Points of Controversy
OR
Subjects of Discourse
BEING A TRANSLATION OF THE KATHAVATTHU
FROM THE ABHIDHAMMA-PITAKA
BY
SHWE ZAN AUNG, B.A
AND
MRS. RHYS DAVIDS, M.A
BOOK VI
1. Of Assurance [of salvation].1
Controverted Point.—That 'Assurance' is unconditioned.
From the Commentary.—In the Word: ' Capable of entering into
Assurance, the culmination in things that are good,'
2
the Ariyan Path
is meant. But inasmuch as a person therein would not forfeit salvation
even if that Path which [for him] had arisen were to pass away,
therefore there is an opinion, among Andhakas for instance, that this
Assurance is unconditioned in the sense of being eternal.
3
[1] Th.—Then is Assurance [that other unconditioned
called] Nibbana, or the Shelter, the Cave, the Befuge, the
Goal, the Past-Decease, the Ambrosial ? You deny. Yet
you would call both alike unconditioned. Are there then
two kinds of unconditioned? If you deny, you cannot
affirm; if you assent, then [for all we know] there are two
Shelters . . . two Goals . . . two Nibbanas. If you deny,
you cannot affirm your proposition; if you assent, then do #
you allow that of the two Nibbanas one is higher than the
other, sublimer than the. other, exalted more than the
other ? Is there a boundary, or a division, or a line, or an
interstice
4
between them? Of course you deny. . . .
[2] Again, are there any who enter into and attain
Assurance, cause it to arise, to keep arising, set it up,
continue to set it up, bring it to pass, to come into being,
produce it, continue to produce it? 'Of course,' you say.
1
Niyamo , as before (V. 4).
2
Anguttara-Nik., i. 122. Cf. Samyutta-Nik, iii. 225.
3
Or permanent, nicca.
4
See above, II, 11
But are these terms that you can apply to what is uncon-
ditioned ? Of course not. . . .
[8] Again, is the Path (the Fourfold) 'unconditioned ?
' Nay,' you say, ' conditioned.'
1
Yet you would make Assur-
ance unconditioned; the Path of Stream-Winning, Once-
Returning, Never-Returning, Arahantship, conditioned; but
Assurance of Stream-Winning, etc., unconditioned! . . .
[4] If then these four stages of Assurance be uncon-
ditioned, and Nibbana be unconditioned, are there five kinds
of the unconditioned ? If you assent, you are in the same
difficulty as before (§1).
[5] Finally, is false Assurance
2
unconditioned ? ' No,
conditioned,' you say. But has true Assurance the same
quality ? Here you must deny. .. .
[6] A.—If I am wrong, would you say that, if Assurance
having arisen for anyone and ceased, his work of making
sure [his salvation] would be cancelled ?
Th.—No.
A.—Then Assurance must be unconditioned [that is, it
cannot begin and cease].
Th. — But your argument can be applied to false
Assurance. You would not therefore call that uncon-
ditioned !
2. Of Causal Genesis.
Controverted Point.—That the causal elements in the
law of causal genesis are unconditioned.
From the Commentary.—Because of the Word in the chapter on
causation—' whether Tathagatas arise or do not arise, this elemental
datum which remains fixed,' etc., some, as the Pubbaseliyas and the
Mahiijsasakas, have arrived at the view here affirmed.
[1] This is exactly similar to the opening argument in
VI. 1, § 1;
1 'Since it is something that has a genesis and a cessation.'—Comy.
2
Micchatta-niyama, assurance • in the wrong direction,
applied to the five heinous crimes (p. 71, n. 4) which entail retribution
in the next existence.
[2, 3] Th.—Would you say that any single term in
each clause of the formula of causal genesis refers to some-
thing unconditioned, for instance, 'ignorance,' or 'karma,'
in the clause 'because of ignorance, karma,' etc.? No?
Then how can you maintain your thesis ?
[4] P. M.—If we are wrong, why did the Exalted One
say as follows: '"Because of birth, bhikkhus, comes decay
and death":—whether Tathagatas arise or not, this element
stands as the establishing of things as effects, as the marking
out of things as effects, as the cause of this or that. Con-
cerning this element a Tathagata becomes enlightened, and
penetrates it. Thus enlightened and penetrating, he declares,
teaches, makes known, lays it down, reveals, dispenses, makes
manifest, and behold! he saith: " Because of birth, bhikkhus,
comes decay and death." " Because of the tendency to
become1 comes birth. Because of . . . and so on, back to."
" Because of ignorance comes karma." Thus, bhikkhus, this
element, stable, constant, immutable, is called a causal term
[in the law of causal genesis]' ?2
Surely then the causal element in that law is uncondi-
tioned.
[5] Th.—In the clause 'Because of ignorance karma,'
the former is that which establishes, which marks out the
latter as its effect . And Nibbana is unconditioned-—you
affirm both of these ? Yes ? Then are there two uncondi-
tioneds ? . . . two shelters .. . (as in § 1) ?
[6] And if in the next clause: ' Because of karma, con-
1
Or ' be reborn.'
2
Samyutta-Nik., II. 25. 'The sense in which each term (anga)
of the law of causal genesis is termed Paticca-samuppada is stated
in the Vibhanga on the Paticca-samuppada/—Corny . See
Vibhangcbi ' Paccayakara-vibhanga,' pp. 135-192. It is interesting
that this term for the Paticca-samuppada , peculiar, it may
be, to the Vibhanga, is not used by our Commentary. Causes by
which dhamma's (things as effects) are established, are marked
out, are called the thitata, the niyamata , of dhamma's .
These terms, with idappaccayata , are synonymous with
paticca-samuppada , and signify, not the abstract statement
of the law, but the concrete causal element.
sciousness,' you affirm that karma is unconditioned,1 are
there then three unconditioneds ? . . .
[7] And so on, affirming that each of the remaining
nine terms and Nibbana are unconditioned:—are there
then twelve unconditioneds? . . . twelve shelters, twelve
refuges, etc. ?
Of course ypu deny, hence you cannot affirm that the
causal term in the law of causal genesis is unconditioned.2
1
The PTS edition gives erroneously a negative reply. Cf. Br.
edition, and §§ 5, 7.
2
The point is that only Nibbana is unconditioned.
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