Abhidhammattha Sangaha - Summary of Objects

Abhidhammattha Sangaha ( A Manual of Abhidhamma )

Translated by Narada Maha Thera
Published By the Buddhist Missionary Society

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(v. Alambana Sangaho)
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§10.âlambanasangahe alambanani nama rupa-
rammanam saddarammanam gandharam-
manam rasarammanam photthabbaramma-

nam dhammarammanam c’ati chabbidhani
bhavanti.
Tattha rupam’eva ruparammanam. Tatha
saddadayo saddarammanadini. Dhamma-
rammanam pana pasada, sukhumarupa, citta,
cetasika, nibbana, pannattivasena chaddha
sangayhanti.
Tattha cakkhudvarikacittanam sabbesampi
rupam’ eva arammanam. Tan ca paccup-
pannam’ eva. Tatha sotadvarikacittadinam’
pi saddadini. Tani ca paccuppannani y’eva.
Manodvarikacittanam pana chabbidham’ pi
paccuppannam’ atitam anagatam kalavimut-
tan ca yatharaham’ alambanam hoti.
Dvaravimuttanan ca pana patisandhi-
bhavanga-cuti sankhatanam chabbidham pi
yathasambhavam yebhuyyena bhavantare
chadvaragahitam paccuppannam’ atitam pan-
nattibhutam va kammam kammanimittam
gatinimittasammatam alambanam hoti.
Tesu cakkhuvinnanadini yathakkamam
rupadiekekalambanan’ eva. Manodhatutti-
kam pana rupadipancalambanam. Sesani
kamavacaravipakani hasancittanc’ ati sab-
batha’ pi kamavacaralambanan’ eva.

Akusalani c’ eva nanavippayuttajavanani
c’ati lokuttaravajjitasabbalambanani. ¥ana-
sampayuttakamavacarakusalani c’ eva pan-
camajjhanasankhatamabhinnakusalanc’ ati
arahattamaggaphalavajjitasabbalambanani.
¥anasampayuttakamavacarakriya c’ eva
kriyabhinnavotthapananc’ ati sabbatha’ pi
sabbalambanani.
âruppesu dutiyacatutthani mahaggatalam-
banani. Sesani mahaggatacittani pana sab-
bani’ pi pannattalambanani. Lokuttara-
cittani nibbanalambanani’ ti.
§11.Pancavisa parittamhi cha cittani mahaggate
Ekavisati vohare attha nibbanagocare
Visanuttaramuttamhi aggamaggaphalujjhite
Panca sabbattha chacceti sattadha tattha
sangaho.
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(v.Summary of Objects)
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§10.In the summary of objects (60) there are six kinds—
namely, visible object (61), audible object (62), odorous
object (63), sapid object (64), tangible object (65), and
cognizable object (66).
Therein form itself is visible object. Likewise sound
and so forth are the audible objects etc. But cognizable

object is sixfold:—sensitive (parts of organs) (67) subtle
matter (68), consciousness (69), mental states (70),
Nibbana (7I), and concepts (72).
To all types of eye-door consciousness visible form
itself is the object. That too pertains only to the present
(73). Likewise sounds and so forth of the ear-door con-
sciousness and so forth also pertain to the present (74).
But the six kinds of objects of the mind-door con-
sciousness are accordingly (75) present, past, future, and
independent of time.
(76) To the ‘door-freed’ such as relinking, bhavanga,
and -decease any of the aforesaid six becomes objects as
they arise. They are grasped, mostly (77) through the six
doors, pertaining to the immediately preceding life, as past
or present object or as concepts. They are (technically)
known as Kamma, ‘a symbol of Kamma’, or a symbol of the
state of rebirth.
92
Of them eye-consciousness and so forth have respec-
tively form and so forth, as their single object. But the
three mind-elements have five objects such as form and so
forth. The remaining Sense-sphere Resultants and the
smiling consciousness have wholly Sense-sphere objects.
92.Mr. Aung translates this passages as follows:…
“Further, the objects of those ‘door-freed’ classes of consciousness which
are called rebirth, life-continuum, and re-decease cognitions, are also of six
kinds according to circumstances. They have usually been grasped (as object)
in the immediately preceding existence by way of the six doors; they are
objects of things either present or past, or they are concepts. And they are
(technically) known as ‘Karma’, ‘sign of Karma’, or ‘sign of destiny.’”
Compendium of Philosophy, p. 120,

The Immorals and the javanas, dissociated with
knowledge, have all objects except the Supramundane
objects (78).
The Sense-sphere Morals and the super-intellect (79)
consciousness, known as the fifth jhana, have all objects
except the Path and Fruit of Arahantship.
The Sense-sphere Functionals, associated with know-
ledge, super-intellect Functional consciousness (80) and
the determining consciousness (81) have in all cases all
kinds of objects (82).
(83) Amongst the Arupa consciousness the second
and fourth have Sublime objects. All the remaining Sub-
lime types of consciousness have concepts (84) as objects.
The Supramundane types of consciousness have Nibbana
as their object.
§11.Twenty-five (85) types of consciousness are con-
nected with lower objects; six (87) with the Sublime;
twenty-one (88) with concepts (89); eight with Nibbana.
Twenty (90) are connected with all objects except
the Supramundane objects; five (91) in all except with the
Highest Path and Fruit; and six (92) with all.
Sevenfold is their grouping.
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Notes:
60.ârammanam or âlambanam—
ârammanam is derived from a +
√ ram, to
attach, to adhere, to delight.

âlambanam is derived from a +
√ lamb,
to hang upon.
That on which the subject hangs, or adheres to, or delights
in, is ârammana or âlambana. It means an object.
According to Abhidhamma there are six kinds of
objects, which may be classified as physical and mental.
Each sense has its corresponding object.
61.Rupa is derived from
√ rup, to change, to
perish. In its generic sense it means ‘that which changes its
colour owing to cold, heat, etc.’ (situnhadivasena vanna-
vikaramapajjati’ ti rupam).
Abhidhamma enumerates 28 kinds of rupa, which
will be descriptively dealt with in a special chapter. Here
the term is used in its specific sense of object of sight.
The Vibhavini Tika states, “Rupa is that which mani-
fests itself by assuming a difference in colour, that which
expresses the state of having penetrated into the heart.”
(vannavikaram apajjamanam rupayati hadayan-gatabhavam
pakaseti’ ti rupam).
Rupa is the abode, range, field, or sphere of colour
(vannayatana). It is the embodiment of colour.
It should be understood that according to Abhi-
dhamma rupa springs from four sources—namely, Kamma,
mind (citta), seasonal phenomena (utu), and food (ahara).
62.Sadda or (sound) arises from the friction of
elements of extension (pathavi dhatu). There are four

material elements (bhuta rupa)—namely, the element of
extension (pathavi). the element of cohesion (apo), the
element of heat (tejo), and the element of motion (vayo).
These are the fundamental units of matter. They are
always inter-dependent and inter-related. One element
may preponderate over the other as, for example, the ele-
ment of extension predominates in earth, the element of
cohesion in water, the element of heat in fire, and the ele-
ment of motion in air.
When an element of extension collides with a similar
element there arises sound. It springs from both mind
(citta) and seasonal phenomena (utu).
Sounds are either articulate (vyakta) or inarticulate
(avyakta).
63.Gandha (odour) is derived from
√ gandh,
to express (sucane). It springs from all the four sources.
64.Rasa (taste) is diffused in all the elements.
Only the sapidity that exists in them is regarded as rasa.
65.Photthabbarammana—tangible object. It is
not mere contact. With the exception of the element of
cohesion all the remaining three elements are regarded
as tangible, because the former cannot be felt by the
body.
When these three elements, which constitute a tan-
gible object, collide with the sensory surface of the body
there arises either pain or pleasure according to the desir-

ability or undesirability of the object. In the case of other
objects there results only upekkha—neutral feeling.
66.Dhammarammana includes all objects of con-
sciousness. Dhamma embraces both mental and physical
phenomena.
67. The sensory surfaces of all the five organs are
known as pasada. In the case of eye, ear, nose, tongue the
sensory surfaces are located in particular spots, while the
sensory surface of the body pervades the whole system.
There are five kinds of pasada rupa corresponding to
the five sense-organs.
68.Sukhuma rupas—
Of the 28 kinds of rupa 16 are classed as sukhum (subtle)
and 12 as odarika (gross).
The physical objects of (i) sight, (ii) hearing,
(iii)scent, (iv) taste, and touch (which includes the ele-
ment of (v) extension, (vi) heat, (vii) and motion), and the
five pasada rupas belong to the gross group. The remain-
ing 16 which will be described in the chapter on rupa
belong to the subtle group. They are termed subtle as there
is no collition on their part.
69. Namely, all the 89 types of consciousness. They
are sometimes collectively treated as one object as they all
possess the identical characteristic of awareness.
70. Namely, the 52 mental properties.

71. This is a supramundane object which is per-
ceived by the eight kinds of Supramundane consciousness.
72.Pannatti is that which is made manifest. It is
twofold—namely, nama pannatti and attha pannatti. The
former means a name or term such as chair, table, etc., the
latter means the object or idea conveyed thereby.
73. What is time? Strictly speaking, it is a mere con-
cept which does not exist in an absolute sense. On the
other hand what space is to matter, time is to mind.
Conventionally we speak of past (atita), present
(paccuppanna), and future (anagata).
Past is defined as that which has gone beyond its own
state or the moments of genesis, development, and cessa-
tion (attano sabhavam uppadadikkhanam va atita atikkanta
atita).
Present is that which on account of this and that rea-
son enters, goes, exists above the moments of genesis etc.
(tam tam karanam paticca uppadadikkhanam uddham
panna, gata, pavatta= = paccuppanna).
Future is that which has not yet reached both states
(tadubhayam’ pi na agata sampatta).
According to Abhidhamma each consciousness con-
sists of three phases—uppada (genesis), thiti (develop-
ment), and bhanga (dissolution or cessation). In the view
of some commentators there is no intermediate thiti stage
but only the stages of arising and passing away. Each
thought-moment is followed by another. Time is thus the

sine qua non of the succession of mental states. The funda-
mental unit of time is the duration of a thought-moment.
Commentators say that the rapidity of these fleeting
thought-moments is such that within the brief duration of
a flash of lightning there may be billions of thought-
moments.
Matter, which also constantly changes, endures only
for seventeen thought-moments, being the time duration
for one thought-process.
Past is gone. Future has not come. We live only for
one thought-moment and that slips into the irrevocable
past. In one sense there is only the eternal now. In an-
other sense the so-called present is the transitional stage
from the future to the past.
The Dictionary of Philosophy defines time “as the
general medium in which all events take place in succes-
sion or appear to take place in succession”.
Atthasalini states that time is a concept derived from
this or that phenomenon. And it does not exist by nature,
it is merely a concept. (Tam tam upadaya pannatto kalo
nama. So pan’ esa sabhavato avijjamanatta pannatti-
mattako eva).
74. All sense-objects belong to the present.
75. Accordingly—yatharaham, i.e, with respect to
sense-sphere javana, Higher Intellect (abhinna) and other
Sublime javanas.

The six kinds of objects of the Sense-sphere javanas,
with the exception of smiling consciousness, are present,
past, future, and independent of time.
The objects of the smiling consciousness are past,
present, and future.
The objects of the javanas, by means of which the
Higher Intellect such as Divine Eye, Divine Ear are devel-
oped, are past, present, future,, and independent of time.
The objects of sublime javanas may be either timeless
or past.
As Nibbana is eternal it does not belong to the past,
present, or future. It is timeless. So is pannatti, independ-
ent of time.
76. This difficult passage needs some explanation.
When a person is about to die he sometimes recol-
lects a good or bad action he has performed during his life-
time. The moral or immoral consciousness, experienced at
the particular moment, arises now as a fresh conscious-
ness. This is technically known as ‘Kamma’.
Being a thought, it is a dhammarammana grasped
through the mind-door, and is past.
The object of the patisandhi, bhavanga, and cuti
classes of consciousness of the subsequent life is this
dhammarammana.
At times it may be a sign or symbol associated with the
good or bad action. It may be one of the five physical objects
viewed through one of the six doors, as a present or past object.

Suppose, for instance, one hears the Dhamma at the
dying moment. In this case the present audible word grasped
through the ear becomes the object. It, therefore, follows
that the object of the aforesaid three classes of consciousness
of the following life becomes this Kamma nimitta.
Again, let us think that a dying physician sees through
his mental eye the patients he has treated. Now, this is a
past ruparammana perceived through the mind-door.
Or again, let us think that a dying butcher hears the
groans of cattle he has killed. The past audible object is
presented to the person through the mind-door.
Kamma-nimitta may, therefore, be past or present,
viewed through one of the six doors.
In some cases some symbol of the place in which he
is to be reborn such as fire, flesh, celestial mansions, etc.,
may appear to the dying person. This is regarded as
present object grasped through the mind-door.
Gati-nimitta is, therefore, a visual object, present in
point of time, and is perceived through the mind-door.
It should be noted that the patisandhi, bhavanga,
and cuti thought-moments of the Sense-sphere have for
their objects a kamma, a kamma-nimitta, or a gati-nimitta,
perceived through one of the six-doors, in the immediately
preceding life.
In the case of all rupavacara patisandhi etc., the
object is always a past kamma-nimitta which is a concept

(pannatti) such as a kasina symbol, perceived through the
mind-door.
The object of the first and third Arupa patisandhi etc.,
is also a past concept (pannatti) such as ‘ananto akaso’
‘infinite is space’ in the case of the first, and the concept
‘natthi kinci’—‘there is nothing’, in the case of the third.
These two concepts are regarded as kamma-nimittas per-
ceived through the mind-door.
The object of the second and fourth arupa jhana
patisandhi etc., is a past mental object which serves as the
kamma-nimitta perceived through the mind-door.
As was explained in the first chapter the second arupa
consciousness was developed by taking the first arupa con-
sciousness as the object, and the fourth with the third as
the object.
77. The term ‘yebhuyyena’ (mostly) is used to indi-
cate the rebirth of one born in the asanna plane where
there is no consciousness. The commentary states that by
the power of Kamma some object such as a kamma nimitta
presents itself to the patisandhi consciousness.
78. In Buddhism an ordinary worldling is called a
puthujjana (lit., manyfolk or one who is born again and
again). Those who have attained the first three stages of
Sainthood are called sekhas (lit., those who undergo a
training). Those who have attained the Final stage of
Sainthood (Arahantship) are called asekhas, who no more
undergo any training.

The sekhas cannot comprehend the Path and Fruit
consciousness of an Arahant because they have not
attained that superior state, but worldly thoughts of an
Arahant they can.
Similarly the worldlings cannot comprehend the
supramundane consciousness of the sekha Saints.
79.Abhinna are the five kinds of Higher Know-
ledge. They are Divine Eye (dibbacakkhu), Divine Ear
(dibba-sota), Reminiscence of past births (pubbenivasa-
nussati nana), Reading the thoughts of others (paracitta-
vijanana) and Psychic Powers (iddhividha nana). To
develop these five abhinnas one must possess the fifth
jhana. Not even with this developed Sublime conscious-
ness can a worldling or a sekha comprehend the Path and
Fruit consciousness of an Arahant.
It is only an Arahant who can comprehend the Path
and Fruit consciousness of an Arahant.
A detailed account of abhinna will appear in a latter
chapter.
80. These two classes of consciousness are experi-
enced only by Arahants.
81. This is the manodvaravajjana which occurs
before every javana process. Hence there is nothing that is
beyond the scope of this consciousness.
82. Namely, Sense-sphere objects, Sublime objects,

Supramundane objects, and concepts (pannatti).
83. The object of the second arupa consciousness is
the first arupa consciousness, while that of the fourth is the
third.
84. i. e., the object of the first arupa consciousness
is the concept ‘ananto akaso’ ‘infinite is space’, that of the
third is the concept ‘natthi kinci’ ‘there is nothing’.
An explanation of these appears in the first chapter.
All the rupa jhanas have concepts such as kasinas as
their’ objects.
85. Namely, 23 Sense-sphere Resultants + 1 sense-
door consciousness + 1 smiling consciousness = 25.
86.Paritta, derived from pari +
√ da, to break,
to shorten, means lower or inferior. This refers to Sense-
sphere objects.
87. Namely, the Moral, Resultant, and Functional
2nd and 4th arupa cittas (vinnanancayatana and n’eva
sanna n’asannayatana).
88. Namely, 15 Rupa jhanas and Moral, Resultant,
and Functional 1st and 3rd arupa jhanas (akasanancayatana
and akincannayatana) 15 + 6 = 21.
89.Vohara here refers to concepts such as kasinas
etc.

90. Namely, the 12 Immorals and 8 Sense-sphere
Morals and Functionals, dissociated with knowledge.
91. They are the 4 Sense-sphere Morals associated
with knowledge and the 5th Moral rupa jhana (abhinna
kusala citta).
92. They are the 4 Sense-sphere Functionals,
5th Functional rupa jhana, and mind-door apprehending
(manodvaravajjana).