Introduction
Namo tassa bhagavato arahato sammāsambuddhassa
Introduction to 3.10.13.1 Tikapaṭṭhāna – Pucchavāro, Part One – Determining Questions
Ahaṃ nu1 khosmi,2 no nu khosmi, kiṃ nu khosmi, kathaṃ nu khosmi,
ayaṃ nu kho satto kuto āgato, so kuhiṃ3 gāmī bhavissatī’’ti.4
Kammā vipākā vattanti, vipāko kammasambhavo;
Kammā punabbhavo hoti, evaṃ loko pavattatīti.5
Am I? Or am I not? What am I? How am I?
Whence my being might have come? Whither will it be gone?6
From kamma results proceed; each result has kamma has its source,
It is kamma from where a new becoming springs,
That is what makes the world rotate.
In the order of the Paṭṭhānapāḷi, the Paṭṭhānamātikā displays the succinct overview of all the conditions and the Paccayaniddeso provides a brief explanation. The next section in the order of the Paṭṭhāna is then labelled Pucchāvāro (pucchā + vāro: ‘question’ + ‘turn, occasion, time’), and thus means ‘chapter or section on questions’.
According to the commentators, these essential questions provide the foundation for grasping the methodical analyses of the complete order of the Paṭṭhānapāḷi, and should be understood, learned and exclusively examined. They are crucial for every further chapter and are based on a logical combination of the three constituents of the first tika to assure that they include every possible phenomenon and do not exclude a single state; even so, not all questions allow an answer.
A set of seven questions is founded on the three constituents of the first tika, the kusala tika: kusala, akusala and abyākata, and thus arranges the base for the whole Paṭṭhāna. These questions then need to be examined in reference to each of the 24 conditions — first singly and then in all possible combinations. Initially they have to be applied in seven sections and then, using the same method, to all seven chapters.
The questions should be developed mentally and individually in the logical and scientific ‘permutation method’ for all tikas and dukas.7 The kusalapada provides the first set of seven, and based on these six more sets, have to be produced in rearranged order as described below. Thus seven sets of seven consecutively add up to 49 questions in respect to hetupaccayo only.
The questions that will be raised are as follows:
(1) Kusalapadaṃ (Wholesome section)
Siyā kusalaṃ dhammaṃ paṭicca kusalo dhammo uppajjeyya hetupaccayā.
May dependent on a wholesome state by means of root condition arise a wholesome phenomenon?
|
kusala |
gets combined with |
kusala, akusala, abyākata, kusala + abyākata akusala + abyākata kusala + akusala kusala + akusala + abyākata |
The next set of seven, the akusalapada, commences thus with akusala in the following order:
(2) Akusalapadaṃ (Unwholesome section)
Siyā akusalaṃ dhammaṃ paṭicca akusalo dhammo uppajjeyya hetupaccayā.
May dependent on an unwholesome state by means of root condition arise an unwholesome phenomenon?
|
akusala |
gets combined with |
akusala, kusala, abyākata kusala + abyākata akusala + abyākata akusala + kusala kusala + akusala + abyākata |
The remaining set of seven particular questions may then be constructed similarly to the order shown above, each time commencing with the respective constituent:
(3) Abyākatapadaṃ Unspecified section
(4) Kusalābyākatapadaṃ Wholesome and Unspecified section
(5) Akusalābyākatapadaṃ Unwholesome and Unspecified section
(6) Kusalākusalapadaṃ Wholesome and Unwholesome section
(7) Kusalākusalābyākatapadaṃ Wholesome and Unwholesome and Unspecified section.
The accompanying side-by-side table (3.10.13.1 Tikapaṭṭhāna – Pucchavāro, Part One – Determining Questions) will provide all questions in detail in their respective combination and order.
Thus, these amount to 49 respective questions which consecutively should be associated, in a likewise method, with each of the 24 paccayā. This will add up to 1176 questions all together.8
1. nu: (affirmative indecl.) then, now.
2. nu khosmi: nu + kho + asmi (interr.) – indeed, really, perhaps + I am.
3. kuhiṃ: where, whither?
4. Sabbāsavasuttaṃ, Mūlapariyāyavaggo, Mūlapaṇṇāsapāḷi.
5. Paccayapariggahakathā, Kaṅkhāvitaraṇavisuddhiniddeso, Visuddhimaggo.
6. In this quote the Buddha advises to avoid such kind of philosophical enquiries, which he describes as unwise attention: ‘ayoniso manasi karoti’. In general such questions get deluded by a view of ‘self’ and dissuade from the path. They are means Māra uses to try and distract the meditator, as can be seen in the case of the nun Vajirā at 3.10.6 Abhidhamma - Introduction and Terminology.
7. All available versions of the Paṭṭhāna present these questions only once in reference to the first chapter. It then expects that the readers mentally apply the same respective method of questioning throughout all the following chapters.
8. Details are provided in the Introduction to 3.10.13.2 Tikapaṭṭhāna – Paṭiccavāro, Part Two - Completing the Section with Answers.