Study Report 1

Hi, my Dhamma friends,

This is my study reports. I would like to share with you. And it might contain mistakes. If you have found any mistakes, please let me know or you can leave your comments to me. Thanks.

This report is the second chapter of Yamaka; it is called Khandha Yamaka or Pairs On Aggregates.

Before I start, we may need to have a brief introduction on the Pāḷi Canon.

The Pāḷi Canon falls into three general categories, called piṭaka (basket) in Pāḷi. Because of this, the canon is traditionally known as the Tipiṭaka (three baskets).

The three piṭakas are as follows:
1. Vinaya Piṭaka, dealing with rules for monks and nuns
2. Sutta Piṭaka, discourses, mostly ascribed to the Buddha, but some to disciples
3. Abhidhamma Piṭaka, variously described as philosophy, psychology, metaphysics etc.

We are not discussing the first Piṭaka and the second Piṭaka, let us go to the third Piṭaka.

The Abhidhamma Piṭaka is the last of the three piṭakas, constituting the Pali Canon, the scriptures of Theravāda Buddhism. It presents a more formal, abstract, systematic form of teaching than the others.

The Abhidhamma Piṭaka consists of seven books.
1. Dhammasaṅgaṇī (Classification of Dhamma)
2. Vibhaṅga (Analysis or Division)
3. Dhātukathā (Discussion of Elements)
4. Puggalapaññatti (Descriptions of Individuals)
5. Kathāvatthu (Points of Controversy)
6. Yamaka (The Book of Pair)
7. Paṭṭhāna (The Book of Causal Relation)

Among the seven books, here we only discuss about the 6th book, which is Yamaka.

This book consists of ten chapters, each dealing with a different topic; for example, the first deals with roots. A typical chapter (there are a number of divergences from this pattern) is in three parts.
The first part deals with questions of identity: "Is good root root?" "But is root good root?" The entire Yamaka consists of such pairs of converse questions, with their answers. Hence its name, which means pairs.
The second part deals with arising: "For someone for whom the form aggregate arises, does the feeling aggregate arise?"
The third part deals with understanding: "Does someone who understands the eye base understand the ear base?"

So, what are the ten chapters?
They are:
1. Mūla (Roots),
2. Khandha (Aggregates),
3. Āyatana (Bases),
4. Dhātu (Elements),
5. Sacca (Truths),
6. Saṅkhāra (Conditioned Things),
7. Anusaya (Latent Dispositions),
8. Citta (Consciousness),
9. Dhamma,
10. Indriya (Controlling Faculties).

Now, let us go to the second chapter – Khandha Yamaka, Pairs On Aggregates