AKB, Ch. 1, V. 35: Dhatus as Tangibles

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Queequeg
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AKB, Ch. 1, V. 35: Dhatus as Tangibles

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We've already been introduced to the primary and secondary elements:

Primary Elements
Earth/Solidity
Water/Humidity or Fluidity
Fire/Heat
Wind/Motion

Secondary Elements
Softness
Hardness
Weight
Lightness
Cold
Hunger
Thirst

To recap - 8 dhatus and part of the dharmadhatu is mental - The mental organ, the six consciousnesses, and the dharmadhatu that is not material. The remaining ten dhatus and the material part of the dharmadhatu, identified as avijnapti, are material. These are the five sense organs (excluding the mind), and the objects of those five sense organs, plus the material dharmadhatu.

The objects of the body - tactile objects, are of two types - primary and secondary elements. The other nine dhatus and the material dharmadhatu are all secondary elements.

Avijnapti is a peculiar category. Defined in the Princeton Dictionary as: "unmanifest material force," or "hidden imprints." As best I can understand it, it is an intention that is physically encoded, but in an imperceptible manner. Its associated with vows, dhyana, awakening, but can be either wholesome, unwholesome or neutral. The Princeton Dictionary describes it a "way of reconciling the apparent contradiction in Buddhism between advocating the efficacy of moral cause and effect and rejecting any notion of an underlying substratum of being (ANATMAN), as well as issues raised by the teaching of momentariness (KSANAKAVADA). When a person forms the intention (CETANA) to perform an action (KARMAN), whether wholesome (KUSALA) or unwholesome (AKUSALA), that intention creates an "unmanifest" type of materiality that imprints itself on the person as either bodily or verbal information, until such time as the action is actually performed via body or speech."

I recall in an earlier section of the AKB, avijnapti is considered material because, like a vow, it can be broken.

Moving on...

Vasubandhu debates Bhadanta Buddhadeva who asserts the ten ayatanas are primary elements. Hair splitting ensues. Vasubandhu claims victory for the Sarvastivadins.

Finally, the Ten Material Dhatus are agglomerations because they are composed of atoms.

The six consciousnesses and some mental objects (dharmadhatu). The remaining eleven are material. The objects of the body, ie. tactile objects - are said to be of two types,
There is no suffering to be severed. Ignorance and klesas are indivisible from bodhi. There is no cause of suffering to be abandoned. Since extremes and the false are the Middle and genuine, there is no path to be practiced. Samsara is nirvana. No severance achieved. No suffering nor its cause. No path, no end. There is no transcendent realm; there is only the one true aspect. There is nothing separate from the true aspect.
-Guanding, Perfect and Sudden Contemplation,
Malcolm
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Re: AKB, Ch. 1, V. 35: Dhatus as Tangibles

Post by Malcolm »

Queequeg wrote: Thu Mar 04, 2021 5:08 pm
Avijnapti is a peculiar category
It is a form of matter created by taking vows. That's all. It is debated extensively in chapter 4.
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Re: AKB, Ch. 1, V. 35: Dhatus as Tangibles

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Malcolm wrote: Thu Mar 04, 2021 5:14 pm
Queequeg wrote: Thu Mar 04, 2021 5:08 pm
Avijnapti is a peculiar category
It is a form of matter created by taking vows. That's all. It is debated extensively in chapter 4.
The Princeton Dictionary suggests its a broader category - including all intentions. Do you know where that comes from if not in this text?
There is no suffering to be severed. Ignorance and klesas are indivisible from bodhi. There is no cause of suffering to be abandoned. Since extremes and the false are the Middle and genuine, there is no path to be practiced. Samsara is nirvana. No severance achieved. No suffering nor its cause. No path, no end. There is no transcendent realm; there is only the one true aspect. There is nothing separate from the true aspect.
-Guanding, Perfect and Sudden Contemplation,
Malcolm
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Re: AKB, Ch. 1, V. 35: Dhatus as Tangibles

Post by Malcolm »

Queequeg wrote: Thu Mar 04, 2021 5:37 pm
Malcolm wrote: Thu Mar 04, 2021 5:14 pm
Queequeg wrote: Thu Mar 04, 2021 5:08 pm
Avijnapti is a peculiar category
It is a form of matter created by taking vows. That's all. It is debated extensively in chapter 4.
The Princeton Dictionary suggests its a broader category - including all intentions. Do you know where that comes from if not in this text?
The only ramification it has is with vows. That's why it is debated in the karma chapter. BTW, Sautrantikas reject it.
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Queequeg
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Re: AKB, Ch. 1, V. 35: Dhatus as Tangibles

Post by Queequeg »

Malcolm wrote: Thu Mar 04, 2021 6:13 pm
Queequeg wrote: Thu Mar 04, 2021 5:37 pm
Malcolm wrote: Thu Mar 04, 2021 5:14 pm

It is a form of matter created by taking vows. That's all. It is debated extensively in chapter 4.
The Princeton Dictionary suggests its a broader category - including all intentions. Do you know where that comes from if not in this text?
The only ramification it has is with vows. That's why it is debated in the karma chapter. BTW, Sautrantikas reject it.
Thanks. I'll hold further questions until we get there.
There is no suffering to be severed. Ignorance and klesas are indivisible from bodhi. There is no cause of suffering to be abandoned. Since extremes and the false are the Middle and genuine, there is no path to be practiced. Samsara is nirvana. No severance achieved. No suffering nor its cause. No path, no end. There is no transcendent realm; there is only the one true aspect. There is nothing separate from the true aspect.
-Guanding, Perfect and Sudden Contemplation,
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