Here is a quote from
Abhidharmaye Mūlika Karuṇu
(Basic facts of Abhidhamma)
By
Rerukāne Candavimala Mahā thero
Translated
By
D.J. Percy Silva
Sutta Dhamma are like prescriptions written by a physician after examining various patients. Abhidhamma Piṭaka is like the medical knowledge possessed by the physician. One cannot become knowledgeable in Dhamma by learning the Sutta Piṭaka which is like a lot of prescriptions; like it is not possible to become a physician by reading prescriptions rather than methodically studying medical science. Cannot become learned in Dhamma or a good Dhamma speaker. The Dhamma knowledge of the person who does not know Abhidhamma is confused. Dhamma discourses are also not pure. The confusion and faults in it can be seen only by those who know Abhidhamma and not by others. Therefore, others praise such confusing discourses. The deliverer who does not know the status of the discourses too is pleased. Sometimes feels proud of oneself. Such wrong idea remains until Abhidhamma is learnt. The commentary on Abhidhamma named, ‘Atthasālini’ shows the Dhamma discourses by one not learned in Abhidhamma as follows.
“Ābhidhammika bhikkhu yeva kira dhammakathikā nāma, avasesā dhammaṁ kathentāpi na dhammakathikā. Kasmā? Te hi dhammaṁ kathentā kammantaraṁ vipākantaraṁ rūpārūpaparicchedaṁ dhammantaraṁ āloletvā kathenti. Ābhidhammikā pana dhammantaraṁ ālolenti. Tasmā Ābhidhammikā bhikkhu dhammaṁ kathetu vā mā vā26 pucchita kale pana kathessatī ti so yeva dhammā kathiko nāma hoti.”
“It is the bhikkhus learned in Abhidhamma that are Dhamma speakers. Although others deliver Dhamma, they are not Dhamma speakers. Why is it? They deliver Dhamma, confusing one kamma with another kamma, confusing one result with another result, confusing material with non-material and confusing one dhamma with another dhamma. Those learned in Abhidhamma do not confuse the Dhamma. Therefore, whether or not the Bhikkhu learned in Abhidhamma delivers Dhamma discourses, he definitely becomes a Dhamma speaker because he correctly explains matters when questioned by others.” Is its meaning. Facts being so, those who need to learn Buddhism should study the Abhidhamma Piṭaka.
I enjoyed the analogy with the medical reference – the physician and the medical knowledge vs. the recitation of prescriptions. It is a very evocative simile.
In my mind, reading this simile, another simile arose, that of a VEHICLE, which is a significant simile for Buddhism, I suppose.
One can learn to drive a vehicle, and drives it to work and back everyday, exploiting its every function and using it in accordance with its purpose.
But, this doesn’t mean that one is learned in the makeup or mechanics of the vehicle, one cannot identify the exact disfunction of the vehicle and one cannot address those disfunctions in an efficient manner.
If everyone understood their minds with the exactitude of a mechanic, they could address the functionalities of their mind in such manner that their mind-vehicle delivers them to the desired destination with the precision of a road-master who can self-correct the course of their mind-driven vehicle.
Professional race car drivers need to know every nut and bolt of the car. (you can google that too) Unless they are born into a racing family, they likely once started as gear heads trying to mod their stock cars in amateur race tracks. When I was a lay person in the 90’s I used to work with someone who raced rabbit stock cars. He knew all about fixing cars and making modifications to the internal engine to give it more power.
This is a very powerful statement, thank you for taking this analogy to its logical conclusion! I feel a great affinity with your statements, thank you for your insightful contributions
I have been going through the forum and slowly looking through the topics that are of great interest to me. The study of Abhidhamma was a wonderful discovery for me because it gave me the sense of everything being arranged in a comprehensive order. I had the great fortune to have been introduced to it via a lay person’s digest through a university grade study program in Sri Lanka. I haven’t really had much interaction with any of the other traditions besides the Sri Lankan tradition of Theravada, and the Abhidhamma became a natural development that put everything on their proper shelves.
Do you have some recommendations of the posts or writings that you’ve shared here that can deepen my understanding of the Abhidhammic organization of the Buddhist analysis of consciousness? I would gladly study their contents. Thank you for your consideration.
As for videos… if you are sinhala, you cannot get better than ven maggavihari videos on abhidhamma. Search for him. He is the best there is in English and I’m guessing that the sinahala talks are much better.
Thank you, I will browse your blog, it looks very interesting. And, will look up the talks that you’ve mentioned. Unfortunately, Sinhala is not my forte, but I’m glad that there are other talks in English I can peruse.
