Section outline
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Lesson 3.10.8.1 Paṭṭhānapāli – Citta, Part One - ‘dvādasākusalā’ - States of Consciousness
According to the Sutta Piṭaka, the ‘mind-matter-phenomenon’ (nāmarūpāva) gets subdivided into the ‘five aggregates of clinging’ (pañca upādānakkhandha). According to the Abhidhamma, the universe consists of four ‘ultimate realities’ (catudhā paramatthato) which are the mental states of consciousness (citta), the so-called mental concomitants (cetasika), the field of matter or corporality (rūpa) and nibbāna. The Abhidhamma further analyses and dissects ‘mind’ into an ongoing ever-changing occurrence of interrelated mental states. According to this investigation, there exist 89 such states that appear and disappear constantly in split seconds and could even be divided further into 121 when the supramundane (lokuttara) states are included. This lesson, States of Consciousness, Part One, provides an overview of the twelve unwholesome states (dvādasākusalā), in the three segments of negative roots of lobha, dosa and moha. It also refers to the Mahāsatipaṭṭhānasutta section titled Cittānupassanā as well as commentary for comparative explanations.