From: fstawit@icomp01.lerc.nasa.gov (Tawit Chitsomboon)
Newsgroups: soc.religion.eastern
Subject: Abhidhamma/Visudhimagga
Date: 9 Sep 92 19:55:22 GMT
Organization: ----


Subject: Abhidhamma/Visudhimagga

Since I have read a couple of posts about these 2 books,
I would like to give my 0.4 nickle worth opinion on these 2 
most important books of buddhism. I had read Vi (in Thai) but
only read commentaries about Abhi (mostly from Buddhadasa)

Buddhadasa was of the opinion that most of the Abhidhamma were
of later additions and should be largely classified as
buddhist philosophy rather than buddhist religion. The difference
between the two is that the former cannot extiguish the flame
of suffering whereas the latter can. Most of the content in
the Abhi are well beyond conventional intelligence to grapse
anyway (all those 90 somethings forms of the mind). The Abhi could
be a good toy for 'enlightened ones' to play with, though.
Buddhadasa also speculated that these philosophy were added in
to make buddhism attractive to the intelligent ones, in order
to compete with the Hindu philosophy. He also said that the later
addition of stupid stuffs (into the Pali Canon) was to make Buddhism 
more attractive to stupid ones. Different people need different candies!

I quite agree with Buddhadasa. Core teaching of the Buddha alone
is very bland. Without the spiritual MSG, Buddhism
would probably bite the dust long time ago. I like what Bill Mayne
posted long time back that Buddhism is meant for tough-minded
realists. Flavoring it with any artificial stuff to please
certain groups of people will hurt in the long run.

I'm not saying that Abhi is all bad. I just want to convey the
message of Buddhadasa that the main objective of all buddhists
is to become buddha and not to be addicted to philosophy which
is more or less the fruit of speculation from more or less untrained minds.

About Visudhimagga, This is the most revered commentary for most
Theravadins. Did you know the author based his writing
largely on Vimuttimagga (The path of Liberation) and ordered it
burned after he had completed his?! Had it not for a previous
translation into Chinese, Vimuttimagga would have been forever lost.

Buddhadasa was of the opinion that the Buddha became enlightened
when he fully understood the theory of Dependent Origination.
The Buddha later systematized the theory for laypersons in terms
of the four noble truths and the eightfold path. Now, the inter-
pretation of the Dependent Origination in Visud seems to be ways
of marks, in Budhadasa's eyes.


Visud posits that one would get the fruit of one's deed in future
lives. Buddhadasa said, no. One gets the fruit here and now. He
interpreted further that one is born and is dead many times in
one day. When the Dependent Origination completes itself one round,
one is born and is dead one round. This is acknowledged by buddhist
scholars in Thailand as the first time the Dependent Origination theory
is interpreted this way.

Of course, the concept of here and now has been with Buddhists
of all sects all along. But it has never been looked from the
point of view of dependent origination, IMO.

I posted sometime ago also that this new interpretation of Dependent
Origination could be reformulated into Micro-Samsara which conditioned
the Macro-samsara. When the micro-samsara is broken the macro-samsara
would also be broken since it get nourishment from the micro one.

Other than this, and some other supernatural stuffs, I kind of like
Visudhimagga too. Few books would offer you more ways and more details
on how to conduct meditations.

-Tawit (fstawit@icomp01.lerc.nasa.gov)

Please CC a response to me as well, since I'll be gone for 2 weeks.

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