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阿毘達磨俱舍論

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Text ID
KR6l0023
Date
400–500
Dynasty
唐

Āpídámó Jùshě Lùn 阿毘達磨俱舍論

Abhidharmakośa-bhāṣya: Treasury of Higher Doctrine by 世親菩薩 (造), 玄奘 (譯)

About the work

The Āpídámó Jùshě Lùn 阿毘達磨俱舍論 (Skt. Abhidharmakośa-bhāṣya “Treasury of Abhidharma with Auto-commentary”; CBETA T29n1558) is a Tang dynasty translation of the foundational Sarvāstivāda Abhidharma compendium, 30 juan, composed by the Bodhisattva Vasubandhu 世親菩薩 (世親菩薩) and translated by Xuánzàng 玄奘 (玄奘). The source text reads “尊者世親造 / 三藏法師玄奘奉詔譯.” The text’s closing title reads “《說一切有部俱舍論》卷第三十,” identifying it with the Sarvāstivāda school. A parallel earlier translation by Paramārtha 真諦 survives as T1559 (KR6l0028).

Prefaces

No independent preface is preserved in the received text. The colophon of the commentary KR6l0034 (普光’s Jùshě lùn jì) notes that Paramārtha had previously translated the text in the south and that Xuanzang undertook a new translation to correct its deficiencies.

Abstract

The Abhidharmakośa-bhāṣya is the supreme systematic work on Sarvāstivāda/Vaibhāṣika Abhidharma, composed by Vasubandhu 世親 (Vasubandhu; also written 天親 Tiānqīn in older Chinese sources; c. 4th–5th century CE). Vasubandhu composed the Kośa in Sanskrit verse (kārikā), approximately 600 stanzas organized in eight pāda chapters, together with his own prose auto-commentary (bhāṣya). The verse text circulates separately as the Abhidharmakośa-kārikā (KR6l0029, T1560).

The eight chapters cover: (1) 分別界品 Dhātunirdeśa (elements); (2) 分別根品 Indriyanirdeśa (faculties); (3) 分別世間品 Lokanirdeśa (world); (4) 分別業品 Karmanirdeśa (action); (5) 分別隨眠品 Anuśayanirdeśa (latent afflictions); (6) 分別賢聖品 Mārgaphalanirdeśa (paths and fruits); (7) 分別智品 Jñānanirdeśa (knowledge); (8) 分別定品 Samāpattinirdeśa (meditative attainments). A ninth chapter 破我品 Pudgalavādapratiṣedha refutes the Vātsīputrīya doctrine of a personal self (pudgala). While Vasubandhu’s stated aim was to present Sarvāstivāda (Skt. Sarvāstivāda = 說一切有部) doctrine faithfully, he frequently adopts the Sautrāntika critique of Vaibhāṣika positions, making the text a sophisticated internal critical review of Abhidharma scholasticism. The Sarvāstivādins’ Kaśmīri rivals (Vaibhāṣikas) later responded through Saṃghabhadra 眾賢 in the Nyāyānusāra (KR6l0031) and the Abhidharmadīpa.

Vasubandhu’s dates are disputed; conservative modern estimates place the Kośa’s composition in the early 5th century CE. Xuanzang translated the text, presumably from a Sanskrit manuscript obtained in India, during the Tang dynasty. The Chinese commentary tradition produced several major sub-commentaries: 普光’s Jùshě lùn jì KR6l0034, 法寶’s Jùshě lùn shū KR6l0035, and 圓暉’s Jùshě lùn sòng shū KR6l0036, among others.

Translations and research

  • de La Vallée Poussin, Louis. L’Abhidharmakośa de Vasubandhu. 6 vols. Paris: Geuthner, 1923–1931; repr. Brussels: Institut Belge des Hautes Études Chinoises, 1971. — Complete French translation from Xuanzang’s Chinese version.
  • Pruden, Leo. Abhidharmakośabhāṣyam. 4 vols. Berkeley: Asian Humanities Press, 1988–1990. — English translation of La Vallée Poussin’s French version.
  • Willemen, Charles, Bart Dessein, and Collett Cox. Sarvāstivāda Buddhist Scholasticism. Handbuch der Orientalistik. Leiden: Brill, 1998. — Comprehensive treatment of the scholastic tradition.
  • Cox, Collett. Disputed Dharmas: Early Buddhist Theories on Existence. Tokyo: International Institute for Buddhist Studies, 1995. — Focuses on the contested doctrine of sarvāstivāda.
  • Frauwallner, Erich. “On the Date of the Buddhist Master of the Law Vasubandhu.” Serie Orientale Roma III. Rome: IsMEO, 1951. — The foundational article on dating Vasubandhu.

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