Study of Dhammasaga, a brief explanation of the content, and illustrating the

method applied in it
A.The Dhammasaga, "Enumeration of Phenomena," is the first book of
Abhidhamma Pitaka, it compiles an exhaustive catalogue of the ultimate
constituents of existence. It analyses the nma-rpa (mental and matter), which
is based on psychological and ethical phenomena standpoint and doctrinal
aspects. Enumerationand analysis the phenomena of all existence: citta, cetasika,
rpa and Nibbna. It is called ultimate of realities.
B.The Content of Dhammasaga is divided into four chapters:
The first chapter: States of Consciousness, it begins with the first triads the
mtik , that of the wholesome, the unwholesome, and the neutral. It enumerates
121 types of consciousness classified by way of their ethical quality and with
the 52 types of mental factors. It analysis and classifies the citta into different
types, specifies the mental factors and functions of each type, correlate them by
way of their ethical quality or karmical standpoint. Citta and cetasika can be
either belong one of the first triad, whereas rpa is always karmical neutral as
well as Nibbna.
Sensor sphere (kmvacaracitta) citta arises due to the activity of the sense
either wholesome, the unwholesome the neutral karmically aspect. The fine
material sphere (rpavacaracitta), the higher level of citta can be cultivated by
meditative training, it analyses with five jhna stages. The immaterial sphere
(arpavacaracitta) is analysed with the four stages, these two are belong to
karmically

wholesome

phenomena.

Finally,

the

supra-mundane

citta

(lokuttaracitta) belongs to the four stages of holiness. The first three belong to
the worldly realm, still bond to the circle of rebirth (sasra), whereas the
supra-mundane is beyond the sasra.
The second chapter, "On Matter," continues the inquiry into the ethically
neutral by enumerating the different types of material phenomena. The third

chapter, called "The Summary," offers concise explanations of all the terms in
the Abhidhamma mtik and the Suttanta mtik. The fourth chapter,
"Synopsis" provides a condensed explanation of the Abhidhamma matrix. It
describes the plane of existence (bhmi or realim), it is according to the
consciousness then determinate the plane.
D. The Importance Role of Mtik (analysis, synthesis and systematization of
Dhamma)
Mtik refers as matrix, in this text is divided into 2 sections as Suttatamtik
and Abhidhammamtik. It arranged in triad (tika) and dyad (duka). The first,
Abhidhammamtik consists of 122 modes of classification, 22 are tika and 100
are dyads (duka)
The second, suttantamtik consists 42 dyads, most terms can be traced back to
Sutta Pitaka ,e.g D.N.33 Sangiti Sutta and Aguttaranikya. It analyses the
reality in terms of the variety of relationships that hold between diverse
constituents of reality.Some examples of the triads and dyads:
Triad: The states those are wholesome, unwholesome, and indeterminate
Dyads: The states that are conditioned, unconditioned;
It states that are mundane, supra-mundane; and so forth.
C. The methods of Abhidhamma are applied in this text:
1. Literal method or decorated method
2. Method of exposition: ultimate truth or conventional truth.
In conclusion, Dhammasaga plays an important role of Abhidhamma of
showing that constituent of existence and the mental and matter internal and
external world. It states the conditioned realities of citta, cetasika and rpa,
whereas the unconditioned reality is Nibbna. Therefore, the practitioner can
see the mental and matter as the constituents of aggregates and merely

phenomena thus it is dukkha, anicca and anatta, when one has gone beyond the
five aggregates, then it belongs to the supramundane consciousness