DyGroups of Elements

Explanation of the Dhātukāya Discourse (Groups of Elements)

Background

The Dhātukāya discourse (界身足論, Abhidharmadhātukāyapādaśāśtra) is a major work belonging to the Abhidhamma Piṭaka in the early Buddhist tradition. This work is said, according to Sanskrit and Tibetan sources, to have been composed by the sage Pūrṇa, although Chinese canonical sources attribute it to Vasumitra. The Dharma Master Xuanzang translated this text into Chinese on July 14, 663, at Yuhua Monastery, in three fascicles. This work is recorded as text number 1540 in the Taishō Tripiṭaka, volume 26.

Although Dhātukāya has similarities with Dhātukathā of the Pāli Canon, it uses a different mātikā, or doctrinal matrix, reflecting the development of Abhidhamma thought and the systematization of the Dharma in the Pūrṇa scholastic tradition, the Sarvāstivāda according to the Vaibhāṣika view.

Main Content

Dhātukāya focuses on the analysis and classification of dhātu, elements or domains. According to the Abhidhamma tradition, dhātu is understood not only as material constituents, but also as the basic operating principles of mind and matter. This discourse systematizes the classification of these elements according to many different aspects.

This work uses “pādaśāstra” to indicate that it is part of a group of major Abhidhamma works, using mātikā, such as four elements, five elements, and six elements, as the foundation for deep analysis. These mātikā are not merely lists, but logical instruments for exploring the entire Dharma teaching, helping the student understand more clearly the nature of things and phenomena through the lens of the Dharma.

The approach in Dhātukāya is sequential and systematic, moving from basic concepts to more complex analyses, helping practitioners build a firm foundation of knowledge concerning the Dharma.