A Study of Abhidhamma_ Dhammahadayavibhaṅga

M.
E - 104 Analytical Study of Abhidhamma
Master of Arts (M.A 1st Year)
International Buddhist University
Nay Pyi Taw Venerable Indavudha (May, 2, 2024)
A Study of Abhidhamma: Dhammahadayavibhaṅga, Analysis of the Heart of

the Teaching
The second work of the Abhidhamma Piṭaka, the Vibhaṅga, consists of a

series of 18 treatises, or Vibhaṅgas, all complete in themselves and independent one
of the other. Each treatise, as a rule, consists of 3 parts:
The Sutta-explanation, the Abhidhamma-explanation, and a Catechetic
Section by way of questions and answers.
Of 18 treatises, the Heart of the Doctrine (Dhammahadaya-Vibhaṅga) will be

discussed briefly here.
The figurative expression ‘heart’ in the title is obviously meant to signify
essence, gist, or summary.
There are ten sections here. They are:
1. Sabbasaṅgāhikavāra; Section comprising all,
2. Uppattānuppativāra; Section Dealing with arising and non-arising,
3. Pariyāpannāpariyāpannavāra; Section dealing with included and not
included,
4. Dhammadassanavāra; Section showing the states,
5. Bhūmantaradassanavāra; Section showing the scope of the planes,
6. Uppādakakamma-āyuppamāṇavāra; Section dealing with productive
action and age limit,
7. Abhiññeyyādivāra; the Section “to be known fully’, etc.,
8. Sārammaṇānārammaṇavāra; Section that have Objects and have not
objects,
9. Diṭṭhasutādidassanavāra; Section showing states seen, Heard, etc., and
10. Tikādidassanavāra; Section showing the triplets.
The All-inclusive Section is set forth with twelve parts consisting of the
aggregates and so on. The second is called the section showing the arising and non-
arising of those same states in the sense-desire element, etc. The third is called the
section showing which are included and which are not included there. The fourth is
called the section showing the states which are existent and non-existent at the
moment of rebirth in [each of] the three planes. The fifth is called the section
showing different planes to which those states belong. The sixth is called the section
showing the kamma causing rebirth and the length of life in the various destinies.
The seventh is called the section on what is to be directly known, etc. The eighth is
called the section on what has and what has not an object. The ninth is called the
section showing those states consisting of aggregates, etc. by including them as seen,
heard, etc. The tenth is called the section showing them by including them according
to the profitable triad and so on.
It deserves mention that, according to the Atthasālinī, the commentary on

Dhammasaṅgaṇī; sectarians who did not recognize the Kathāvatthu as canonical
replaced it by a treatise called Mahā-dhammahadaya. The Theravādin rejects it,
saying that the treatise does not contain anything new (Subcommentary: ‘compared
with the Dhammahadaya-Vibhaṅga’), except some sections with questions.
The treatment of the Dhammahadaya-Vibhaṅga is based on twelve categories
which form here the subject of inquiry by way of questions and answers. The 12
categories are:
Groups of existence, Sense-bases, Elements, Truths, Faculties, Root-causes,
Nutriments, Sense-impressions, Feelings, Perceptions, Volitions, and
Consciousness.
The first five categories correspond to the first five chapters of the Vibhaṅga.
They are also identical with the first five of those subjects which, in the
Visuddhimagga, are called the ‘basis of knowledge’ (paññā-bhūmi) and are treated
in chapters XIV-XVI of that work.
I. In the first section the questions are answered: “How many are the groups
of existence … the kinds of consciousness?” and “Which are the 5 groups … the 7
kinds of consciousness?”
There are 9 root-causes (hetu), i.e. three each of wholesome, unwholesome,
and neutral character. Differing from the enumeration as 6, as usual in the Suttas, 7
types of sense impression, feeling, perception, volition and consciousness are given
here, i.e. conditioned by eye, ear, nose, tongue, body mind-element, and mind-
consciousness-element.
II. Questions and Answers: “How many, and which, groups of existence, etc.,
are in the sensuous, fine-material, and immaterial element (= sphere), and in (those
states that are) Unincluded (in the three spheres; apariyāpanna)?” The latter term
refers here only to the eight supramundane paths and fruitions and not to Nibbāna,
included in the complete definition of the term.
We exemplify a few answers;

In the sensuous, fine-material, and immaterial sphere, there are only 3 truths,
excepting the third (Nibbāna).
In the fine-material sphere, from the physical sense-bases, only eye and ear
and their objects exist; accordingly there are only 6 sense-bases, 9 elements, 14
faculties, 3 nutriments; four sense-impressions, feelings, perceptions, volitions, kind
of consciousness.
In the fine-material and immaterial sphere, there are only 8 root-causes,
omitting ‘hatred.’ Among the faculties of feeling, ‘sadness’ (domanassa) is absent.
In the immaterial sphere all material categories are absent. Among the
faculties also the faculty ‘I shall come to know the unknown’ (pertaining to the
Sotāpanna) is left out. There is only one kind of sense-impression, feeling,
perception, and volition, i.e. that conditioned by mind-consciousness (mano-
viññāṇa), and only one type of consciousness (citta), the mind-consciousness-
element (mano-viññāṇa-dhātu).
The Unincluded (apariyāpanna), as the commentary points out, is not an
element or a sphere in the spatial sense, nor is it a place of rebirth, since it refers only
to the eight supramundane classes of consciousness. Consequently, all material
categories are omitted. From the Truths, only the 3rd and the 4th are present; from the
root-causes, only the 6 wholesome and neutral ones. Among 12 faculties present
here, all 3 supramundane ones are included.
Also in the following sections many instructive facts can be derived from the
questions and answers. But within the limited frame of this book, we have to restrict
ourselves to a bare mention of the questions answered in them.
III. How many factors of the 12 categories, and which, are included, and not
included, in each of the three spheres? How many belong, and do not belong, to the
Unincluded?
IV. How many factors of the 12 categories, and which, arise at the rebirth
moment (upapatti-kkhaṇe) in each of the three spheres? (This section is rich in
interesting details.)
V. This section begins with the following four dyads of the Abhidhamma
Matrix.
States belonging to the sense-spheres, and not;
States belonging to the fine-material sphere, and not;
States belonging to the immaterial sphere, and not;
States included (in the 3 spheres), and states Unincluded.
The answers to the questions which these states are, are identical with those
in Dhs.
VI. This section is a dealing with in a field outside the Abhidhamma. It deals
mainly with the duration of life of the various classes of deities.
VII. Here the method of treatment based on the 12 categories is resumed, and
it is asked: Which of the 5 groups of existence … penetrated (pariññeyya),
abandoned (pahātabba), developed (bhāvetabba), and realized (sacchikātabba), and
which are not?
VIII. (a) Which of the 5 groups … 7 types of consciousness have objects

(sārammaṇa), and which have not (anārammaṇa)?
(b) Which of them have objects that, on their part, have objects themselves,
and which have not (sārammaṇṇārammaṇa) -anārammaṇa)?
IX. Which of them are seen (= visible; diṭṭha), heard (= audible; suta), sensed
(by smell, taste, touch; muta), cognized (viññāta), and which are not?
X. Which of them are karmically wholesome, etc.; are associated with

pleasant feeling, etc.; are accompanied by thought-conception and discursive
thinking, etc.?
Which of them are corporeal—incorporeal; mundane— supramundane?
In conclusion, there are 18 chapters and each category is analyzed and

discussed according to two or all three methods. Although it is not mentioned as a
method like above chapters, it can be seen by analyzing (pañhāpucchaka)
discussions in the form of question and answers.
References
1. Thiṭṭhila, Ashin, The Book of Analysis (Vibhaṅga), London PTS, 1969.
2. Bhikkhu Ñāṇamoli, The Dispeller of Delusion, Oxford, PTS, 1996.
3. Nyanatiloka Mahāthera, Guide through the Abhidhamma Piṭaka, Kandy; Sri Lanka: B.P.S,
1938.
4. U Ko Lay, Guide to Tipiṭaka or Essence of Tipiṭaka, India: Vipassana Research Institute,
1995.
် နကာဘိဝံသ, အဘိဓမ္မာနှငစ
5. အရှငဇ ့် ပ့်၍ မ္ှတဖ
့် ွယမ္
့် ာျား, ၁၉၆၈.
Dr. Indavudha (Thailand)

International Buddhist University
Nay Pyi Taw

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M.

E - 104 Analytical Study of Abhidhamma

Master of Arts (M.A 1st Year)

International Buddhist University

Nay Pyi Taw Venerable Indavudha (May, 2, 2024)

A Study of Abhidhamma: Dhammahadayavibhaṅga, Analysis of the Heart of

The second work of the Abhidhamma Piṭaka, the Vibhaṅga, consists of a

Of 18 treatises, the Heart of the Doctrine (Dhammahadaya-Vibhaṅga) will be

It deserves mention that, according to the Atthasālinī, the commentary on

We exemplify a few answers;

VIII. (a) Which of the 5 groups … 7 types of consciousness have objects

X. Which of them are karmically wholesome, etc.; are associated with

In conclusion, there are 18 chapters and each category is analyzed and

Dr. Indavudha (Thailand)

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