The Abhidharma

What is achieved by means of disciminating knowledge? The human mind is satisfied by instruction.”
Asanga, in The Abhidarmasamuccaya

 

The transmission lineages of the Abhidharma from India to Tibet

As for all teachings of the Buddha, the Abhidharma was transmitted from India to Tibet through an uninterrupted lineage from master to disciple.

Gö Lotsawa Shönnu Pal ('gos lo tsA ba gzhon nu dpal) presents the transmission lineages of the Abhidharmakosa and the Abhidharmasamuccaya in a book on history entitled the “Blue Annals” (Tib : deb ther sngon po).

The description of these lineages goes only as far as the XVth century, the time of Gö Lotsawa Shönnu Pal. It explains nevertheless the crucial phases which allowed these transmissions to come from India to Tibet, and gives the names of the authors of certain commentaries.
Generally, these translations of Sanskrit texts need further explanations so as to make the root text accessible.

The importance of the Bodong monastery 

Even though, Gö Lotsawa Shönnu Pal did not note down the lineage of abbots of Bodong (bo dong) monastery, it was the seat of numerous scholars, whose vast knowledge covered the studies of logic (Sanskrit: kula; Tibetan: rigs pa), Abhidharma, Vinaya, Sanskrit grammar, prose and others.

During the first spread of the Buddhist teachings in Tibet, the Abhidharmakosa was translated there together with several explicative commentaries. 

Pandita Smrti  is one of the very first masters to expose the Abhidharmakosa. Even though the Abhidharmakosa was largely spread throughout the Tibetan provinces of U and Tsang (Tib: dbus, gtsang), the history of his lineage has not been preserved.

The transmission lineage of the Abhidharmakosa called: "the minor exposition"

• Buddha Shakyamuni,
• Dharmatrata,
• Pang chen me wang ga,
• Vasubandhu (Tib: dbyig gnyen),
• Dignaga (Tib: phyogs glang),
• Ishvarasena,
• Dharmakirti,
• Devendrabodhi,
• Shakyabodhi,
• Vinitadeva (Tib: ‘dul bal ha),
• Dharmakirti (Tib: chos grags),
• Prajnyakaragupta (Tib: sher ‘byung),
• Ravigupta,
• Yamari,
• Jnyanashrymitra,
• Dharmottara (Tib: chos kyi mchog),
• Ananda (Tib: sangkarananda,
• Wam ku pandita,
• Kaché Penchen Shakya Shri (Tib: kha che paN chen shAkya shrI),
• Sakya Pandita,
• Uyukpa (Tib: ‘u yug pa),
• Zhangtsün Dodépal (Tib: zhang btsun mdo sde dpal),
• Jamyang Sakyapa (Tib: ‘jam dbyangs sa kya pa),
• Paldenpa (Tib: dpal ldan pa),
• Jamyang Tönzhön(Tib: ‘jam dbyangs ston gzhon),
• Norzang Pal (Tib: nor bzang dpal),
• Drak Rinpa (Tib: grags rin pa),
• Jamgönpa Chösengba (Tib: ‘jam sngon pa chos seng ba, chos kyi seng ge),
• Ngotokpa Chökyi Zangpo (Tib: rngo thog pa chos kyi bzang po),
• Khenchen Rinpoche Gyaltshen Zangpo (Tib: mkhan chen rin po che rgyal mtshan bzang po).

Starting from Chö Sengwa (chos seng ba), the transmission was also given to Samdrub Yeshe (bsam grup ye shes)of Gyel Lhakang (rgyal lha khang), in the land of Pen (‘phan). The transmission then passed on to Samdrub Zangpowa (bsam grub bzang po ba).

Some scholars of the Pramanavarttika (Tib : tshad ma rnam ‘grel) do not cite the above mentionned masters. However, Khenchen Rinpoche Gyaltsen Zangpo (mkhan chen rin po che rgyal tshan bzang po), after a close examination, discovered their presence in the lineage. Therefore these lamas belong to the transmission lineage of the Pramanavarttika.

The Pramanavarttika is one of the seven commentaries of Dharmakirti on the study of valid cognition (Skt: pramana; Tib: tshad ma) one of the major branches of Buddhist philosophy.

The study of the valid cognition of objects is added here to the study of the Abhidharma. It describes how phenomena appear from the point of view of ignorance and the point of view of wisdom.

The purpose of the study of valid cognition is to determine whether our mode of perception is correct and valid, or whether it is distorted by ignorance.

The transmission lineage of the Abhidharmasamuccaya called "the superior exposition"

• Buddha Maitreya (Tib: byams pa),
• Asanga (Tib: thogs med),
• Vasubandhu (Tib: dbyig gnyen),
• Sthiramati (Tib: blo rtan),
• Purnavardhana (Tib: gang spel),
• The Kashmiri Jinamitra,
• Kawa Paltsek (Tib: ka ba dpal brtsegs),
• Chokro Luï Gyeltsen (Tib: cog ro klu’i rgyal mtshan),
• Zhang Yeshe De (Tib: zhang ye shes sde).

Then, the Abhidharmasamuccaya was taught to:

• Lhalungpa (Tib: lha lung dpal gyi rdo rje),
• Namnangwa Dawé Dorjé (Tib: nam nang zla ba'i rdo rje),
• Bégyelwa Yéshé (tib: dbas rgyal ba ye shes).

The first two of them obtained realisation as a fruit of their meditation.
Due to a riot of the people of the Tibetan province U (dbus), the master Bé (Tib: dbas) had to leave to the province Kham (khams).

His disciples were:

• Drupgyelwé Yeshe (Tib: grub rgyal ba'i yes shes),
• Druchok gyi Yeshe (Tib: gru mchog gi yes shes),
• Setsün (Tib: se bstun),
• Garmi Yönten Gyungdrung (Tib: gar mi yon tan gyung drung),
• Kutön Tsöndrü Gyungdrung (Tib: khu ston brtson 'grus gyung drung),
• Radri Zangwar (Tib: rwa khri bzang 'bar),
• Gyatsül Lé (Tib: rgya tshul le),
• Li Dütsi Drak (Tib: li bdud rtsi grags).

The key roles of Drangti (Tib: brang ti) and of Rok Chökyi Tsöndrü (Tib: rog chos kyi brtson 'grus) in the transmission of the Abhidharma.

brang ti dar ma snying po  heard the teachings of rwa khrid bzang. Brang ti had numerous disciples. He had a key role in the spreading of the two Abhidharmas.

When the great translator rngog paid a visit to the pandita 'bum phrag gsum pa (Skt: sthirapala), accompanied by three hundred monks, it is said that brang ti ordered that each of the three hundred monks be served by thirteen of his own disciples..

ko bo yes shes 'byung nas  heard the text of brang ti and taught it to rog chos kyi brtson 'grus.The teachings of the Abhidharmasamuccaya could thus be spread throughout the whole of yar klungs. 

According to the Cristal Mirror, volume V: Abhidharma Tradition in Tibet, the transmission also went from rog chos kyi brtson 'grus to kun mkhyen dharmakara and 'gos lo tsa ba.

According to the same source (cristal mirror, volume V: Abhidharma Tradition in Tibet) and according to rog chos kyi brtson 'grus as well, the transmission also came through 'phan dkon mchog rdo rje, tho gar nam lde. This lineage was then taken by mchims brtson seng, mchims nam mlkha' grags, bsam gtan bzang po, and bcom ldan rig ral. The latter obtained the funding for their collection of canonical Buddhit texts. 

The disciple of brang ti, yar rgyal ba'i shes rab composed an extensiv commentary on the Abhidharmasamuccaya. 

Rog chos kyi brtson 'grus is one of the major disciples of brang ti, he gave the transmission also to:

• te lung se 'bar
• byar sder ba
• bye skyid pa
• sbyin pa sen ge
• skyi ston grags 'bum
• bcom ldan ral gri

The famous chos sku 'od zer received the transmission from bye skyid pa. Further masters who received the lineage:

• brtson seng de 'chims,
• rgyang ro dar ma mgnon,
• mchims brston rgyal,
• shong blo brtan,
• lo tsa ba mchog ldan,
• dpang lo tsa ba,
• byang rtse,
• nya dbon po,
• kung dga' dpal,
• chos dpal mgon po,
• mahatman blo gros rya mtsho,
• ko bo ye shes 'byung nas,
• 'ban,
• tho gar gnam sde,
• bzang pa byang skyabs,
• 'jang pa gzhon byang,
• 'bring mchams zhang,
• bo dong rin rtse,
• khro phu rin po che,
• bsod nams seng ge,
• tshad ma'i skyes bu,
• bu ston rin po che,
• mahapandita dharmashri.

They also received the transmission from brang ti, and dharmashri taught widely to numerous Tripitakadharas in the province dbus.

Tripitakadhara est Tripitakadhara is the name for the holders of the three types of teaching of the Bouddha compiled in the "three baskets": the discipline concerning right conduct, the sutras concerning meditation and the Abhidharma concerning discernment.

The teachers of the transmission lineage preceding bu ston composed numerous commentaries. Most of the Pitakadharas living at bo dong, the seat of 'bum phrag gsum pa (sthirapala), became extremely scholars of the Abhidharmasamuccaya.

The most famous commentaries:

• bu ston/ chos mngon pa kun las btus pa'i rnam bshad nyi ma'i 'od zer/
• rgyal tshab/ rnam pa bshad legs par bshad pa'i chos mngon rgya mtsho'i snying po/
• mi pham rgya mtsho/ mngon pa kun btus kyi rnam grangs sna tshogs bshad pa ldeb/