\Thanks nina for your answer on the abhidhamma enumeration


mettacittena

--- In Pali@yahoogroups.com, Nina van Gorkom <vangorko@...> wrote:
>
> Dear Johnny,
> In the Suttanta we read that the Buddha explained the Dhamma to
> different people at different places and adapted his way of
> explanation to the dispositions of people. He spoke about
persons,
> living beings. Through the Abhidhamma we learn that what we call
a
> person or being are mental phenomena and physical phenomena which
are
> non-self.
> We read in the 'Expositor' (the Co. to the Dhammasangani, the
first
> book of the Abhidhamma), p. 3,4 that Abhi is used in the sense of
> preponderance and distinction.
> Also in the Suttanta there is the teaching of Abhidhamma, such as
the
> teaching about the khandhas, the elements, the aayatanas, but in
the
> Abhidhamma these are classified in more detail. Also in the
Suttanta
> the Buddha taught about kamma and vipaaka, but in the Abhidhamma
> these are taught in more detail. We learn about all the different
> kinds of volition and about all the different kinds of
vipaakacitta.
> We learn about all the different cetasikas that acompany citta.
We
> learn about the twentyfour classes of conditions by which
phenomena
> are related to each other.
> In the Suttanta the Buddha taught about the Paticca Samuppada,
but
> when we apply the twentyfour conditions to this teaching, we gain
a
> deeper understanding of the links of the Paticca Samuppada, and
of
> the ways by which each link condiitons the following link.
> In the Suttanta we receive strong reminders in brief to cultivate
> kusala, avoid akusala and purify the mind. Such impressive
reminders
> are most helpful. If we, next to the Suttanta also study the
> Abhidhamma we receive great support so that we come to know
exactly
> what kusala is and what akusala. We also learn that what we used
to
> take for kusala and noble conduct is in fact often akusala. We
learn
> about the deep underlying motives of our actions and speech. We
learn
> what we did not know before.
> When a person speaks harsh words to us we are likely to blame the
> other person as the cause of our unhappiness. Through the
Abhidhamma
> we learn about the real causes of the events of life. Hearing an
> unpleasant sound is vipaakacitta, the result of kamma performed
in
> the past. Unhappy feeling is akusala, and this arises due to the
> latent tendency of dosa that has been accumulated. Thus, when we
> apply the Abhidhamma we do not blame others but we know that we
> ourselves are at fault.
> The teaching of the Vinaya, Suttanta and Abhidhamma is one
teaching
> and we can profit from each part of the teachings, we need them
all.
> This does not mean that everybody should study the whole of the
> Abhidhamma, but a basic understanding of some details is most
> helpful. It helps us to gain more understanding of the deep
meaning
> of the Suttanta.
>
> Johnny, your question deserves a more extensive answer, but I am
just
> going on a trip.
> Nina.
> Op 22-jun-2007, om 2:13 heeft johnny pruitt het volgende
geschreven:
>
> > What is the difference between the suttanta method of
enumeration
> > and the abhidhamma method of enumeration.
>
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>