..续本文上一页er Buddhist studies, and its range is as broad as that of the mind of its reputed author. At the beginning it presents treatises on 72 types of knowledge (ñana) and on the types of wrong speculative views (ditthi), both of which show the methodical and penetrative mind of the Venerable Sariputta. In the Treatise on Knowledge, as well as in other chapters of the work, there are found a large number of doctrinal terms appearing for the first time and only in the Patisambhida Magga. It also contains elaborations of terms and teachings that are mentioned only briefly in other and older parts of the Sutta Pitaka. In addition to this, it contains material on meditation of great practical value, as for example on mindfulness of breathing,[34] metta-bhavana, and numerous insight-exercises. There is also, to give variety to the subject matter, a passage of hymnic character and great beauty, on the Great Compassion of the Tathagata. Mahanama Thera of Ceylon, who wrote the Saddhammappakasini, the commentary to the work, confidently ascribes it to the Venerable Sariputta, and in the introductory stanzas gives eloquent praise of the great Elder. In the Patisambhida Magga itself, Sariputta is mentioned twice, once as being one who possesses samadhi-vipphara-iddhi (in the Iddhividha-katha) and again in the Maha-pañña-katha, Solasa-pañña-niddesa, where it is said: "Those whose wisdom is equal to that of Sariputta, they partake to some extent of the Buddha-knowledge."
We come now to one of the most important contributions made by the Venerable Sariputta to Buddhist teaching. According to tradition (e.g., in the Atthasalini), the Buddha preached the Abhidhamma in the Tavatimsa heaven to his mother, Queen Maya, who had been reborn as deva in that world. He did this for three months, and when returning daily to earth for his meals, he gave to the Venerable Sariputta the "method" (naya) of that portion of Abhidhamma he had preached. The Atthasalini says; "Thus the giving of the method was to the Chief Disciple, who was endowed with analytical knowledge, as though the Buddha stood on the edge of the shore and pointed out the ocean with his open hand. To the Elder the doctrine taught by the Blessed One in hundreds and thousands of methods became very clear." Thereafter, the Elder passed on what he had learned to his five hundred disciples.
Further it is said: "The textual order of the Abhidhamma originated with Sariputta; the numerical series in the Great Book (Patthana) was also determined by him. In this way the Elder, without spoiling the unique doctrine, laid down the numerical series in order to make it easy to learn, remember, study and teach the Law."
The Atthasalini, the Commentary to the Dhamma-sangani also ascribes to Sariputta the following contributions to the canonical Abhidhamma:
(a) The 42 couplets (dyads; duka) of the Suttanta Matika, which follows the Abhidhamma Matika, both of which preface the seven Abhidhamma books. The 42 Suttanta couplets are explained in the Dhammasangani and this likewise has probably to be ascribed to the Elder.
(b) The fourth and last part of the Dhammasangani, the Atthuddhara-kanda, the "Synopsis."
(c) The arrangement for the recitation of the Abhidhamma (vacanamagga).
(d) The Numerical Section (gañanacara) of the Patthana.
In the Anupada Sutta[35] the Buddha himself speaks of the Venerable Sariputta”s analysis of meditative consciousness into its chief mental concomitants, which the Elder undertook from his own experience, after rising from each of the meditative attainments in succession. This analysis may well be either a precursor or an abridgment of the detailed analysis of jhana-consciousness given in the Dhammasangani.
Concerning the Venerable Sariputta”…
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