Tonight we will study the combinations of Cittas and Cetasikas or you
may call it a matching game - matching Cittas with Cetasikas and Cetasikas with
Cittas. They come into combination in different ways. Not every Citta is
accompanied by all the Cetasikas. Not every Cetasika accompanies all Cittas.
They come into combination in different ways. Today we will study the
combinations. I am afraid you will have to do some class work.
Before going to the combinations of Cittas and Cetasikas I think we need
to freshen our memories or we need to warm up. When I say a certain Citta, you
can pinoint that Citta. Let us go through the Cittas first. Please look at the
chart. The first column represents what? These twelve dots represent
unwholesome or Akusala Cittas. The red ones are those that are accompanied by
pleasurable feeling. The blue ones are those that are accompanied by
indifferent or neutral feeling. The green ones are accompanied by illwill, or
anger, or displeasure. There are twelve of them.
The next three columns represent the rootless consciousnesses. There are
18 rootless consciousnesses. The first column represents the resultants of
unwholesome or Akusala. The second column represents the resultants of Kusala
or wholesome. The third column represents the functional rootless Cittas,
functional rootless types of consciousness. They are not wholesome, nor are
they unwholesome, and they are not the result of wholesome or unwholesome. They
just arise and disappear. They are called functional or they are called Kiriya
in Pàli.
The first one of the first column of rootless consciousness is seeing
consciousness. The second dot represents hearing consciousness. The third is
smelling consciousness. The fourth is tasting consciousness. The cross is
touching consciousness or body consciousness. The sixth is receiving
consciousness and the seventh is investigating consciousness.
The second column of the rootless consciousness represents the
resultants of Kusala. There is one more Citta there one more red dot. There is
once again eye consciousness, ear consciousness, nose, tongue and body
consciousness. And there is receiving consciousness. There are two
investigating consciousnesses. The first one is accompanied by pleasurable
feeling and the second one is accompanied by neutral feeling.
Then we come to the third column. The first dot in this column is
five-sense-door-adverting consciousness. The second one is mind-door-adverting
consciousness. The third one is smile-producing consciousness. it is
accompanied by pleasurable feeling.
These 18 are called 'rootless consciousness' because they are not
accompanied by any of the six roots.
The next three columns represent beautiful sense-sphere consciousness.
They have beautiful qualities. They are accompanied by mental factors that are
called beautiful. So they are called beautiful consciousness or good
consciousness.
The first column represents wholesome types of consciousness. The second
column represents resultant types of consciousness. The third column represents
functional types of consciousness. The first four are accompanied by pleasurble
feeling and the second four are accompanied by indifferent feeling. There ae
all together 24.
So far we have all together 54 types of
consciousness. These 54 types of consciousness are called sense-sphere
consciousness. That means these consciousnesses arise mainly in the
sense-sphere. 'Sense-sphere' means realms where sense desire predominates like
the human realm, animal kingdom and lower celestial realms.
The next three columns, five dots each, represent the form-sphere
consciousnesses. Actually they are Jhàna consciousness. The first column is
wholesome. The second column is resultant. The third column is functional. The
first dot of the first column represents what? The first Jhàna. The second dot
of the first column represents the second Jhàna, and then there are the third,
fourth and fifth Jhànas. The first four Jhànas are accompanied by pleasurable
feeling and the last one is accompanied by indifferent or neutral feeling.
There are altogether 15 kinds of consciousness belonging to the form-sphere.
The next three columns with four dots in each column represent
formless-sphere consciousness. They arise mainly in the Brahma worlds where
there is no form, no matter, no material property whatsoever. Only Cittas and
Cetasikas exist in these realms.
The first column represents wholesome
(Kusala), the second column represents resultant (Vipàka) and the third column
represents functional (Kiriya). The first dot of the first column represents
what? Do you remember that? It is consciousness having infinite space as
object. The second Citta has the first Citta as object. The third Citta has
'nothingness' as object (the nothingness of the first Citta). The fourth is
called 'neither perception nor non-perception'. All of these twelve are
accompanied by neutral or indifferent feeling. They are included in the fifth
Jhàna. They are called 'formless-sphere Jhànas'. When we divide them into
first, second, third, fourth and fifth Jhànas, then these belong to the fifth
Jhàna group.
Let me ask you how many first Jhàna consciousnesses there are? There are
three first Jhàna consciousnesses. There are also three second Jhàna
consciousnesses, three third Jhàna consicousnesses, three fourth Jhàna
consciousnesses. How many fifth Jhàna consciousnesses are there? There are
fifteen - three form-sphere consciousnesses and twelve formless-sphere
consciousnesses.
Up trhough that column there are
altogether 81 types of consciousnesses. These 81 types of consciousness are
called mundane consciousness. They belong to mundane sphere or mundane world.
The remaining ones are called supramundane consciousness, transcending
the world. They are actually Path Consciousness and Fruition Consciousness.
Path Consciousness arises at the moment of enlightenment. The Fruition
Consciousness immediately follows the Path Consciousness at the moment of
realization, at the moment of enlightenment.
The supramundane consciousnesses can be just eight or they can be
divided into forty types of consciousness. First let us say there are eight
types of supramundane consciousness. When we say there are eight types of
supramundane consciousness, then we have to take the first column as only one
Citta, and the second column as only one Citta, the third column as one Citta,
the fourth column as one Citta and so on. The first column represents the Path
of Stream-Entrant (Sotàpanna). The second column represents the Path of the
Once-Returner (Sakadàgàmì). The third column represents the Non-Returner
(Anàgàmì). The fourth column represents the Path Consciousness of an Arahant.
The first of the next group of four columns represents the Fruition
Consciousness of the Stream-Entrant. The next column represents the Fruition
Consciousness of the Once-Returner. The third column represents the Fruition
Consciousness of the Non-Returner. The last column represents the Fruition
Consciousness of an Arahant. If we take one column as only one consciousness,
then we get eight supramundane consciousnesses.
These eight types of supramundane consciousness can become forty types
of consciousness according to how many factors of Jhàna arise with them. In
that case we have first Jhàna Path of the Stream-Entrant, second Jhàna Path of
the Stream-Entrant, third Jhàna Path of the Stream-Entrant, fourth Jhàna Path
of the Stream-Entrant and fifth Jhàna Path of the Stream-Entrant. In this case
we have five Path Consciousnesses for the Stream-Entrant. And then there are
five Path Consciousnesses for the Once-Returner and so on. There are altogether
forty. So there are eight or forty supramundane consciousness. There are 81
types of mundane consciousness and forty types of supramundane consciousness.
Altogether there are 121 types of consciousness. If we take supramundane
consciousnes as only eight, then we get 89 types of consciousness.
This chart is very helpful in identifying different types of
consciousness. It is like a map. When you pick up a travel book and read about
a place and look at a map, then you know what the book is saying. Otherwise you
would be lost. In the same way you need to be at least familiar with this chart
in order to find out which Citta is being talked about.
Student: Each one of the Path Consciousnesses
is in combination with different Jhàna consciousness?
Sayàdaw: In fact the supramundane
consciousnesses are not Jhàna consciousnesses, in the sense that they are the
same as form-sphere consciousness. They are called 'Jhàna consciousness' here
because they resemble the form-sphere consciousness in having the same number
of Jhàna factors arising with them. If you remind me, I will explain it to you
after we study the combinations.
Let us assume now that you are familiar with the 121 types of
consciousness. At least you can look them up on the chart and you know what we
are taking about. There are 121 types of consciousness.
Let us now go to Cetasikas. How many mental factors are there? There are
52 mental factors. They are grouped into different groups. The first group
contains how many? Thirteen. The thirteen are subdivided into group of seven and six respectively.
Seven are called 'universals' because they arise with every Citta. The six are
called 'particulars' because they do not arise with each and every Citta, but
only with particular Cittas. They arise in a scattered manner. So they are
called 'particulars' or Pakinakas in Pàli.
The next group is Akusala, unwholesome mental factors. There are
altogether fourteen.
Then there are 25 beautiful mental factors. These 25 are subdivided are
subdivided into four groups. The first group is comprised of 19 Cetasikas. The
second group is the thre abstinences. The third group is the two limitless or
boundless ones . The last group (I don't know if I can call it a group as it is
only one.) one is the faculty of wisdom. These are the 52 Cetasikas.
The characteristic of Cetasika is what? It arises together with Citta;
it disappears together with Citta; it hs the same object as Citta; and it has
the same base as Citta. Whenever Citta arises, Cetasikas also arise.
First we are going to study the Cetasika-Citta combination. That means
we pick up a Cetasika and try to find out how many Cittas it arises with. If
you look at the lecture notes, you will see the numbers there. The universals
are associated with all the Cittas. There is no problem with the first ones.
They arise with every one of the 89 or121 types of consciousness.
The next one, initial application (Vitakka) arises with not all but only
55 types of consciousness. The serial numbers of the Cittas are given. Initial
application arises with Cittas 1-12, 18, 19, 25-54, 55, 60, 65, 80 and so on.
If you look at the chart it is not so difficult. Please look at the chart and
try to find the sense-sphere consciousness, the 54 sense-sphere
consciousnesses. Out of these only ten do not arise without initial
application. So initial application arises
with all of the first column (the Akusala Cittas).
The second and third columns you leave out the
first five in each column, ten altogether (the Dvipañcaviññàna). Then receiving
and investigating Cittas along with all of the rest of the Kàmavacara Cittas
have initial application as a mental factor. From among the Form-sphere and
Formless-sphere and supramundane consciousnesses, you take only the first line.
Only the Cittas in the first line across have initial application as a mental
factor.
How many are there in the first line beginning
with the Rùpavacara? Eleven. If you look across from the Sense-sphere
consciousnesses, you get eleven circles or dots. They are the first Jhàna
consciousnesses. Initial application arises only with first Jhàna
consciousness. It does not arise with the second, third, fourth and fifth Jhàna
Cittas. If you go back to the types of consciousness, you see that. First Jhàna
is accompanied by initial application, sustained application, joy, happiness
and one-pointedness. Second Jhàna is not accompanied by initial application nor
are the third, fourth and fifth Jhànas. Initial application accompanies or
associates with 55 types of consciousness.
If you could make diagrams like this, it would be very, very helpful. It
takes a lot of time. This is just for initial application. For sustained
application you will have another diagram. For decision there is another and so
on. It is like computer learning. I will leave some here so that you will get
the idea.
Initial application does not arise with seeing consciousness, hearing
consciousness and so on. That is because, let us say in seeing consciousness
there is the impact of the eye and the visible object; the impact is so great
that the consciousness does not need initial application to take it to the
object. That is why seeing consciousness and also hearing, smelling, tasting
and touching consciousness do not need initial application. That is why initial
application does not arise with these ten types of consciousness. We take out
these ten types of consciousness from 54 and get 44 out of 54 Sense-sphere
consciousnesses which have initial application as a mental factor. Then in the
Jhàna consciousnesses it arises only with the First Jhàna. We pick only first
Jhàna consciousnesses which are only eleven. In this way we get 55 types of
consciousness that arise with initial application.
The next one, sustained application, arises with 66 types of
consciousness, the 55 plus the eleven second Jhàna consciousnesses or the
second line.
Decision accompanies Cittas 1-10, 12, 18, 19,
25-89 or 121. These are all combinations so it is not so interesting.
Then effort accompanies 73 or 105 Cittas.
Joy or Pìti accompanies 51 types of
consciousness. You know Pìti accompanies pleasurable feeling. You have to
choose from the types of consciousness accompanied by pleasurable feeling or
you have to choose from the red dots. Pìti does not accompany the fourth Jhàna.
So you take out the fourth Jhàna consciousness. The others are accompanied by
Pìti. So we get altogether 51 types of consciousness.
Then there is conation. Conation accompanies 69 or 101 types of
consciousness. They are Cittas 1-10, 31-89. Conation does not arise with the
two types of consciousness rooted in delusion nor in the 18 Ahetuka (rootless)
consciousnesses.
These are the most difficult ones. The others are not so difficult. Now
we come to the Akusala Cetasikas (unwholesome mental factors). The first four
always arise together, that is delusion, moral shamelessness, moral
fearlessness and restlessness. They arise together with every type of
unwholesome consciousness. Whenever unwholesome consciousness arises these four
are with it. Delusion accompanies Cittas 1-12. Moral shamelessness accompanies
Cittas 1-12 and so on.
Attachment or Lobha accompanies only eight types of consciousness. These
eight are rooted in attachment (the first eight dots in the first column).
Wrong view accompanies only four types of consciousness - 1,2,5 and 6.
Conceit only accompanies four types of consciousness - 3,4,7 and 8. It is
explained in the Commentaries that wrong view and conceit do not arise at the
same time. They do not arise simultaneously. Wrong view is taking that there is
a permanent self or something like that. Conceit is pride. Both are accompanied
by attachment, attachment to one's self, attachment to 'I'. But they have difference in viewing things. That is
why they cannot arise at the same time. There is conceit because there is wrong
view that there is a self or there is something permanent. They are compared to
two equal lions which cannot live in a single cave. When there is wrong view,
there is no conceit, and when there is conceit, there is no wrong view. One may
be conditioned by the other, but they do not arise at the same moment. They
arise at different moments. That is why wrong view accompanies Cittas 1,2,5,6
and conceit accompanies Citts 3,4,7, 8. They do not arise together.
The next four Cetasikas are illwill, jealousy, avariciousness and
remorse. These four accompany the two Cittas rooted in illwill or Dosa. So they
accompany only two Cittas, 9 and 10.
Sloth and torpor accompany those Cittas that are prompted. This is so
because when sloth and torpor accompany a Citta it is not so alert. It is kind
of dull. So they have to be prompted. Sloth and torpor accompany Cittas 2,4,6,
8, and 10.
Doubt accompanies only one Citta, the eleventh one. Doubt is the only
Cetasika that arises only with one Citta. The others arise with more than one
Citta.
Then there are those Cetasikas common to beautiful types of
consciousness. The first 19 are common to all types of beautiful consciousness,
beginning with the wholesome Sense-sphere types of consciousness up through the
supramundane types of consciousness. All 19 of these Cetasikas are associated
with all types of beautiful consciousness.
Then there are the three abstinences. They accompany Cittas 31-38. Those
are the wholesome Sense-sphere consciousness. They also accompany Cittas 82-89
or 82-121. That means they accompany the supramundane consciousnesses.
Abstinences accompany Sense-sphere Kusala and the supramundane consciousness.
The limitess ones accompany Sense-sphere Kusala and also Cittas 47-54.
What are 47-54? They are the
Sense-sphere functional. The limitless ones also accompany 55-58 (Jhàna
consciousness), 60-63 (Jhàna consciousness), 65-68 (Jhàna consciousness). What
Jhànas? They accompany first Jhàna, second Jhàna, third Jhàna and fourth Jhàna.
The limitless ones do not accompany the fifth Jhàna consciousness. Fifth Jhàna
consciousness is accompanied by indifferent feeling. The others are accompanied
by pleasurable feeling.
The last one is the faculty of wisdom, or understanding, or knowledge.
It does not accompany all beautiful consciousness but some of them especially
among the Sense-sphere types of consciousness. It accompanies 31-32, 35-36,
39-40, 43-44, 47-48, 51-52, and the rest 55-89. All form-sphere conciousness,
formless-sphere consciousness and suprmundane consciousness are accompanied by
wisdom. Without knowledge or understanding these types of consciousness cannot
arise. They are always accompanied by knowledge or wisdom or Paññà in Pàli.
This is called the Sampayoga method in Pàli, the Cetasika-Citta
combination. We pick up a certain Cetasika and try to find out which Cittas it
arises with. If we are really familiar with the combinations of Cetasikas and
Citta, then we can easily understand the combinations of Citta and Cetasikas
because it is the other way round. If you write these down one by one, you can
just look at them the other way. You get the second method, Citta-Cetasika
combination. You pick up the Citta first and then try to find out how many
Cetasikas arise together with that particular Citta. The second sheet gives you
these combinations - Citta-Cetasika combination. It is called Sangaha Method in
Pàli.
So there are eight unwholesome Cittas with attachment, Cittas 1-8. The
first one is accompanied by Cetasikas 1-19. The second one is accompanied by
Cetasikas 1-19 and also Cetasikas 25 and 26. The third one is accompanied by
Cetasikas 1-18 and 20. The fourth one is accompanied by 1-18, 20, 25 and 26 and
so on.
If you go down the list, you will see eye consciousness etc. That means
eye consciousness, ear consciousness, nose consciousness, tongue consciousness
and body consciousness. They are often grouped together and referred to as
twice fivefold consciousness. There are five types of consciousness - seeing,
hearing and so on. There are two types of each of these five consciousnesses.
One is the result of unwholesome actions and the other is the result of
wholesome actions. These ten types of consciousness are collectively called
twice fivefold consciousness (Dvipañcaviññàna). In the list 'eye consciousness
etc.' means two eye consciousnesses, two ear consciousnesses, two nose
consciousnesses, two taste consciousnesses and two body consciousnesses. Can
you point them out on the chart? These ten. They are referred to as twice
fivefold consciousness. They are accompanied by 1-7 of the Cetasikas. That
means they are only accompanied by the universals.
There are two receiving consciousnesses. They are accompanied by
Cetasikas 1-10.
There are three investigating consciousneses. Two are accompanied by
indifferent feeling and one is accompanied by pleasurable feeling. Those
accompanied by indifferent feeling are associated with Cetasikas 1-10. The
investigating consciousness accompanied by pleasurable feeling is associated
with eleven Cetasikas, 1-10 plus 12.
Then five-sense-door-adverting (That is a functional type of
consciousness, 28) is accompanied by Cetasikas 1-10.
The next one is mind-door-adverting. It is accompanied by 1-11.
The last one is smile-producing consciousness. It is accompanied by
Cetasikas 1-12.
Next is the sense-sphere beautiful, wolesome consciousnesses. Number 31
and 32 are accompanied by 38 mental factors. Number 33 and 34 are accompanied
by 37 mental factors. 35 and 36 are accompanied by 37 mental factors not 36.
Please correct the chart. 38,37,37,36 - it should go like that. 35 and 36 are
accompanied by 37 Cetasikas. 37 and 38 are accompanied by 36 Cetasikas.
Then the resultant wholesome consciousness 39 and 40 are accompanied by
33 Cetasikas. 41 and 42 are accompanied by 32 Cetasikas. 43 and 44 are
accompanied by 32 Cetasikas. 45 and 46 are accompanied by 31 Cetasikas.
Next are the functional wholesome consciousnesses. 47 and 48 are
accompanied by 35 Cetasikas. 49 and 50 are accompanied by 34 Cetasikas. 51 and
52 are accompanied by 34 Cetasikas. 53 and 54 are accompanied by 33 Cetasikas.
Then we have form-sphere consciousness. Here we take first Jhàna
consciousness, not by wholesome, resultant and functional. So first Jhàna here
means the first three across. They are accompanied by 35 Cetasikas. The second
Jhàna is accompnied by 34 Cetasikas. The third Jhàna Cittas are accompanied 33
Cetasikas. The fourth Jhàna Cittas are accompnied by 32 Cetasikas. The fifth
Jhàna Cittas are how many? There are three fifth Jhàna Rùpavacara Cittas and
twelve fifth Jhàna Arùpavacara Cittas. sothere are 15. They are accompanied by
30 Cetasikas. The formless-sphere Cittas can be included with the fifth Jhàna
Rùpavacara Cittas because they have the same Cetasikas. They are accompanied by
30 Cetasikas.
Then we have supramundane consciousness. We go by Jhàna Cittas. First
Jhàna supramundane consciousness (the first line across), these Cittas are
accompanied by 36 Cetasikas. The second Jhàna supramundane consciousnesses are
accompanied by 35 Cetasikas. The third Jhàna supramundane consciousnesses are
accompanied by 34 Cetasikas. Fourth Jhàna Cittas are accompanied by 33
Cetasikas. And fifth Jhàna Cittas are again accompanied by 33 Cetasikas.
We have to devise many charts to attack this one problem. This is
another chart. I think it is very helpful, but you need an explanation because
this chart was done about eight or nine years ago. The man who drew the chart
made some mistakes. I didn't read the proof. So after he brought them to me, I
saw some mistakes. We could not correct them, especially the spelling of some
cittas.
Here I give only the Pàli words. It may seem very strange to you. It
looks like another thing. If you read the chart across, you get the
Citta-Cetasika method. If you read down, you get the Cetasika-Citta method.
The first one, 'Lobhamùla' means
rooted in attachment. So they are cittas 1-8. They are accompanied by
the Sabbacittasadharana. It is a Pàli name for the universals which are seven.
Then there is Vitakka (initial application), Vicàra (sustained application),
Adhimokkha (decision), Viriya (effort), Pìti (joy) and Chanda (conation).
The next group is Moha, Ahirika, Anottappa, and Uddhacca (delusion,
moral shamelessness, moral fearlessness and restlessness). Next is Lobha
(attachment), Ditthi (wrong view) and Màna (conceit). Then there is Dosa, Issa,
Macchariya and Kukucca (illwill, jealousy, avariciousness and remorse). Thina
and Midha (sloth and torpor) are the next group. Vicikicca (doubt) is the last
of the Akusala Cetasikas.
Sobhanasadhàrana 19, the common to all beautiful Cittas are next. Virati
three means the abstinences. Then there are the Apamaññà two, the limitless
ones and finally Paññàindriya, the faculty of wisdom.
Then let us look at the Cittas. Lobhamùla numbe one means rooted in
attachment. There are eight Cittas in the Lobhamùla group. In the Dosamùla group
there are two Cittas. Mohamùla means rooted in delusion. There are also two
Cittas in this group.
Student: What is the transalation of Dosamùla?
Sayàdaw: Rooted in illwill.
The numbers given on the chart are not the consecutive serial numbers of
the Cittas. It may create some confusion.
The next group, Dvipañcaviññàna, is the twice fivefold consciousness.
They are two seeing consciousnesses, two hearing consciousnesses, two smelling
consciousnesses, two tasting consciousnesses, and two body consciousnesses. Ten
are grouped together in this chart because they have the same number of
Cetasikas arising with them.
You can expand this chart. It may become something like a spread sheet.
There is another chart made by one of my friends, but the type is too small.
Even though the chart is about five feet tall, it is still difficult to read
the type. They are copies and so they are not so distinct. If you can make a
chart that is big enough, giving the consciousnesses one by one, it would be a
very easy reference. You can go to any kind of consciousness and read through
the Cetasikas. This chart is for those who attend the clss. It is
compressed.
So Dvipañcaviññàna ten means seeing consciousness and the rest.
Sampaticchana is receiving consciousness. There are two of them. Santirana 'Up'
(Up means Upekkha), so Santirana that is accompanied by indifferent feeling is
what is meant here. There are two. 'Santirana' means investigating. Santirana
'So' means Santirana accompanied by Somanassa (pleasurable feeling).
Pañcadvàravajjana is five-sense-door-adverting. Manodvàravajjana is
mind-door-adverting. Hasituppàda is smile-producing consciousness.
Next we have Kàmavacara Kusala one and two, three and four, five and
six, seven and eight. They are grouped together because one and two are
accompanied by knowledge (Paññà). Three and four are not accompanied Paññà.
Then there is Kàmavacara Vipàka one and two, three and four, five and six,
seven and eight. And there is Kàmavacara Kiriya (functional) first and second,
third and fourth, fifth and sixth, seventh and eighth.
Then we have Rùpavacara (form-sphere) consciousness. There are first
Jhàna three, second Jhàna three, third Jhàna three, fourth Jhàna three and
fifth Jhàna three.
Next we have Arùpavacara Jhàna twelve. They are all fifth Jhàna.
Now comes the most difficult area because we have to multiply Sotàpatti
Magga with first, second, third, fourth and fifth. They are too compressed
here. If you expand it, it will become another page. Sotàpatti, the first one,
means Stream-entrant. There is Sotàpatti Magga first Jhàna, Sotàpatti Magga
second Jhàna, Sotàpatti Magga third Jhàna and so on. Then Sotàpatti Phala is in
the second subgroup. We have Sotàpatti Phala first Jhàna, Sotàpatti Phala
second Jhàna, Sotàpatti Phala third Jhàna and so on.
Why is the supramundane consciousnesses called
Jhàna consciousness? I told you if you would remind me that I would explain it
to you. I just remembered. If you look at the Sotàpatti Magga first Jhàna or if
you compare this with Rùpavacara first Jhàna, is there Vitakka for both? Yes.
Vicàra? Yes. Pìti? Yes. Happiness is included in the universal seven. Happiness
is feeliing or Vedàna. So it is included in the Sabbacittasadhàrana seven. The
last one is what? Ekaggatà. The last one is also among the universal seven.
The Rùpavacara first Jhàna and Sotàpatti Magga
first Jhàna Have the same number of Jhàna factors arising in them. That is why
this Magga Citta is called first Jhàna Magga Citta. Actually it is not Jhàna
Citta. It is Magga Citta or Path consciousness. This Path consciousness
resembles the first Jhàna in having the same number of Jhàna factors arising
with it. With first Rùpavacara Jhàna there is Vitakka (initial application),
Vicàra (sustained application), Pìti (joy), Sukha (happiness) and Ekaggatà
(one-pointedness of mind). Sotàpatti Magga has the same number of Jhàna
factors. That is why the Path consciousness is called first Jhàna first path
consciousness, second Jhàna first Path consciousness and so on. So they have
the same number of Jhàna factors, but not the same number of Cetasikas. They
have the same number of Jhàna factors. Therefore they are called Jhàna Magga
Cittas. Actually they are not Jhàna Cittas. They are Magga Cittas.
The other chart we brought today is to help you pinpoint theCittas by
numbers. You can put numbers in the circles if you want to. If you have time
and if you want to, you can do charts like these. They will be very helpful
when you review. You can get the answer instantly when you have these charts.
You will have to make about ten or twenty of them, not 52. The universal seven
can be grouped together as one. Then the 19 common to beautiful can be grouped
together as one. The three abstinences can be grouped together as one. The
limitless ones can be grouped together as one and so on. So you don't have to
draw 52 charts for 52 Cetasikas. There may be about ten charts. One of my
students educed this chart to a very small size so that about twenty were on a
letter-size piece of paper. Then he put colors in it. That's a way of doing it
economically. You don't have to have big charts.
I can offer you some charts also. They are different from the circles,
but they are also helpful. They were made by a student of mine. In this chart
the Akusala, Kusala, Vipàka and Kiriya are represented by different shapes.
There are triangles, circles, squares and hexagons. I will leave them here. If
you are interested and if you want, you can put the number of Cetasikas arising
with each Citta. You can put for the Akusala for example 19, 21 and so on.
We have to do many things to help our memory. This is actually already
done. It was done in color originally, so the numbers in the copies don't show
clearly. You may do what you like with these. I will leave them here. At least
be familiar with or be able to look at the chart, and know this is this Citta,
this is another Citta and so on.
If you want to test or exercise, I also have some blnk charts. There are
no small dots given there. You can just put them yourself. It takes a lot of
time.
In the olden days they did not need these charts because they learned by
heart the whole book. The whole book is only about 60 or 70 pages. So it is not
a big deal to memorize the whole book. When you memorize it, then you have the
whole book with you always. You can refer to it whenever you want. You don't
need these charts actually. However if you cannot memorize the whole book, then
you need these charts to help you understand clearly. Either way what you need
to do is to become familiar with this. Even if you can only do when looking at
the chart and you understand, it is alright.
In our countries we have to practice it repeatedly so that when the
teacher asks a question, we can answer him promptly. We practice among
ourselves, us students, asking one another questions like 'How many cetasikas
go with the first Citta?' Then the other student will say, '19'. Then the first
student may say, 'Name them'. The other student will say, 'Seven universals, Vitakka,
Vicàra and so on'. That was practiced so that when we went to the teacher, we
were ready with the answers. OK. Any questions?
Student: Do all the Burmese schools memorize
this? If there are some that do not, what are the advantages of memorizing
them?
Sayàdaw: In Burma they still memorize. You
have to memorize a lot especially if you are a monk. Lay people have the
Western system of education and so they don't memorize as they did before.
Monks still use the traditional method of studying.
I think Burma is the only country where Pàli grammar is taught along
traditional lines. That means there are what may be called grammar books. These
books contain aphorisms, short statements and commentaries on these statements.
The short statements are called aphorisms. We memorized these aphorisms and
then if we could we also memorized the commentaries. So memorization is still
done a lot in our country. When you have memorized it, as I have said, you have
the book with you always. You can call to your mind the contents of the book
whenever you want. So you are always with this knowledge.
Student: Is there an advantge in meditation
doing this kind of memory work?
Sayàdaw: Not much. But a knowledge of
Abhidhamma can help you clarify what you experience during meditation. A
knowledge of Abhidhamma is very helpful for the practice of meditation although
it is not indispensable.
If you go to a place without reading a map, you will reach there. You
may not know which building is which. If you read a map before you go to the
place, you will know which building is which. You don't have to be told.
In the same way when you are familiar with the mental factors and the
types of consciousness, then during meditation you will experience these. You
know what you are experiencing. You know what you are seeing mentally. So you
don't have to be told. These things don't have to be explained in a detailed
way. That is the benefit of a knowledge of Abhidhamma in meditation.
A knowledge of Abhidhamma can help us in our daily lives. When we know
according to Abhidhamma that something is _Akusala or something is Kusala, then
we can avoid Akusala and do Kusala. And when you do Kusala, and if you know how
to do it, how to do it in order to get the most benefits out of it, then it has
practical value.
Let us say people aspire for Nibbàna. They may say, 'May I attain
Nibbàna through this act of merit, for example through this act of Dàna
(giving), or through this act of keeping precepts (Sìla) and so on. Just
wishing for Nibbàna is not enough. You have to do something in order to attain
Nibbàna in future lives. You have to be born with a type of consciousness
accompanied by wisdom so that you are capable of enlightenment in that life. In
order for you to get such a rebirth, you have to see to it that the merit you
do here will give the results that you want.
Déjenme decir que la gente aspira al Nibbana.
Ellos pueden decir, 'Puedo alcnzar Nibbana a través de este acto de mérito, por
ejemplo, a través de este acto de Dana (dar), o a través de este acto de seguir
los preceptos (Sila)? Sólo desear
Nibbana no es suficiente. Ustedes tienen que hacer algo para conseguir alcanzar
Nibbana en vidas futuras. Tienen que nacer con un tipo de conciencia acompañada
por sabiduría para que ustedes sean capaces de iluminarse en esa vida. Con el
fin de que ustedes alcancen ese renacimiento, tienen que ver que el mérito que
ustedes hagan aquí dará los resultados que ustedes quieren.
That means sometimes we do meritorious deeds
without much thinking, without serious thinking. When we do meritorious lt us
say superficially, thenthe consciousness at that time will not be accompanied
by wisdom or understanding. Sometimes we pick up a thing and just give it to
another person. We don't think of Kamma and its results. If that merit is not
accompnied by understanding, then the results it gives will be without
understanding. The result means the result of rebirth consciousness in the next
life. If we are reborn with consciousness that is not accompanied by wisdom or
knowledge, then we will not get enlightenment in that life. That means we will
not get to Nibbàna in that life. So the knowledge of Abhidhamma can help us to
shape our own future (I mean future lives.) by showing us what is the best of
merits, the best of meritorious deeds. So Abhidhamma has a practical value in
our daily lives.
In meditation Abhidhamma is just helpful for clarification. Without the
knowledge of Abhidhamma many people practiced meditation and they became
enlightened. They gained insight into the nature of things. Sometimes people
experience or see something through meditation, but they do not know what they
see.
Once a woman reported to me that she was watching the painful sensations
in the body. After some time the sensation disappeared. She thought there was
something like a gap. She did not know what it wasbecause there is painful
feeling, then it disappears, and before the pleasurable feeling arises, there
is an interim period or something like that. That is what we call indifferent
feeling, neutral feeling. It is said in the books that neutral feeling is very
difficult to see. You can think of it. You can talk about it. To actually see
through self experience the neutral feeling is very difficult. So that woman
experienced or saw neutral feeling, but she did not know that she ws
experiencing neutral feeling. When it was explained to her, she was very glad
that she could experience that neutral feeling. If she had a knowlege of
Abhidhamma, maybe she would not need an explanation from a teacher.
Student: You mentioned a few weeks ago that in
Buddhism there is no eternal soul. Still there is talk about reincarnation. How
does that work?
Sayàdaw: We will come to it when we come to
the thought processes, but I will explain it now too.
We accept momentary existence. So everything comes into being and
disappears every moment. Even in this life one moment is different from another
moment. We live for only one moment and then die. nd then there is the next
moment, nd the next moment and so on.
Buddhism does not accept a permanent soul, something which lasts
forever, something which goes from one life to another, maybe purifying itself
or something like that. However Buddhism accepts rebirth or you may call it
reincarnation. What is reborn in the next life is not the identical one who
dies here. It is not altogether disconnected with the one who dies here
however. This is a difficult point.
We have a formula: neither he nor another. The one reborn there is not
the same person who died here. However the one reborn there is not totally
different, is not totally new, is not totally disconnected from the one who
dies here. Actually beings have gone through many lives. So they have the
accumulation of merit and demerit. When merit or demerit , or good Kamma or bad
Kamma, gets favorable conditions,then it will give results. We do not know when
the Kamma will give results, but when the circumstances are favorable for good
Kamma to give results, then the good results will come.
The next life is conditioned or let us say caused by something good or
bad we did in the past. Because of that Kamma there is the result. Kamma and
result are actually two different things, but they are connected as cause and
effect.
I usually ask people, 'Areyou the same person that you were ten years
ago?' What is the answer? Yes or no? Both yes and no, right? In the same way is
a person reborn there a totally different person or does something go from this
life to the next life? You will have to say, 'Yes and no.' because the one
reborn there is not totally disconnected from the one who dies here. However
nothing from this life ever goes to another life. Nothing is transferred to
another life. Because of some cause here the result takes place there. In that
way Buddhism does not accept a permanent or eternal soul.
Buddhism accepts rebirth. I am a little afraid of using the word
reincarnation. Actually rebirth and reincarnation are the same. We cannot avoid
using these words when we talk about this. In the ultimate sense there is no
rebirth. The one we say is reborn is just born there, not reborn. If we say
'reborn' or 'reincarnated', we imply there was something that goes to that
place. He becomes a different persn again. In fact because of something here
there is the result.
In the chapter on Dependent Origination at the end of the chapter
something is explained. We accept identity as well as diversity. We accept
both. In one sense the one who dies here and the one who is reborn there are
different. In another sense they are something like a continuity. We accept
continuity as well as diversity. We have to accept both. It is not compromising
but something like that. We have to accept both in one sense or the other.
Student: If nothing is carried over to the
next life, how do you explain people that seem to remember their previous life?
For example there was someone in India who got run over by a truck and seemed
to remember that in the next life.
Sayàdaw: I think that is memory.
Student: So memory can be carried over to the
next life?
Sayàdaw: According to the teaching of
Abhidhamma everything has moment to moment existence. It is not that the
previous moment gives something to the next moment in the sense that I give
something to you. But this moment is a condition for the next moment. When it
conditons the result or the folowing moment may have some of the qualities
inherent in the preceding. It is not that the qualities are transferred.
Because of the conditioning of these qualities the result may have similar but
not identical qualities. Is that clear?
Student: That's what you were saying before. I
don't understand. Bringing up the idea of memory, it means that memory also
arises and passes away?
Sayàdaw: Yes.
Student: It becomes fantastic to think that
the mind can so condition the future so that actually patterns from the past
are retained.
Sayàdaw: Yes.
Student: We remember our childhood and many
things. That the mind can recondition moment to moment in this way is really an
amazing accomplishment.
Sayàdaw: Yes. On the conventional level we
accept that but on the ultimate level we say that every phenomenon arises and
disappears. Since one is the condition for the other, the one following gains
something out of the preceding one. However the quality of the preceding one is
not bodily tranferred to the next one. It gets something as a result of the
condition. Maybe it amounts to the same thing, but the wy of accepting is
different.
We Buddhists also say that a person is reborn or we may say that we
remember our past lives. We may say that I was such andsuch in my past life or
something like that.
Student: Could you say something about what is
the difference between doing good actions in order to gain good rebirth and
ambition. I don't see that there is much difference between doing good deeds
for personal enlightenment and ambition.
Sayàdaw: It is not just spiritual greed but
also greed for worldly things. As Buddhists we accept Samsàra, the rebirths.
The best thing is to try to become enlightened in this life. However
enlightenment may come in this life or it may not. We may need ten lives or 100
lives to become enlightened. If we are going to be reborn, we want to be reborn
in a better existence. Being reborn as a human being or in a better existence
helps us to get nearer enlightenment or to get more favorable conditions for
the practice. The ideal is not to think of any future lives or whatever. One is
to practice here and now. One is to try and gain enlightenment in this life. If
we cannot hope to attain enlightenment in this life, then we will have to go
through this journey of Samsàra. When we go through this journey of Samsàra, we
want to go comfortably. Therefore we do meritorious deeds so that we may be
reborn in a better existence.
That is why beings are reborn again and again because people have this
kind of attachment to existence. This is one kind of craving, the Second Noble
Truth. So the ideal is to get rid of the attachment or craving altogether so
that there will be no more rebirths or no more becomings again.
Student: Are there conditions for the
abstinences?
Sayàdaw: Yes, there are conditions or
circumstances where the abstinences arise in you. When you practice meditation,
there is no occasion for abstaining from anything. You abstain from something
only when you have the circumstance there. For example you have a situation
where you want to kill an animal. Then you do not kill it. You refrain from
killing it. That is abstinence. However when you practice meditation, you don't
have the situation for abstinence. You just practice meditation. During
meditation the abstinences as mental factors do not arise in our mind.
We speak of the eight factors of Path or the Noble Eightfold Path. Three
of the factors are the abstinences. When we practice meditation strictly
speaking only the other five arise in our minds, arise with our Cittas, but not
these three. Before practicing meditation you may have taken precepts. You make
a commitment to abstain from killing and so on. So the abstinences may arise at
the moment when you take precepts. After that they no longer arise in you when
you practice meditation.
Student: You say you vow to abstin from
certain things. Still the desire arises. Is abstinence a choice or a desire of
the mind?
Sayàdaw: I think it is a choice. You choose to
abstain from killing or something. Or you may not abstain. You may break the
precepts. So it is a choice.
Student: Is there something that puts you over
the top so to speak, that gives you the energy to abstain? What is it tht helps
you to have the energy to make the right choice?
Sayàdaw: That is the knowledge of Kamma and
its results. If you kill, that is Akusala and Akusala will give bad results.
Even though you are not afraid of the results in this life, you know it is not
right to kill beings. A knowledge of this motivates you to abstain.