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Seeing the spontaneous Destruction, Theravada, and Vipassana".
This is the new book Compiled By Ven. Bellanwila Dhammānanda Thero .
This work seeks to examine a complex issue observed within the
Theravāda Abhidhamma tradition. It focuses on an area that may
appear contradictory or entangled yet holds significant weight in the
development of Vipassana insight (Vipassanā Ñāṇa).
Seeing Momentary Dissolution.pdf (1.1 MB)
Please share your reflections on this important work.
Thank you for taking the time to post this. I’ve so far only skimmed through the book, but plan to give it a more thorough reading later.
At first glance, it strikes me as a fascinating and significant contribution to the Buddhist debate on kṣaṇikavāda.
For anyone considering whether to delve into it, here’s a bit of background:
Indian Buddhist ābhidharmikas proposed varying theories about the stages in a dharma’s existence, with the proposed number ranging from two to five. Specifically:-
• Sautrāntikas: Two stages – arising and ceasing.
• Some Vaibhāṣikas: Three stages – arising, abiding, and ceasing.
• Other Vaibhāṣikas: Four stages – arising, abiding, ageing, and ceasing.
• Some Mahāsāṃghikas: Five stages – arising, abiding, ageing, deteriorating, and ceasing.
Within the Theravada tradition, the debate persisted until about a millennium ago, with advocates for both the two-stage and three-stage models. To illustrate:-
• The Yamaka of the Abhidhamma Pitaka discusses only arising and ceasing.
• Buddhaghosa, in his Dhammasaṅgaṇī-atthakathā, introduces an intermediate stage: abiding.
• Ānanda, in his Dhammasaṅgaṇī-mūlaṭīkā, advocates the Sautrāntika-like perspective found in the Yamaka, albeit only in the case of cittas and cetasikas. In the case of rūpadhammas he goes along with Buddhaghosa’s three stages.
• Cūḷa Dhammapāla, in his Dhammasaṅgaṇī-anuṭīkā, counters Ānanda by defending the three-stage conception with respect to all conditioned dhammas.
By the time Anuruddha authors the Abhidhammatthasaṅgaha, the three-stage model championed by Buddhaghosa and Dhammapāla has solidified into the orthodox stance of the Theravada—a position that it’s enjoyed ever since.
Remarkably, Ven. Dhammānanda’s book represents (as far as I know) the only attempt in living memory by a Theravadin ābhidhammika to revive and systematically defend Ānanda’s two-stage conception.
This is perhaps of interest:
Thank you very much for your feedback venerable Bhante. Yes, this book discusses about kṣaṇikavāda which is what actually I got interested too. 