Kathāvatthu ( Pāli ) (abbreviated Kv , Kvu ; transl. "Points of Controversy" ) is a Buddhist scripture, one of the seven books in the Theravada Abhidhamma Pitaka . The text contrasts the orthodox Theravada position on a range of issues to the heterodox views of various interlocutors; the latter are not identified in the primary source text, but were speculatively identified with specific schools of thought in the (historically subsequent) commentaries. The original text is putatively dated to coincide with the reign of King Ashoka (around 240 B.C.), but this, too, is debatable. Though the core of the text may have begun to take shape during Ashoka's reign, Bhikkhu Sujato notes that "the work as a whole cannot have been composed at that time, for it is the outcome of a long period of elaboration, and discusses many views of schools that did not emerge until long after the time of Aśoka."
23-418: The Kathavatthu documents over 200 points of contention. The debated points are divided into four paṇṇāsaka (lit., "group of 50"). Each paṇṇāsaka is again divided, into 20 chapters ( vagga ) in all. In addition, three more vagga follow the four paṇṇāsaka . Each chapter contains questions and answers by means of which the most diverse views are presented, refuted and rejected. The form of
46-656: A systematization of the Buddha's teachings. It is regarded as canonical by the Burmese Theravada tradition, but isn't included in other Theravada canons. The nature of the Nettipakarana was a matter of some disagreement among scholars. Initially, Western scholars classified it as a commentary, rather than as a canonical text. Further study and comparison with a closely related text, the Petakopadesa eventually revealed that it
69-458: Is no direct evidence that any commentarial material was in fact recited at the first council, but there is clear evidence that some parts of the commentaries are very old, perhaps even going back to the time of the Buddha, because they afford parallels with texts which are regarded as canonical by other sects, and must therefore pre-date the schisms between the sects. As has already been noted, some canonical texts include commentarial passages, while
92-585: Is not unusual, there being quite a bit of relatively late material in the Canon. The debates are understood by the tradition, followed by many scholars, as disputes between different schools of Buddhism. However, L. S. Cousins , described by Professor Gombrich as the West's leading abhidhamma scholar, says: "In spiritual traditions the world over, instructors have frequently employed apparent contradictions as part of their teaching method – perhaps to induce greater awareness in
115-604: Is that it was primarily intended as a guide to interpreting and providing explanation of canonical texts, similar to the Petakopadesa , whose content it resembles. Verses in the Nettipakarana composed in a poetic meter unknown in Sri Lanka suggest a northern Indian origin for the text that predates the Christian era. It is one of the few post-canonical texts composed in Pāli that predates
138-719: The Kathavatthu differs substantially from that of the other texts in the Abhidhamma – but this is true of the Puggalapaññatti as well. Scholars sometimes also point to the inclusion of some obviously later (relatively new) sections of the Kathavatthu in the Tipitaka as an indication that the Pāli Canon was more 'open' than has sometimes been thought, and as illustrative of the process of codifying new texts as canonical. In fact this too
161-510: The Kathavatthu in the Abhidhamma Pitaka has sometimes been thought of as something of an anomaly. First, the book is not regarded as being the words of the Buddha himself - its authorship is traditionally attributed to Moggaliputta Tissa . However this is not unusual: the Vinaya 's accounts of the first two Councils are obviously also not the Buddha's actual words. Second, the subject matter of
184-460: The Sutta Pitaka . In some cases, terms are dealt with in a different order or using different terminology from that presented in previous chapters. A colophon at the end of the text again attributes it to Mahākaccāna. The Sri Lankan scholar Dhammapala wrote a commentary on this text in the fifth century. An English translation titled The Guide by Bhikkhu Nanamoli was published in 1962 by
207-412: The hāras and nayas of the previous section along with 12 padas ('terms'), of which six refer to linguistic forms and six to meaning and describes their relations. The Patiniddesavāra forms the main body of the text and is itself divided into three parts. Each section illustrates technical terms from previous sections by quoting the verses that contain them and illustrating them with quotations from
230-555: The Khuddaka Nikaya: Nettipakarana , Petakopadesa and Milindapañha . Of these only the Nettipakarana has a commentary in any standard edition. Nettipakarana The Nettipakaraṇa ( Pali , also called Nettippakarana , abbreviated Netti ) is a Buddhist scripture, sometimes included in the Khuddaka Nikaya of Theravada Buddhism's Pali Canon . The main theme of this text is Buddhist Hermeneutics through
253-531: The Nettipakarana is not a continuation of the Petakopadesa, but a rewritten version that eliminates unimportant content and provides improved and clarified versions of material shared by both sources. Dhammapala composed a commentary on the Nettipakarana, the Nettipakarana-atthakatha, but not the Petakopadesa, a fact that K.R. Norman attributes to the Nettipakarana superseding the older text. Both
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#1732852477618276-560: The Nettipakarana is unusual for being a text drawn from beyond the Theravada tradition that influenced the composition of the definitive commentaries composed by Buddhaghosa . The Nettipakarana was regarded as canonical by the head of the Burmese sangha around two centuries ago, and included in the Khuddaka Nikaya . It is included in the Burmese Phayre manuscript of the Canon, dated 1841/2,
299-455: The Visuddhimagga and the commentaries on the first four nikayas are accepted by a consensus of scholars as Buddhaghosa's. The commentator Dhammapala's date is uncertain. He wrote after Buddhaghosa, and probably no later than the 7th century. His Khuddaka Nikaya commentaries are Paramatthadipani comprising Other Khuddaka Nikaya commentaries are Three books are included in some editions of
322-499: The canonical Theravadin Tipitaka . These commentaries give the traditional interpretations of the scriptures. The major commentaries were based on earlier ones, now lost, in Prakrit and Sinhala , which were written down at the same time as the Canon, in the last century BCE . Some material in the commentaries is found in canonical texts of other schools of Buddhism , suggesting an early common source. According to K.R. Norman : There
345-627: The debates gives no identification of the participants, and does not step outside the debate to state explicitly which side is right. The views deemed non-heretical by the commentary's interpretation of the Katthavatthu were embraced by the Theravada denomination. According to the Commentaries those whose views were rejected include the Sarvastivada . The text focuses on refuting the views of various Buddhist schools, these include: The inclusion of
368-679: The existence of the Old Commentary in the Vinaya-pitaka and the canonical status of the Niddesa prove that some sort of exegesis was felt to be needed at a very early stage of Buddhism. As with the Canon itself, the contents of collected editions of the Theravadin commentaries, compiled from the fourth century CE onwards, vary between editions. The minimal collection, found in the Thai edition (1992) includes
391-682: The following (Skilling 2002). In addition, the following are included in one or both of the other two editions: the Burmese Chatthasangayana edition (a list of contents can be found in Thein Han 1981) and the Sinhalese Simon Hewavitarne Bequest edition. Below is a listing of fourth- or fifth-century CE commentator Buddhaghosa's fourteen alleged commentaries (Pāli: atthakatha ) on the Pāli Tipitaka (Norman 1983). Only
414-826: The inscriptions of the Canon approved by the Burmese Fifth Council , the 1956 printed edition of the Sixth Council , the new transcript of the Council text being produced under the patronage of the Supreme Patriarch of Thailand and the Sinhalese Buddha Jayanti edition of the Canon. A recent Burmese teacher has not regarded it as canonical. The Nettipakarana is divided into two divisions (vāra): The Uddesavāra enumerates three separate categories (Pali terms with Nanamoli's translations): The Niddesavāra repeats
437-591: The pupil or to bring about a deeper and wider view of the subject in hand. The Pali Canon contains many explicit examples of such methods. (Indeed much of the Kathāvatthu makes better sense in these terms than as sectarian controversy.)" Points of Controversy , tr. S.Z. Aung & C.A.F. Rhys Davids (1915, 1993), Pali Text Society , Bristol. Atthakatha Aṭṭhakathā ( Pali for explanation, commentary) refers to Pali-language Theravadin Buddhist commentaries to
460-538: The text's colophon, introductory verses, and the commentary attributed to Dhammapala . The text's colophon says he composed the book, that it was approved by the Buddha and that it was recited at the First Council . Scholars do not take this literally, but the translator admits the methods may go back to him. The translator holds that the book is a revised edition of the Petakopadesa , though this has been questioned by Professor von Hinüber. K.R. Norman concludes that
483-515: The use of āryā meter and summary verses suggest a North Indian origin for the text, possibly Ujjain , where Buddhist tradition connects the name Mahākaccāna to Avanti , the region suggested as the origin of the Pāli texts brought to Sri Lanka . The text contains quotations from sources outside the Theravada canon, some of which have been traced to texts from the Mulasarvastivada canon. Other quotations are as yet unidentified, but suggest that
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#1732852477618506-426: The work of Buddhaghosa , who quotes from it and uses its methods and technical terms in his own commentaries. The structure of the text- where the later verses are constructed as commentaries on a summary verse- became popular in the first centuries CE, while the āryā meter used for its verses was already being used for such verses around 150 BCE. The Nettipakarana is ascribed to the Buddha's disciple Kaccana by
529-403: Was a guide to interpretation and the composition of definitive commentaries. Its translator, supported by Professor George Bond of Northwestern University, described it is a guide to help those who already understand the teaching present it to others. However, A. K. Warder disagreed, maintaining that it covers all aspects of interpretation, not just this. Consensus among contemporary scholars
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