A Comparative Study of Buddha’s Omniscience (Sabbaññutaññāṇaṃ) in the Patisambhidamagga and Abhidhamma

บทคัดย่อ

This research has three objectives: 1) to study the Concept of Omniscience in General, 2) to analyze the Buddha’s Omniscience as it appears in Buddhist philosoph,y 3) to compare the Omniscience in Paṭisambhidāmagga and Abhidhamma. To enhance the credibility of the study, the data have been analyzed through four methods: thematic, interpretive, comparative, and contextual analysis. It reveals the origin and contextual evolution of the concept of omniscience throughout the history of philosophy, religion, and theology in a broader landscape, such as Western and Eastern traditions. The primary concern of this research is the comparison of Patisambhidamagga and Abhidhamma. The study finds that Paṭisambhidāmagga demonstrates its omniscience in a step-by-step, progressive manner, presenting experiential and insight-based knowledge through meditation. On the other hand, Abhidhamma presents its depiction of omniscient expertise through the systematic and analytical description of the realities of the phenomenal world. This study provides a comprehensive understanding of the vast and multifaceted dimensions of the Buddha's omniscient knowledge, as little work has been done on the Theravada perspective of omniscience, particularly in the context of the Patisambhidamagga and Abhidhamma.