ලේඩි සයාඩෝ විපස්සනා භාවනා ක්‍රමයෙහි ආභිධර්මික ප්‍රෙව්ශය - The Abhidhammic Approch to Ledi Sayado’s Vipassanā Meditation Method

The vipassanā meditation method, developed as a distinct tradition in nineteenth-century Burma, was made widely accessible by Venerable Ledi Sayadaw through practical programs and scholarly writings. His method directly and systematically applies an Abhidhamma-based analysis, examining the five aggregates (pañcakkhandha) with less emphasis on traditional meditation objects. This approach relies on the Abhidharmārtha-sangrahaya, a concise manual for studying Abhidhamma texts. Ledi Sayadaw also wrote a commentary on it, the Paramatthadīpanī. The article examines this Abhidhamma-based approach to Vipassanā meditation, focusing on the Abhidharmārtha-sangrahaya's role.

Study at a glance

Abstract

The vipassanā meditation method developed as a distinct meditation tradition in Burma during the nineteenth century and gained widespread popularity not only in Asian countries but also in Europe during the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Venerable Ledi Sayadaw played a central role in establishing this meditation tradition and making it accessible to the public. His contributions were both practical and scholarly, encompassing the organization of meditation programs as well as extensive academic writings. A distinctive feature of Ledi Sayadaw’s meditation method is its direct and systematic adherence to the vipassanā approach grounded in Abhidhamma analysis. In this method, the examination of the five aggregates (pañcakkhandha) is primarily based on Abhidhamma teachings, with comparatively less emphasis on traditional meditation objects. This analytical approach is derived from the Abhidhamma, which consists of seven canonical texts. Subsequently, several standard manuals were composed to facilitate the study of these seven books in a simplified and systematic manner. Among them, the Abhidharmārtha-sangrahaya (Pali - Abhidhammattha-saṅgaha) is the most widely used due to its brevity, clarity, and pedagogical value. Venerable Ledi Sayadaw employed the Abhidharmārtha-sangrahaya as a foundational text for introducing the Vipassanā meditation method. Consequently, the Burmese tradition of the Abhidharmārtha-sangrahaya has become highly influential among both gen-eral practitioners and academic students of Abhidhamma. Ledi Sayadaw further contributed to this tradition by composing a commentary on the Abhidharmārtha-sangrahaya entitled Paramatthadīpanī. Considering these considerations, this article examines the Abhidhamma-based approach to Vipassanā meditation as developed by Ledi Sayadaw, with particular empha-sis on the Abhidharmārtha-sangrahaya.