Theory

A Buddhist term. In Sanskrit it is called abhidharma, and in Pali it is called abhidhamma. It is a term that indicates the individual doctrines, doctrinal systems, or treatises of sectarian Buddhism. In primitive Buddhism, the teachings of the founder Shakyamuni were divided into two categories: Dharma (teachings) and Vinaya (rules of the religious community). About 100 years after the death of Shakyamuni, the Buddhist community split into 18 to 20 sects, and each sect analyzed and synthesized Shakyamuni's Dharma and Vinaya, conducted detailed research, created extensive treatises (abhidharma), and engaged in complex debates with each other. At this point, Dharma, Vinaya, and Treatises were compiled into the Sutra Storehouse (kyozo), Vinaya Storehouse, and Arbitrage Storehouse, respectively, and the Tripitaka (tri-pitaka) was established. Of these, the Arbitrage Storehouse (abhidharma-pitaka) was the creation of sectarian Buddhism, and it is this that best illustrates its characteristics. However, a tendency to analyze and synthesize the Buddha's teachings can already be seen in early Buddhist scriptures, and among these, words such as abhidharma-kathā (meaning discussion of the law) and mātkā (meaning a list of research topics) are thought to be the beginnings of the later Abhidharma.

The original meaning of Abhidharma is "study of the law preached by Shakyamuni" from abhi (against) + dharma (the teachings of Shakyamuni), and therefore it is also translated as "counter-law". However, another meaning, "superior law" from abhi (superior) + dharma (law), appears, but this interpretation was probably made after Abhidharma was established to show its superiority. However, this second interpretation seems to show the confidence and passion that scholars of the Hinayana schools generally had, and according to the Abhidharma-ron, "the untainted wisdom for attaining enlightenment is the ultimate Abhidharma, and teachings for attaining this wisdom are nothing more than secular Abhidharma."

Many Abhidharma treatises from the Sarvastivada school and the Pali Theravada school have survived to this day. The other schools are thought to have also transmitted their own Tripitaka, and so would have also had their own treatises, but they probably were not as well organized as those from the above two schools. The surviving Sarvastivada treatises include seven treatises: the Shuimonsoku Treatise, the Hounsoku Treatise, the Sentience Treatise, the Sentience Treatise, the Sentience Treatise, the Sentience Treatise, the Sentience Treatise, and the Awakening of Wisdom Treatise, as well as the later works, the Mahavibhasa Treatise, the Zanpa Treatise, and the Abhidharma-sha Treatise. The Pāli Theravāda schools include the seven treatises of the Dhammapada, the Discriminatory Treatise, the Treatise on the Subject of Man, the Treatise on the Realm of Reality, the Treatise on Duality, and the Treatise on the Emergence of Purity, as well as the Atthasālini, Visuddhimagga, and Abhidhammatthasangaha, which were written later. The development of the content of these treatises can be seen in the order of their creation. As for treatises from other schools, there are very few, such as the Shariputra Abhidham, the Treatise on the Depths of the Threefold Realm, and the Treatise on the Realization of the Realm, and the ideas of other schools can only be glimpsed from quotations in treatises from the above two schools.

Furthermore, it should be noted that the treatises given in the titles of books (such as the Abhidharma -śāstra and the Mahaprajnaparamita -śāmaṇḍarīka ) are called śāstra in Sanskrit, a word that is always used in Mahayana Buddhist treatises, and therefore are different from the treatise in question (Abhidharma).

[Kato Junsho]

"Studies on the Abhidharma-syas by Sakurabe Ken (1969, Hozokan)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

仏教の術語。サンスクリット語でアビダルマabhidharma、パーリ語でアビダンマabhidhammaという。部派仏教の個々の教義、教義体系、または論書を示す語。原始仏教において創始者釈尊の教説は法（教え）と律（教団規則）の二つに分類されていた。釈尊の滅後約100年して仏教教団は18～20の部派に分裂し、各部派は釈尊の法と律を分析・総合し詳細な研究を行い、膨大な論（アビダルマ）をつくり、互いに煩瑣(はんさ)な論争に従事した。ここに至り、法・律・論はそれぞれ経蔵(きょうぞう)・律蔵・論蔵にまとめられ三蔵（トリ・ピタカtri-piaka）が成立した。このうち論蔵（アビダルマ・ピタカ）こそが部派仏教のつくりあげたものであり、その特徴をよく示すものなのである。しかし釈尊の教説を分析・総合する傾向はすでに原始仏教経典のなかにみられ、そのうちとくにアビダルマカターabhidharma-kathā（法に関する議論の意）の語や、マートリカーmātkā（研究の題目の列記の意）などが、後のアビダルマの萌芽(ほうが)と考えられている。

　アビダルマの原義はabhi（に対して）＋dharma（釈尊の教え）より「釈尊の説いた法に関する研究」の意味であり、それゆえ「対法」とも漢訳される。しかしほかにabhi（優れた）＋dharma（法）より「優れた法」という語義も現れるが、これはアビダルマが成立したのちにその優位性を示すために行われた解釈であろう。しかしこの第二の解釈は部派仏教の学匠たちが一般に抱いていた自信と情熱を示しているものらしく、『倶舎論(くしゃろん)』によれば「悟りを得るための無漏(むろ)の（汚れない）智慧(ちえ)こそが勝義のアビダルマであり、この智慧を得るための教えなどは世俗のアビダルマにすぎない」といっている。

　論書としてのアビダルマは、説一切有部(せついっさいうぶ)とパーリ上座部のものが多く現存する。他の部派もおのおのの三蔵を伝持していたと思われるので論蔵も備えていたであろうが、上記2部派ほど整備されたものではなかったであろう。有部の現存する論書は、集異門足(しゅういもんそく)論、法蘊足(ほううんそく)論、施設(せせつ)論、識身足論、界身足論、品類足論、発智(ほっち)論の7論、その後成立した大毘婆沙(だいびばしゃ)論、雑心論、倶舎論などである。パーリ上座部のものとしては、法集論、分別論、論事、人施設論、界説論、双対論、発趣論の7論、その後成立のアッタサーリニーAtthasālinī、ビスッディマッガVisuddhimagga、アビダンマッタサンガハAbhidhammatthasangahaなどがある。これらは成立順序に従って内容の発展が認められる。なお他部派のものとしては舎利弗阿毘曇(しゃりほつあびどん)論、三弥底部(さんみていぶ)論、成実(じょうじつ)論などきわめてわずかであり、他部派の思想は上記2部派の論書の引用からうかがえるのみである。

　なお、書名に付される論（たとえば倶舎論、大智度論などの論）はサンスクリット語でシャーストラśāstraといい、大乗仏教の論書にもつねに用いられる語であるから、いま問題としている論（アビダルマ）とは別のものであることは注意されねばならない。

［加藤純章］

『桜部建著『倶舎論の研究』（1969・法蔵館）』

出典　小学館　日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)について　情報 | 凡例