Primer

A Primer in Chinese Buddhist Writings

Volume Two: The Indian Tradition

Four Problems from the Abhidharma Literature

Introduction to the texts

The first passage is from what became, arguably, the most influential abhidharma text in East Asia, the Abhidharmakośa translated by Xuanzang in the seventh century (T 1558). The passage here discusses the problem of whether or not the wardens of hell are sentient beings. The second passage, also on the topic of whether or not hell wardens are sentient beings, is from the Abhidharmavibhāṣāśāstra, translated by Buddhavarman in the fifth century. It is almost identical to the first passage, but with slightly different wording. The third passage, again from the Abhidharmakośa, tackles the problem of whether or not hell beings are capable of creating bad karma. The fourth passage takes us out of hell to address the troubling question of whether or not rebirth presupposes the existence of an enduring self.

The Abhidharmakośa, generally taken to represent Sarvāstivādin positions, has been widely read by elite monks in China and in the rest of East Asia first in Paramārtha's translation (T 1558) completed in the sixth century, and then, from the seventh century on, in Xuánzàng's translation.

The stylistic conventions of Abhidharma are different from what we have seen so far. Doctrinal problems are raised for discussion, often based either on what appear to be inconsistencies in a given doctrine, or in contradictions between different texts. Abhidharma texts usually present both sides of an argument, at the same time presenting both objections to the arguments and defenses against these objections.

According to tradition, the Abhidharmakośa was compiled by Vasubandhu in approximately the early fifth century. In addition to the two Chinese translations of the Kośa we sample from here, there is also a Tibetan translation and a Sanskrit version. Xuánzàng's translation was translated into French by Louis de la Vallée Poussin, published between 1923 and 1931. Leo M. Pruden completed an English translation of this work (that is, from the French). But since the Sanskrit version of the text was discovered (in Tibet) only in 1934, it was not incorporated into Poussin's notes.

Passage 1: Are the hell wardens sentient beings?

Vocabulary
阿毘達磨 āpídámó (Skt.) abhidharma
俱舍 jùshè (Skt.) kośa
lùn treatise (Skt. śāstra)

阿毘達磨俱舍》卷11〈3 分別品〉

Are the hell wardens sentient beings? §1

Vocabulary
有情 yǒuqíng sentient being
業力 yèlì power of karma
劫風 jiéfēng wind of the kalpa (a great wind is one of the forces that leads to the formation of a world system during the long period (kalpa) in which the world system takes shape. )
tōng understand; explain
大德 dàdé One of Great Virtue (term of respect for monks, from Skt. bhadanta)
法善現 Fǎshànxiàn Dharmasubhūti. (This monk is quoted elsewhere in the Abhidharmakośa, but remains obscure. This may be another name for Aśvaghoṣa).4
hào to like, to delight in (contrast with hǎo, meaning “good”).
other (distinguish from modern meaning of “him or he”)
欣悅 xīnyuè to be pleased, delighted, happy
琰魔 Yǎnmó Yama (personal name: the ruler of the hells)
foot-soldier

4. References in Louis de la Vallée Poussin (Leo M. Pruden trans.), Abhidharmakośa Bhāṣyam (Berkeley: Asian Humanities Press, 1991), p.534, fn.411.

Are the hell wardens sentient beings? §2

Vocabulary
邏剎娑 luóchàsuō (Skt.) rakṣasa, demon

Are the hell wardens sentient beings? §3

Vocabulary
異熟 yìshú (Skt. vipāka), maturation; retribution
then, next
shàng even
róng to allow, permit
無間 wújiān unremitting sins (five kinds of evil acts that lead to rebirth in the Unremitting Hell)
gǎn to inspire, to cause; to move
reason, principle
zhē objection, refutation
隔礙 géài obstacle, obstruction
大種 dàzhǒng lit. “great seeds”; the four elements, physical constitution

(CBETA, T29, no. 1558, p. 58, c18-p. 59, a17)

Passage 2: A parallel passage on the status of the wardens

A parallel passage on the status of the wardens: §1

Vocabulary
毘婆沙 pípóshā (Skt.) vibhāṣā; alternative, different interpretation
曇摩須菩提 Tánmóxūpútí Dharmasubhūti (above his name is translated as 法善現; this is a transliteration)
gāthā, verse
剛強 gāngqiáng tough and strong
瞋恚 chēnhuì hatred; malice
閻羅 Yánluó Yama

A parallel passage on the status of the wardens: §2

Vocabulary
shù number; to be among the number, to belong to the category of
無間業 wújiānyè unremitting karma (punishment for committing one of the five sins leading to Unremitting Hell).
善根 shàngēn wholesome roots (a metaphor for goodness)
增上 zēngshàng to increase
邪見 xiéjiàn false views
kuàng how much more…
xiàng image; appearance

A parallel passage on the status of the wardens: §3

Vocabulary
wén literary; literature
gains
shī losses
suǒ chains
繫縛 xìfú to bind
to go to
suǒ place, location

A parallel passage on the status of the wardens: §4

Vocabulary
聖語 shèngyǔ sacred language; Sanskrit
to hit, to strike
bàng baton, stick
liè split

(CBETA, T28, no. 1546, p. 48, a5-25)

Passage 3: Are beings in hell capable of creating bad karma?

阿毘達磨俱舍》卷17〈4 分別品〉

Another characteristic of Abhidharmic writing is the enthusiasm of its authors for categorization and lists, as illustrated in the following passages on the types of sins that can be committed in hell, which focuses on a common list of ten types of sin: murder, theft, debauchery, deception, flattery, insult, slander, coveting, anger, and holding false views.

Are beings in hell capable of creating bad karma? §1

Vocabulary
不善十業 búshàn shíyè the ten types of bad karma; ten types of unwholesome behavior
那落迦 nàluòjiā (Skt.) naraka, hell
tōng to work, to be possible
二種 èrzhǒng two types (here, as explained below: incipient, and carried out)
麁惡 cūè crass, vile (vile language, one of the ten types of unwholesome behavior)
雜穢 záhuì unclean, low, vulgar (another of the ten types)
現行 xiànxíng manifest
成就 chéngjiù accomplished, completed

Are beings in hell capable of creating bad karma? §2

Vocabulary
to insult, to curse
𢤱悷 lǒnglì unruly, obstreperous
調 tiáo to moderate, to tame
zēng to hate, to despise
瞋恚 chēnhuì hostility, anger (one of the ten types)

Are beings in hell capable of creating bad karma? §3

Vocabulary
tān greed (one of the ten types)
邪見 xiéjiàn false views (one of the ten types)
xíng to carry out, to enact
jìng realm, world; object of
現見 xiànjiàn to see directly, immediately apparent

Are beings in hell capable of creating bad karma? §4

Vocabulary
shè to gather, to amass
財物 cáiwù wealth, possessions
不與取 bùyǔqǔ taking that which has not been given (one of the ten types of unwholesome behavior)
欲邪行 yùxiéxíng indulging in sensual pleasures (one of the ten types)

Are beings in hell capable of creating bad karma? §5

Vocabulary
虛誑語 xūkuángyǔ false speech (one of the ten types)
常離 chánglí permanent separation, constant isolation
離間語 líjiānyǔ slander

(CBETA, T29, no. 1558, p. 90, a20-b8; Poussin pp.666-67).

Passage 4: Does rebirth presuppose the existence of an enduring self?

阿毘達磨俱舍》卷30〈9 品〉

Does rebirth presuppose the existence of an enduring self? §1

Vocabulary
補特伽羅 bǔtèjiāló (Skt.) pudgala, individual, person
阿誰 āshuí who
流轉 liúzhuǎn to transmigrate, to circulate
薄伽梵 bójiāfàn (Skt.) bhagavat, blessed one
契經 qìjīng scriptures
shě to cast aside, to abandon
yùn aggregate (Skt. skandha)
義宗 yìzōng doctrine
qián previously
徵遣 zhēngqiǎn dealt with (Hirakawa reconstructs 徵遣 as uktottara)

5 《阿含》卷6:「世尊比丘:「比丘眾生首,驅馳,流轉?」」(CBETA, T02, no. 99, p. 42, b3-6)

Does rebirth presuppose the existence of an enduring self? §2

Vocabulary
liáo to burn
yuán prairie, plateau
剎那 chànà (Skt.) kṣaṇa, a moment, an instant
to continue
to gather
jiǎ provisional

Does rebirth presuppose the existence of an enduring self? §3

Vocabulary
世導師 shìdǎoshī guide of the world (i.e. a buddha)
妙眼 Miàoyǎn (Skt. Sunetra) lit. Marvelous Eye
jiù mistake, wrong

(CBETA, T29, no. 1558, p. 156, c2-p. 157, c24; Poussin, p.1337)

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