An Anatomy of Mind. Being Essence of the Dhammasangani in Abhidhamma

Travail d'étude , 2015 , 300 Pages , Note: 3.80

Théologie - Divers

The Dhammasangani is a summary of the key principles of the other six books of the Pāli Abhidhamma Pitaka. Its contents was written according to the Buddha’s teaching, which uncover every latent and functional bits of our subtler interior strata that comprises the 89 consciousness, the 52 mental concomitants, and total 279 corporeal phenomena—explicitly analyse and explain these often unseen complexities within us, from the psychological, philosophical, moral and ethical aspects. This is a book which lays the solid foundation theories and principles for its practical side of the Samantha-Vipassanā.

The present work is the result of almost a year of inquiry into the fundamental tenets of the Dhammasangani in the Theravada school of Abhidhamma. There were daunting yet enriching challenges in the preparation of the work such as the encounters with sometimes the ambiguous or different explanations for certain terms and principles from some of the translated modern literatures of the Dhammasangani. For such cases I made consultation to the Pāli texts of the Dhammasangani, to its commentary Atthasālinī and the sub-commentary Dhammasangani-Mūlatīkā. Subsequent consultations to the Pāli-English dictionaries by P.T.S. and others, are also sometimes faced with different renderings. My decision in such cases was including all their suggested meanings relevant to that context, and sometimes giving my recommended choice to what looked like is the obvious answer, and stating my reasons whenever that was necessary.

Another difficult task was to still following the topical layout of the Dhammasanghani but to steer clear of its traditional way of catechetical exposition, and at the same time able to present as much as of its theories and essence as possible. We know that a well-presented table speaks a thousand words. Hence the several tables that I have created and every detailed explanations followed thereto, should be the effective analytical study guides for the new students. The concept of the tables and also much of the contents of the work, have drawn a great deal of the ideas from post-canonical literatures of the Abhidhammattha-sangaha, Visuddhimagga, and the mentioned Chinese sources. My decision to also include the succinct Chinese definitions for the Abhidhamma terminologies is primarily to facilitate those bilingual readers to more comprehensibly understand the connotative nuances of the words in Pāli, by comparison of the English and Chinese translations.

Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)

• ABBREVIATIONS USED
• PREFACE
• INTRODUCTION
• CHAPTER 1 (MĀTIKĀ)
• THE 22 TRIADS (TIKA MĀTIKĀ)
• BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE MATRIX (MĀTIKĀ)
• THE 100 DYADS (DUKA MĀTIKĀ)
• THE 42 SUTTANTIka Dyads (Suttantika Duka MātiKĀ)
• CHAPTER 2 (CITTUPPĀDA)
• THE 89 STATES OF CONSCIOUSNESS AT A GLANCE
• THE SENSUOUS-SPHERE STATES OF CONSCIOUSNESS
• THE FINE-MATERIAL-SPHERE STATES OF CONSCIOUSNESS
• THE IMMATERIAL-SPHERE STATES OF CONSCIOUSNESS
• THE TRANSCENDENTAL-SPHERE STATES OF CONSCIOUSNESS
• CHAPTER 3 (CETASIKAS)
• THE CLASSIFICATION AND EXPOSITION OF CETASIKAS
• THE 52 CETASIKAS AT A GLANCE
• THE 7 COMMON 'UNIVERSAL' CONCOMITANTS
• THE 6 'OCCASIONALS' CONCOMITANTS
• THE 4 'UNWHOLESOME-UNIVERSALS'
• THE 10 'UNWHOLESOME-OCCASIONALS'
• THE 25 'BEAUTIFUL' CONCOMITANTS
• The 19 'Beautiful-Universals' (Sobhaṇa Sādhāraṇā Cetasikas)
• The 3 'Beautiful-Abstinences' (Virati Cetasikas)
• The 2 'Beautiful-Illimitables' (Appamaññā Cetasikas)
• The ‘Beautiful Non-Delusional' (Paññindriya Cetasika)
• THE "OR-WHATSOEVER" FACTORS
• RELATING THE 52 CETASIKAS WITH THE CITTAS BY A TABLE
• ASSOCIATION OF THE CETASIKAS WITH THE DIFFERENT CITTAS
• COMBINATIONS OF THE CETASIKAS RELATING TO THE DIFFERENT CITTAS
• Concomitants of the sense-sphere beautiful consciousness
• Concomitants of the sense-sphere unwholesome consciousness
• Concomitants of the sense-sphere rootless consciousness
• Concomitants of the sublime consciousness
• Concomitants of the supramundane consciousness
• Fixed and Unfixed adjuncts of the Cetasikas

Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)

This book presents a detailed exposition of the Dhammasangani, a central text in Abhidhamma, which aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the mind and its workings. The book focuses on the structure and function of the mind, analyzing the key elements that constitute mental phenomena.

• The structure and classification of mental states (citta) and mental factors (cetasikas)
• The different spheres of consciousness and their associated mental factors
• The role of mental factors in shaping human experience and behavior
• The analysis of the mind through the framework of the 22 Triads (Tika Mātikā) and the 100 Dyads (Duka Mātikā)
• The application of Abhidhamma principles to understanding the nature of reality and the path to liberation.

Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)

Chapter 1 introduces the Mātikā, a framework for understanding the structure of the mind. It examines the 22 Triads, which classify mental phenomena according to their functions, and the 100 Dyads, which further categorize them based on their relationships.

Chapter 2 delves into the 89 states of consciousness, exploring their different spheres: the sensuous, fine-material, immaterial, and transcendental. It examines the characteristics and functions of each state of consciousness.

Chapter 3 focuses on the 52 mental factors (cetasikas), their classification, and their relationship to the different states of consciousness. It discusses the various types of mental factors, including the universal, occasional, unwholesome, and beautiful factors.

Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)

Abhidhamma, Dhammasangani, Mātikā, Cittūppāda, Cetasikas, Consciousness, Mental States, Mental Factors, Triads, Dyads, Spheres of Consciousness, Liberation, Buddhist Psychology.

• Cours: Master Degree in Buddhist Studies
• Note: 3.80
• Auteur: Tan Poh Beng (Auteur)
• Année de publication: 2015
• Pages: 300
• N° de catalogue: V302497
• ISBN (ebook): 9783668010987
• ISBN (Livre): 9783668010994
• Langue: anglais
• mots-clé: anatomy, mind, being, essence, dhammasaṅgaṇi, abhidhamma