Overview
The Paṭṭhāna is the seventh and final book of the Abhidhamma Piṭaka. It represents the absolute pinnacle of Buddhist philosophy. While Dependent Origination shows what arises, the 24 Conditions (Paccaya) explain the exact mathematical physics of how phenomena interact, support, and condition one another. It is the Buddhist unified theory of causality.
The List
- Hetu-paccaya - Root condition (greed, non-greed, etc.).
- Ārammaṇa-paccaya - Object condition (sight, sound, etc.).
- Adhipati-paccaya - Predominance condition.
- Anantara-paccaya - Proximity condition.
- Samanantara-paccaya - Contiguity condition.
- Sahajāta-paccaya - Conascence (arising together) condition.
- Aññamañña-paccaya - Mutuality condition.
- Nissaya-paccaya - Support condition.
- Upanissaya-paccaya - Decisive support condition.
- Purejāta-paccaya - Prenascence (arising before) condition.
- Pacchājāta-paccaya - Postnascence (arising after) condition.
- Āsevana-paccaya - Repetition condition.
- Kamma-paccaya - Kamma condition.
- Vipāka-paccaya - Result condition.
- Āhāra-paccaya - Nutriment condition.
- Indriya-paccaya - Faculty condition.
- Jhāna-paccaya - Jhāna condition.
- Magga-paccaya - Path condition.
- Sampayutta-paccaya - Association condition.
- Vippayutta-paccaya - Dissociation condition.
- Atthi-paccaya - Presence condition.
- Natthi-paccaya - Absence condition.
- Vigata-paccaya - Disappearance condition.
- Avigata-paccaya - Non-disappearance condition.
Textual References
- Abhidhamma: Paṭṭhāna – A massive, multi-volume text mapping every conceivable interaction of these 24 conditions. Tradition states the Buddha’s body emitted six-colored rays of light while contemplating this matrix.