________________ Satra and Abhidharma 33 The same thirty-seven items, called bodhipakshyah orbodhipakshikah dharmah, are also found in most of the Buddhist Sanskrit scriptures. It is possible that the seven bojjhangas formed the nucleus of this collection, to which were added other dharmas. The overlapping character of several items e.g., the five balas again grouped under the five indriyas-was recognized by the commentators. Consequently we find both in the Kosa and in the Dipa, as well as in the Abhidhammatthasangaho of Anuruddha, an attempt to delimit the term to contain only ten, eleven or fourteen dharmas. 2 This tendency of collect the most repeated and advanced teachings of the Buddha and group them in seven clusters is common to many suttas of all five nikayas. The Mahasatipatthana-sutta' is a long discourse on the four satipatthanas and four ariya-sachchas. The Mahanidana. sutta* is devoted to a long discussion on the twelve angas of the patichcha-samuppada. The Chhachhakka-sutta. is purely catechetical in that it deals with six groups of sixes (chhakkas). The Bahudhatuka-sutta(r) is composed solely to collect all dhatus' scattered in various suttas. Instead of the usual eighteen, we here find an enumeration of forty-one dhatus. The Mahasukuludayi-sutta' contains a larger number of items. In addition to the traditional thirty-seven items, there are mentioned eight vimokkhas, eight abhibhayatanas, ten kasinayatanas, four jhanas and six abhinnas. These topics are found fully discussed in all Abhidharma works. A whole series of suttas with the appellation 'vibhanga'! are found in the Vibhangavagga of the Majjhima-nikaya. They I For a complete list, see BHSD, p. 402b. 2 Vide Adv. p. 358, notes. 3 Digha, XXII (Vol. II, p. 290). 4 Digha, XV (Vol. II, p. 55). 5 M. sutta 148 (Vol. III, p. 280). 6 M. sutta 115 (Vol. III. p. 61). 7 M. sutta 77 (Vol. II, p. 1). 8 Vide Ado. pp. 395ff. and 429ff, 9 M. sutta 135-142 (Vol. III, pp. 202-257).
