Chapter 6 – the Paṭisambhidāmagga
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Chapter 6 – The Paṭisambhidāmagga 6.1 - Introduction After discussing in-detail the stand point of the Goenka-tradition with reference to suttas, and other Theravāda tradtions now it is appropriate to study the Paṭisambhidāmagga and its relation to the Goenka-tradition. The Paṭisambhidāmagga being the oldest work, and it is the Principal origin of the literary sources with regard to the insight development, references can be taken from it. The Tipiṭaka being a source to study Buddha’s Teachings, the Sutta and the Vinaya Piṭaka are the primary sources, and the Paṭisambhidāmagga has received the status of being a part of the Sutta Piṭaka. There are other practice manuals available like Visuddhimagga of Buddhaghosa, Vimuttimagga of Upatissa [only a Chinese translation available], etc. In the Visuddhimagga and Vimuttimagga, the Paṭisambhidāmagga is frequently quoted. Hence, the Paṭisambhidāmagga, being a forerunner, and having a special status in the Sutta-Piṭaka, it is chosen as a reference book. 6.1.1 - A Brief history of the text The term Paṭisambhidā - discrimination, comprehension, analysis, analytical knowledge – occurs many times, mainly in the Aṅguttara Nikāya of the Sutta-Piṭaka. It also appears in the Parivāra of the Vinaya-Piṭaka, Niddesa, Apadāna, Buddhavaṃsa, of the Khuddaka Nikāya, and in the Vibhaṅga, Kathāvatthu, and Tikapaṭṭhāna of the Abhidhamma-piṭaka as well. Indirect references to this term are also found in the verses of the Dhammapada. The term Paṭisambhidā appears to be well-known to the other shools of Buddhism also. According to Lance Cousin, the principal origin of the literary sources with regard to the insight development (Vipassanā bhāvanā) is the Paṭisambhidāmagga. It is a later canonical work and its historical context is placed in the period of the formation of the Vibbhajjavādin and Sarvāstivādin schools, somewhere between mid 2nd and 3rd Century BCE. ‘The concerns of the early abhidhamma are closely related to insight meditation. In this sense one might expect these schools of thought to share a common interest in insight meditation so far as they are abhidhamma-based in their orientation.’ ‘One might also speculate that the Pudgalvādins might have been more oriented towards samatha meditation, as the early Sarvāstivādins certainly were towards insight meditation. In that case the Vibhajyavādins would be seeking a compromise (as in other areas). It is certainly noticeable that the Paṭisambhidā-magga contains 339 important developments in the area of calm meditation as well as the insight-oriented materials.’ Further while explaining ‘the literary sources of the vipassanā tradition’ Lance Cousin says: ‘If we take the two main features of the insight tradition as, firstly, the acceptance of routes to enlightenment which bypass the development of jhāna and, secondly, the mapping of the sequence of insight knowledges, then the immediate source is no doubt the Visuddhimagga.’ For the first feature, its ultimate source appears to lie in a Yuganaddhakathā of the Paṭisambhidāmagga.166 For the second feature of insight knowledges the source is ñāṇakathā of the Paṭisambhidāmagga. - (Cousin Lance. 1996: pp.1,49,50). Warder A. K. opines that, the Paṭisambhidāmagga explains the accepted doctrine of the Theravāda, so it appears to be a positive counterpart to the Kathāvatthu. – (Ñānamoli Bhikkhu. 1997: p.xxiii). Mahānāma wrote a commentary on the Paṭisambhidāmagga in the 6th Century CE. There is also a kind of sub-commentary available on Mahānāma’s work, the scholarly, anonymous Gaṇṭhipada, composed around 9th or 10th Century CE. 6.1.2 - Structure of the text The Paṭisambhidāmagga - The Path of Discrimiantion – covers almost all thirty-seven Bodhipakkhiya-dhammā in the various chapters. It is like an encyclopedia of the Buddha- vacana in the Sutta Piṭaka. The Paṭisambhidāmagga is divided into the three main groups (vagga) namely, Mahā-vagga, Yuganaddha-vagga, and Paññā-vagga, and each group has ten chapters. Almost all the thirty chapters (kathā) have some basis in the suttas like the Brahmajālasutta, the Ānāpānssatisutta, the Mahāsatipaṭṭhānasutta, and so on. It appears like a commentary on the sutta passages quoted in it. It is a very practical, complete and thorough exposition of the path. It is a systematic and orderly exposition of the way to Arahantaship. Each topic necessarily leads to the next. Arrangement of the chapters is progressive in nature and is in accordance with the Noble Eight-fold Path which begins with the right view. The theoretical understanding of the doctrine is given prime importance. Hence, the text begins with the table of contents of seventy-three knowledges followed by ñāṇakathā which forms the basis for the right view. Ñāṇakathā mentions thirty-seven experiences of the Buddhist path: the seven opposite factors of hindrances, eight absorptions, eighteen great/principal insights and four noble paths. The explanation of eighteen principal-insights (mahāvipassanā) is very peculiar and important. – (Cousin Lance. 1996: p.50). 166 In-fact the brief [Yuganaddha]-sutta also occurs in the Paṭipadāvagga of the Aṅguttaranikāya. 340 The foundation of the Paṭisambhidāmagga can be found in the Dasuttara-sutta of the Digha- Nikāya. – (Ñāṇamoli Bhikkhu. 1997: p.xiii). The separate chapter on Ānāpānassatikathā underlines its central importance in the teachings of the Buddha. Theoretical understanding, morality, concentration, and practical understanding are presented to help the practice aspect of the teaching. In the Mahā-vagga, various chapters, such as Ñānakathā and so on, discuss knowledge or the right understanding of Sīla, Samādhi, Paññā, Dhammaṭṭhiti, Saṅkhārupekkhā, and so on. It is very long and occupies about one-third of the text. Let us now discus the contents of each chapter. The first chapter Ñānakathā is divided into seventy-three sub-sections, (out of which the first is a very long one). In the beginning, knowledges are put in the ‘table of content form’ or mātikā. Then the description of insight knowledge is given which is very helpful from the practice point of view. The discussion of ten insight knowledges or ten stages of development of insight are discussed here. Actually, the text gives the initial five insight knowledges, but the commentary explains how there may be eight or more. It is followed by the chapter on ‘views’. Important chapters, such as Ānāpānassatikathā, Indriyakathā, Vipallāsakathā, and so on are found in this vagga. The chapter on ‘Ānāpānassati’ explains the basic exercise of mindfulness of breathing. It describes the methodology in detail. The spiritual faculties dominate the practice for the elimination of impurities, in relation to path, and they must be purified and developed for the progress in meditation. In the Yuganaddha-vagga, there is Yuganaddhakathā which is about samatha and vipassanā, the twofold way of concentration and understanding, which has a single function (rasa), are congruent and work together as the way to Nibbāna. The chapter on the Noble Truths is in harmony with the main idea of the book. The Yuganaddhavagga further contains Bojjhaṅgakathā, Mettākathā, Paṭisambhidākathā, and so on. The (name of the book) Paṭisambidhāmagga seems to have derived its name from the chapter Paṭisambidhākathā (the particular chapter on discriminations). This chapter specifically explains how the Noble Truths were understood when the Buddha first taught them. This group (vagga) concludes with a significant chapter the Suññakathā, on emptiness of all the dhammas. Though the three universal characteristics of impermanence, suffering and non-self, are explained in the text, the aspect of emptiness, non-self is specifically emphasized and elaborated in this chapter. There is no soul or substance or permanent being, that all existence is impermanent and that is suffering. There are no entities, there are only the dhammās, which are impermanent, unstable 341 and empty. Empty means besides the absence of a permanent entity in them, that they are conditioned or relative to one another. Different chapters, such as Mahāpaññākathā, Satipaṭṭhānakathā, and Vipassanākathā are included in the Paññā-vagga. Arrangement of the Paṭisambhidāmagga shows that the first group (vagga) is well-integrated. The arrangement of the chapters of the second and third groups do not appear consistent in nature with respect to the flow or the theme. According to the commentary in the third group Cariyākathaā and Samasīsakathā are repeated in the Indriyakathā and Ñānakathā respectively. The Commentary in the beginning of each chapter mentions the phrase as ‘successive or gradual explanation’ (anupubba-anuvaṇṇanā) for the Diṭṭhikathā. Thereafter, in each chapter, at the beginning the commentator uses the phrase ‘explanation of those things which did not occur before’ (apubbatthānuvaṇṇanā). After this phrase in each chapter the commentary explains the rationale behind the position of that chapter in the text. This also explains why the Paṭisambhidāmagga is called a practical hand-book of Buddhist practice. To understand well the Diṭṭhikathā, understanding of Ñāṇakathā is necessary. Similarly, to understand well the Ānāpānassatikathā, understanding of Diṭṭhikathā is necessary, and so on. This is very well explained by the Bhikkshu Jagdsih Kashyapa in the following manner. In the context of the particular arrangement of thirty chapters Bhikkshu Jagdish Kashyapa, the General Editor of the ‘Paṭisambhidāmaggapāli’, states: “What is the system behind the arrangement of these”? The Aṭṭhakathā,