Abhidhamma
From TheBuddhism.Net
The spirit and the essence of a Buddha’s teaching is Abhidhamma. It is only a Buddha who could understand the reality of all things that exist. Neither a human nor any other being who even has perfected its senses could understand the nature of things as a Buddha could since only a Buddha has improved the function of his brain to the ultimate by meditation, comprehension and wisdom.
Abhidhamma is only found in Buddhism; nowhere else.
Most facts in the “Sutta Pitaka” are specified in complete detail, in the “Abhidhamma Pitaka” along with other important features of Buddhism.
To know Buddhism properly is to know Abhidhamma.
To preach Buddhism properly, one should know Abhidhamma.
After attaining Enlightenment, our Great Buddha spent seven weeks under the “Sri Maha Bo” tree which gave him shelter to attain the Buddha hood. During the fourth week, he created a jeweled palace under the tree and spent a week recollecting the Abhidhamma. This is a well-known fact which are in “Sutta” & “Vinaya” books.
The Abhidhamma our Great Buddha recollected during that week was so vast, preaching it completely in words was not possible even in one hundred thousand years. This fact comes in “Aththasalini” belonging to “Vijam Atuwa”.
The Story of Abhidhamma
It was as the tradition of all Buddhas who were born in this world, our Gauthama Buddha went to “Thusitha Heaven” during the rainy months of the seventh year after attaining enlightenment, to preach Abhidhamma to his mother, now a god, and the rest.
Buddha preached this vast Abhidhamma condensed sufficiently for a three months period non-stop to the gods of “Thusita”.
(Three months in human world is a few hours in a heaven.)
During meal times, Buddha created his own image preaching non-stop and went to earth to beg alms. After having his meals he rested at a forest of sandalwood where his chief disciple “Arahanth Sariputhra” came daily and listened to the more condensed version of the Abhidhamma part preached in the heaven for that day. Arahanth Sariputhra had the wisdom to understand it in tenthousandfold, which he taught to 500 of his students, fitting to their comprehension, daily. At the end of the three months, those disciples became eloquent in Abhidhamma.
The “Abhidhamma Pitaka” now in use was taught by Arahanth Sariputhra according to Buddha’s preaching and guidance.
Though some say that “Abhidhamma Pitaka” was not at the first Buddhist council (“Dhamma Sangayana”), according to “Pancha Sathikha Khandhaka”of “Chullawagga Pali” belonging to “Vinaya Pitaka”, three “Pitaka”s have been sermonized at the first Buddhist council . Apart from “Vinaya” and “Sutta” Pitakas there is no other Pitaka other than the “Abhidhamma Pitaka”.
Therefore, all three Pitakas have co-existed since our Great Buddha’s time.
Those who want to attain Nirvana should learn “Abhidhamma” at least to some extent. Without a complete knowledge of the Four Noble Truths which “Abhidhamma” provides, one cannot end his suffering and attain Nirvana.
Basics of Abhidharma in short
Our Gauthama Buddha’s teachings are basically divided into two:
“Vinya” (Discipline of the bhikkus) and “Dhamma” (the position, reality, rebirth, suffering of the beings and ending of that suffering by attaining Nirvana/ reality of existence & the eternal bliss)
“Dhamma” is again divided into two:
“Sutta” (short sermons by our great Buddha on different occasions to different people on different subjects which are not interconnected to each other.)
“Abhidhamma” ( a long sermon which consists of seven books “Dhammasangani”, “Vibhanga”, “Dhathu katha”, Puggala Pagnaththi”, “Kathawaththu”, “Yamaka” & “Pattana” which are interconnected to each other as one great lesson.) This is a profound science with complicated details.
If “Sutta Dhamma” are like the prescriptions written to different patients by a doctor, “Abhidhamma” is like his knowledge in medical science.
There are 82 fundamentals in Abhidhamma such as mind, 52 mental factors, 28 forms/figures and nirvana.
“Objectives” is the general name given to those 82 fundamentals.
Mind / thought is the consciousness of all senses.
Mental Factors are generated with the mind, stay with the mind and perish with the mind. A mind does not generate without mental factors. A mind and mental factors cannot be separated.
Forms/ figures mean everything including the appearance or the formation, complexion or the colouring, whether a being or not a being……..etc. Humans, gods, animals, rocks, earth, rain, sunlight, flora and fauna, trees, leaves, fire, water, wind…..etc are all forms.
Nirvana is the end of suffering/ eternal bliss of never being born again.
The first thing a person who starts to learn Abhidhamma should do is get to understand these objectives and their properties properly.
Please support us so that we can continue to bring you more Dharma:
If you are in the United States, please note that your offerings and contributions are tax deductible. ~ the tsemrinpoche.com blog team
I do hope I have that great opportunity to study and learn about Abhidharma 🙂
The Buddha gave many teachings and amongst these teachings, the Buddha gave many on the nature of the mind, how it functions and along with many teachings on the nature of reality. These are subjects meant to complement contemplative practices and to aid our meditational experience. Buddhism is the only religion such in-depth knowledge of the mind and up till today, scientists are finding parallels between Buddhist understanding of the mind and reality and the latest scientific findings. Hence, there are numerous dialogue between scientists and the Dalai Lama to share and exchange information on this matter.