SALUTATIONS TO THE BUDDHA ‘THE COMPENDIUM OF THE HIGHER TEACHING (PHILOSOPHY) (ABHIDHARMASAMUCCAYA) |, — THE COMPENDIUM OF CHARACTERISTICS, (LAKSANASAMUCCAYA, CHAPTER ONE ‘Secnow One: Tange Draws (Skandbas, Dhatus, Ayatanas) In the Compendiam of Characteristics (laksanasamucca “Three phenomena (iidbarm, grouping (samgraba), conjunc: tion (samprayoga) and accompaniment (samanedgama). Inthe Compendium of Determining (viniscayasamuccaya Teath Gath, teaching (dbarma), scquistion (prdpt) and dialectic Gambainya). How many Chat), with what aim (kim padaya), characteristics (akgana), deftition (iyavastin), gradation (anukramad, meaning (ariba), example (dryania), cassis tion (prabheda)—all his wil be known in the Compendium. How many aggresites (Shanda, elements (dbatu) and spheres (ayatana) ate there? There are five aggregates: [] the agoregate of mater (rapa), he aggregate of fecling (eedana), [3] the aggregate of perception (sana), [the aggregate of formations (samskara) and (5 the aggregate of consciousness (una), There are eighien elements 1] te eve element (calur- oan, (2) the Form element (rapadyana) and (3) the visual tn de exegory mp, taba, ete, ripa means vse “Tom and not “nae” as in the estgory ofthe fie agrepses. In Us cote, wasting ‘he tenn rib ‘nae mould Ted to confusion since wc things 3 sun Gadde, odo (ganda), et, ar also constued of sie mate. 12 APbidharmasamuccaya) consciousness element (cadsurifitanadbany), [4] the ear ele-| ment (Srotradbat), [5] the sound clement (Sabdadbatu) and| (6) the auditory consciousness element (srotnaviftanadhats);| 171 the nose element (gbramadbatw), [8] the odor element| (Gandbadbatw) and (9) the olfactory’ consciousness clement (gbranaviptanadbauu), (10) the tongue element (ibvadhan), (1 the taste element Crasadbam) and (12) the gustatory con: sciousness element (jibeauyaanadbaty, (13) the body element Chayadbatu), (14 the angibilry element (sprastaryadhat) and [15] the tactile consciousness element (hayavijidnadbatu), 116) the mental organ element (manodbatu), (17) the mental “object element (dbarmadbatu) and (18) the mental conscious: ness element (manouijrianadbatu) ‘There are twelve spheres: [1] the sphere of the eye (caksurdyatana) and the sphere of form (rapayatana), [3] the sphere of the ear (srotrayaiana) and (fl the sphere of sound Gabdayatana); 5] the sphere of the nose (ghranayatana) and (6) the sphere of odor (gandbayatana); (7) the sphere of the tongue Gidudyatana) and I8] the sphere of taste (rasayatana), [Bi the sphere of the body (bayayalana) and [10] the sphere of langibilty (sprastaryayatana), [111 the sphere of the mental ‘ongan (mana ayatana) and (12! the sphere of the mental object (dharmayatana), ‘Why are there only five aggregates? Because of the five :methods by means of which [the idea] of self (@zman) makes ts appearance: self as physical apprehension, self as experience, self as expression, self as the agent of alright and all wrong, and self as the basis of al that, ‘Why are there only eighteen elements? Because, due to two things, the body (deba)* and appropriation (parigraba) there is suppor of the past and present sixfold experience (amavartamanasadabaropabbogadbaranata)* 2, aba means the si indpas (cules) eye, ear, nose, congue, body snd mental organ 3 Parigaa mcins the six saya (objec): vse ferm, sound, oo, ‘ase, tngey and mene objec “4: Atiavartomanasadaharopabbogadbaranata mesos the sx smas (consciousnessed vital, audeery, alfctory, gustatory, tcte and ‘neal palgonacamuecaya 3 Wy ate tee ony vee spe? Besa, dct 0 te body and appropriation, there fan enance to the Hine nfold experience (andgatasadaharopabbogayaduara). why are the aggregates cilled clinging (upadanal? The agsregpcs are 30 called because they are associated wilh se that is clinging? The desk (chanda) and craving (raga) che gavegates of Gny ate deste and craving called clingy? Dese and ceaving we 50 elled because of the continiaion and_aon- Sfendonment of ature and present aggregates land alo) be Suse of dese of the fure and attachment tothe presen. “Why are the element and spheres conskered as assocl ated wih clinging? The explanation here i the same a8 inthe case ofthe aggregates, ‘wha isthe characterise agama) of mate? Change i the characterise of mater. thas two fous: change in comact fhe change In localization, What xchange in conte It the Hleration caused by contact by hand, a foo, a stone, 2 trexpon, 2 stick, cold, eat, hunger, hist, a mosquito, a gay, {Saske a sorpion, ee, What change In localiaaton? isthe imainaion of for, though determined or undetermined men- tl conception, as sich and such or some such ether form ‘What & the chante of feling? Experience isthe characterise of feslng. Theres experience when one feels he reals of good or bad actions. ‘What te characteristic of perception? Recognizing is the characters of percepion. The nature of percepuon tO Know ‘actus things, and io expres things seen, head, conceived and Ghose that one reals? ‘What isthe characteristic ofthe formations? Constucting isthe characterise ofthe formations. The nature of formation isto form and construc; dough atthe mind is ected tomards fvomble Vaal), unfavorble Cakusala) and neal Caesar) aces. 5 Gh dhe Pal expression dithasuta-mutectRidea MA, p37, says hat, {hetwim musaindeses odor, tte sad ables gandbaracapbetbabeana4 Abbidbarmatamuceaya ‘What isthe characteristic of consciousness? Knowing isthe characteristic of consciousness. Its consciousness by means of which one knows (visible) form, sound, odor, taste, the tan- gible, mental objects and various realms ‘What is the characteristic of the eye element? tt is that bby means of which one sees forms, and which is the store- consciousness, the accumulated seed (bijam upacttam dlay. yjnanam). The characteristics ofthe elements of the car, nose, tongue, body and mental organ are also like that of the eye clement ‘What is the characteristic of the form clement? The form clement is that which becomes visible when it is seen by the eye, and over which is exercised the supremacy ofthe eye ele- ment. The characteristics of the elements of sound, odor, tase, tangibiliy and the mental object are like that of the form ele What is the characteristic of the visual consciousness clement’ Ie is reaction to a visible form which has the eye a its subject (base) and form as its object, and itis also the Store-consciousness of results which is the accumulated seed (yam upacitam vipakalayavijianam). Sach is the charac: teristic of the visual consciousness element. The characteristics of the elements of auditory, olfactory, gustatory, tacile and. ‘mental consciousness are also like that of visual conscious What is the characteristic of the sphere? It should be known just as should that of the elements What is the definition ofthe aggregate of matter? Whatever iis, all matier is constituted by the four great elements and derivations ofthe four great elements. ‘What are the four great eloments? They are the elements of earth, water, fire and air. ‘What is the earth clement Iti solidity. What is the water element Ici fluidity ‘What isthe fre elemen® It is heat. What isthe air element? It is motion. What is derived matter? The faculties ofthe eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, a certain par of form, sound, odor, taste, touch 4 tabsanasamuccaya 5 and also matter included in the sphere of mental objects ‘What is the eye faculty Cndriya) It is sensitive matter de rived from the four great elements and which is the basis of visual consciousness, ‘What is the ear faculty? It is sensitive matter derived from the four great elements and which isthe basis of auditory con- ‘What isthe nose faculty? Iti sensitive matter derived from the four great elements and which is the basis of olfactory con What is the tongue faculty? It is sensitive mater derived from the four great elements and which is the basis of gustatory ‘What isthe bodly faculty? It is sensitive matter derived from the four great elements and which is the basis of tactile con- ‘What is fomy It is a phenomenon derived from the four 4great clements and which i the object of visual consciousness, such as blue, yellow, red, white, long, shor, square, round, large, small, high, low, soft, rough, the sun, shadow, light, darkness, cloud, smoke, dust and mist; the form of space, the form of a gesture (of an expression), the form of single color in the sky. All that is thecefold: pleasant, unpleasant or indf- ferent. ‘What is sound? It sa phenomenon derived from the four reat elements and which is perceptible by the auditory faculty, sch as pleasant, unpleasant of indifferent, produced by the oF anic’ or inorganic great elements or both,” known in the world Or produced by persons endowed with supemormal powers (siddbas) or conceived or utezed by the noble ones (Aras) oF by heretics What is odor It is a phenomenon derived from the four ‘reat elements and which is perceptible by the olfactory faculty, OF Vis p46. See below, p.6 7, Such atthe sound of spoken weds 8 Such asthe sound produced by wees hake bythe wind 9. Such asthe sound produced by «mse tment