Abhidhamma is the Higher Teaching of the Buddha, sometimes referred to as the ultimate teaching (paramattha desanà). In it, man is described as a psycho-physical being consisting of both mind and matter, and it gives a microscopic analysis of the human being.
Abhidhamma explains the process of birth and death in detail. In addition to defining consciousness, it also analyses and classifies thoughts mainly from an ethical standpoint. Various types of consciousness are also set forth in detail, as they arise through the six sense-doors. Modern psychology has begun to acknowledge that it comes within the scope of Abhidhamma for the reason that it deals with the mind, with thoughts, thought-processes, and mental states. Buddhism has, from the very beginning, taught psychology without a psyche.
