Grammatical Analysis
Avijjamāna-paññatti: [f.] Concept of something that does not ultimately exist. Formed by avijjamāna (not existing, not found) + paññatti (concept, designation).
Orthodox Definition
In the Abhidhamma’s strict linguistic analysis, an Avijjamāna-paññatti is a term or concept that refers to a subject that has no corresponding ultimate reality (paramattha-dhamma).
This includes almost every noun we use in daily life. Words like “person,” “deva,” “mountain,” “house,” or “chariot” are avijjamāna-paññattis. When you analyze a “house” microscopically, you cannot find a “house element”; you only find earth, water, fire, wind, and space. The “house” is purely a mental construct constructed out of non-existent wholes. The same applies to a “person”—there is no “person element,” only the five aggregates.
This category is crucial in the Puggalapaññatti to remind the scholar that while they are defining types of “people,” they are dealing with concepts of things that do not ultimately exist.
Textual References
- Canonical: Puggalapaññatti (Introduction) – Outlining the six types of concepts to establish the ground rules for the text.
- Historical: Abhidhammatthasaṅgaha (Chapter VIII) – The definitive summary of the concept-making process of the mind.