Patthana Dhamma

by Htoo Naing | 2005 | 57,704 words

This ebook is about Patthana Dhamma, the 7th text of abhidhamma pitaka or tipitaka, reffering to the teachings of The Buddha, also known as: the Exalted One, Fully Enlightened One, Tathagata, Well Gone One; 623 BC. The materials are from a small booklet of Chatthasangayanamula Patthana Pali and Abhidhammatthasangaha text written by Venerable Anur...

Whatever beings are thinking, whatever beings are perceiving, whatever earthly worldly people are writing, saying, speaking, talking, discussing there are only 4 dhamma in essence. Nothing is more than these 4 dhamma. These 4 dhammas are known as paramattha dhamma or ultimate realities because when ultimately seen there is nothing but one of these 4 realities whatever is analysed.

Paramattha is a Pali word. It is made up of parama and attha. Attha means meaning essence intrinsic existence. Parama means farthest superior highest most excellent best. So paramattha dhamma means most excellent intrinsic essence or ultimate realities.

Whatever happen whereever and whenever there happen these paramattha dhamma. But nibbana is not a sankhata dhamma or conditioned dhamma and it does not arise or does not fall away and it does not happen. So in this world, on this earth, in these 31 realms or 31 planes of existence what happening are all happening of rūpa dhamma and nāma dhamma and nothing more than that.

There are 4 paramattha dhamma. They are citta, cetasika, rūpa and nibbana. Citta and cetasika are nāma dhamma and rūpa are rūpa dhamma. Nāma dhamma and rūpa dhamma are sankhata dhamma or conditioned dhamma. Nibbana is asankhata dhamma and nibbana is not a conditioned dhamma. Sabbe sankharā aniccāti all conditioned dhamma are impermanent. Sabbe sankhāra dukkhāti; all conditioned dhamma are suffering and non desirable. Citta and cetasikas or nāma dhamma and rūpa dhamma are sankhāra dhamma. All dhamma that is citta, cetasika, rūpa and nibbana are anatta ; sabbe dhammā anattāti.

Anatta is a Pali word and made up of ana and atta. Ana means no not nothing and atta means self. Anatta means non self or no self. So any dhamma is not self. Any dhamma cannot be controlled by any outside power but dhamma happen on their own accord and they run their course and nobody can influence dhamma.

When these dhamma or nāma and rūpa are happening they do not happen alone. But they happen by interacting with other dhamma and they each depend on others and others also depend on condition. There are 2 teachings of The Buddha that reveal conditional relationship. They are paticcasamuppāda dhamma and patthāna dhamma.
Paticcasamuppāda dhamma just show that this dhamma causes arising of that dhamma and that dhamma cause arising of this dhamma. But paticcasamuppāda do not show how the cause and effect are related.

Unlike paticcasamuppāda dhamma, patthāna dhamma reveal all the conditional relationship among dhamma and patthana also show how they are related to each other. Patthana dhamma is cited as the last text in the 7 abhidhamma texts of The Buddha teaching and it is the most profound, the most difficult and the most essenceful dhamma ever exist. If dhamma can be seen these patthana dhamma are actually happening in our daily life.

There are in summary 24 paccaya or 24 conditions that dhamma are related to each other or dhamma condition other dhamma with 24 conditions. All 24 paccaya dhamma have been explained in this serial pages of Patthana Dhamma. There are more details in the 24 texts of Patthana Dhamma. These 24 texts are not of one text for one paccaya. 24 texts are details about patthana dhamma. In summary there are 24 paccayas or 24 conditions even though there are many more sub conditions a part from these 24 conditions.

24 paccaya or 24 conditions are

  1. hetu paccayo or root condition
  2. ārammana paccayo or object condition
  3. adhipati paccayo or predominance condition
  4. anantara paccayo or proximity condition
  5. samanantara paccayo or contiguity condition
  6. sahajāta paccayo or conascence condition
  7. annamanna paccayo or mutuality condition
  8. nissaya paccayo or dependence condition
  9. upanissaya paccayo or decisive support condition
  10. purejāta paccayo or prenascence condition
  11. pacchājāta paccayo or postnasence condition
  12. āsevana paccayo or repeatition condition
  13. kamma paccayo or kamma condition
  14. vipāka paccayo or vipāka condition or cooked result condition
  15. āhāra paccayo or nutriment condition
  16. indriya paccayo or faculty condition
  17. jhāna paccayo or jhāna condition or absoprtion condition
  18. magga paccayo or path condition
  19. sampayutta paccayo or association condition
  20. vippayutta paccayo or dissociation condition
  21. atthi paccayo or presence condition
  22. natthi paccayo or absence condition
  23. vigata paccayo or disappearance condition
  24. avigata paccayo or non disappearance condition
Like what you read? Consider supporting this website: