New book

[tiltbillings]

From H-Buddhism:

Dear List members,

I am very pleased to announce the publication of an eminent scholarly
book: _Theravada Abhidhamma: Its Inquiry into the Nature of
Conditioned Reality_ by Y Karunadasa.

This is the accumulation of his forty years’ research and teaching in
Tharavada Abhidhamma. You can find the book description, table of
contents and ordering information below.

Guang Xing
Centre of Buddhist Studies
The University of Hong Kong

This volume examines the Abhidhamma perspective on the nature of
phenomenal existence. It begins with a discussion of the dhamma-theory
(the theory of real existents) which provides the ontological
foundation for the Abhidhamma philosophy. It then explains the
category of the nominal and the conceptual as the Abhidhamma’s answer
to the objects of common-sense realism. Among the other topics
discussed are the theory of double truth, analysis of mind, theory of
cognition, analysis of matter, the nature of time and space, the
theory of momentary being, and conditional relations. The volume
concludes with an appendix whose main purpose is to examine why the
Theravāda came to be known as Vibhajjavāda, ‘the doctrine of
analysis’.

Y. Karunadasa is a professor emeritus of the University of Kelaniya
and a former Director of its Postgraduate Institute of Pali & Buddhist
Studies. He has served as a visiting professor at the University of
London’s School of Oriental and African Studies, as Numata Chair at
the University of Calgary, and as a visiting professor at the
University of Toronto. Currently he is a visiting professor of
Buddhist Studies at the University of Hong Kong.

CONTENTS
Foreword xi
Preface xvi
Introduction 1
1 The Real Existents 15
The dhammas as real existents
Early version of the dhamma theory
Is the dhamma theory pluralistic?
Dhamma theory and the complementary methods of analysis and synthesis
Dhamma theory and the Buddhist controversy on the concept of person
Dhamma theory and the Buddhist controversy on the concept of
tritemporal existence
Definition of dhamma as own-nature
Definition of dhamma as own-characteristic
Definition of dhamma as ultimately real
Nature and range of the dhammas
Relative position of the dhammas
2 The Nominal and the Conceptual 47
Paññattis as the nominal and the conceptual
Difference between dhamma and paññatti
Concept as that which makes known (name)
Concept as that which is made known (meaning)
Conceptual constructs and the problem of reification
Classes of concept-as-meaning
Classes of concept-as-name
3 The Two Truths 59
Early teachings that led to the two truths
The conventional truth and the ultimate truth
Is one truth higher or lower than the other?
Equal validity of the two truths
The two truths vis-à-vis the nominal and the conceptual
4 The Analysis of Mind 68
Early Buddhist teaching on the nature of mind
Abhidhamma analysis of mind into citta (consciousness) and cetasika
(mental factors)
Relative position of citta and cetasika
The combination of citta and cetasika as a cognitive act
Conditional relations within a cognitive act
Conditional relations between successive cognitive acts
5 Consciousness 76
Definition of consciousness
Physical bases of the first five kinds of consciousness
Physical base of mind and mind-consciousness
Is mind determined by matter?
Classification of consciousness
6 Classes of Consciousness 84
Sense-sphere consciousness
Unwholesome consciousness
Rootless consciousness
Wholesome consciousness
Resultant consciousness with roots
Functional consciousness with roots
Fine-material-sphere consciousness
Immaterial-sphere consciousness
Supra-mundane consciousness
Beautiful consciousness
7 The Ethically Variable Mental Factors 98
The seven universals
Earlier version of the universals
The universals and the “pentad of sense-contact”
The six occasionals
8 The Unwholesome Mental Factors 115
Unwholesome factors as universals
Unwholesome factors as variable adjuncts
9 The Beautiful Mental Factors 126
Beautiful factors as universals
Beautiful factors as variable adjuncts
10 The Cognitive Process 138
The two streams of consciousness
The five-door cognitive process
What really is the agent of cognition?
What really is the object of cognition?
The mind-door cognitive process
11 The Analysis of Matter 152
Definition of matter
Basic material dhammas
Material dhammas included among the objects of mind
The real and the nominal material dhammas
The great elements of matter and dependent matter
12 The Great Elements of Matter 163
Space and the great elements of matter
Earth-element as solidity and extension
Water-element as viscidity and cohesion
Fire-element as temperatrue of cold and heat
Air-element as distension and mobility
Common characteristics of the four great elements of matter
The primary position of the four great elements of matter
13 The Real Dependent Matter 172
Sensitive matter
Sense-field matter
Faculties of sex
Material faculty of life
Material nutriment
The physical base of mental activity
14 The Nominal Dependent Matter 187
The space-element
Means of intimation (self-expression)
Special modes of matter
Characteristics of matter
15 The Material Clusters 205
What led to the theory of material clusters
The earliest allusion to the theory
A material cluster as the minimal unit of matter
Its correspondence to the atom (paramāṇu) in the Sarvāstivāda
The definition of the atom
Its criticism by the Sautrāntika and the Vijñānavāda
Non-contact between atoms/material clusters
The “pure octad” as the basic material cluster
More complex material clusters
Classification of material clusters (chart)
16 Time and Space 224
Non-recognition of time as a real existent (dhamma)
Variant terms signifying time
Time as a mental construct, determined by events
What is the basis of temporal divisions?
The momentary present and the serial present
The definition of time by mind and mind by time
Space-element as the material principle of delimitation
Space as a mental construct, determined by the mere absence of matter
17 Momentariness 234
Early Buddhist doctrine of impermanence
Its development in the Abhidharma/Abhidhamma as momentariness
Are both mind and matter equally momentary?
Momentariness in the canonical Abhidhamma
Is momentariness a commentarial innovation?
The three characteristics of the conditioned
Their ontological status: real or nominal?
The Sarvāstivāda interpretation in a realistic sense
The Sautrāntika and the Theravāda interpretation in a nominal sense
The Sarvāstivāda theory of momentariness
The Sautrāntika theory of momentariness
The Theravāda theory of the three moments
Why the life-span of matter is longer than that of mind
Why the difference is calculated to be 1:17
18 Conditional Relations 262
Conditional relations and their synthesizing function
Basic postulates of the doctrine of conditionality
The three factors involved in a conditional relation
The 24 conditional relations
Their six-fold classification according to the nature of the things
related
Their four-fold classification according to the time of their occurrence
Why the number of conditional relations is fixed at 24
Appendix: Theravāda and Vibhajjavāda 282
The terms theravāda and vibhajjavāda in the Pāli suttas
Vibhajjavāda and the account of the Third Buddhist Council
The Buddha as vibhajjavādī
Vibhajjavāda and the four kinds of question
Vibhajjavāda and the controversy on the theory of tri-temporality
Why Theravāda is called Vibhajjavāda
Is the Third Buddhist Council a “pious fabrication” by Buddhist
historiography?
The controversy on tri-temporality and the post-Asokan Buddhist thought
Notes 294
Abbreviations 337
Select Bibliography 339
Index 347

Ordering information
For airmail / bulk purchase / other enquiries, please contact us at
(852) 2241 5075 or email to [email protected] under subject "Book order".
* All cheques/bank drafts should be made payable to 'The University of
Hong Kong '
* Cash will NOT be accepted for mail order

[Paññāsikhara]

Just received my copy direct from the hands of the author, 10 minutes ago.

I guess that this will end up being our default Theravada Abhidhamma textbook from now on, too.

[Ben]

It looks good.
Venerable, I understand you know the author and have studied under him.
Is that correct?
metta

Ben

[5heaps]

i wonder what he says about momentariness as seen between Theravada and Sautrantika, as well as space

[Paññāsikhara]

It looks good.
Venerable, I understand you know the author and have studied under him.
Is that correct?
metta

Ben

Yes and yes. Prof Karunadasa is presently also my co-supervisor for my PhD.

[Ben]

Fantastic, I'll make enquiries regarding ordering the book.
metta

Ben