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(Abhidharma) Mahāvibhāṣā-śāstra is a scholastic treatise of the Sarvāstivāda School (Ch. Shuo yiqie you bu 說一切有部) of Buddhism. It was translated into Chinese during the Tang period 唐 (618-907) by Xuanzang 玄奘 (602-664), with Jiashang 嘉尚 and Dashengguang 大乘光 recording the words. The book, in the Chinese version titled (Apidamo) Da piposha lun (阿毘達磨)大毘婆沙論, consists of 200 juan. The title mahāvibhāṣā (Ch. da piposha 大毘婆沙), literally "great exegesis", signifies three meanings, namely extensive explanation, superior explanation, and diverse explanations.
According to tradition, during the Kushan (Chinese transcription [Ct.] Guishuang 貴霜) dynasty in India, King Kaniṣka (Ct. Jianisejia 迦膩色迦), who strongly supported Buddhism, noted that at that time there were many sectarian disputes, with each group promoting its own interpretations. He therefore invited the Venerable Pārśva (Ch. Xiezunzhe 脅尊者) to establish a monastery (Ch. qielan 伽藍) in Kashmir and gathered five hundred renowned scholars of the Abhidharma or "higher teaching" (Ct. apitan 阿毗曇 or pitan 毗曇). With Vasumitra (Ch. Shiyou 世友, 2nd cent. CE) serving as the presiding elder, they spent twelve years composing the Abhidharma-mahāvibhāṣā-śāstra, amounting to one hundred thousand verses, offering a detailed exposition of the Jñāna-prasthāna (Chinese version Fazhilun 阿毗達磨發智論).
The Da piposha lun lists and critiques the views of various Buddhist schools, such as the Mahāsāṃghika (Ch. Dazhong bu 大眾部), Dharmaguptaka (Ch. Fazang bu 法藏部), Mahīśāsaka (Ch. Huadi bu 化地部), Kāśyapīya (Ch. Yinguang bu 飲光部), Vātsīputrīya (Ch. Duzi bu 犢子部), and Vibhajyavāda (Ch. Fenbie shuo bu 分別說部) Schools, as well as those of non-Buddhist philosophical traditions, including Sāṃkhya (Ch. Shulun 數論), Vaiśeṣika (Ch. Shenglun 勝論), Lokāyata (Ch. Shunshilun 順世論), and the Nirgrantha (Ch. Lixilun 離系論, i.e., Jainism) teachings, collectively referred to as tīrthikas or "external paths" (Ch. waidao 外道). The work also draws on various commentaries on that text and incorporates doctrines from the so-called "Six Foot Treatises" (Liuzulun 六足論) to complete what the Fazhilun leaves unfinished. In this way, the Da piposha lun functions as a comprehensive and systematic synthesis of Sarvāstivāda doctrine.
The treatise classifies all dharmas (Ch. fa 法) into five categories: rūpa-dharma or material phenomena (sefa 色法), citta-dharma or mental phenomena (xinfa 心法), caitta-dharma or mental factors (xinsuo fa 心所法), citta-viprayukta-saṃskāra-dharma or conditioned factors dissociated from mind (xin bu xiangying xing fa 心不相應行法), and asaṃskṛta-dharma or unconditioned dharmas (wuwei fa 無為法). These classifications are used to demonstrate the Sarvāstivāda doctrines that the three ages (past, present, and future) truly exist (san shi shi you 三世實有) and that the intrinsic nature of dharmas endures (fa ti heng you 法體恆有), while at the same time denying the real existence of a permanent self.
From juan 16 onwards, the text also provides a detailed exposition of the doctrine of the ṣaḍ-hetu or "six causes [for attaining enlightenment]" (liuyin 六因). Additionally, subjects such as the twelve links of dependent origination (shi'er yinyuan 十二因緣), the Four Noble Truths (sidi 四諦), nirvāṇa (Ct. niepan 涅槃), and the bodies of the Buddha (Foshen 佛身) are discussed in considerable detail.
A significant number of works related to this treatise have been produced. Among them are: Dharmaśreṣṭhin’s (Ch. Fasheng 法勝) Abidharma-hṛdaya-śāstra (Chinese version Apitan xin lun 阿毗曇心論), Dharmatrāta's 法救 (c. 128-177) Miśrābhidharma-hṛdaya (Za apitan xin lun 雜阿毗曇心論, Vasubandhu's (Ch. Shiqin 世親, c. 400) Abhidharmakośa-śāstra (Apidamo jushe lun 阿毗達磨俱舍論, Saṃghabhadra's (Ch. Zhongxian 眾賢, 5th cent.) Abhidharma-nyāyānusāra-śāstra (Apidamo shunzheng li lun 阿毗達磨順正理論) and Samaya-pradīpikā (Xianzonglun 顯宗論).
Before Xuanzang produced his translation of this treatise, there already existed an earlier abridged translation of 14 juan, titled
Piposha lun 鞞婆沙論, translated in the Former Qin empire 前秦 (351-394) by Saṃghabhūti (also rendered as Saṁghavarti, Ch. Sengqiebadeng 僧伽跋鐙). However, this translation only covers a portion of the whole text. In the Northern Liang kingdom 涼 (398-439/460), Buddhavarman (Ch. Futuobamo 浮陀跋摩) and Daotai 道泰 jointly produced another translation titled Apitan piposha lun 阿毗曇毗婆沙論 in 60 juan, but of this translation, only three sections remain.
Regarding commentaries on the treatise, the Zhuzong jiaozang zonglu (Korean reading Chujong kyojang ch'ongnok) 諸宗教藏總錄, compiled by Ŭich'ŏn 義天 (1055-1101) of the Korean state of Koryŏ 高麗 in the 11th century, records several that were extant at the time, including Hyŏnch'ŭk's 玄測 Da piposha lun chao (Ta pip'osa ron ch'o) 大毗婆沙論鈔, Kŭkt'ae's 極太 Da piposha lun chao, and Poni's 本義 Da piposha lun chao. Among Japanese scholarly works on this treatise that still survive are Yūdō's 融道 Da piposha lun tiaojian (Japanese reading Dai-bibasha-ron jōkan) 大毗婆沙論條簡 and Renjō's 連常 Da piposha lun tonglan ji (Dai-bibasha-ron tsūranki) 大毗婆沙論通覽記.