Dear Bhante Sujaato and all
How are you?
You wrote and asked:
"Somewhere in the Atthakathas or Tikas there is an analysis and list
of the various ways in which a 'dhamma' is defined according to the
commentarial system. This distinguishes between certain modes of
definition as provisional (pariyaayena?), and others as ultimate
(paramatthena?). Does anyone know exactly where this passage is, and
can you give references and/or quotes?"
Yes, Bhante. In the following old message I posted a few years ago,
I quoted the commentarial passage dealing with the provional or
conventional teaching and ultimate teaching. You can also read my
translation of the Pali passage to your heart's content.
Please enjoy the read.
Respectfully,
Suan
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Dear Bhante Upatissa, And Venerable Dr Bhikkhu Dhammapiyo,
How are you?
Thank you for responding to my post
"All that the Buddha taught was Abhidhamma"
despite some disagreements.
Dear Ranjith Pushpakumara, Robert Kirkpatrick, And Dr Maung Maung
Lwin
And I also thank Ranjith Pushpakumara, Robert Kirkpatrick, and Dr
Maung Maung Lwin for their solid critical posts that argued for my
views on Abhidhamma in Suttams. I regarded their arguments as my own
because I would have argued in the same way as they did.
Now, as they had argued on my behalf, I have been spared the burden
of mounting arguments, thereby allowing me to use the saved time and
energy for other purposes such as offering further personal insights
into the issue that is Abhidhamma in Suttams
First, I would like to quote the following statements made by
Buddhaghosa in Section 57, Anangana Suttavannanaa, Mulapannaasa,
Majjimanikaaya Atthakathaa.
"Buddhassa bhagavato duvidhaa desanaa sammutidesanaa,
paramatthadesanaa caati. Tattha puggalo satto itthii puriso
khattiyo braahmaºo devo maaroti evaruupaa sammutidesanaa.
Aniccam dukkham anattaa, khandhaa dhaatuu aayatanaani satipa
tthaanaati evaruupaa paramatthadesanaa.
Tattha bhagavaa ye sammutivasena desanam sutvaa
attham pativijjhitvaa moham pahaaya visesam adhigantum
samatthaa tesam sammutidesanam deseti. Ye pana para
matthavasena desanam sutvaa attham pativijjhitvaa moham
pahaaya visesamadhigantum samatthaa, tesam paramattha-
desanam deseti."
"The Buddha Bhagavaa's way of teaching is twofold in terms of the
conventional way of teaching (sammutidesanaa) and the ultimate way of
teaching (paramatthadesanaa). There, such way of teaching as person,
sentient being, woman, man, Royals, Brahmin, gods, and maaro is the
conventional way of teaching. Such way of teaching as impermanence,
misery, selflessness, aggregates, elements, venues, and Establishment
of Recollection (Satipatthaana) is the ultimate way of teaching.
There, the Buddha Bhagavaa delivers the conventional way of teaching
to those who are capable of gaining unique insight by hearing the
teaching in conventional terms, penetrating the meaning, and removing
ignorance. On the other hand, the Buddha delivers the ultimate way of
teaching to those who are capable of gaining unique insight by
hearing the teachings in ultimate terms, penetating the meaning, and
removing ignorance."
Buddhaghosa also made the following statement in Atthasaalinii, page
223, in Roman edition.
"Abhidhammo naama paramatthadesanaa"
"Abhidhamma is the ultimate way of teaching."
Thus, whenever we find in a Suttam the teachings of impermanence,
misery, selflessness, aggregates, elements, venues, and Establishment
of Recollection (Satipatthaana), we can know for sure that this
Suttam is engaging in the ultimate way of teaching. And, as the
ultimate way of teaching is indicative of Abhidhamma, we can
establish the fact that this Suttam contains a segment or segments of
Abhidhamma. For example, Mahaa Satipatthaana Suttam would easily
qualify as Abhidhamma because this Suttam dedicates itself to
teaching the establishment of recollection exclusively.
We can also find in the Suttams the teachings of persons and sentient
beings so that they can also qualify as the conventional way of
teaching. For example, Metta Suttam uses sentient beings as its
objects while containing items of Abhidhamma such as gentleness
(mettaa or adosa in Abhidhamma parlance).
Therefore, we now know that Suttanta Pitaka contains both the
conventional way of teaching and the ultimate way of teaching. That
is another way of saying that Suttams contains segments of
Abhidhamma.
Now, let's take a closer look at the second paragraph we quoted
earlier from Anangana Suttavannanaa.
"There, the Buddha delivers the conventional way of teaching to those
who are capable of gaining unique insight by hearing the teaching in
conventional terms, penetrating the meaning, and removing ignorance.
On the other hand, the Buddha delivers the ultimate way of teaching
to those who are capable of gaining unique insight by hearing the
teachings in ultimate terms, penetating the meaning, and removing
ignorance."
The above paragraph is extremely significant in determining the goal
of Suttanta Pitaka and Abhidhamma Pitaka.
The first sentence shows the conventional way of teaching and its
purpose. And the purpose is the gain of unique insight. Unique
insight is the right view that is sammaaditthi, which is an ultimate
reality, or an item of Abhidhamma.
In short, Suttams not only contain segments of Abhidhamma, but also
have the right view that is an item of Abhidhamma as their goal.
The second sentence solves the issue of whether Abhidhamma can
deliver awakening at all. Yes, Abhidhamma can deliver the goods
because "the Buddha delivers the ultimate way of teaching to those
who are capable of gaining unique insight by hearing the teachings in
ultimate terms, penetating the meaning, and removing ignorance."
With kind regards,
Suan Lu Zaw
http://www.bodhiology.org
--- In Triplegem@..., Bhante Upatissa <sadhu44@...> wrote:
> Suan Lu Zaw wrote:> Believe it or not, the Buddha taught only>
abhidhamma.
>
> I don't believe it.>
> With Metta,
>
> Upatissa
>
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--- In Pali@yahoogroups.com, "Bhante Sujato" <sujato@...> wrote:
Dear all,
Somewhere in the Atthakathas or Tikas there is an analysis and list
of
the various ways in which a 'dhamma' is defined according to the
commentarial system. This distinguishes between certain modes of
definition as provisional (pariyaayena?), and others as ultimate
(paramatthena?). Does anyone know exactly where this passage is, and
can you give references and/or quotes?
in Dhamma
Bhante Sujato