Overview
The fourteenth triad of the Abhidhamma Mātikā categorizes phenomena based on their inherent nobility, ethical quality, and overall desirability on the path to liberation.
The List
- Hīnā dhammā - Inferior states: All unwholesome consciousnesses and mental factors (rooted in greed, hatred, and delusion). They are low, base, and lead to suffering.
- Majjhimā dhammā - Medium states: All mundane wholesome states, mundane resultant states, mundane functional states, and all physical matter. They are intermediate—better than unwholesome states, but still bound within saṃsāra.
- Paṇītā dhammā - Superior states: The supramundane paths, fruits, and Nibbāna. They are supreme, flawless, and represent the ultimate goal.
Textual References
- Abhidhamma: Dhammasaṅgaṇī (Mātikā 14) – Provides a definitive hierarchy of all reality, placing the supramundane above all conditioned existence.