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 the Sense-Organs.
Controverted Point.—That the sense-organs are results
of karma.
From the Commentary.—Here again it is a Mahasanghika belief
that, because the sense-organs have arisen through the doing of past
actions, therefore they are results (understood as subjective or mental).
Of them the sixth, or co-ordinating, sense may at times be such a
result, but not the others.
[1-4] The argument follows that of the previous dialogue
verbatim, the ' sixth sense' (man'ayatana) being omitted.
5. Of the Seven-Rebirths'-Limit.1
Controverted Point,—That he who is said to be liable to
seven more rebirths at most is assured of final salvation2
only at the end of the seven-rebirths' interval.3
From the Commentary.—This is a belief held, for instance, by the
Uttarapathakas. The Theravadin's object is to show that there is
no such immutably fixed order. There is only (1) the ' true order' of the
Ariyan Path, and (2) the 'false order,'4 to which belong the five heinous
crimes entailing inevitable retribution in the very next existence.
[1] Th.—Is such an one capable of murdering mother,
father, or Arahant, of shedding with malign heart a Tatha-
gata's blood, of creating schism ? You deny. . . .
[2] And is he incapable of penetrating Truth during the
interval ? You deny. Then he cannot possibly become
guilty of those heinous crimes, which admit o f no inter-
vening rebirth without retribution. You now assent, ad-
mitting that he is incapable of that penetration. Then
you imply that he may commit those crimes, which of
such a man you deny.
[3] Is there a fixed order of things5 (among the Paths)
by which the seven-rebirths'-limit man is bound to go
through all the seven ? You deny. Then your proposition
cannot hold. Do you in other words hold that there are
applications o f mindfulness, supreme efforts, steps to
potency, controlling powers, forces, factors of enlighten-
ment, by [culture in] which the seven-births'-limit person
is destined to go through all seven ?
1
That is, seven at the outside, possibly fewer. See I. 4.
2
I.e., in the Ariyan fourfold Path and its climax. On niyato
see V. 4; cf. VI. 1.
3
According to the Burmese translation of the text, the question
turns on whether such a person is subjectively assured of his own
state, or whether he must go through his last seven lives before he
becomes so assured? The Commentary paraphrases -paramata
by -paramataya, and the Br. translator takes this as either instru-
mental or locative. The sense is the same.
4
Cf. I. 3.
5
On niyama and niyama, see Appendix : Assurance.
[4] Is not the opposite the ease ? And how then can
you maintain your proposition ?
[5] You maintain that such a person is not so destined
except by the fixed order of the First, or Stream-winner's
Path. But are all who enter on that Path destined to go
through all the seven rebirths ?
[6] U.—You say I am wrong; nevertheless you must
admit that the person in question is a seven-births'-limit
person ? Surely then my proposition stands ? . . .
6. Sequel to the Foregoing.
[1] U.—Again, if you maintain it is wrong to say that the
kolankola,1
or one ranking in the First Path next above
him of the seven rebirths' limit, is assured of salvation by
his rank,2
I ask, Does not his rank itself [guarantee that he
shall attain] ?
[2] And does not the next higher rank in the First Path,
that of eka-bijin , or 'one-seeder,' also guarantee final
salvation?
1
Explained by Buddhaghosa, commenting on Anguttara-Nik.,
i. 233, as meaning 'a goer from family (kula) to family,' 'kula
here standing for bhava ' (rebirth). See above, p. 77, n. 3.
2
Burmese translators give alternative renderings—in or by his rank
—for kolankolata .
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