About Abidharma

Victor M Fontane

Way before the founders of psychology in the 19th century, Wilhelm Wundt and William James and years after, Sigmund Freud (the father of psychoanalysis), in 528 BC Gautama Buddha gave his first discourse about Abhidhamma which is "simultaneously a philosophy, a psychology and an ethics, all integrated into the framework of a program for spiritual liberation." According to L. S. Cousins, the suttas deal with sequences and processes, while the Abhidhamma describes occasions and events.The Abhidhamma Pitaka contains the profound moral psychology and philosophy of the Buddha's teaching.

It is only in the Abhidhamma that explanations are given on how and at which mental beats a person can create good and bad karmic thoughts, according to his desires and other mental states. Clear explanations of the nature of the different mental faculties and precise analytical interpretations of the elements can be found in this important collection of discourses.

A person who has studied the Abhidhamma can better understand the nature of the mind and analyse the mental attitudes which cause a human being to commit mistakes and develop the will to avoid evil.

The Abhidhamma teaches that the egoistic beliefs and other concepts such as 'I', "you", 'man' and 'the world', which we use in daily conversation, do not adequately describe the real nature of existence. The conventional concepts do not reflect the fleeting nature of pleasures, uncertainties, impermanence of every component thing, and the conflict among the elements and energies intrinsic in all animate or inanimate things. The Abhidhamma doctrine gives a clear exposition of the ultimate nature of man and brings the analysis of the human condition further than other studies known to man.

The Abhidhamma deals with realities existing in the ultimate sense, or paramattha dhamma in Pali. There are four such realities:

1- Citta, mind or consciousness, defined as 'that which knows or experiences' an object. Citta occurs as distinct momentary states of consciousness.

2- Cetasika, the mental factors that arise and occur along with the citta.

3- Rupa, physical phenomenon or material form.

4- Nibbana, the unconditioned state of bliss which is the final goal.

The Abhidhamma clarifies intricate points of the Dhamma and enables the arising of an understanding of reality, thereby setting forth in clear terms the Path of Emancipation. The realization we gain from the Abhidhamma with regard to our lives and the world is not in a conventional sense, but absolute reality.

The Abhidhamma explains the process of rebirth in various planes after the occurrence of death without anything to pass from one life to another. This explanation provides support to the doctrine of Kamma and Rebirth. It also gives a wealth of details about the mind, as well as the units of mental and material forces, properties of matter, sources of matter, relationship of mind and matter.

If modern psychologists, “Life coaches” and any other mental health professional study and understand the Abidharma will probably have better possibility of dealing with the serious mental problems that affect our modern society.