The Dhatukatha (Pali: dhātukathā; ) is a Buddhist scripture, part of the
Pali Canon
The Pāḷi Canon is the standard collection of scriptures in the Theravada Buddhism, Buddhist tradition, as preserved in the Pāli language. It is the most complete extant Early Buddhist texts, early Buddhist canon. It derives mainly from t ...
of
Theravada
''Theravāda'' (; 'School of the Elders'; ) is Buddhism's oldest existing school. The school's adherents, termed ''Theravādins'' (anglicized from Pali ''theravādī''), have preserved their version of the Buddha's teaching or ''Dharma (Buddhi ...
Buddhism, where it is included in the
Abhidhamma Pitaka
The Theravada Abhidhamma tradition, also known as the Abhidhamma Method, refers to a scholastic systematization of the Theravada, Theravāda school's understanding of the highest Buddhist teachings (Abhidharma, Abhidhamma). These teachings are t ...
. This text is a key component of the Abhidhamma literature and serves as an important tool for the detailed analysis and understanding of the dhammas (phenomena) as outlined in earlier texts.
This book combines ideas from the two preceding Abhidhamma books, the
Dhammasangani and
Vibhanga. It is in the form of questions and answers, grouped into 14 chapters by form. Thus the first chapter asks of each item covered, "In how many aggregates, bases and elements is it included?" Later chapters progress to more complex questions like "From how many aggregates etc. are the dhammas dissociated from the dhammas associated with it dissociated?"Dhatukatha is a treatise which studies the dhammas analysed in Dhammasahgani and Vibhanga, in fourteen ways of analytical investigation.
[Bhikkhu Bodhi (2000). "A Comprehensive Manual of Abhidhamma: The Abhidhammattha Sangaha of Acariya Anuruddha". Buddhist Publication Society.]
Overview
Content and structure
The Dhatukatha combines and synthesizes ideas from the two preceding Abhidhamma books, the
Dhammasangani and
Vibhanga. It presents its material in the form of questions and answers, systematically arranged into 14 chapters. This methodical approach aids in the analytical study of the dhammas.
Analytical methodology
Each chapter in the Dhatukatha is dedicated to a specific line of inquiry regarding the nature of phenomena. The first chapter, for instance, asks of each item covered, "In how many aggregates, bases, and elements is it included?" This foundational question sets the stage for progressively more complex analyses in subsequent chapters. An example of a more advanced question is, "From how many aggregates, bases, and elements are the dhammas dissociated from the dhammas associated with it dissociated?"
Relation to Dhammasangani and Vibhanga
The Dhatukatha studies the dhammas analyzed in the Dhammasangani and Vibhanga from fourteen different perspectives of analytical investigation. These perspectives allow for a comprehensive examination of the interactions and distinctions between various dhammas. This multi-faceted analysis is crucial for a deeper understanding of the teachings of the Abhidhamma.
Importance in tradition
The Dhatukatha is not merely a theoretical text but serves as a practical guide for the meditative and intellectual practices within Theravada Buddhism. Its detailed analysis helps practitioners to discern the intricacies of mental and physical phenomena, thereby aiding in the development of insight (''vipassanā'').
["The Abhidhamma in Practice", by N.K.G. Mendis. Access to Insight (BCBS Edition), 30 November 2013, http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/mendis/wheel322.html.
]
Translations
The title "Dhatukatha" can be translated as "Discourse on Elements."
English
An English translation by U Narada was published in 1962 by the
Pali Text Society
The Pāli Text Society is a text publication society founded in 1881 by Thomas William Rhys Davids "to foster and promote the study of Pāli texts." Pāli is the language in which the texts of the Theravada school of Buddhism are preserved. The ...
, based in Bristol.
References
{{Buddhism topics
Abhidhamma Pitaka
Theravada Buddhist texts