The Buddhist Path to Awakening
March 1, 1992 DOI: 10.1163/9789004644724 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper |
|---|---|
| Topics | Buddhism |
| Key points | Argues that the "37 dhammas that contribute to awakening" embody the Buddhist path itself, and traces how Theravadin meditation theory developed through the Abhidhamma and commentaries to explain the transformation from an ordinary unawakened mind to a transcendent awakened mind. |
Abstract
A study of a classic list of Buddhist teachings which includes such familiar items as the four establishings of mindfulness and the noble eightfold path. The complete list, already found on the Pali Nikayas and later referred to as the "37 dhammas that contribute to awakening", is seen as the embodying of Buddhist path itself. This work gives a comprehensive exposition of the treatment of the list according to the Pali sources, while also making use of Buddhist Sanskrit material. Particular attention is paid to the development of the traditional interpretations of the Abhidhamma and commentaries. The study provides an account of the evolution of the Theravadin theory of meditation, exploring how the texts understand the process whereby the "ordinary" unawakened mind transforms itself into the "transcendent" awakened mind.