Metaphor and Literalism in Buddhism: The ... - misterdanger.net

NIRVANA IN THE THERAVf DA BUDDHIST TRADITION
although it can be compared in certain respects with the mentality of
the paths and fruits. The DhammasaWgaOi often classifies paths, fruits
and the unconditioned together as ‘the unincluded (apariyApanna)’,
i.e. not included in the three levels. Later tradition refers to this as
the nine supramundane dhammas. The unincluded consciousness,
unincluded mental activities and unconditioned element are alike in
that they are not able to associate with upAdAna or with any kind of
torment (kilesa), they are all ‘immeasurable’ and they are all ‘refined’.
The unconditioned element is unique in that it is not classifiable in
terms of arising or as past, present or future. Suggestively, however,
it may be reckoned as nAma rather than rEpa. 102
The DhammasaWgaOi does explicitly class the unconditioned element along
with the four mental aggregates under the name nAma. 103 Whether this was
intended or not, it could have solved the above mentioned dilemma by
putting it under one of the three traditional correspondents of the mental data
base (dhamma): feeling (vedanA), apperception (saNjñA) and volitional activities
(saNskAra). However, this is clearly contradicted by the DhammasaWgaOi’s
earlier observation that the unconditioned element as ‘without condition’
(appaccaya) is different from the five aggregates as ‘with condition’
(sappaccaya). 104 This solution seems to be ignored in the third book of the
Pali abhidhamma, the DhAtukathA, which explicitly and frequently points
out that ‘the unconditioned is not classified as an aggregate’. 105
The contribution of the VibhaWga, the second book of the abhidhamma,
on nirvana was, apart from its placement of the unconditioned under the
sphere of mental data base (dhammAyatana) 106 and under the element of
mental data base (dhammadhAtu), 107 to establish a basic definition of nirvana:
‘What is the unconditioned element? It is the cessation of passion, the cessation
of hatred and the cessation of delusion.’ 108 This definition is not without
textual evidence. It is quoted from a dialogue on nirvana between Sariputta
and the wanderer Jambukhadaka in the NibbAnasutta. 109 The same answer
was also given to the question about being sainthood (arahant) 110 in the next
sutta. Although I discuss both suttas later in relation to the literal meaning
of atthaN paleti, this latter sutta was actually used as textual evidence for
the Theravadins against disputants (vitaOSavAdins) who insist that nirvana is
mere destruction (khayamatta) on the basis of the NibbAnasutta’s dialogue.
This definition seems to reflect early Buddhist trends to put more weight on
nirvana in this life than on nirvana after death. As I have shown in Chapter
2, nirvana is a name given to the experience of being without passion,
hatred and delusion and is realised at the moment of enlightenment. For an
enlightened one, his final liberation, anupAdisesa nibbAnadhAtu, is already
confirmed at the moment of the enlightenment, saupAdisesa nibbAnadhAtu. 111
Since we can talk about it conceptually it can be included among the
mental data (dhamma) in both categories. This definition and classification
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