Summary: The Dhammayamaka is the ninth book of the Yamaka. It applies the paired-question method to the most general category of "dhammas" (phenomena/factors). It tests whether various technical terms for wholesomeness, unwholesomeness, and neutral states align perfectly with the universal category of dhamma or with their own specific subsets. (Yam 9)
Canonical locus
The Dhammayamaka provides the final logical sweep of the Abhidhamma's primary categories. It opens with a self-referential identity question, unlike the cross-category testing of previous chapters. (Yam 9)
Yam 9.1 (ya9.1.1:3.1)
Kusalā dhammā kusalā?
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"Are wholesome phenomena [always] wholesome?"
Analysis: The Boundaries of Phenomena
The book analyzes the relationship between the three primary divisions of reality (kusalā, akusalā, abyākatā) and their specific characteristics as dhammas. (Yam 9)
It serves as a comprehensive logical verification of the Dhammasaṅgaṇī's matrix, ensuring that every category used in the system is properly nested. Rather than merely asking if "wholesome phenomena are phenomena," it drills down into the boundaries of the classes themselves, clarifying that while all phenomena are dhammas, they are distinct in their ethical qualities. This ensures that no category "leaks" into another in the Abhidhamma's formal taxonomy. (Yam 9)
Textual notes
- This book completes the analysis of the tikas (triads) through the Yamaka's bidirectional method.
- It emphasizes the strict boundary constraints of ethical and ontological categories.
Related concepts
Related pages
- yamaka (text)
- dhammasangani