U Thaw Zin - Abhidhamma

Secondary - Introduction

History of Abhidhamma

The teachings of the Buddha are contained in the three Pitakas: the Sutta, the Vinaya, and the Abhidhamma. The Abhidhamma is the last of the three Pitakas. It consists of seven books: the Dhamma Sangani, the Vibhīna, the Samādhi Katha, the Pūggalāya, the Kathāvatthū, the Yama, and the Pathāṇa. The Abhidhamma Pitaka is also called the Pāli. The Pāli texts are so difficult that even the wise cannot read and study them. Therefore, Buddha Ghōsa explained the difficult and difficult points from these Pāli texts in order. This is called the Atthakatha. The opening of the Dhamma Sangani is called the Atthakatha. The Vibhīna Atthakatha is called the Sammoha Vinodāni. The Samādhi Katha, the Pūggalāya, the Kathāvatthū, the Yama, The five precepts are collectively called the Pansapakarana. Pansapakarana means five scriptures.

The expositions of Buddha Ghosa were beautiful and precise, but they were not readable by ordinary people. Therefore, a Kappiya named Nampa asked Anuruddha to explain the essence of the Abhidhamma. Therefore, Anuruddha composed a book called the Abhidhammatthasinghaha, which is a thousand-hand volume. As it is called the Abhidhammatthasinghaha, the size of the book is also about a thousand hands. The Burmese call this book Sagaha. The full name of the book is Abhidhammatthasinghaha. Here, the last part of the song is Sagaha in Burmese. The book is small and light. It is like a rope to climb to the very high Abhidhamma palace. It is like a boat to cross the vast Abhidhamma ocean. Students of the Abhidhamma were able to access the seven books of the Abhidhamma with the help of this book.

The Abhidhamma also contains many complex and intricate secrets, and this small book is also explained in detail. Among them, the commentary by Sumangalasami called Abhidhamma Vibhavini is very prominent. With the help of this commentary, those who study the Abhidhamma can solve the difficulties contained in the Abhidhamma.

This is another extract from the history of Abhidhamma as it developed in Ceylon. There are many other commentaries on Abhidhamma in Ceylon. However, what I want to mention here is Anuruddha's Abhidhammatthasingaha and the Abhidhammattha-vibhavinitika of Sumangalasami, who explained it. This commentary may be easy and clear to Ceylonese Abhidhamma teachers, but it is not very easy for Burmese who are new to Abhidhamma. It is full of difficult information. Therefore, it needs to be explained further. I will quote an interesting article on this subject from the Sasana Lankara document compiled by Mahadhammasakana.

Commentary

During the reign of King Thuparin Dayaka Narapati, a great scholar of the Aryan lineage, who was well-versed in the scriptures, was prominent in the kingdom of Yadanarpura. That scholar belonged to the lineage of the ancient and later Pagan religions, descended from the great monks of the seven schools of the Pinyasagar. That scholar taught the Pali Atthakatha commentary scriptures from the Pinyasagar school, and carried a large wooden stick, enough to carry a woman's load. He did not even know what it meant to be a scholar of scriptures or a scholar of literature, so he went to Sagaing to learn from the teachers who were knowledgeable in scriptures.

At that time, to the north of the Punya Pagoda, there was a monk named Yetur, who was very knowledgeable in the scriptures. He used to sit in the water, not wanting to talk, and so he was called Yetur. The great Ariyawansa also sought the help of that Yetur monk. He did not speak for two days, but returned only after filling his robes. On the third day, when he heard a sound from the tap, he spat water and asked about the scriptures he had studied and learned. When he asked about the scriptures he had studied and learned, he found that there were no scriptures he had not studied or studied. The teacher said, “I have come because I do not know what a scholar is.” He said, “I have a letter to send. When the moon rises, I go to the square of the Punya Pagoda and wear a robe. I am not tired. However, if you do not know how to read, please break the robe. Learn the commentary.” He gave me the scriptures and learned the commentary.

The monk Yetur also taught him various special methods. After teaching him for three days, he reflected on the method he had shown him, and after remembering that he had not come for two or three days, he would tell him about the scriptures and the literate. The great sage Vamsa arrived.

The monk said, "The monk has not returned after three days of study. Is he well? He has pitched a tent in the tamarind forest to the north-east of the Punya Pagoda. Go and see and ask him." He sent his disciples to study.

They met on their way there and then, and when they came together, they went to the teacher and asked him why he had not come for two or three days. He said, "I have learned the meaning of being a scholar because I have been thinking and devising the method that I have shown you."

The monk Yetur said, "In this way, you can learn to read the commentary with only two weeks of study. As a reward for your kindness, open the commentary with your own hands."

The great Ariyavamsa also composed the Manisara Minjusa Sutra, with the commentary of the teacher, and the opening of the book. He composed it from the northeast corner of the Punya Pagoda. He also taught literature. It is said that many disciples and monks flourished. When the Manisara Minjusa Sutra was composed, it was read by many monks in the square of the Punya Pagoda every day for eight days after the full moon.

At that time, a person who was going to pay homage to the Buddha at Bagan also said “Ee” twice from a distance. He also asked where he was staying. When he arrived at the temple and looked at it, he saw that one thing was repeated, and the other was that the Idanga had lost its hold on the Imangambi, so he lifted up the person who said “Ee”. When he arrived, he said this:

"My lord, I have not written this book in vain. I have opened my book at night when the sound of people and birds ceased, and I have closed my book during the day when the sound of people and birds ceased. And yet, I have worked hard," he said.

When he said this, the person named Ee also said this.

The scriptures compiled by the Master are very telling.