A great treatise whose name means the ‘Great Book of Alternatives’ or ‘Great Book of Options’, compiled probably during the 3rd century ce in Gandhāra under the patronage of King Kaniṣka II. It is traditionally believed to have been composed at the Council of Kaniṣka, held in the reign of Kaniṣka I, but this is unlikely since the text contains a specific reference to the ‘former king Kaniṣka’. Moreover, inscriptions and recent finds in Afghanistan suggest that it is unlikely that Sanskrit was used by any Buddhists before the 2nd century ce. The treatise is a commentary on a fundamental work of Abhidharma, the Jñānaprasthāna (Basis of Knowledge) of Katyāyanaputra, a Sarvāstivādin philosopher. Also known as the Vibhāṣā, the text is an encyclopedia of the views of the Vaibhāṣika school and records the views of distinguished teachers of different schools on technical points of doctrine. The Mahāvibhāṣā survives only in three Chinese translations, and a partial translation made into Tibetan is now no longer extant. The Chinese translation contains additional material not found in the Sanskrit fragments that have been recovered. The Mahāvibhāṣā formed the basis of debate between the schools of the Hīnayāna (Small Vehicle) for many centuries, and many shorter treatises such as Vasubandhu's Abhidharma-kośa were composed to criticize and supplement it.
Mahavibhasa
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The Abhidharma Mahāvibhāṣa Śāstra is an ancient Buddhist text.[1]
Contents |
The Vibhāṣa Compendia
Vibhāṣā is a term meaning 'compendium', 'treatise' or simply 'explanation', derived from vi + √bhaṣ, 'to speak' or 'to explain'. Evidence strongly indicates that there were originally many different Vibhāṣa texts, mainly commenting on the Jñānaprasthāna, but also commenting on other Abhidharma texts too. The relationship between all these texts is very complex, as there is mutual influence, and the texts underwent some development from initial inception to completion. The Taisho has three, however, which are compendiums on the Jñānaprasthāna, and its six legs: the Abhidharma Mahāvibhāṣā Śāstra (T1545), the Abhidharma Vibhāṣā Śāstra (T1546) and the Vibhāṣā Śāstra (T1547).
Abhidharma Mahāvibhāṣā Śāstra, by Katyāyāniputra
Of these three, the Abhidharma Mahāvibhāṣa Śāstra is considered prominent. Its authorship is traditionally attributed to five hundred arhats, some 600 years after the parinirvāṇa of the Buddha.[2] Its compilation, however, is attributed to a certain Katyāyāniputra. This date and authorship is based on the Chinese translation, also of Xuanzang, and also other historical considerations.[3] It appears in the Taisho in its own volume, due to its huge size: T27, No. 1545, 阿毘達磨大毘婆沙論, 五百大阿羅漢等造, 三藏法師玄奘奉 詔譯, in a massive 200 fasc. which is larger the previous Abhidharma texts combined, and a third of the total Abhidharma literature! The Vibhāṣa Śāstra is an older translation, translated by Buddhavarman and Daotai: T28, No. 1546, 阿毘達磨毘婆沙論, 迦旃延子造, 五百羅漢釋, 北涼天竺沙門浮陀跋摩共道泰等譯.
Contents
As such an immense text, it contains a huge array of material. This includes the discussion of basically every doctrinal issue of the day, as presented by not only non-Sarvāstivāda views, such as the Vaibhajyavāda, Pudgalavāda, Mahāsaṃghika, and others; but also non-Buddhist systems, such as the Saṃkhya, the Vaiśeṣika, and others; and finally of the Sarvāstivāda itself, as represented by its various learned and venerable leaders.
With regards the former two, their 'unorthodox' and 'incorrect' doctrines are taken to task from the perspective of the Buddhist Sarvāstivāda. With regards the latter, several views are often expressed as more detailed descriptions of Sarvāstivāda doctrines. These are often open ended, with no particular explanation favored over another, though sometimes a particular explanation is extolled as being particularly clear and in harmony with the teachings.
Due to both of the above reasons, the Vibhāṣa literature is particularly useful in not only understanding this school, but in also getting a good perspective on the general state of the Buddha Dharma, and other other non-Buddhist religions at the time.
Sarvāstivāda of Kāśmīra
The Sarvāstivāda of Kāśmīra held the Mahāvibhāṣā as authoritative, and thus were given the moniker of being Vaibhāṣikas – 'those [upholders] of the Vibhāṣa'. Some scholars feel that some of the Vibhāṣa texts that are now lost, possibly represented a similar authoritative text as held by the Gandhāra Sarvāstivāda, or other centers of orthodoxy.[4] It was due to the predominance of this text and its teachings at the time, that Vasubandhu engaged in the study thereof, as a compendium that encompassed all the essential teachings.
References
- ^ Venerable Dhammajoti: Sarvāstivāda Abhidharma Vol III, Center for Buddhist Studies HKU.
- ^ Abhidharma Mahāvibhāṣa: T27n1545_p0001a12 and Abhidharma Vibhāṣa: T25n1546_p0001a9~b11
- ^ Venerable Yinshun: Study of the Abhidharma, Texts and Commentators of the Sarvāstivāda, (說一切有部為主的論書與論師之研究), Zhengwen Publishing, 1968. pg. 212.
- ^ Willemen, Dessein & Cox: Sarvāstivāda Buddhist Scholasticism, Brill, 1998. pg. 236.
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