Abhidharmadipa with Vibhasaprabha Vrutti

Author(s): P S Jaini
Publisher: Kashi Prasad Jayaswal Research Institute

Page 49

34 Introduction are (1) Chulakamma-vibhanga, (2) Mahakamma-vibhanga, (3) Salayatana-vibhanga, (4) Uddesa-vibhanga, (5) Aranavibhanga (6) Dhatu-vibhanga, (7) Sachha-vibhanga and (8) Dakkhina-vibhanga. The term vibhanga is significant. It means distribution, division or classification. It also means expansion (of a meaning), i.e. a commentary. Vibhanga is also a name of the second Abhidhamma Book, which is more or less a continuation and expansion of the dhammas collected in the Dhammasangani. These two abhidhammika functions, namely the collection and expansion, characterise these vibhanga-suttas and mark the second stage in the development of the Abhidharma. Several suttas of the Samyuta-nikaya can also be called pure Abhidhamma. The Nidana-sanyutta has several suttas dealing only with the patichcha-samuppada. The Dhatusamyuttadeals with all kinds of dhatus and gives their traditional definitions. The Khandha-samyutta: contains details of all khandhas. The Salayatana-samyutta* and particularly the Satthi-peyyala deal with ayatanas with the triple doctrine (anichcha, dukkha, anatta) applied to them. The Sariputta and the Moggallana-samyuttas(r) are long discourses on the rupa and arupa-dhyanas, given in the stereotyped formulas repeated all over the Nikayas. The Asamkhata samyutta' deals with nirvana. The last Book of the Samyutta-nikaya, viz., the Mahavagga, deals with magga, i.e. the thirty-seven (bodhipakkhiya) dhammas. There are seven separate samyuttas dealing with the seven main items of these bodhipakkhiyas. 8 The Ang. nikaya due to its method of numerical order comes much closer to the books of Abhidhamma. The 1 S. II. pp. 1-132. 2 S. II, pp. 140-177. 3 S. III. pp. 1-180. 4 S. IV. pp. 1-172. 5 S. III. pp. 235-240. 6 S. IV. pp 262-280. 7 S. IV. pp. 359-373. 8 See S. V. pp. 1-290,