Dhammasangani

Enumeration of Phenomena

400 B.C. | 124,932 words

*english translation* The first book of the Abhidhamma (Part 3 of the Tipitaka). The Dhammasangani enumerates all the paramattha dhamma (ultimate realities) to be found in the world. According to one such enumeration these amount to: * 52 cetasikas (mental factors), which, arising together in various combination, give rise to any one of... * ......

Chapter III - Categories Of Form Under Triple Aspects

Exposition Of The Triplets

[1]

[742-744] What is that form which is

(i.) personal[2] and derived?

The spheres of the five senses.

(ii.) external and derived?

The sphere of visible form . . . and bodily nutriment.[3]

(iii.) external and not derived?

The sphere of the tangible and the fluid element.

[745-747] What is that form which is

(i.) personal and the issue of grasping?

The spheres of the five senses.

(ii.) external and the issue of grasping?

Femininity,
masculinity,
vitality,

or whatever other form exists through karma having been wrought,

whether it be

in the spheres of visible form,
odour,
taste,
or the tangible,

in the spatial or the fluid element,
in the integration or subsistence of form,
or in bodily nutriment.[4]

(iii.) external and not the issue of grasping?

The sphere of sound,
bodily and vocal intimation,
the lightness,
plasticity,
wieldiness,
decay,
and impermanence of form,

or whatever other form exists which is not due to karma having been wrought,

whether it be

in the spheres of visible form,[5]
odour,
taste,
or the tangible,

in the spatial or the fluid element,
etc.

[continue as in ii.].

[748-750] What is that form which is

(i.) personal and both the issue of grasping and favourable to grasping?
(ii.) external and both the issue of grasping and favourable to grasping?
(iii.) external and not the issue of grasping but favourable to grasping?

The answers are identical with those in the jweceding triplet, taken in order.[6]

[751-753] What is that form which is

(i.) personal and invisible?

The spheres of the five senses.

(ii.) external and visible?

The sphere of visible form.

(iii.) external and invisible?

The sphere of sound . . . and bodily nutriment[7]

[754-756] What is that form which is

(i.) personal and reacting (impingeing)?[8]

The spheres of the five senses.

(ii.) external and impingeing?

The spheres of the five kinds of sense-objects.

(iii.) external and non-impingeing?[9]

Sex[10] . . . and bodily nutriment.

[757-759] What is that form which is

(i.) personal and a faculty?

The five faculties of sense.

(ii.) external and a faculty?

Sex and vitality.

(iii.) external and not a faculty?

The sphere of visible form . . . and bodily nutriment.[11]

[760-762] What is that form which is

(i.) personal and not one of the Great Phenomena?

The spheres of the five senses.

(ii.) external and belonging to the Great Phenomena?

The sphere of the tangible and the fluid element.[12]

(iii.) external and not one of the Great Phenomena?

The spheres of the [other four kinds of sense-objects][13] . . . and bodily nutriment.

[763-765] What is that form which is

(i.) personal and not intimation?

The spheres of the five senses.

(ii.) external and intimation?

Bodily and vocal intimation.[14]

(iii.) external and not intimation?

The spheres of the five kinds of sense-objects . . . and bodily nutriment.

[766-768] What is that form which is

(i.) personal and sprung from thought?[15]

The spheres of the five senses.

(ii.) external and sprung from thought?

Bodily and vocal intimation,

or whatever other form exists which is

born of thought,
caused by thought, etc.

[continue as in § 667].

(iii.) external and not sprung from thought?

Sex and vitality,
the decay and impermanence of form,

or whatever other form exists which is

not born of thought,
caused by thought, etc.

[continue as in § 668].

[769-771] What is that form which is

(i.) personal and does not come into being together with a thought?

The spheres of the five senses.

(ii.) external and comes into being together with a thought?

Bodily and vocal intimation.

(iii.) external and does not come into being, etc.?

The spheres of the five kinds of sense-objects . . . and bodily nutriment.

[772-774] What is that form which is

(i.) personal and not consecutive to a thought?
(ii.) external and consecutive to a thought?
(iii.) external and not consecutive to a thought?

The answers are identical with those in the preceding triplet, taken in order.

[775-777] What is that form which is

(i.) personal and gross?[16]

The spheres of the five senses.

(ii.) external and gross?

The spheres of the five kinds of sense-objects.

(iii.) external and subtle?

Sex . . . and bodily nutriment.

[778-780] What is that form which is

(i.) personal and near?[17]

The spheres of the five senses.

(ii.) external and remote?

Sex . . . and bodily nutriment.

(iii.) external and near?

The spheres of the five kinds of sense-objects.

[781-783] What is that form which is

(i.) external and not the basis of visual contact?[18]

The spheres of the five kinds of sense-objects . . . and bodily nutriment.

(ii.) personal and the basis of visual contact?

The sphere of vision.

(iii.) personal and not the basis of visual contact?

The sphere of the other four senses.

[784-786] What is that form which is

(i.) external and not a basis of
              the feeling . . .
              the perception . . .
              the thinking ...
              the visual cognition
that is born of visual contact?
(ii.) personal and a basis of the feeling[19] . . , the visual cognition that is born of visual contact?
(iii.) personal and not a basis of the feeling . . . the visual cognition that is born of visual contact?

Answers identical with those in the preceding triplet.

[787-789] What is that form which is

(i.) external and not a basis of
              auditory . . .
              olfactory . . .
              gustatory . . .
              bodily contact?

The spheres of the five kinds of sense objects . . . and bodily nutriment.

(ii.) personal and a basis of . . . bodily contact?

The spheres of the other four senses respectively.

(iii.) personal and not a basis of . . . bodily contact?

The sphere of . . . vision, hearing, smell, taste.

[790-792] What is that form which is

(i.) external and not a basis of
              the feeling . . .
              the perception . . .
              the thinking . . .
              the . . . cognition of body
that is born of . . . bodily contact?
(ii.) personal and a basis of . . . the cognition of body that is born of bodily contact?
(iii.) personal and not a basis of . . . the cognition of body that is born of bodily contact?

Answers identical with those in the preceding triplet taken in order.

[793-795] What is that form which is

(i.) personal and not the object apprehended on occasion of visual contact?

The spheres of the five senses.

(ii.) external and the object apprehended on occasion of visual contact?

The sphere of visible form.

(iii.) external and not the object apprehended on occasion of visual contact?

The spheres of the other four kinds of sense-objects . . . and bodily nutriment.

[796-798] What is that form which is

(i.) personal and not the object of
              the feeling . . .
              the perception . . .
              the thinking . . .
              the visual cognition
that is horn of visual contact?
(ii.) external and the object of . . . visual cognition?
(iii.) external and not the object of . . . . visual cognition?

Answers identical with those in the preceding triplet, taken in order.

[799-801] What is that form which is

(i.) personal and not the object apprehended on occasion of
              auditory . . .
              olfactory . . .
              gustatory . . .
              bodily contact?

The spheres of the five senses.

(ii.) external and the object apprehended on occasion of . . . bodily contact?

The sphere of the tangible.

(iii.) external and not the object apprehended on occasion of . . . bodily contact?

The spheres of the five kinds of sense-objects . . . and bodily nutriment.

[802-804] What is that form which is

(i.) personal and not the object of

              the feeling . . .
              the perception . . .
              the thinking . . .
              the . . . cognition of body
that is born of . . . bodily contact?

The spheres of the five senses.

(ii.) external and the object of the . . . cognition of body that is born of bodily contact?

The sphere of . . . the tangible.

(iii.) external and not the object of the . . . cognition of body that is born, etc.

The spheres of the other four kinds of sense-objects . . . and bodily nutriment.

[805-807] What is that form which is

(i.) external and not the sphere of vision?

The spheres of the five kinds of sense-objects . . . and bodily nutriment.

(ii.) personal and the sphere of vision?

The eye, that is to say the sentient organ which is derived from the four Great Phenomena . . . this that is 'an empty village' — this, etc.[20]

(iii.) personal and not the sphere of vision?

The spheres of the other four senses.

[808-810] What is that form which is

(i.) external and not the sphere of hearing, smell, taste, or body -sensibility?

The spheres of the five kinds of sense-objects . . . and bodily nutriment.

(ii.) personal and the sphere of . . . body -sensibility?

The body, that is to say the sentient organ, which is derived from the Great Phenomena . . . this that is 'an empty village' — this, etc.

(iii.) personal and not the sphere of . . . body-sensibility?

The spheres of the other four senses.

[811-813] What is that form which is

(i.) personal and not the sphere of visible fonn?

The spheres of the five senses.

(ii.) external and the sphere of visible form?

That form which, derived from the four Great Phenomena, is visible under the appearance of colour . . . this that is the element of visible form — this, etc.[21]

(iii.) external and not the sphere of visible form?

The spheres of the other four kinds of sense-objects . . . and bodily nutriment.

[814-816] What is that form which is

(i.) personal and not the sphere of sound, or of odour, or of taste, or of the tangible?

The spheres of the five senses.

(ii.) external and the sphere of . . . the tangible?

The earthy (solid) element, etc. . . . this that is the constituent element of the tangible — this, etc.[22]

(iii.) external and not the sphere of . . , the tangible? The spheres of the other four kinds of sense-objects . . . and bodily nutriment.

[817-819] What is that form which is

(i.) external and not the element of vision?

The spheres of the five kinds of sense-objects . . . and bodily nutriment.

(ii.) personal and the element of vision?

The sphere of vision.

(iii.) personal and not the element of vision?

The other four senses.

[820-822] What is that form which is

(i.) external and not the element of hearing, smell, taste, or body -sensibility?

The spheres of the five kinds of sense-objects . . . and bodily nutriment.

(ii.) personal and the element of . . . body -sensibility?

The sphere of . . . body-sensibility.

(iii.) personal and not the element of . . , hody-sensihility? The spheres of the other four senses.

[823-825] What is that form which is

(i.) personal and not the element of visible form?

The spheres of the five senses.

(ii.) external and the element of visible form?

The sphere of visible forms.

(iii.) external and not the element of visible form?

The spheres of the other four kinds of sense-objects . . . and bodily nutriment.

[826-828] What is that form which is

(i.) personal and not the element of sounds odour, taste or the tangible?

The spheres of the five senses.

(ii.) external and the element of . . , the tangible?

The sphere of the tangible.

(iii.) external and not the element of . . . the tangible?

The spheres of the five kinds of sense-objects . . . and bodily nutriment.

[829-831] What is that form which is

(i.) external and not the facidty of vision?

The spheres of the five kinds of sense-objects . . . and bodily nutriment.

(ii.) personal and the facidty of vision?

The sphere of vision.

(iii.) personal and not the faculty of vision?

The spheres of the other four senses.

[832-834] What is that form which is

(i.) external and not the faculty of hearing, smell, taste, or body -sensibility?

The spheres of the five kinds of sense-objects . . . and bodily nutriment.

(ii.) personal and the faculty of . . . body -sensibility?

The body, that is to say the sentient organ which is derived from the four Great Phenomena . . . this that is 'an empty village' — this, etc.

(iii.) personal and not the faculty of . . . body-sensibility?

The spheres of the other four senses.

[835-837] What is that form which is

(i.) personal and not the potentiality of femininity?

The spheres of the five senses

(ii.) external and femininity?

That which is of the female, female in appearance, etc.

[continue as in § 633] .

(iii.) external and not femininity?

The spheres of the five kinds of sense-objects . . . and bodily nutriment.

[838-840] What is that form which is

(i.) personal and not the potentiality of mascidinity? etc.

The questions and answers in this triplet are exactly analogous with those in the foregoing, § 634 constituting the answer to (ii.).

[841-843]

This triplet is on 'vitality', and is also exactly analogous with that on 'femininity', § 635 being substituted in (ii.).

[844-846] What is that form which is

(i.) personal and not bodily intimation?

The spheres of the five senses.

(ii.) external and bodily intimation?

That tension, intension, tense state of the body, etc. [continue as in § 636] .

(iii.) external and not bodily intimation?

The spheres of the five kinds of sense-objects . . . and bodily nutriment.

[847-849]

This triplet is on 'vocal intimation', and similar to the foregoing, § 637 being quoted as the answer to the second question.

[850-876]

Here follow ten triplets on the presence or absence, inform that is personal or external, of the ten following attributes — identical with those ending the categories according to Pairs (§§ 722-741).

the element of space,       the integration of form,
the element of fluidity,      the subsistence of form,
the lightness of form,        the decay of form,
the plasticity of form,        the impermanence of form,
the wieldiness of form,     bodily nutriment.

Questions and answers in each of these triplets are identical with those in the triplet last set out on 'bodily intimation' (§§ 844-846), the only varying elements being the specific kind of form inquired into and its definition in the second answer of each triplet.

Thus the schema of the questions is

(i.) personal and not . . .
(ii.) external and . . .
(iii.) external and not . . .
[23]

Such are the Categories of Form under Threefold Aspects.

[End of] the Exposition of Triplets.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

To lighten the tedium to the reader of looking through this lengthy analysis of form considered as of the self or of the not-self taken in combination with the presence or absence of some other attribute, I have attempted a mode of grouping the triplets. I have also curtailed each answer of that constant feature, the concluding affirmation, termed in the Cy. (p. 55) the appana. Cf. preceding answers.

[2]:

Ajjhattikam. The word 'personal' corresponds more strictly perhaps to puggalikam, but it is less cumbrous than 'of', or 'belonging to, the self', while it is, at the same time, not an incorrect rendering. See p. 207, n. 1.

[3]:

This presumably still refers to § 596, which these two first answers may be held to exhaust between them, without the insertion of 'the sphere of the tangible', which comes under (iii.). Cf. the preceding chapter.

[4]:

Cf. §§ 653, 654.

[5]:

Saddayatanam, here repeated in the printed text, is omitted in K.

[6]:

In § 750 read kammassa before katatta.

[7]:

Fill up from § 596 as before.

[8]:

See p. 175, n. 2, and p. 183, n. 1.

[9]:

For sappatigham read appatigham.

[10]:

This term is substituted as a convenient abbreviation for the indriyas of both sexes. Cf. § 596.

[11]:

Supply as before from § 596.

[12]:

See § 647 et seq.

[13]:

Actually 'of visible form . . .' See note 1.

[14]:

See §§ 636, 637.

[15]:

See § 667 et seq.

[16]:

See § 675 et seq.

[17]:

See § 677 et seq.

[18]:

See § 679 et seq.

[19]:

Concerning the lacunae in this and the following sentences on 'basis', cf § 681 et seq. and notes.

[20]:

For this and similar answers in following triplets see § 597 et seq.

[21]:

See § 617.

[22]:

See § 648.

[23]:

There are several omissions in the printed text, breaking into the symmetry of the triplets, viz. : question and answer (iii.) on akasadhatu (following § 851); question and answer (iii.) onrupassa upacayo (following § 865); question and answer (i.) on rupassa santati (following § 865). These, if duly inserted, would bring the number of questions (and answers) at the end of this chapter up to 879, instead of 876. Had the triplets been grouped as such, the omissions would not have been possible.

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