An Inquiry into the Usefulness of Vishuddhimagga-Mahasanya in Analyzing the Meaning of Paramatthā-s

Abstract

The Pali Visuddhimagga is the basic canon of Theravada written by Ven. Buddhaghosa in the fifth century AD. Ven. Badaratitthavāsi Dhammapāla also composed a Visuddhimaggatīkā called Paramatthamanjūsa to exaggerate the far-fetched verses of that work. The Visuddhimagga Mahāsannaya was written by King Parakramabāhu, Honored with the name of Kalikāla Sāhitya Pandita in Dambadeni period, collecting the contents of both these works. At that time, it provided a great benefit to the people who were not familiar with the Pali language in order to grasp the essence of the Dhamma. In order to understand the real nature of objective doctrines such as Chitta-Cetasika, a fourfold examination system as Lakkhana-Rasa-Paccupaṭṭhāna-Padaṭṭhāna is found in the Attakathas including the Visuddhimagga. Especially in Visuddhimagga, this same theory has been used for the analysis of the basic terms sīla, samādhi, paññā. Seelanalakkhaṇa, Avikampanalakkhaṇa, Dhammassabhāvapativedhalakkhaṇa are the Lakkhanā-s examination of Seela, Samadhi and Paññā respectively. Dussīlaviddhansana, Vikkhepaviddhansana, Mohaviddhansana are the taste test respectively. Purity of body-speech-mind, non-violence, dispassion is the exam of Paccupaṭṭhāna. HiriOtthappa, Sukha, Samadhi are Padaṭṭhāna analysis. Thus the analysis of Sīla, Samādhi and Paññā has been done through a set of four or twelve natures. It is appropriate for Dharmadharā-s readers to limit themselves to the Pali Visuddhimagga to understand the actual terminology. Ordinary people need a different explanation. The complement is well done by King Parakum II as a exegetical work. It is a great academic gift to be able to solve the reader's problems by showing examples of concepts that cannot be understood through semantic analysis. Śilanartha means the uncomplicatedness of the practitioners and the adherence to the skills. Analyzing Padaṭṭāna in these terms, the proximate cause of the existence of several physical material objects is illustrated by stating that Padaṭṭāna is the proximate cause. Also, the characteristic or identity used in Buddhist epistemology and generality or reciprocity are used in the analysis of this doctrine. In this way, the support received from the Sinhala Visuddhimagga-Mahasanna for the Pali Visuddhimagga Dharma exam is studied here. This research is expected to be conducted using primary and secondary sources under the qualitative research methodology.