Abhidharmadipa with Vibhasaprabha Vrutti

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

Page 73

58 Introductian nor is it spoken by heretic sages or disciples or gods. It is a word of the Omniscient. The two interpretations are put together to show the identity of the treatment of this topic in the Sutta and Abhidhamma." This explanation reflects the anxiety of the Abhidharmikas to make their treatment conform to the Sutra preachings. It also reveals that the Abhidharma not only collects the dhammas scattered in the Sutras, but also compiles several Sutras on a given topic. This can be illustrated by one more example. In the Ab. in one place the formula of the patichcha-samuppada is presented with only eleven angas by the exclusion of the term solayatana. The Atthakatha explains that this is done to accommdate the enumerations given in the Mahanidana-sutta. The third link vinnana is explained in the Sb. as six vinnanas (chakkhu to mano) as in the Vibhanga-sutta. In the Mahanidana-sutta, however, the vinnana is spoken of as descending into the womb of the mother, 4 suggesting that the term referred only to the rebirth consciousness (patisandhichitta), which can only be the last, viz., the manovinnana. In the Abhidhamma, the more comprehensive meaning is accepted so as to embrace all states of consciousness. The Atthakatha division of the chitta-vithi (process of consciousness) into pavatti and patisandhi is based on the recognition of these two Sutta explanations of the term vinnana. The patisandhi process explains the moment of rebirth. The pavatti process is solely employed to explain the functions of the consciousness in all other moments. It is possible that the Sutra meaning of the term vijnana (in this formula) was confined only to the moment of rebirth, as the formula was primarily intended to explain the phenomena of rebirth in the absence of an abiding atman. The other meaning, viz., the six vijnanas, although occurring in Vibhanga-sutta of the Samyutta-nikaya, is most probably a 1 Vbh. A. p. 142. 2 Ibid. p. 203. 3 S. II. p. 1. 4 Ado. p. 46, n. 3.