________________ Satra and Abhidharma 47 Canrmenting further on the differences between the Sautrantikas and Vaibhashikas on the authenticity of the Abhidharma canon, Yasomitra says: "What is meant by the term Sautrantika ?" "Those who hold the sutras as authentic and not the sastras, are called Sautrantika." "If they do not accept the sastras as authentic, how do they explain the division of the canon in the three Pitakas ? Is it not a fact that the sutras know the term 'Abhidharma-pitaka', as for instance in an expression 'a tripitaka monk'?" "That does not matter. For a certain kind of Sutras themselves, dealing with the determination of meanings and characteristics of dharmas are called Abhidharma."1deg "In order to dispel a possible confusion arising from this view, the Vaibhashikas maintain that the Abhidharma-pitaka, which deals with the nature of the characteristics of elements and belongs to the Upadesa class, was preached by the Buddha to his disciples, and remains scattered here and there. Just as Dharmatrata compiled several udanas of the Master (like "Impermanent are indeed the compounded elements") in a work like the Udanavarga, similarly, the Elders Katyayaniputra and others collected the Abhidharma together in these sastras". 2 These comments of Yasomitra are helpful in understanding the main differences between the Abhidharmikas and the Sautrantikas on thc authenticity of the Abhidharma. The Sautrantikas, too, recognise a class of literature grouped under the term Abhidharma-pitaka, but maintain that it is scattered in the Sutra-pitaka itself. The Abhidharma of the Abhidharmikas, however, consists of a separate collection, claimed as a word of the Buddha. This Abhidharma is, for the Sautrantikas, a work of sastrins or acharyas, and hence not canonical.2 The Pali commentators were certainly aware of the late composition of the Abhidharma-pitaka. This is apparent from their attempt to call it 'abhidhamma-sutta', and their determination to invent alternative introductions (nidanas) for these 'suttas'. - In the Sarvastivada tradition, however, the Abhi1 Ibid. 3 Saku. p. 12. 2 Saku. p. 12. 4 See Dhs A. I. 37-77.
