Resources on Sarvastivada

Textual analysis and comparative discussion on early Buddhist sects and scriptures.
Sacha G
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Resources on Sarvastivada

Post by Sacha G »

Hi,
Does everyone know where we can find resources concerning the sarvastivada, especially the abhidharma?
Thanks
Sacha :anjali:
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cooran
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Re: Resources on Sarvastivada

Post by cooran »

Hello Sacha,

This might be a start:

The great Abhidhamma Pitaka authenticity debate
http://www.dhammawheel.com/viewtopic.ph ... 180#p34361" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Abhidharma
Excerpt:
The Sarvāstivāda Abhidharma consists of seven texts. The texts of the Sarvāstivādin Abhidharma are:
• Sangitiparyaya ('Discourses on Gathering Together')
• Dharmaskandha ('Aggregation of Dharmas')
• Prajnaptisastra ('Treatise on Designations')
• Dhatukaya ('Body of Elements')
• Vijnanakaya ('Body of Consciousness')
• Prakaranapada ('Exposition')
• Jnanaprasthana ('Foundation of Knowledge')
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarvastivada#Abhidharma" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

with metta
Chris
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retrofuturist
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Re: Resources on Sarvastivada

Post by retrofuturist »

Greetings,

Buddhist Sects in India by Nalinaksha Dutt may be worth a look, though it may be a little too general for your requirements.

Metta,
Retro. :)
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cooran
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Re: Resources on Sarvastivada

Post by cooran »

Another suggestion might be this book – but you’d have to be keen at 710 pages!

Title: Sarvāstivāda Abhidharma3rd Edition, 710 pages + by Venerable Professor KL Dhammajoti
Published in Hong Kong by Centre of Buddhist Studies, The University of Hong Kong 2007
ISBN: 978-988-99295-1-9
http://ibc.ac.th/en/dhammajoti/sarvastivada" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

with metta
Chris
---The trouble is that you think you have time---
---Worry is the Interest, paid in advance, on a debt you may never owe---
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retrofuturist
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Re: Resources on Sarvastivada

Post by retrofuturist »

Greetings Cooran,

Whoa... you would have to be keen indeed!

:reading:

Sacha G - a quick question... is your focus here on the content of Sarvastivada teaching itself, or how it came to be (in terms of evolution and deviation from other early schools)? Knowing this might help people suggest recommendations that best meet your requirements.

Metta,
Retro. :)
"Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things."
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Re: Resources on Sarvastivada

Post by Paññāsikhara »

cooran wrote:Another suggestion might be this book – but you’d have to be keen at 710 pages!

Title: Sarvāstivāda Abhidharma3rd Edition, 710 pages + by Venerable Professor KL Dhammajoti
Published in Hong Kong by Centre of Buddhist Studies, The University of Hong Kong 2007
ISBN: 978-988-99295-1-9
http://ibc.ac.th/en/dhammajoti/sarvastivada" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

with metta
Chris
This is probably the best single resource available at present, but you should get the 2009 edition, rather than the 2007 edition.
Available through University of Hong Kong, Centre of Buddhist Studies, here.
Note other relevant publications from Bhante Dhammajoti on this page, including the Entrance into the Supreme Doctrine, and Abhidharma Doctrines and Controversies on Perception.
(Theravada Abhidhamma types may note Prof Y Karunadasa's new book, The Theravada Abhidhamma, here too.)

In English, Pruden's translation of de la Vallee Poussin's translation of the Abhidharma-kosa-bhasyam is also extremely helpful.
My recently moved Blog, containing some of my writings on the Buddha Dhamma, as well as a number of translations from classical Buddhist texts and modern authors, liturgy, etc.: Huifeng's Prajnacara Blog.
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Re: Resources on Sarvastivada

Post by Paññāsikhara »

retrofuturist wrote:Greetings,

Buddhist Sects in India by Nalinaksha Dutt may be worth a look, though it may be a little too general for your requirements.

Metta,
Retro. :)
Not worth it, in my opinion. This book is now really outdated.
My recently moved Blog, containing some of my writings on the Buddha Dhamma, as well as a number of translations from classical Buddhist texts and modern authors, liturgy, etc.: Huifeng's Prajnacara Blog.
Sacha G
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Re: Resources on Sarvastivada

Post by Sacha G »

Hi thank you for your answers so far.
Do you know more precisely if the agamas (I knwo they are not all sarvastivada) have been translated into English.
Apart from that, I alreay got the abhidharmakosabhasyam, which is a real treasure.
:anjali:
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Re: Resources on Sarvastivada

Post by Paññāsikhara »

Sacha G wrote:Hi thank you for your answers so far.
Do you know more precisely if the agamas (I knwo they are not all sarvastivada) have been translated into English.
Apart from that, I alreay got the abhidharmakosabhasyam, which is a real treasure.
:anjali:
Those considered Sarvastivadin are the two versions of the Samyuktagama, and the Madhyamagama. Neither has been fully, or even really partially, translated in English, with the exception of a number of sutras here and there. Check out, for instance, this project here.

As for the Kosa, although many Tibetan Buddhists consider this their basic text for the Sarvastivada, because they have no other earlier Sarvastivada literature, it is not really so. It is kind of half way between the Sarvastivada and the Sautrantika. The English translation should make the various points clearly attributed to the school in question. It is not the Mahavibhasa.
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Akuma
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Re: Resources on Sarvastivada

Post by Akuma »

@OP:

There is Abhidharmamrtasastra translated by Migme Chodron freely available on the web.
Abhidharmadipa and Abhidharmahrdaya have been translated altho they are sadly not downloadable. The Karma Chapter from Abhidharmahrdaya has been translated in a study by Wataru which is available for download. The Abhidharmakosha is puzzling me as many ppl on dharmawheel and dhammawheel seem to call Kosha Bashya and Bashya Kosha - from my understanding so far Poussin translated both the Kosha and the Bashya and the available french text @archive.org (sadly missing Le karman) is the Kosha (Sarvastivada) while the English translated is the Bashya (Sautantrika refutation).
There is also a book called Sarvastivada Buddhist Scholasticism published through Brill - have not read it, altho other stuff from Brill seemed good to me.

@cooran / pannasikaro

That Sarvastivada Abhidharma - is that available only @Hk University? Their standard payment methods are not working for me.

@everyone

There is no translation of Mahavibasha or is the text itself extinct?
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Re: Resources on Sarvastivada

Post by Paññāsikhara »

Akuma wrote:@OP:

There is Abhidharmamrtasastra translated by Migme Chodron freely available on the web.
Abhidharmadipa and Abhidharmahrdaya have been translated altho they are sadly not downloadable. The Karma Chapter from Abhidharmahrdaya has been translated in a study by Wataru which is available for download. The Abhidharmakosha is puzzling me as many ppl on dharmawheel and dhammawheel seem to call Kosha Bashya and Bashya Kosha - from my understanding so far Poussin translated both the Kosha and the Bashya and the available french text @archive.org (sadly missing Le karman) is the Kosha (Sarvastivada) while the English translated is the Bashya (Sautantrika refutation).
There is also a book called Sarvastivada Buddhist Scholasticism published through Brill - have not read it, altho other stuff from Brill seemed good to me.
Give Ani-la an email, and she'll probably send you a copy.
@cooran / pannasikaro

That Sarvastivada Abhidharma - is that available only @Hk University? Their standard payment methods are not working for me.
Yes. Try sending them an email.
@everyone

There is no translation of Mahavibasha or is the text itself extinct?
There are two Chinese translations, and a third partial version. Quite alive. Very little has appeared in English. A few years ago, a Tibetan lama was assigned to translate it, but I don't know how far they have gotten with it.
My recently moved Blog, containing some of my writings on the Buddha Dhamma, as well as a number of translations from classical Buddhist texts and modern authors, liturgy, etc.: Huifeng's Prajnacara Blog.
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Re: Resources on Sarvastivada

Post by Akuma »

Oh Hui Feng how nice to see you here :hello:
Thanks for the info I'll try mailing them.

cu

Akuma / joda
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Re: Resources on Sarvastivada

Post by Paññāsikhara »

Akuma wrote:Oh Hui Feng how nice to see you here :hello:
Thanks for the info I'll try mailing them.

cu

Akuma / joda
Hi,

If that doesn't work, give me an email, and I'll arrange it for you.
My recently moved Blog, containing some of my writings on the Buddha Dhamma, as well as a number of translations from classical Buddhist texts and modern authors, liturgy, etc.: Huifeng's Prajnacara Blog.
Nyana
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Re: Resources on Sarvastivada

Post by Nyana »

Akuma wrote:The Abhidharmakosha is puzzling me as many ppl on dharmawheel and dhammawheel seem to call Kosha Bashya and Bashya Kosha - from my understanding so far Poussin translated both the Kosha and the Bashya and the available french text @archive.org (sadly missing Le karman) is the Kosha (Sarvastivada) while the English translated is the Bashya (Sautantrika refutation).
The Abhidharmakośa is the root verses. The Abhidharmakośabhāsya is the commentary paragraphs interspersed between the root verses. The Tibetans consider the Abhidharmakośa root verses to be Sarvāstivāda and the Abhidharmakośabhāsya to be Sautrāntika.

All the best,

Geoff
Akuma
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Re: Resources on Sarvastivada

Post by Akuma »

Hi,
Ñāṇa wrote: The Abhidharmakośa is the root verses. The Abhidharmakośabhāsya is the commentary paragraphs interspersed between the root verses. The Tibetans consider the Abhidharmakośa root verses to be Sarvāstivāda and the Abhidharmakośabhāsya to be Sautrāntika.

All the best,

Geoff
Oh I never looked at it that way - that explains the rather ambivalent naming.
In any case I also compared now and French and English are the same after all - always thought the bashya to contain an incomplete rendering of the Kosha due to the sometimes rather fragmentary nature of the contained stanzas. Thx.
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