of the Dhamma.
Buddhaghos@a in his introduction to _Atthasalini_, the commentary
on the _Dhammasa@nga@ni_, says that the Abhidhamma is so called
(_abhi_ and _dhamma_) because it describes the same Dhammas as are
related in the suttas in a more intensified (_dhammatireka_) and
specialized (_dhammavisesatthena_) manner. The Abhidhammas
do not give any new doctrines that are not in the suttas, but
they deal somewhat elaborately with those that are already found
in the suttas. Buddhagho@sa in distinguishing the special features
of the suttas from the Abhidhammas says that the acquirement
of the former leads one to attain meditation (_samadhi_) whereas
the latter leads one to attain wisdom (_pannasampadam_). The force
of this statement probably lies in this, that the dialogues of the
suttas leave a chastening effect on the mind, the like of which is
not to be found in the Abhidhammas, which busy themselves in
enumerating the Buddhistic doctrines and defining them in a
technical manner, which is more fitted to produce a reasoned

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insight into the doctrines than directly to generate a craving
for following the path of meditation for the extinction of sorrow.
The Abhidhamma known as the _Kathavatthu_ differs from the
other Abhidhammas in this, that it attempts to reduce the views
of the heterodox schools to absurdity. The discussions proceed
in the form of questions and answers, and the answers of the
opponents are often shown to be based on contradictory
assumptions.

The suttas contain five groups of collections called the Nikayas.
These are (1) _Digha Nikaya_, called so on account of the length
of the suttas contained in it; (2) _Majjhima Nikaya_ (middling
Nikaya), called so on account of the middling extent of the
suttas contained in it; (3) _Sa@myutta Nikaya_ (Nikayas relating
to special meetings), called sa@myutta on account of their being
delivered owing to the meetings (_sa@myoga_) of special persons which
were the occasions for them; (4) _A@nguttara Nikaya_, so called because
in each succeeding book of this work the topics of discussion
increase by one [Footnote ref 1]; (5) _Khuddaka Nikaya_ containing
_Khuddaka pa@tha, Dhammapada, Udana, Itivuttaka, Sutta Nipata,
Vimana-vatthu, Petavatthu, Theragatha, Therigatha, Jataka, Niddesa,
Pa@tisambhidamagga, Apadana, Buddhava@msa, Caryapi@taka._

The Abhidhammas are _Pa@t@thana, Dhammasa@nga@ni, Dhatukatha,
Puggalapannatti, Vibha@nga, Yamaka_ and _Kathavatthu_.
The