Abhidharmakosa Chapter 1: Dhatu (Elements)

Overview: Chapters 1 and 2 lay out basic principles. The first 3 karikas are expository for the work as a whole and are in a different meter (as are the final 4 karikas of Chapter 8). K3 in particular states that discernment of the (- pravicaya) is necessary to realize liberation. Chapters 1 and 2 are an exposition of the dharmas, they describe the basic principles or elemental forces. The later chapters are concrete and describe how these forces work together in the process of samsara (Chapters 3-5) and liberation (chapters 6-8). As such, the first two chapters are a difficult place to enter studies. The practical import of the material in Chapters 1 and 2 is unfolded in the later chapters. This chapter introduces a set of key distinctions in K4-8 (see Table 1 below), defines the 5 , describes the relationship between the 5 skandhas, 12 ayatanas and 18 dhatus (see Table 2), deals with some related points and then carries out a detailed attribute study of the dhatus (see Table 3).

Table 1: K4–8: Key Distinctions: All Dharmas Conditioned (samskrta) Unconditioned (asamskrta) Temporal (advan: paths), grounds of discourse, liable to expire (possessed of Space (akasa) and two leaving), well-grounded [on causes] (possessed of causes) (K7). types of cessation (nirodha) (K5) Contaminated (sasrava) “because the Uncontaminated Uncontaminated defilements adhere to them” (K4) (anasrava) (anasrava) 1st and 2nd Noble Truths 4th Noble 3rd Noble of Suffering & Origination (K8) Truth of the Path Truth of Cessation -: of conflict, the world, false opinions, (K4) (K6) existence (K8) 5 Skandha = All conditioned dharmas (K7) 12 Ayatanas = 18 Dhatus = All Dharmas

Definitions of the 5 Skandhas: I. Rupa Skandha: 5 sense organs, 5 sense objects and avijnapti: The 5 sense organs are the subtle materiality of the eye, ear, nose, tongue and body. (K9) The 5 sense objects are defined as follows: (K10) Visible matter is color and shape, or twenty-fold: four primary colors (blue, red, yellow, white), eight more colors (cloud, smoke, dust, mist, shade, glare, glow, darkness), and eight shapes (long, short, square, round, high, low, even, uneven). The Sautrantika only admit color, not shape or form, as a dharma. Note: the (rupa) and the Chinese (色) use the same term for material form (as in rupa-skandha) and visible matter (or color) (see K24). Sound is eightfold: caused by (1) animate or (2) inanimate beings, (3) articulate speech and (4) non-articulate sound, and in all 4 cases, either agreeable or disagreeable. Taste is sixfold: sweet, sour, salty, pungent, bitter, astringent. Odor is fourfold: good and bad odors that are either excessive or non-excessive. Tangibles are elevenfold: four primary elements (earth/solidity, water/humidity, fire/heat, wind/motion), softness, hardness. weight, lightness, cold, hunger, thirst. Avijnapti: “That serial continuity - pure or impure - which exists even in one whose thought is distracted or who is without thought, and which is dependent on the Great Elements, is called the non-informative (avijnapti) [matter].” (K11) 4 elements: Element: Characteristic: Function: The characteristics and functions indicate Earth Hardness/Solidity Supporting that the names of the elements (maha-bhuta) Water Humidity/moisture Cohesion/collecting should not be taken literally. Fire Heat Ripening Air Motion/mobility Expanding/spreading II. Vedana Skandha: “The aggregate of feeling (vedana-skandha) comprises three types of affect: pleasure (), suffering (duhkha), and neither-suffering-nor-pleasure (aduhkhasukha). Again, that [aggregate] can be divided into six groups of feeling (vedana-kaya): from feeling born of eye-contact through feeling born of mind-contact.” (K14) III. Skandha: “This is the aggregate of ideas, namely the apprehension (grahana) of „marks‟ (nimitta) such as blue or yellow, long or short, female or male, friend or enemy, and so on.” (K14) (grahana can also be “grasping” or “determining”) IV. Samskara Skandha: “Saṁskāraskandha are the saṁskāras different from the other four skandhas” (K15). See the 75 dharmas table in Chapter 2 for a detailed exposition of the Samskaras: citta-samprayukta and citta-viprayukta. V. Vijnana Skandha: “Consciousness is the impression relative to each object.”

Panca-vastuka 5 Skandha 75 Dharmas (Puguang’s distillation from the 12 Ayatana 18 Dhatu 5 Categories Aggregates Abhidharmakosa, Ch 1, 2 & 5) Gates Elements

Five (Faculties) 1.Caksur (eye) 1.Caksur (eye) 1.Caksur (eye) 2.Srotra (ear) 2.Srotra (ear) 3.Ghrana (nose) 3.Ghrana (nose) I. Rupa 1.Rupa-skandha 2.Srotra (ear) 4.Jihva (tongue) 4.Jihva (tongue) (material form) (material form) 3.Ghrana (nose) 4.Jihva (tongue) 5.Kaya (touch) 5.Kaya (touch) 5.Kaya (touch)

Five Artha (Sensory objects) 6.Rupa (sight) 6.Mano (mind) 6.Mano (mind) 7.Sabda (sound) 8.Gandha (smell) 9.Rasa (taste) 10.Sparstavya (tangible) 7.Rupa (sight) 7.Rupa (sight) 8.Sabda (sound) 8.Sabda (sound) 9.Gandha (smell) 9.Gandha (smell) 11. Avijnapti (non-infromation) 10.Rasa (taste) 10.Rasa (taste) 11.Sparstavya 11.Sparstavya II. Citta (Mind) 12. Citta (thought) (tangible) (tangible)

2.Vedana- Samprayukta (46 caitta): Mahabhumikas (universals): 12. Dharma 12.Dharma skandha (feeling) 13. Vedana (sensation), 14. Cetana (volition), 15. Samjna (ideation), 16. Chanda (predilection), 17. Sparsa (contact), 18. Prajna (understanding), 19. Smrti (), 20. 3.Samjna-skandha Manaskara (attention), 21. Adhimoksha (determination), 22. (conception) (concentration)

Kusala-mahabhumikas (skillful universals): III. Caita-sika 23. Sraddha (faith), 24. Apramada (diligence), 25. (mental factors) Prasrabdhi (calm), 26. Upeksa (equanimity), 27. Hri (modesty), 28. (shame), 29. Alobha (non-greed), 30. Advesa (non-hatred), 31. Avihimsa (harmlessness), 32. Virya (vigor). Six Vijnana Klesa-mahabhumikas (Defiled universals): consciousnesses: 33. Moha (delusion), 34. Pramada (non-diligence), 35. 13.Caksur (eye) Kausidya (slackness), 36. Asraddhya (lack of faith), 37. 14.Srotra (ear) Styana (torpor), 38. Auddhatya (restlessness) 15.Ghrana (nose) Akusala-mahabhumikas (unskillful universals): 16.Jihva (tongue) 39. Ahrikya (non-modesty), 40. Anapatrapya 17.Kaya (touch) (shamelessness) 18. Mano (mind) Parittaklesa-bhumikas (defilements of restricted scope): 41. Krodha (anger), 42. Upanaha (enmity), 43. Sathya (dissimulation), 44. Irsya (jealousy), 45. Pradasa (stubbornness), 46. Mraksa (concealment), 47. Matsarya (avarice), 48. Maya (deceptiveness), 49. Mada (pride), 50. 4.Samskara- Vihimsa (harmfulness) skandha Aniyata (indeterminates): (formations) 51. Kaukrtya (remorse), 52. Middha (sleep), 53. Vitarka (reasoning), 54. Vicara (investigation), 55. Raga (greed), 56. Pratigha (hostility), 57. Mana (conceit), 58. Vicikitsa (doubt)

IV.Viprayukta- Viprayukta (14): 59. Prapti (acquisition), 60. Aprapti (non- samskara acquisition), 61. Nikaya-sabhaga (group-homogeniety), 62. (disassociated Asamjnika (Ideationlessness), 63. Asamjni-samapatti formations) (ideationless attainment), 64. Nirodha-samapatti (cessation attainment), 65. Jivitendriya (vital faculty), 66. Jati-laksana (production-characteristic), 67. Sthiti-laksana (duration- characteristic), 68. Jara-laksana (deterioration- characteristic), 69. Anityata-laksana (impermenence- characteristic), 70. Namakaya (word-group), 71. Pada-kaya (phrase-group), 72. Vyanjana-kaya (syllable group)

5.Vijnana-skandha (consciousness)

V. Asamskrta 73. Pratisamkhya-nirodha (extinction through deliberation), Rupa-skandha, mano- (unconditioned) 74. Apratisamkhya-nirodha (extinction not through ayatana, & dharma-dhatu deliberation), subsume all dharmas - see 75. Akasa AKB Ch 1, K18

K20: Significance of the teachings of the skandhas, ayatanas and dhatus:

Instruction by the category Error/Delusion (moha) Faculties/Organs Joy/Predilections (ruci) of one (signifying): finding a “self” (atman) in: (indriya) are… predisposed to a teaching that is: 1 Skandha (heap, aggregate) Caitta (thought concomitants) Sharp Condensed (5 skandhas) [SKANDHA: 1 RUPA/4 CITTA] 2 Ayatana (gate of entry, Rupa (material Form) Medium Medium-length (12 ayatanas) access-door) [AYATANA: 10 RUPA/2 CITTA] 3 Dhatu (, species, Rupa-citta (form & thought) Dull Extensive (18 dhatus) source) [DHATU: 10 RUPA/8 CITTA]

K22: Justifications for the order of the skandhas:

Skandha In terms of grossness In terms of defilement In terms of the meaning of a bowl, etc Rupa (material form) [material] form (rupa) is the Or else, in beginningless the aggregates grossest of all [the aggregates], Samsara, men and women are beginning with form, are since it possesses „impact‟ attracted to each other's forms, [figuratively] the bowl (pratigha). [rupa], Vedana (feeling) feeling (vedana) is the grossest in and they are so because of the food [vedana], its functioning, for people greed for the taste of feelings. differentiate it thus: „a feeling in my hand,‟ a „feeling in my foot.‟ Samjna (conception) ‟ Idea (samjna) is grosser that the That greed comes from the condiment [samjna], next two, perversion of ideas. Samskara (formations) and dispositions (samskara) are That perversion is by the cook [samskara], grosser than defilements [which are certain dispositions], Vijnana (consciousness) cognition (vijnana). and it is thought [citta, vijnana, and the eater [vijnana]. cognition] which is defiled by those.

K37-38: Causal attributes: Vipakaja: [karmically] “fruitional”, “of fruition”: born from a cause of [karmic] fruition. Aupacayika: “additive”, “accumulation”: increased by certain kinds of nourishment (ahara), cleansing (samskara), sleep (svapna), and concentration (samadhi). Naisyandika: “continuing”, “outflowing”: produced from homogeneous (sabhaga) and universal (sarvatraga) causes (hetu). Dravyayukta: “containing substance”, “real”: here, substantial existence in terms of being permanent. (see K38 below) Ksanika: “instantaneous”, “momentary”: this does not refer to the instantaneous arising and passing away of dharmas, but rather to the manner in which the pure dharmas that arise at the moment of insight (darsana-marga, the path of seeing) are effects (pure) not similar to the [immediately preceding] cause (impure). They are thus momentary in that they do not proceed from a heterogenous (sabhaga) cause (where the cause is similar to its effect). (see K38 below) These terms relate to the Sarvastivada theory of causation discussed in Ch 2, K49-64.

K42: Well known and extensive debate regarding “what sees?” See Dhammajoti, Abhidharma Doctrines and Controversies on , Ch 5.

Summary of the classifications the dhatu s in

K29-48 of Chapter 1

X = inclusion. P = partial.

vijnana vijnana

vijnana vijnana

-

vijnana vijnana

- vijnana vijnana

-

- vijnana vijnana

(taste)

- -

consciousness)

consciousness) consciousness)

-

-

consciousness)

-

-

consciousness)

consciousness)

- - Mano

Attributes (karika #) <# of dhatus>:

18Dhatus: 1.Caksur (eye) 2.Srotra (ear) 3.Ghrana (nose) 4.Jihva (tongue) 5.Kaya (touch) 6.Mano (mind) 7.Rupa (sight) 8.Sabda (sound) 9.Gandha (smell) 10.Rasa 11.Sparstavya(tangible) 12.Dharma 13.Caksur (eye 14.Srotra (ear 15.Ghrana (nose 16.Jihva 17.Kaya (touch 18. (mind (tongue Visible (K29) <1> X Capable of being struck (K29) <10> X X X X X X X X X X Avyakrta (morally neutral) (K29) <8> X X X X X X X X Kusala, Akusala or Avyakrta (K30) <10> X X X X X X X X X X Rupadhatu (K30) <14> (Kamadhatu has all (K30) <18>) X X X X X X X X X X X X X X Arupyadhatu (K31) <3> X X X Sasrava (impure) or Anasrava (pure) (K31) <3> X X X Sasrava (impure) (K31) <15> X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X Always include vitarka & vicara (K32) <5> X X X X X Include both vitarka & vicara, just vicara, or neither (K32) <3> X X X Not associated with vitarka and vicara (K32) <10> X X X X X X X X X X Have an object (K34) <8> X P X X X X X X Non-appropriated (K34) <9> X X X X X X X X X Appropriated or non-appropriated (K34) <9> X X X X X X X X X Primary elements & secondary matter (K35) <1> X Solely secondary matter (K35) <9> X X X X X X X X X Agglomerations (K35) <10> X X X X X X X X X X Cut, are cut, burned and weighed (K36) <4> X X X X Vipakaja (of fruition) (K37-38) <17> X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X Aupacayika (accumulation) (K37-38) <10> X X X X X X X X X X Naisyandika (outflowing) (K37-38) <11> X X X X X X X X X X X X X Dravyayukta (real) (K38) <1> P Ksanika (momentary) (K38) <3> X X X Internal (K39) <12> X X X X X X X X X X X X Sabhaga (S) or sabhaga & tatsabhaga (ST) (K39) <1+17> ST ST ST ST ST ST ST ST ST ST ST S ST ST ST ST ST ST Abandoned through meditation (K40) <15> X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X Abandoned through seeing or meditation or not abandoned<3> X X X View (K41) <2> X P Know object without attaining it (K43) <3> X X X Know object with attaining it (K43) <3> X X X Grasp an object of their dimension (K44) <3> X X X Point of support past (P) or simultaneous (S) (K44) <1+5> S S S S S P Same or higher level(SH), same, higher or lower(SHL), own SH SH O O O U SHL SHL O O O U SH SH O O OL U level(O), own or lower(OL), unrestricted(U)(K46-47)<4,2,8,1,3> Discerned by two consciousnesses (K48) <5> X X X X X Indriya (faculties) (K48) <13> X X X X X X P X X X X X X