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December 3, 2020; revised February 25, 2023; rewritten June 22, 2024

Abhidhamma Piṭaka plays a critical role in the Tipiṭaka. Abhidhamma provides detailed accounts of the material in the Sutta Piṭaka.

Three Piṭakās (Sections) in the Tipiṭaka

1. The Pāli Canon, Tipiṭaka, has a complete description of the complex nature of this world of 31 realms. Various aspects are in all three (Ti) sections (Piṭaka) of the Tipiṭaka: Sutta, Vinaya, and Abhidhamma.

▪As described below (and in “Abhidhamma – Introduction”), the Buddha summarized the contents of the Abhidhamma Piṭaka to Ven. Sāriputta. It took several generations of bhikkhus of Ven. Sāriputta’s lineage to complete the monumental task of describing the Abhidhamma theory, starting with the fundamental entities of citta, cetasika, cetanā, etc.  

▪That timeline has caused a misinterpretation that Abhidhamma Piṭaka was a “later addition” to the Tipiṭaka. But it was called “the Tipiṭaka” from the very beginning in the First Buddhist Council held just three months after the Parinibbāna of the Buddha.

▪All three sections of the Tipiṭaka were recited at each Council, but the Abhidhamma section was completed only at the Third Council and was written down at the Fourth Council; see below. All four of the Councils were attended only by Arahants. Thus, we can have full confidence that all three sections contain the teachings of the Buddha. Also see “Tipiṭaka – A Systematic Approach.”

▪Evidence for all three sections of the Tipiṭaka were there from the beginning is, for example, in the following section of the Vinaya Piṭaka: “WebLink: suttacentral: 3. Samuṭṭhānasīsasaṅkhepa (Vinaya Parivāra 3).” It says, “Sabbasattuttamo sīho, piṭake tīṇi desayi; Suttantamabhidhammañca, vinayañca mahāguṇaṁ.” OR “The best of all living beings, the Buddha (sīho), taught the three sections (piṭake tīṇi desayi); discourses (Suttantaṁ), Abhidhamma (abhidhammañca), And the Monastic Law (vinayañca), of great quality (mahāguṇaṁ.)” As we know, the Vinaya Piṭaka was finalized at the First Council. (Thanks to TripleGemStudent for the reference!)

Abhidhamma Piṭaka Goes Into Fine Details

2. The Abhidhamma Piṭaka plays a critical role in the Tipiṭaka. Abhidhamma provides detailed accounts of the material in the Sutta Piṭaka. To get an idea of the role of the Abhidhamma Piṭaka, consider the following analogy.

▪One needs to learn how to use various instruments in a car to drive it. Even more importantly, one needs to practice driving. However, there is no need to understand how numerous parts of a car work. That is how one needs to use the Sutta Piṭaka. It is only necessary to learn the critical concepts in suttās and practice them.

▪In that analogy, Abhidhamma provides a detailed account of how the car is assembled and the role played by each part. If the car breaks down, a knowledgeable technician can refer to that technical manual and figure out the problem. Similarly, someone knowledgeable in Abhidhamma can clarify a profound concept that needs a complete and detailed analysis.

▪In most cases, it is not necessary to learn Abhidhamma in detail. However, having a cursory background in Abhidhamma helps one understand deep suttās better.

3. In the post “Mind Operates Like a Machine According to Nature’s Laws,” I pointed out that the mind operates like a machine based on nature’s laws, which comprise a specific set of rules.

▪The Buddha described those specific rules in the Abhidhamma Piṭaka.

▪For example, in the above post, I pointed out the number of possible cittās in kāma loka as 54. In contrast, those in the rūpa and arūpa loka are much less (15 and 12, respectively.) In particular, akusala cittās do not arise in rūpa and arūpa loka. In addition, even beings in the apāyās cannot generate kusala or akusala cittās; they do not have free will like those in the “good realms” at and above the human realm. See “Free Will in Buddhism – Connection to Saṅkhāra.”

▪The reasons are fully explained in the Abhidhamma Piṭaka.

Historical Background

4. The Abhidhamma Piṭaka was finalized at the Third Buddhist Council, held about 200 years after the Buddha’s Parinibbāna (passing away).

▪In the Introduction to his book, “A Comprehensive Manual of Abhidhamma,” Bhikkhu Bodhi provides a detailed account of the history of the Abhidhamma Piṭaka; see pp. 9-11 of Ref. 1. An account with a few more details is given in Ref. 2.   That can be summarized as follows.

▪In the seventh year after attaining Buddhahood, the Buddha visited the Tāvatiṁsa Deva world. There, he delivered the material in the Abhidhamma Piṭaka to Devās, the chief recipient of whom was his mother, Mahāmāyā Devi, who had been born there. The material was delivered over three months, and the Buddha would descend to the human world for food each day. Each day, he would provide Ven. Sāriputta with a synopsis of the teaching given to the Devās that day.

▪Having learned the critical aspects of the Abhidhamma, Ven. Sāriputta taught it to his 500 pupils, and thus, the basis of the Abhidhamma Piṭaka was established. They needed to work out a detailed account of the material in a way others could understand. It took several generations of bhikkhus of Ven. Sāriputta’s lineage—over 200 years—to finalize the Abhidhamma Piṭaka. The accumulated material was recited at each subsequent Buddhist Council, and the final version was recited at the Third Council. That complete Tipiṭaka was written down in 29 BCE at the Fourth Buddhist Council; see below.

▪Reference 2 lists the Bhikkhus who contributed to that effort, including Ven. Moggaliputta Tissa (who contributed to the final version at the Third Buddhist Council.)

5. At the First Buddhist Council, just three months after the Parinibbāna of the Buddha, only a framework of the Abhidhamma theory was recited. More was added at the second Council, and the task was completed only at the third Council led by Ven. Moggaliputta Tissa.

▪That completed Tipiṭaka was written down in 29 BCE at the Fourth Buddhist Council; see “Preservation of the Buddha Dhamma.”

▪It is essential to realize that hundreds of Arahants at the Fourth Council wrote down the whole Tipiṭaka, including the complete Abhidhamma Piṭaka. Therefore, we can be confident about the authenticity of the Abhidhamma Piṭaka AND the whole Tipiṭaka.

▪That is why it is incorrect to say that Abhidhamma was “invented” by bhikkhus after the Parinibbāna of the Buddha.

▪Those who make such statements have not studied Abhidhamma or have not understood the in-depth analyses of Abhidhamma. The minute details of the very fast citta vīthi are discernible only to the mind of a Buddha. No one else can even invent such concepts. It is the inter-consistency that makes ALL the material in the Tipiṭaka trustworthy. See “Buddha Dhamma: Non-Perceivability and Self-Consistency.”

The Enormity of the Material in the Abhidhamma Piṭaka

6. The Abhidhamma Piṭaka contains about the same dhamma groups (dhammakkhandha) as the Sutta Piṭaka and Vinaya Piṭaka COMBINED. It is said to contain 42,000 dhamma groups compared to 21,000 for each of the other two. Thus, there are 84,000 dhamma groups in the Tipiṭaka.

▪Philosophers discuss mind and matter as the two basic entities in the world. Scientists have studied the matter in great detail. But neither scientists nor philosophers have any idea of even how to BEGIN to describe the mind. We have discussed that in “Theories of Our World – Scientific Overview.”

▪Abhidhamma breaks down all rūpa to be combinations of 28 elementary rūpa. Those 28 types of rūpa are in the physical bodies of living beings and all inert matter.

▪Then the mind is described in terms of citta (loosely translated as “thoughts”) and cetasika (mental factors.) There are 89 (or 121, depending on categorization) types of citta, which arise with different combinations of 52 types of cetasika. Thoughts of any living being can be described in terms of those entities.

▪Analyzing the concepts in the suttās in terms of those “basic entities” is an exhilarating experience. Concepts can be investigated to as deep a depth as one wishes (and is willing to spend the time and effort).

▪The following article briefly describes the contents in the Abhidhamma Piṭaka: “WebLink: accesstoinsight.org: Abhidhamma Piṭaka – The Basket of Abhidhamma.”

Introduction to Abhidhamma – Current Standard Text

7. The Abhidhamma Piṭaka consists of the following categories: 1. Dhammasaṅghani (Classification of Dhammas), 2. Vibhaṅga (The Book of Divisions), 3. Dhātukathā (Discussion about Elements), 4. Puggala Paññatti (Description of Individuals), 5. Kathāvatthu (Points of Controversy), 6. Yamaka (The Book of the Pairs), and 7. Paṭṭhāna (The Book of Relations). Kathāvatthu provides an in-depth account of controversial issues discussed at the Third Buddhist Council compiled by venerable Moggaliputta Tissa. Mahāyāna concepts like “antarābhava” were shown to be inconsistent, for example. See “Gandhabba State – Evidence from Tipiṭaka.” Further details in “Antarābhava and Gandhabba” and “Mental Body – Gandhabba.”

▪There is a vast and complex material in the Abhidhamma Piṭaka. This is why it took so long to finalize that material per #4 and #5 above.

▪It is doubtful that anyone in recent years has read and comprehended all the material in the Abhidhamma Piṭaka, especially Paṭṭhāna or the Yamaka.

▪Most people try to understand one summarized text to get a basic idea about the contents of the Abhidhamma Piṭaka. That standard text is Abhidhammatta Sangaha, a summary of the Abhidhamma Piṭaka compiled by Ven. Anuruddha, an Indian bhikkhu. That text does not go into deeper issues but provides the fundamentals.

▪That Pāli text was translated into English by Ven. Narada in 1987 (Ref. 3.). Subsequently, it was revised by Bhikkhu Bodhi in 2000 (Ref. 1.)

Critical Aspects of Buddha Dhamma

8. Even if one can understand the Abhidhamma theory, one MAY NOT understand the Buddha’s message. First, one must understand the Four Noble Truths (with Paṭicca Samuppāda or the true meanings of anicca, dukkha, and anatta.)

▪Abhidhamma facilitates analyzing situations to deep levels ONLY if one starts with understanding the Buddha’s message. That message is that there is a rebirth process, and most rebirths happen in the four lowest realms, where there are harsh levels of suffering. The only way to escape future suffering is to stop rebirth and attain Nibbāna.

▪Once one has that basic understanding, Abhidhamma helps clarify that picture. Detailed analyses in Abhidhamma can resolve any remaining issues/doubts. In a way, one cannot even begin to grasp the value of a Buddha until one can see deep concepts explained in an amazingly consistent way from many different angles.

▪Abhidhamma can solidify and “fill in the blanks” of Buddha Dhamma from the suttās, which can be an exhilarating experience.

Benefits of the Abhidhamma Piṭaka

9. Although a deep knowledge of Abhidhamma is unnecessary, a basic understanding can be valuable.

▪Abhidhamma starts at a basic level and proceeds to deeper levels systematically. Therefore, by studying introductory Abhidhamma, one can gain a good understanding of key concepts like kamma, cetanā, saṅkhāra, viññāṇa, etc.

▪Those basic concepts must be well understood even if one does not wish to study Abhidhamma in detail. We will discuss those essential concepts.

▪All three Piṭakas are discussed in the subsection, “Tipiṭaka – A Systematic Approach.”

▪I will interchangeably discuss the relevant concepts from all three Piṭakas in the new “Meditation – Deeper Aspects” and “Buddha Dhamma – Advanced” sections.

REFERENCES

1.“WebLink: PDF Download: Bhikkhu_Bodhi-Comprehensive_Manual_of_Abhidhamma,” by Bhikkhu Bodhi (2000); this is a revised and updated version of Ref. 3 below. (click the link to open the pdf).

2.Dhammasaṅghani (first of the Abhidhamma books) in the Buddha Jayanthi Edition of the Tipiṭaka (2005); pp. XIII-XIV (in the Sinhala language.) Here is a link to an online version of the “Buddha Jayanthi Edition of the Tipiṭaka.”

3.“WebLink: PDF Download: A Manual of Abhidhamma” Fifth Edition by Narada Thero (1987.) (click the link to open the pdf).