Exploring the Path - Pāli Course

The overall importance of mind (cittaṃ), its special potential for harm and impairment, but likewise its superior ability for wellbeing and enhancement has been repeatedly emphasised by the Buddha:

To some extent the translation for cittaṃ (mind) as in general use in the Sutta Piṭaka implies that mind could be considered ‘one thing’ or an all-inclusive phenomenon. At a closer investigation when referring to ‘mind and matter’ (nāmarūpa) the ‘suttanta bhājanīya’ analyses nāmarūpa as the ‘five aggregates of clinging’ (pañca upādānakkhandha). These consist of the ‘mind’ subdivided into four mental aggregates (vedanā, saññā, saṅkhāra, viññāṇa) and the material aggregate of matter, corporality (rūpa).³

The Abhidhamma (abhidhamma bhājanīya) provides a clear and complex description of the kammically-related, conditioned and logical sequential order of mind and matter that constitute the universe by using more detailed analytical terminology. It subdivides all realities found in this universe into the mental states of consciousness (citta), mental concomitants (cetasika) and the field of matter or corporality (rūpa).⁴

The first category, citta, in general gets translated as ‘mind’, ‘states of mind’, ‘consciousness’ or the ‘states of consciousness’. Using the term ‘mind’ somehow implies that this refers to a ‘unity’ or ‘oneness’ that exists, while ‘states of consciousness’ allow a more thorough analytical investigation. Citta is considered as an ongoing, constant and never-ending flow of arising and disappearing mind moments that manifest in a permanently altered, partly interrelated process of diverse character with different but partly identical concomitants.⁶

Citta is unified in its task of knowing the object, of cognising it and in its awareness of the object, but varied in its ways of performing this very task. It has already been mentioned⁷ that the commentary qualifies citta and its activity in the following way:

Thus, citta is defined as the agent and at the same time similarly activates the process of cognizing the object,⁹ and is at the same time the ‘device’ or ‘means’ or ‘instrument’ by which the associated states are being recognized.¹⁰

In order to allow a more thorough analytical description, the Dhammasaṅgaṇī first assigns possible wholesome states of citta to the respective planes of existence as summarised in the following verse of the Abhidhammatthasaṅgaho.

The Dhammasaṅgaṇī, after the portrayal of the mātikā,¹³ initially assigns possible wholesome states of citta to the respective planes of existence and commences with the field of the sense sphere (kāmāvacarakusalaṃ). The section of the ‘Arising of Mental States’ (cittuppādakaṇḍa) then relates possible states of citta in the sense-sphere-world to the first triad of kusalā, akusalā and abyākatā. Here first all metal states that fall under the category of kusalā get elaborated along with the respective mental factors for that particular citta.¹⁴

In comparison, the Abhidhammatthasaṅgaho commences with the description of the mental states of akusalā and then moves on to those wholesome states.¹⁵

Thus, all possible states of citta get in this way examined and elaborated in detail and finally scrutinized into 89 cittāni which is increased up to the number of 121 by including the (magga-phala) consciousness under different categories.¹⁶

The Abhidhammatthasaṅgaho highlights this:

The side-by-side tables that accompany this lesson show first the typology of the twelve classes of rooted unwholesome consciousness with unwholesome roots pertaining to the sense sphere.¹⁹ They are scrutinized ‘based on greed’ (lobhasahagatacittāni) into eight types, ‘based on aversion’ (paṭighasampayuttacittāni) into two types and ‘based in delusion’ (momūhacittāni) of two types.²⁰

The first category of aṭṭhapi lobhasahagatacittāni (Eight Types of Consciousness Accompanied by Greed) defines eight akusalacittāni which are accompanied by the following discerning and differentiating concomitant factors.

• Joyful feeling (somanassa) or feeling of displeasure (domanassa)

• (Wrong) view (diṭṭhi)

• Indifference (upekkhā)²¹

Further factors called prompted or induced (sasaṅkhārika), and spontaneously (asaṅkhārika) qualify one more subdivision and may be explained by the following example.

• Sasaṅkhārika: lit. sa + saṅkhārika – with + induced, instigated, prompted;²² meaning ‘something that is conditioned, prompted, caused, induced’ by being convinced by premeditation or persuaded by someone else, by tradition, by force, or through faith or argument.

For example, a certain person may perform an unwholesome deed, i.e. steal something due to the persuasion of another person. He may also do the same act without any outside influence due to an inner dialog or even by inner arguments or planning, which results in the same conclusion: to steal this very object.

• Asaṅkhārika: lit. a + saṅkhārika – points to the fact that there is no cause behind it, it may be spontaneously or out of an impulse.

In this instance, a certain person may perform the same unwholesome deed, i.e. steal something out of a sudden mood, out of a certain impulse or an effect by not originally having intended to do so.

In both cases the respective states of citta are accompanied by the view (diṭṭhi) that there may be nothing morally wrong in such an act.

These two remaining subdividing factors highlight the accompanying feeling and sentiment that may be felt at such a situation and moment.

• joy (somanassa)

• indifference, neutrality (upekkhā)²³

In the second category of paṭighasampayuttacittāni (Two Types of Consciousness Accompanied by Aversion) the accompanying distinguishing factors are displeasure (domanassa) and aversion (paṭigha).

In the third category of momūhacittāni (Two Types of Consciousness Tied to Delusion) those states are accompanied by doubt (vicikicchā) and restlessness, agitation (uddhacca).

It may be worthwhile to note here that when the sutta explanation,²⁴ for example in the section of Cittānupassanā,²⁵ advises the meditator to observe ‘mind in mind’ and notes the respective quality:

the vaṇṇanā, the commentary, refers to the more detailed description as provided in the Abhidhamma²⁶ and to ‘the eight types (of consciousness) accompanied by greed’:

Similarly, when the meditator is advised to realise the state of mind as:

the commentary refers to the two types (of consciousness) associated with dejection that fall under the category of paṭighasampayuttacittāni (the two types of consciousness accompanied by aversion) which are accompanied by displeasure:²⁷

Likewise, when the section of Cittānupassanā advises to note the state of delusion:

the commentary also refers to the explanation as highlighted in the Abhidhamma that such states occur based on doubt and uncertainty or restlessness and agitation: