasara". Other Hindustani Darshanas as the Nyaya
and the Mimansa have got many tinges of the typical
Abhidhamma�s reasonings!
Some people says that the arising of the
Abhidhamma cracked up the monolithic unity of the
Sangha in Hinayana and Mahayana. It�s an exaggerate
viewpoint.
I find the Abhidhamma�s doctrine sound and
not-heretical in all its extension: if one concocts
suttas with these knowledge... well, the reader must
be aware of this risk!
A Fountain pen that�s a forgery of a original
Waterman or Parker, but which is totally functional,
doesn�t leak ink and writes smoothly... is still a
good Fountain pen at any way!!!!

Mettaya, �caro




=====
Seize the time, there�s only minutes left to zero
Just got a little taste, I gotta get some more,
Just me and you

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