Overview
The twentieth triad of the Abhidhamma Mātikā categorizes phenomena based on their location relative to a specific being’s continuum. This framework is heavily utilized in Satipaṭṭhāna (mindfulness) practice to break the illusion that “my” body and mind are fundamentally different from the bodies and minds of others.
The List
- Ajjhattā dhammā - Internal states: The consciousness, mental factors, and physical matter belonging to one’s own personal continuum. (“One’s own body and mind”).
- Bahiddhā dhammā - External states: The consciousness, mental factors, and physical matter belonging to the continuum of other living beings, as well as all inanimate physical matter in the universe.
- Ajjhattabahiddhā dhammā - Internal and external states: Phenomena considered alternately from both perspectives, used specifically in meditation to see the universal nature of all formations.
Textual References
- Abhidhamma: Dhammasaṅgaṇī (Mātikā 20) – Establishes the Abhidhammic baseline for “internal” vs “external,” aligning with the canonical instructions to contemplate the body internally and externally.