Treasury of Abhidharma

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Vasubandhu

Abhidharmakosha (Skt. Abhidharmakośa; Tib. Ngön Pa Dzö Wyl. chos mngon pa'i mdzod) — The Treasury of Abhidharma and Auto-Commentary on the Treasury of Abhidharma (Skt. Abhidharmakośa-Bhāṣya). These works were composed by Vasubandhu, one of the 'Six Ornaments', the greatest Buddhist authorities of Ancient India. Abhidharmakosha is a complete and systematic account of the Abhidharma, and is the peak of scholarship in the Fundamental Vehicle.

Outline

The text is divided into eight topics:

  1. The elements (Skt. dhātu)
  2. The faculties(Skt. indriya)
  3. The world (Skt. loka)
  4. Actions (Skt. karma)
  5. 'Subtle developers' (Skt. anuśaya) (i.e. negative emotions)
  6. The path and the individual (Skt. mārgaprahāṇa)
  7. Wisdom (Skt. jñāna)
  8. Meditative equipoise (Skt. samāpatti)

Translations

Tibetan

  • The Abhidharmakosha and its commentary were translated in the 8th century by Kawa Paltsek and the Indian pandita Jinamitra.

French and English

  • Abhidharmakosabhasyam of Vasubandhu, translated by Leo M. Pruden, Asian Humanities Press, Berkeley 1990 (Translated into English from the French translation of Louis de La Vallé Poussin, L'Abhidharmakośa de Vasubandhu, Institut belge des hautes études chinoises, Bruxelles, 1971)

Commentaries

Tibetan Commentaries

The following are among the best known Tibetan commentaries on the Abhidharmakosha: