Summary: The Paccayuddesa is the opening section of the Paṭṭhāna. It provides the concise list of the twenty-four conditional relations (paccaya) that form the entire analytical framework of the book. It serves as the "matrix" or summary for the detailed definitions that follow. (Patth 1)
Canonical locus
The Paṭṭhāna begins immediately with this enumeration, establishing the technical vocabulary for the rest of the work.
Patth 1.1 (patthana1.1:1.1)
Hetupaccayo, ārammaṇapaccayo, adhipatipaccayo...
>
"Cause-condition, object-condition, dominance-condition..."
Analysis
The Paccayuddesa lists the twenty-four conditions in a fixed sequence: (Patth 1)
- Hetu (Cause)
- Ārammaṇa (Object)
- Adhipati (Dominance)
... [and so on, through to]
- Avigata (Non-disappearance)
This list is not merely a table of contents; it is a liturgical and analytical formula that is repeated throughout the work to test how different mental and physical phenomena interact. (Patth 1)
Textual notes
- The Paccayuddesa is the structural counterpart to the paccayaniddesa (detailed exposition).
- In traditional recitation, this section is often treated as a summary of the entire Abhidhamma's theory of conditionality.
Related concepts
Related pages
- patthana (text)
- dhammasangani (for the types of dhammas being conditioned)