Dear friends,

The Seven Books of the Abhidhamma (part 1).

The Abhidhamma consists of the following seven books:

1.Dhammasanga.nii (translated as 'Buddhist Psychological Ethics',
P.T.S. and also
translated by U Kyaw, Myanmar.)
2.Vibha�nga (translated as 'Book of Analysis', P.T.S.)
3.Dhaatukathaa (Translated as 'Discourse on Elements', P.T.S.)
4. Puggalapa~n~natti (Translated as 'A Designation of Human Types',
P.T.S.)
5.Kathaavatthu (Translated as 'Points of Controversy', P.T.S.)
6.Yamaka (the Book of Pairs, not translated into English)
7.Pa.t.thaana (Translated in part as 'Conditional Relations', P.T.S. )
------
A summary of the contents of these seven books has been given by
Ven. Nyanatiloka in his �Guide through the Abhidhamma Pi.taka� (BPS
Kandy, 1971) and also by U Kyaw Khine in the introduction to his
translation of the Dhammasa�nganii. Therefore, I will render only
some salient features of each book with the purpose to show that the
classifications found in the Abhidhamma are not mere lists to be read
and memorized. They all point to the investigation of the realities
of our daily life. In this way the pa~n~naa is developed that sees
realities as they are, as impermanent, dukkha and anattaa. This kind
of pa~n~naa leads to the eradication of defilements.

The commentary to the Dhammasa�nganii, the first book, is the
�Atthasaalinii�, edited by the venerable Buddhaghosa and translated
as �Expositor�,
The Dhammasa�nganii, begins, after the Matika, with a description of
mahaa-kusala citta (kusala citta of the sense sphere) accompanied by
pa~n~naa. It enumerates all the sobhana cetasikas assisting this
citta while they accompany it just for a moment. It refers to mahaa-
kusala citta experiencing an object, be it visible object, sound,
odour, flavour, tangible object or dhamma object. This points to
daily life. Time and again citta experiences an object through one of
the six doors.
The Dhammasa�nganii states with regard to the first type of mahaa-
kusala citta of the sense sphere:<At a time (yasmi.m samaye) when
mahaa-kusala citta of the sense sphere accompanied by joy and
associated with understanding has arisen...> and then sums up the
accompanying cetasikas. The �Expositor� (p. 76) explains the word
samaya as time, occasion, concurrence of conditions, the mutual
contribution towards the production of a common result: <By this word
showing thus the condition, the conceit of one who believes that
states unconditionally follow one�s own will is subdued.>
We cling to the idea of our own will that can direct dhammas, but
this is not according to reality. Will or volition, be it wholesome,
unwholesome or indeterminate, is only a conditioned element.
The mahaa-kusala citta is accompanied by the cetasikas that always
accompany citta, the �universals�, such as contact, feeling or
remembrance, sa~n~naa, as well as by the �particulars�, pakinnakas,
cetasikas that accompany many cittas but not all. Then follows a list
of all the sobhana cetasikas necessary for the arising of even one
moment of kusala citta of the sense sphere.
For example, the cetasika confidence or faith, saddhaa, always has to
accompany kusala citta. If there is no confidence in kusala, kusala
citta could not arise. There have to be non-attachment and non-
aversion. When we perform daana or observe siila we are not selfish,
we are not thinking of our own pleasure and comfort. There is calm
with each kusala citta, at such a moment there is no agitation. There
has to be sati which is non-forgetful of kusala. Sobhana cetasikas
are necessary so that mahaa-kusala citta with pa��aa can arise just
for one extremely brief moment and perform its function, and then
citta and cetasikas fall away together. The cetasikas condition the
citta by way of conascence-condition and by several other conditions.
Thus, we cannot make kusala arise at will, it has no possessor, there
is no one who can direct its arising. It arises when the right
conditions are present and then it falls away immediately, nobody can
cause it to last. All the sobhana cetasikas that fall away are
accumulated from moment to moment so that there are conditions for
the arising again of kusala citta.
We shall see that several cetasikas are listed more than once
under different aspects, such as understanding as faculty, or as
power. The list ends with: sampaja��a (sati and pa��a), samatha,
vipassanaa, paggaaha (grasp, which is the faculty of energy),
avikkhepa (balance, self-collectedness, another word for ekaggata
cetasika, one-pointedness or concentration).
Thus we see that these lists are not a mere summing up, but that
they point to the development of right understanding of realities.

*******
Nina.



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