6.6 Of Space (KV6.6)

Controverted Point: That space is unconditioned.

Theravādin: If space is unconditioned, as you affirm, you must class it with Nibbāna, or you must affirm two [sorts

of] unconditioned—and so two Nibbānas—all of which you deny … .

Can anyone make space where there has been no space? Then one can make that which is conditioned unconditioned—which you deny … So, too, for the reverse process … .

Again, if you admit that birds go through space, moon, sun, and stars go through space, supernormal movement is worked in space, the arm or hand is waved in space, clods, clubs, a supernormally moved person, arrows are projected through space, you must state as much about movement through or in the unconditioned—which you cannot … .

Again, if people enclose space when they make houses or barns, do they enclose the unconditioned? Or when a well is dug, does non-space become space? Yes? Then does the unconditioned become conditioned? Or, when an empty well, or an empty barn, or an empty jar, is filled, does “space” disappear? If so, does the unconditioned disappear?

Uttarāpathaka, Mahiṁsāsaka: If then it is wrong to say space is unconditioned, is it conditioned? You deny. Then it must be unconditioned.

The Points of Controversy, an English translation of the Pali Abhidhamma Kathāvatthu. Translated by Shwe Zan Aung and C.A.F. Rhys Davids. First published by Pali Text Society, 1915.

This SuttaCentral edition was prepared by Manfred Wierich and Ven. Vimala and proofread by Josephine Tobin. Some changes were introduced:

Abbreviations, i.e., those of cited works and the participants in the controversies, were expanded.

Cross-references were linked.

Some typographic changes were introduced, among others, i.e.: the phonetic symbol “ŋ” was changed to the Pāli diacritical letter “ṃ”, “ô” to “o”, single quotes to double quotes, and “:—” to “:”.

Letter-spacing with fixed spaces was replaced with bold font.

The corrigenda were merged into the text. Some could not be resolved, though.

This electronic version is published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial 3.0 licence (CC BY-NC 3.0) as found here: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/

All copyright is owned by the Pali Text Society. See also the statement under http://www.palitext.com/ → Publications → Copyright Announcement. For non-commercial use only.