Kathavatthu - The Commentator's Introduction

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

POINTS OF CONTROVERSY;
OR
SUBJECTS OF DISCOURSE
(KATHAVATTHU)
THE COMMENTATOR'S INTRODUCTION.
honour to the Exalted One Arahant Buddha Supreme.

Seated in heavenly mansions, by devas surrounded,
Teacher of earth and of heaven, Person unrivalled,
Skilled in the term and the concept, ending his discourse
Called the 'Description of Persons,1 he, supreme Person,
Set forth in outline the Book of the 'Subjects of Discourse,'
Giving account of the 'soul' and such points controverted.
By the mere heads thus laid down in delectable mansions
Moggali's son filled out, here on earth, the full detail.
Now inasmuch as achieved is the way for the comment,
I will discourse on the matter. Listen attentive !

Now when he had wrought the Twin-Miracle, the Exalted
One repaired for the rains to the City of the Thrice Ten
Devas. And there beneath the Coral Tree, seated on the
Pandukambala Bock, making his mother chief witness,
he discoursed to the assembly of Devas on matters philo-
1
Puggala-Pannatti. Pannatti signifies both the idea or
-concept of any cognizable thing or group of things, and also the
verbal expression of the same. See Compendium of Philosophy,
p. 4 f., 198,264.
T.S. V.


sophical [Abhidhamma-katha] . After he had taught
them the Dhamma-Sangani , the Vibhanga, the
Dhatu-Katha, and the Puggala-Pannatti , he
thought:—'When in the future the turn for setting forth
the Kathavatthu shall have arrived, my disciple, the
greatly wise Elder, Tissa son of Moggalli, will purge the
blemishes that have arisen in the Religion,
1
and calling a
Third Council, will, seated in the midst of the Order, divide
this compilation into a thousand sections,
2
five hundred
being assigned to our views, five hundred to views of others/
For this occasion, beginning with an eight-sectioned inquiry
into the theory of person or soul, in four questions each of
two fivefold divisions, he drew up, with respect to the
course to be adopted in all the discourses, a list of heads
in a text uncompleted by just one section for recitation.
Then delivering in detail the remainder of the Abhi-
dhamma discourse,
3
his rains-season sojourn being over, he
descended by the jewelled stairway that was in the midst
of the gold and silver stairways from the deva world to the
city of Sankassa,
4
and so accomplishing the welfare of all
beings and establishing it as long as he lived, he completed
existence, leaving no remaining basis of future life.
Thereupon the company of his adherents, headed by
Great Kassapa, made friendship with Ajatasattu the
king, and drew up a compendium of the body of Doctrine
and Discipline.
5
After a hundred years had expired, the
Yajji-puttaka bhikkhus declared for the 'ten bases' of
relaxation of rules. When they heard of this, Elder
Yasa, son of the brahmin Kakandaka, making friend-
ship with the king named Asoka, son of Susunaga,
selected seven hundred from among the twelve thousand
1
Sasana , meaning practically what 'in the Church' or 'in the
Faith' or 'in Doctrine' would mean for Christendom;
2
Suttani .
3
This can only refer to the two last books Yamaka and Patthana.
4
Vin. Texts, iii. 396.
5
Dhamma-Vinaya-sarirang , not -kayang , as we might
have expected (cf. 24, n, 2). But the term was preempted; see
Digha-Nik, iii. 84


bhikkhus, and quashing the ten bases, drew up a com-
pendium of the body of Doctrine and Discipline. Re-
futed by those Elders who had performed this task, ten
thousand of the Yajjiputtaka bhikkhus seeking adherents,
and gaining but a weak following among themselves,
formed the school called (1) Mahasanghika.1 From this
arose the secession of two other schools:—the (2) Gokulikas
and the (3) Ekabboharikas. From the former of these
arose the secession of yet two other schools (4) Pannat-
tivadins and (5) Bahulikas, or as they were also called.
Bahussutikas. Among just these arose other teachers :
—the (6) Cetiyavadins. Thus from the school of the
Mahasanghikas, in the second century, five schools arose,
making with the Mahasanghikas six.
In that second century only two schools seceded from the
Theravada :—(i.) Mahingsasakas and (ii.) Vajjiputtakas.
Now, from the Vajjiputtakas four other seceding schools
arose, to wit, the (iii.) Dhammuttariyas, the (iv.) Bhadra-
yanikas, the (v.) Channagarikas, and the (vi.) Sammitiyas.
Again, from the Mahingsasakas, in the second century only,
two seceding schools arose:—the (vii.) Sabbatthivadins and
the (viii.) Dhammaguttikas. From the Sabbatthivadins
in their turn the (ix.) Kassapikas split off , and the
Kassapikas again, splitting later in two, the (x.) Sankanti-
kas were formed, and yet again, the Sankantikas splitting
in two, the (xi.) Suttavadins.
Thus from the Theravada arose these eleven seceding
bodies, making twelve in all. And thus these twelve,
together with the six schools of the Mahasanghikas, con-
stitute the eighteen schools which arose in the second
century. They are also known as the eighteen groups, and
as the eighteen sects. But of the eighteen, seventeen
schools are to be understood as being schismatics, the
1
Literally, formed the ' teachers' clan, called the Great-Orderers.'
Each of the names of the seceding schools is a crux which we have
no means of finally resolving. Some—e.g., Gokulika—may derive
from the teacher's name, some—e.g., Cetiyavadins—from a place
—here probably .Sanchi,- called the Cetiya or shrine—some from
the view professed—e.g., Sabbatthivadin.


Theravada only being non-schismatic. Moreover, it is said
in the Dipavangsa :
' The wicked bhikkhus, the Vajjiputtakas, who had been excommuni-
cated by the Theras (Elders), gained another party ; and many people,
holding the wrong doctrine, ten thousand assembled and [also] held
a council. Therefore this Dhamma Council is called the Great Council.
The Bhikkhus of the Great Council settled a doctrine contrary [to
the true faith]. Altering the original redaction, they made another
redaction. They transposed Suttas, which belonged to one place [of
the collection], to another place ; they destroyed the [true] meaning
and the Faith in the Vinaya and in the five Collections [of Suttas].
Those Bhikkhus who understood neither what had been taught in long
•expositions, nor without exposition, neither the natural meaning nor
the recondite meaning, settled a false meaning in connection with
spurious speeches of the Buddha. These bhikkhus destroyed a great
deal of [true] meaning under the colour of the letter. Rejecting single
passages of,the Suttas and of the profound Vinaya, they composed
other Suttas and another Vinaya which had [only] the appearance [of
the genuine ones]. Rejecting the other texts—that is to say, the
Parivara, which is an abstract of the contents [of the Vinaya]—the six
sections of the Abhidhamma, the Patisambhida, the Niddesa, and some
portions of the • Jataka, they composed new ones. They changed
their names, their appearance, requisites, and gestures, forsaking what
was original.
1
Those who held the Great Council were the first schismatics ; in
imitation of them many heretics arose. Afterwards a schism occurred
in that [new school]; the Gokulika and Ekabyohara Bhikkhus
formed two divisions. Afterwards two schisms took place amongst the
Gokulikas : the Bahussutaka tod the Pannatti bhikkhus formed two
divisions. And opposing these were the Cetiyas, [another] division of
the Mahasangitikas. All these five sects, originating from the Maha-
sangitikas, split the [true] meaning and the doctrine and some portions
of the Collection; setting aside some portions of difficult passages,
they altered them. They changed their names, their appearance,
requisites, and gestures, forsaking what was original.
In the orthodox school of the Theras again a schism occurred : the
Mahirjsasaka and Vajjiputtaka bhikkhus formed two sections. In the
school of the Vajjiputtakas four sections arose, to wit, the Dhammut-
tarikas, Bhaddayanikas, Channagarikas, and Sarnmitis. In later times
two divisions arose among the Mahingsasakas : the Sabbatthivada and
Dhammagutta bhikkhus formed two divisions. From the Sabbatthi-
vadins the Kassapikas, from the Kassapikas the Sankantivadins, and
1
In Dr. Oldenberg's translation this sentence is made to refer to
grammatical innovations.


subsequently another section, the Suttavadins, separated in their turn.
These eleven schools which separated themselves from the Theravada.
split the [true] meaning and the doctrine and some portions of the
Collection; setting aside some portions of difficult passages, they
altered them. They changed their names, their appearance, requisites,,
and gestures, forsaking what was original.
Seventeen are the schismatic sects, and there is one that is not
schismatic ; together with that which is not schismatic, they are eighteen
in all. The most excellent one of the Theravadins, which is even as a
great banyan tree, is the complete doctrine of the Conqueror, free from
omissions or admissions. The other schools arose as thorns grow on
the tree. In the first century there were no schisms; in the second
century arose the seventeen schismatical schools in the religion of the
Conqueror.'
1
The Hemavatikas, Rajagirikas, Siddhatthas, Pubbaseliyas
Aparaseliyas, Vajiriyas—other six schools arose one after
the other. To them no reference is here made. ,
Now the Sasana held on its way as these eighteen early-
schools. And when Asoka,
2
the righteous ruler, had
received faith, he bestowed daily a sum of 500,000 on the
worship of the Buddha, the Norm, the Order, the main-
tenance of his own teacher, the Elder Nigrodha, and on the
dispensaries at the four gates, and so brought notable
honour and patronage to the Sasana. Then the teachers
of other faiths, being deprived of honour and patronage, so
that they had not even enough to eat, sought that honour
and patronage by entering the Order, and set forth each
his own heresies, saying: 'This is the Norm, this is the
Discipline, this is the religion of the Master.' Some, even
without joining the Order, themselves cut of f their hair,
donned the yellow robes and went about among the Viharas,
entering the assemblies at the time of the feast-services.
These bhikkhus, albeit they were confuted by Norm,
Discipline, and the Master's Word, lacking steadfastness,
in the right order
3
of Norm and Discipline, wrought divers
cankers, stains, and nuisance in the Sasana. Some prac-
tised [holy] fire-cult; some the five-fold heat-asceticism;
4
1
Dipavangsa, v. 30-54 ; pp. 140-2 in Oldenberg's translation.
2
Called also Dhammasoka ; the earlier king was Kalasoka.
3
°anulomaya.
4
Psalms of the Brethren, p. 120.


some turned the way of the sun; some deliberately strove
in one way or another, saying, 'We shall break up your
Doctrine and Discipline.'
Thereupon the Order would not, with such as these, hold
festival or confession.
1
For seven years the fortnightly
feast was suspended in the Asoka Park. The king strove
by a decree to bring it to pass, but could not. Nay, he
was filled with remorse when, through the misunderstand-
ing of a stupid delegate, some bhikkhus were slain. And
fain to allay both his regret and the plague in the Sasana,
he asked the Order : ' Who now is sufficient for this busi-
ness ?' When he heard the answer : ' The Elder Tissa
Moggali's son, sire,' he invited the Elder to come from
the Ahoganga hill. And when he saw the Elder show a
miracle, he was filled with confidence in the Elder's powers,
and consulted him on that which distressed him, and pro-
cured assuaging of his remorse.
2
Moreover, the Elder
dwelt seven days in the royal gardens teaching the king
•doctrine.
Thus instructed, the king on the seventh day convened
the Order in the Asoka Park, and seated himself in a
pavilion which he had had erected. Marshalling the
bhikkhus into separate groups according to the views they
professed, he sent for each group in turn, and asked:
'What was the doctrine of the Buddha?' Then the
Eternalists said: 'He was an Eternalist'; others that
he taught limited eternalism, immortality of the soul,
eel-wriggling, fortuitous origins, consciousness [of soul
after death], unconsciousness of the same, neither. Anni-
hilationists said he taught annihilation of soul; those who
held with Nibbana in this life only claimed him no less.
3
The king, through the priming in doctrine previously
dealt him, discerned that these were none of them [proper]
1
Mahavangsa, v. 234-282.
2
lb., 264 : 'The thera taught the king: " There is no resulting guilt
without evil intent."'
3
Various forms of soul-theory, dealt with in the Brahmajala
Suttanta, Dialogues, i. 27 f .


bhikkhus, and ejecting them from the Order, he bestowed
white lay-raiment upon them. And there were 60,000 of
them in all. Then he sent for other bhikkhus and asked
them: ' Sir, what was the doctrine of the Buddha
' Sire,' they replied, ' he was an Analyst.'
1
At this reply
the king asked the Elder, saying: ' Was he an Analyst
' Yes, sire.' Then said the king: ' Now, sir, the Sasana
is purged. Let the Order of bhikkhus hold the fortnightly
feast.' And, providing a guard, he entered the city. In
concord the Order assembled and held the feast. And sixty
hundred thousand bhikkhus were present.
At that congress Elder Tissa Moggali's son, to avert all
bases of heresy that had arisen, and that might in the future
arise, analyzed in detail the heads of discourse, by the method
which had been delivered by the Master, into 500 orthodox
statements and 500 heterodox statements, and so uttered
the book of the bases of discourse, the salient feature in
which had been the future crushing o f all dissentient views.
Thereupon, selecting one thousand bhikkhus who were
learned in the Three Pitakas and versed in the Four Pati-
sambhidas,
2
just as the Elder, Kassapa the Great [at the
First Council, had] recited Dhamma and Vinaya, so did he,
reciting, after purging the religion of its stains, hold the
Third Council. And in reciting the Abhidhamma, he in-
corporated this book even as he uttered it. As it is said:—
Set forth in outline the Book of the 'Subjects of Discourse,'
Giving account of the 'soul' and such points controverted.
By the mere heads thus laid down in delectable mansions
Moggali's son filled out, here on earth, the full detail.
Now, inasmuch as achieved is the way for the comment,
I will discourse on the matter. Listen attentive !
1
Or a Particularist, as against the superficiality and inaccuracy of
sweeping generalizations. See Majjhima, ii. 197 (Subhasutta); cf.
'The Value of Life in Buddhism,' by Mrs. Rh. D,, Buddhism, Ran-
goon, ii. 193. The name became synonymous with Theravadin.
- Meaning text, origins, exposition.