Kathavatthu - Of Instants, Moments, Seconds of Time; the Intoxicants; Decay and Death

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

4. Of Instants, Moments,5 Seconds of Time.
Controverted Point.—That any stroke of time is pre-
determined.
From the Commentary.—The same argument is followed as in the
foregoing.

5
Khana , laya, muhutta : 10 'instants' = 1 'moment,' 10
'moments' = 1 'second.' There is no measured coincidence between
second and muhutta.


5. Of the Intoxicants (Asava's).
Controverted Point—That the four asava's are them-
selves non-asava.1
From the Commentary.—The Hetuvadins hold that, inasmuch as
over and above the four Intoxicants there is no other Intoxicant with
which they can be said to be ' co-intoxicants,' therefore they must
themselves be non-intoxicant.'
[1] Th.—Then you must be prepared to classify them
with one of the [approved] non-asava's—the Path, Fruit,
Nibbana, one of the four Paths or Fruits, one of the
Factors of Enlightenment—which you, of course, may
not do.
[2] H.—If I am wrong, I ask you to show me any other
asava, concomitant with which those four may be pro-
nounced co-asava. .. .

6. Of Decay and Death.
Controverted Point. — That the decay and death of
spiritual2 things is itself spiritual.3
From the Commentary.—Decay and death are not predetermined,
and therefore do not come under the categories 'mundane,' 'supra-
mundane.' The Mahasanghikas and others do not grasp this salient
feature.
[1] Th.—Then you must be prepared to classify it with
one of the [approved] spiritual things—Path, Fruit,
Nibbana, etc.4 . . , For instance, is the decay and death
of the Stream-Winner's Path the Path itself? If you
deny, your proposition falls through. If you assent, you

1
The four are sensuous desires [lust of] life renewed, erroneous
opinion, ignorance. See Compendium, 227; Bud. Psy. Eth., iii.,
ch. iv.
2
Or supramundane, or transcendental (lokuttara).
3
Cf. above, XI. 8, on the falsely including the notion 'imperma-
nence ' among things impermanent.
4
See XV. 5.


must also apply your proposition to all the other stages,
and say, finally, that the decay and death of the fruit of
arahantship is itself fruit of arahantship—which you may
not. Nor will you be prepared to admit decay and death
as identical with any one of the Factors of Enlighten-
ment.
[2] M.—Then, is the decay and death of supramundane
things a mundane thing ? You deny.1 Then it must be
supramundane.

1
The Buddha himself did not class it as of either category-Comy.