Description

FOREWORD

Dr Atul Negi, Professor & Dean

School of Computer and Information Sciences, University of Hyderabad, INDIA

“… Consciousness poses a unique challenge in our attempts to study it, because it’s hard to define.”

Interestingly, the scholars of Abhidhamma appear to be quite familiar with the topics of consciousness and mind, with a focus on the cognitive process of the objects in the world and their relationships with other objects and thoughts.

In light of the above, I believe that the present book by Professor Chandra B Varma shall be welcomed by researchers working in the field of Artificial Intelligence. Also, I congratulate the author on his sincere endeavour to bridge the gap between the traditional scholars and the modern scientists ….

I hope the book shall give a sound base to the advancement of Artificial Intelligence studies using the Abhidhammic concepts. 

ABOUT THE BOOK

In an age defined by the rapid evolution of machine intelligence, Professor C.B. Varma offers a bold and original synthesis of classical Buddhist thought and contemporary AI design. The Illustrated Abhidhamma brings the 2,500-year-old Abhidhammic “Science of Mind” into dialogue with the conceptual foundations of Artificial Intelligence.

At the heart of this work lies the dynamic model of citta (moments of consciousness) and cetasika (mental factors), presented not merely as metaphysical categories but as functional analogues for cognitive architecture. Drawing from the structural precision of the Paṭṭhāna—the grand treatise on conditional relations—the book outlines a systemic model of interdependent processes that resonates strikingly with networked computation and algorithmic causality. The notion of paññatti (conceptual designation) further illuminates how abstraction, labelling, and symbolic representation operate within both mind and machine.

Richly illustrated, the volume transforms intricate Abhidhammic matrices into lucid visual schemas, offering scholars and AI developers alike a new ethical and structural paradigm. More than comparative philosophy, this book proposes that future AI must reflect the balanced, conditioned, and morally attuned architecture of consciousness itself—if technology is to serve humanity wisely and sustainably.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Professor Dr Chandra B. Varma, D.Litt., a 2005 Padma Bhushan nominee, is a distinguished scholar and internationally recognised authority on Buddhist Studies. He has authored several foundational works, including the Dictionary of Abhidhammic Terms (with a Foreword by George Cardona) and A Handbook of Buddhist Languages, alongside a dozen books and over one hundred research articles.

A key figure in national linguistic documentation, Professor Varma serves as a Member of the National Board for the Development of Pali Language and as a Language Consultant to Sahitya Akademi. He made a distinctive scholarly contribution by providing the exclusive Pali and Prakrit inputs for the first volume of the Encyclopedia of Indian Literatures for the Akademi.

His academic leadership includes serving as Divisional Head (History of Science) at the Indian National Science Academy; Professor of Philosophy and Founder Head of the Centre for Buddhist Studies at the University of Hyderabad; Head examiner of Philosophy for UPSC; and Chair, ICCR in Cambodia for Government of India. His internationally acclaimed Illustrated Jataka project—originally sponsored by the UNDP and IGNCA—was subsequently adopted by India’s Ministry of Culture for a nationwide Hindi edition.

An Australian National University Resident Scholar and a recipient of the J. N. Tata Endowment scholarship, Professor Varma began his distinguished journey with a Gold Medal awarded by R. Venkataraman (President of India) for securing first rank in the M.A. merit list at the University of Delhi