Overview
The eighteenth triad of the Abhidhamma Mātikā classifies all conditioned phenomena strictly according to time. In Theravāda Abhidhamma, time is not an absolute container, but merely a concept derived from the arising and ceasing of the elements (dhammā) themselves. Nibbāna is completely excluded from this triad because it is timeless.
The List
- Atītā dhammā - Past states: Conditioned phenomena (mind and matter) that have arisen, passed through their brief moment of presence, and have completely dissolved and ceased.
- Anāgatā dhammā - Future states: Conditioned phenomena that have not yet reached the moment of arising due to a lack of complete conditions.
- Paccuppannā dhammā - Present states: Conditioned phenomena that are currently existing in the fleeting phase between their arising and their dissolution.
Textual References
- Abhidhamma: Dhammasaṅgaṇī (Mātikā 18) – Formalizes the temporal categorization of the five aggregates. Nibbāna is unclassified here because it has no arising or ceasing.