The Abhidhamma Pitaka (abhidhammapiṭaka) is the last of the three pitakas (Pali for "baskets") constituting the Pali Canon, the scriptures of Theravāda Buddhism.

The Abhidhamma pitaka is a detailed scholastic reworking of material appearing in the Suttas, according to schematic classifications. It does not contain systematic philosophical treatises, but summaries or enumerated lists.^[1]

Translations[link]

The first five books and part of the seventh of the Abhidhamma Pitaka have been translated by the Pali Text Society[1], which offers an option to order them through their website.

Nature of abhidhamma[link]

Abhidhamma has been variously described as philosophy, psychology, metaphysics etc. L. S. Cousins says that the abhidhamma methodology looks at things in terms of occasions or events instead of sequences or processes.^[2]

Origins[link]

Tradition^[3] holds that the Buddha thought the Abhidhamma out immediately after his enlightenment then taught it to the gods some years later. Later the Buddha repeated it to Sariputta who then handed it on to his disciples. This tradition is also evident in the Parivara, a very late addition to the Vinaya Pitaka,^[4] which mentions in a concluding verse of praise to the Buddha that this best of creatures, the lion, taught the three pitakas..^[5]

Scholars, however, generally date the Abhidhamma works to originating some time around the third century BCE, 100 to 200 years after the death of the Buddha. Therefore the seven Abhidhamma works are generally claimed by scholars not to represent the words of the Buddha himself, but those of disciples and scholars.^[6] Dr Rupert Gethin however said that important elements of abhidhamma methodology probably go back to the Buddha's lifetime.^[7] A. K. Warder and Dr Peter Harvey both suggested early dates for the matikas on which most of the Abidhamma books are based. Abhidhamma started out as elaboration of the suttas,^{[dubious – discuss]} but later developed independent doctrines.^[8]

As the last major division of the canon, the Abhidhamma Pitaka has had a checkered history. It was not accepted as canonical by the Mahasanghika school^{[dubious – discuss][1][9]} and several other schools^{[dubious – discuss]}.^[10] Another school included most of the Khuddaka Nikaya within the Abhidhamma Pitaka.^[1] Also, the Pali version of the Abhidhamma is a strictly Theravada collection, and has little in common with the Abhidhamma works recognized by other Buddhist schools.^[11] The various Abhidhamma philosophies of the various early schools have no agreement on doctrine^[12] and belong to the period of 'Divided Buddhism'^[12] (as opposed to Undivided Buddhism). The earliest texts of the Pali Canon have no mention of (the texts of) the Abhidhamma Pitaka.^[13] The Abhidhamma is also not mentioned in some reports of the First Buddhist Council, which do mention the existence of the texts of the Vinaya and either the five Nikayas^[14] or the four Agamas.^[15] Other accounts do include the Abhidhamma.^[16]

In the Theravadin Abhidhamma Pitaka, unlike the Abhidharma Pitaka of the Sarvastivada school, ontological theorizing is absent, and the question of ontological status of dharmas remains a moot point. The notion of sabhava (Sanskrit: svabhava) is only utilized in late Theravadin texts.^[17] The doctrine of momentariness is also a late addition to Theravada thought.^[18] It only appears at the time of Buddhaghosa.^[19]

Contents[link]

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The Abhidhamma Pitaka consists of seven books:

• Dhammasangani (-saṅgaṇi or -saṅgaṇī)
• Vibhanga (vibhaṅga)
• Dhatukatha (dhātukathā)
• Puggalapannatti (-paññatti)
• Kathavatthu (kathā-)
• Yamaka
• Patthana (paţţhāna)

Dhammasangani[link]

The Dhammasangani begins with a mātikā (translated as matrix) which lists classifications of dhammas (translated as phenomena, ideas, states, etc.). The mātikā starts with 22 threefold classifications, such as good/bad/unclassified, and then follows with 100 twofold classifications according to the Abhidhamma method. Many of these classifications are not exhaustive, and some are not even exclusive. The mātikā ends with 42 twofold classifications according to the sutta method; these 42 are only used in the Dhammasangani, whereas the other 122 are used in some of the other books as well.

The main body of the Dhammasangani is in four parts. The first part goes through numerous states of mind, listing and defining by lists of synonyms, factors present in the states. The second deals with material form, beginning with its own mātikā, classifying by ones, twos and so on, and explaining afterwards. The third explains the book's mātikā in terms of the first two parts, as does the fourth, by a different method (and omitting the sutta method).

Vibhanga[link]

The Vibhanga consists of 18 chapters, each dealing with a different topic. For example the first chapter deals with the five aggregates. A typical chapter consists of three parts. The first of these parts explains the topic according to the sutta method, often word-for-word as in actual suttas. The second is Abhidhamma explanation, mainly by lists of synonyms as in the Dhammasangani. The third employs questions and answers, based on the mātikā, such as "How many aggregates are good?"

Dhatukatha[link]

This book covers both the matika and various topics, mostly from the Vibhanga, relating them to the 5 aggregates, 12 bases and 18 elements. The first chapter is fairly simple: "In how many aggregates etc. are good dhammas etc. included?" The book progressively works up to more complicated questions: "From how many aggregates etc. are the dhammas dissociated from attention etc. dissociated?"

Puggalapannatti[link]

This book starts with its own matika, which begins with some standard lists but then continues with lists of persons grouped numerically from ones to tens. This latter portion of the matika is then explained in the main body of the work. Most of the lists of persons and many of the explanations are also found in the Anguttara Nikaya.

Kathavatthu[link]

This book consists of more than two hundred debates on questions of doctrine. It does not identify the participants. The commentary says the debates are between the Theravada and other schools, which it identifies in each case. These identifications are mostly consistent with what is known from other sources about the doctrines of different schools.^[20]

Yamaka[link]

This book consists of ten chapters, each dealing with a different topic; for example, the first deals with roots. A typical chapter (there are a number of divergences from this pattern) is in three parts. The first part deals with questions of identity: "Is good root root?" "But is root good root?" The entire Yamaka consists of such pairs of converse questions, with their answers. Hence its name, which means pairs. The second part deals with arising: "For someone for whom the form aggregate arises, does the feeling aggregate arise?" The third part deals with understanding: "Does someone who understands the eye base understand the ear base?"

Patthana[link]

This book deals with 24 conditions in relation to the matika: "Good dhamma is related to good dhamma by root condition", with details and numbers of answers.

Place in the tradition[link]

The importance of the Abhidhamma Pitaka in classical Sinhalese Buddhism is suggested by the fact that it came to be furnished, not only, like much of the canon, with a commentary and a subcommentary on that commentary, but even with a subsubcommentary on that subcommentary. In more recent centuries, Burma has become the main centre of abhidhamma studies.

See also[link]

• Abhidharma
• Sutta Pitaka
• Vinaya Pitaka
• Abhidhammavatara

External links[link]

• Readable online HTML book of the Dhammasangani (first book of the Abhidhamma).

References[link]

Bhikkhu Bodhi
School	Theravada
Personal
Nationality	American
Born	(1944-12-10) December 10, 1944 (age 67) Brooklyn, New York, United States
Senior posting
Based in	Buddhist Publication Society Sangha Council of Bodhi Monastery Yin Shun Foundation
Predecessor	Ven. Nyanaponika Thera (BPS editor and president)
Successor	Mr. Kariyavasam (BPS editor)[1]
Religious career
Teacher	Ven. Ananda Maitreya

Bhikkhu Bodhi (b. December 10, 1944, NYC), born Jeffrey Block, is an American Theravada Buddhist monk, ordained in Sri Lanka and currently teaching in the New York/New Jersey area. He was appointed the second president of the Buddhist Publication Society and has edited and authored several publications grounded in the Theravada Buddhist tradition.

Life[link]

In 1944, Block was born in Brooklyn, NY. In 1966, he obtained a B.A. in philosophy from Brooklyn College. In 1972, he obtained a PhD in philosophy from Claremont Graduate School.^[2][3]

In 1967, while still a graduate student, Bodhi was ordained as a novice monk in the Vietnamese Mahayana order.^[3] In 1972, after graduation, Bodhi traveled to Sri Lanka where, under Ven. Ananda Maitreya,^[4] he received novice ordination and, in 1973, he received full ordination in a Theravada order.^[2]

In 1984, succeeding co-founder Ven. Nyanaponika Thera,^[4] Bodhi was appointed English-language editor of the Buddhist Publication Society (BPS, Sri Lanka) and, in 1988, became its president.^[1][2][5] In 2002, he retired from the society's editorship while still remaining its president.^[1][3][5]

In 2000, at the United Nations' first official Vesak celebration, Bodhi gave the keynote address.^[6]

In 2002, after retiring as editor of BPS,^[3] Bodhi returned to the United States. He currently teaches at Bodhi Monastery (Lafayette, New Jersey) and Chuang Yen Monastery (Carmel, New York) and is the chairman of the Yin Shun Foundation.^[2][7]

Bhikkhu Bodhi is founder of the organisation "Buddhist Global Relief", which is fighting hunger across the world.^[8]

Publications and teachings[link]

Bodhi's publications include:

• The Noble Eightfold Path: Way to the End of Suffering (1984, BPS; 2000, Pariyatti)^[9]
• The Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha: A Translation of the Majjhima Nikaya (with Bhikkhu Nanamoli, 1995, Wisdom Publications)
• Numerical Discourses of the Buddha: An Anthology of Suttas from the Anguttara Nikaya (with Nyanaponika Thera, 2000, Altamira Press)
• The Connected Discourses of the Buddha: A New Translation of the Samyutta Nikaya (2000, Wisdom Publications)
• A Comprehensive Manual of Abhidhamma: The Abhidhammattha Sangaha of Ācariya Anuruddha (2000, BPS Pariyatti)
• In the Buddha's Words: An Anthology of Discourses from the Pali Canon (2005, Wisdom Publications)

Bodhi's on-line courses include:

• "The Buddha's Teaching As It Is" (1981)^[10]
• "A course in Pali Language" (2003)^[11]
• Majjhima Nikaya lectures (2003–2008)^[12]

Notes[link]

External links[link]

This article's use of external links may not follow Wikipedia's policies or guidelines. Please improve this article by removing excessive or inappropriate external links, and converting useful links where appropriate into footnote references. (December 2011)

• www.dharma.org – An interview with Bhikkhu Bodhi
• Bodhi Monastery
• Online Books and Articles at "Access to Insight"
• Suttas read aloud
• Dhamma Talks
• Videos of Bhikkhu Bodhi at "Google Video"
• Insight Meditation Center talks

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Joseph Goldstein (born 1944) is one of the first American vipassana teachers (Fronsdal, 1998), co-founder of the Insight Meditation Society (IMS) with Jack Kornfield and Sharon Salzberg, contemporary author of numerous popular books on Buddhism (see publications below), resident guiding teacher at IMS, and leader of retreats worldwide on insight (vipassana) and lovingkindness (metta) meditation.

While the majority of Goldstein's publications introduce Westerners to primarily Theravada concepts, practices and values, his 2002 work, "One Dharma", explored the creation of an integrated framework for the Theravada, Tibetan and Zen traditions.

Chronology[link]

• 1944: Born; grew up in the Catskill mountains of New York
• 1965: Graduated from Columbia University as a philosophy major
• 1965: Entered the Peace Corps in Thailand, where he first became interested in Buddhism. After the Peace Corps, he spent most of the next seven years in India studying and practicing Buddhist meditation
• 1974: He began teaching at Chogyam Trungpa's Naropa Institute in Boulder, CO. He has been leading vipassana and metta retreats worldwide since 1974
• 1975: Co-founded the IMS [1] in Barre, MA with Jack Kornfield and Sharon Salzberg.
• 1989: Helped establish the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies [2]
• 1998: Co-founded the IMS Forest Refuge [3] for long-term personal retreats.

Teachers[link]

Since 1967, Goldstein has practiced different forms of Buddhist meditation under well-known teachers from India, Burma and Tibet. His teachers include: Anagarika Sri Munindra, Sri S.N. Goenka, Mrs. Nani Bala Barua (Dipa Ma), the Venerable Sayadaw U Pandita, Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche, Nyoshul Khenpo Rinpoche, and Tsoknyi Rinpoche.

Publications (partial list, in chronological order)[link]

• The Experience of Insight (1983)
• Goldstein, Joseph; Kornfield, Jack (6 March 2001). Seeking the heart of wisdom: the path of insight meditation. Shambhala. ISBN 978-1-57062-805-4. http://books.google.com/books?id=LTGbPwAACAAJ. Retrieved 6 June 2011. 
• Goldstein, Joseph (20 September 1994). Insight meditation: the practice of freedom. Shambhala. ISBN 978-1-57062-025-6. http://books.google.com/books?id=x3ZiZrNO-8MC. Retrieved 6 June 2011. 
• Goldstein, Joseph; Kornfield, Jack (29 August 1995). The Path of Insight Meditation. Shambhala. ISBN 978-1-57062-069-0. http://books.google.com/books?id=bnMOAAAACAAJ. Retrieved 6 June 2011. 
• Insight Meditation: A Step-By-Step Course on How to Meditate (2002), with Sharon Salzburg Sounds True
• One Dharma: The Emerging Western Buddhism (2002)
• A Heart Full of Peace (2007)

Honors[link]

Goldstein was honored by the New York Open Center [4] in 1999 for his "outstanding contribution to the mindfulness of the West."

References[link]

Bibliography[link]

• Fronsdal, Gil (1998). Insight Meditation in the United States: Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness, in C.S.Prebish & K.K.Tanaka (1998), The Faces of Buddhism in America, University of California Press. Also available on-line at: http://www.insightmeditationcenter.org/articles/InsightintheUS.html.
• Gross, Amy (1999). An Interview with Joseph Goldstein, in Tricycle Magazine. Available on-line at: http://www.dhammaweb.net/interview/view.php?id=5.
• Prebish, Charles (March 2002). Surveying the Buddhist Landscape, in Shambala Sun (March 2002). Also available on-line at: http://www.shambhalasun.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1697.
• Schwartz, Tony (1995). What Really Matters: Searching for Wisdom in America. NY: Bantam Books. ISBN 0-553-09398-3.
• Wright, Robert (undated). An Interview with Joseph Goldstein. Available on-line at: http://meaningoflife.tv/video.php?speaker=goldstein&topic=complete.

External links[link]

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Joseph Goldstein

• Goldstein's IMS biography
• Downloadable talks at AudioDharma and Dharmaseed
• Video interview with Joseph Goldstein
• Audio Interview Series on Buddhist Geeks

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Ajahn Candasiri is a senior nun (Siladhara) in the Thai Forest Tradition of Thai Theravada Buddhism.

Born in Edinburgh, Scotland in 1947, she became an occupational therapist in the mental health field after graduating from a university. Having been raised as a Christian she later as an adult began to take an interest in the teaching of the Buddha. In 1977, after exploring several meditation traditions, she met Ajahn Sumedho in the United Kingdom and was introduced to the Dhamma. She ordained in 1979, at Amaravati Buddhist Monastery, England.[1] She was one of four women anagarikas who founded Chithurst Buddhist Monastery's community of nuns in West Sussex, England. In 1983, she took Siladhara vows. Ajahn Candasiri resided at Cittaviveka, Chithurst until 1999 when she moved to Amaravati monastery.

Ajahn Candasiri takes a special interest in Christian-Buddhist understanding. She has taught and led retreats in many places and enjoys teaching young people. Ajahn Candasiri is well known for her work in advancing vinaya training for women.^[1] She has written and contributed to many articles.

See also[link]

• Ajahn
• Ordination of women
• Saranaloka Foundation

References[link]