Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Abhidhammattha Sangaha - Rootless Consciousness

Abhidhammattha Sangaha ( A Manual of Abhidhamma )

Translated by Narada Maha Thera
Published By the Buddhist Missionary Society

(Ahetuka Cittàni—18)
_______
(Akusala Vipàka Cittàni)
_______
§ 5 (1) Upekkhàsahagatam Cakkhuvinnànam; tatha
(2)Sotavinnanam, (3) Ghànavinnànam, (4)Jivhàvinnà-
nam, (5) Dukkhasahagatam, Kàyavinnànam, (6) Upek-
khàsahagatam Sampaticchanacittam, (7) Upekkhà-
sahagatam Santãranacittan c’àti.
Imàni satta’pi Akusala Vipàka Cittàni nàma.
________
(Kusala Vipàk’àhetuka Cittàni)
_______
(8) Upekkhàsahagatam kusalavipàkam Cakkhu-
vinnànam; tathà (9) Sotavinnànam, (10)Ghànavi-
nnànam, (11)Jivhàvinnànam, (12) Sukhasahagatam
Kàyavinnànam, (13)Upekkhàsahagatam Sampaticchana-
cittam, (14)Somanassasahagatam Santãranacittam,

(15)Upekkhàsahagatam Santãranacittam c’àti.
Imàni attha’ pi Kusalavipàkàhetukacittàni nàma.
_______
(Ahetuka Kiriya Cittàni)
_______
(16) Upekkhàsahagatam Pancadvàràvajjanacittam;
tathà (17) Manodvàràvajjanacittam, (18) Somanassa-
sahagatam Hasituppàdacãttan c’àti.
Imàni tãni’ pi Ahetuka—Kiriya Cittàni nàma.
Icc’evam sabbathà’ pi atthàrasàhetukacittàni samattàni.
Sattàkusalapàkàni—punnàpàkàni atthadhà
Kriyàcittàni tãnã’ ti—atthàrasa Ahetukà.
_______
(18 Types Of Rootless Consciousness)
_______
(Immoral Resultant Consciousness without Roots)
_______
§ 5. (1) Eye-consciousness, accompanied by indifference.
So are (2) Ear-consciousness, (3) Nose-consciousness,
(4)Tongue-consciousness, (5) Body-consciousness,
accompanied by pain, (6) Receiving consciousness,
accompanied by indifference, (7) Investigating conscious-
ness, accompanied by indifference.
These seven are the immoral resultant types of con-
sciousness.

(Moral Resultant Consciousness without Roots)
(8) Moral resultant Eye-consciousness, accompanied
by indifference. So are (9) Ear-consciousness, (10) Nose-
consciousness, (11) Tongue-consciousness, (12) Body-
consciousness, accompanied by happiness, (13) Receiving
consciousness, accompanied by indifference, (14) Investi-
gating consciousness, accompanied by pleasure,
(15)Investigating consciousness, accompanied by indif-
ference.
These eight are the moral resultant types of con-
sciousness without Hetu.
_______
(Functional Consciousness without Roots)
(16) Five Sense-door adverting consciousness,
accompanied by indifference. So is (17) Mind-door
adverting consciousness. (18) Smile-producing con-
sciousness, accompanied by pleasure.
These three are the functional types of consciousness
without Hetu.
Thus end, in all, the eighteen types of consciousness
without Hetu.
_______
(Summary)
_______
Seven are immoral resultants. Moral resultants are eightfold.
Three are functionals. Ahetukas are eighteen.

Notes:—
23.Hetu is usually rendered by ‘causal condition’.
In the Suttas we often come across such phrases as ‘ko hetu
ko paccayo’,— ‘what cause, what reason’. In the Abhi-
dhamma both Hetu and Paccaya are differentiated and are
used in specific senses. The term Hetu is applied to the six
roots explained above. Paccaya is an aiding condition
(upakàraka dhamma). Like the root of a tree is Hetu.
Paccaya is like water, manure, etc.
The aforesaid eighteen classes of consciousness are
called ‘A-hetuka’ because they are devoid of ‘concomitant
Hetus’ (sampayuttaka hetu). It must be understood that
even Ahetuka Cittas are not devoid of an efficient cause
(nibbattaka hetu). The remaining 71 classes of conscious-
ness are called Sa-hetuka, with Roots. In two there is only
one Root, in sixty-nine there are two or three Roots.
24.Dvipancavinnàna—Five pairs of moral and
immoral resultant consciousness are enumerated here.
They are so called because they are dependent on the five
senses. As they are comparatively weak they are accompa-
nied by neutral feeling, with the exception of body-
consciousness which is accompanied by either pain or hap-
piness. It should be noted that, in the Abhidhamma, these
five pairs of consciousness are sometimes referred to as
‘Dvipancavinnàna’, the two Sampaticchana cittas and
Pancadvàràvajjana citta as ‘Mano Dhàtu’ (mind-element),

the rest (76) as ‘Mano Vinnàna Dhàtu’ (mind-consciousness
element).
25.Sampaticchana is that moment of conscious-
ness which accepts or receives an object. Santãrana is that
which investigates an object. That moment of conscious-
ness which turns towards one of the five sense-objects is
called the Pancadvàràvajjana. Manodvàràvajjana is that
moment of consciousness which turns the mind towards a
mental object. Pancadvàràvajjana and Manodvàràvajjana
are the only two moments of Kiriya Cittas experienced by
those who are not Arahants. All the other Kiriya Cittas are
experienced only by Buddhas and Arahants. It is this Man-
odvàràvajjana citta that performs the function of Vot-
thapana (deciding) which will be dealt with later.
26.Hasituppàda is a Citta peculiar to Arahants.
Smiling is caused by a pleasurable feeling. There are thir-
teen classes of consciousness by which one may smile
according to the type of the person. An ordinary world-
ling (puthujjana) may laugh with either one of the four
types of Cittas rooted in attachment, accompanied by
pleasure, or one of the four Kusala Cittas, accompanied
by pleasure.
Sotàpannas, Sakadàgàmãs, and Anàgàmãs may smile
with one of the two Akusala Cittas, disconnected with false
view, accompanied by pleasure, or with one of the four
Kusala Cittas.

Arahants and Pacceka Buddhas may smile with
one of the four Sobhana Kiriya Cittas16 or Hasitup-
pàda.
Sammà Sambuddhas smile with one of the two
Sobhana Kiriya Cittas, accompanied by wisdom and
pleasure.
There is nothing but mere mirth in the Hasituppàda
consciousness.
The Compendium of Philosophy states: “There are
six classes of laughter recognised in Buddhist works;
(1) Sita:— a smile manifesting itself in expresslon and
countenance; (2) Hasita:— a smite consisting in the
slight movements of the lips just enough to reveal the
tips of the teeth; (3) Vihasita:— laughter giving out a
light sound; (4) Upahasita:— laughter accompanied by
the movement of the head, shoulders, and arms;
(5) Apahasita:— laughter accompanied by the shedding
of tears; and (6) Atihasita:— an outburst of laughter
accompanied by the forward and backward movements
of the entire body from head to foot. Laughter is thus a
form of bodily expression (kàyavinnatti), which may or
may not be accompanied by vocal expression
(vacãvinnatti). Of these, the first two classes are
indulged in by cultured persons, the next two by the
average man, and the last two by the lower classes of
beings.”17
16. See p. 55.
17. See p. 38.

27. Thought-Process—
The subject, the consciousness, receives objects from
within and without. When a person is in a state of pro-
found sleep his mind is said to be vacant, or, in other
words, in a state of Bhavaïga. We always experience such
a passive state when our minds do not respond to external
objects. This flow of Bhavaïga is interrupted when objects
enter the mind. Then the Bhavaïga consciousness
vibrates for one thought-moment and passes away. There-
upon the sense-door consciousness (Pancadvàràvajjana)
arises and ceases. At this stage the natural flow is checked
and is turned towards the object. Immediately after there
arises and ceases the eye-consciousness
18 (Cakkhu
Vinnàna), but yet knows no more about it. This sense
operation is followed by a moment of reception of the
object so seen (Sampaticchana). Next comes the investi-
gating faculty (Santãrana)19 or a momentary examination
of the object so received. After this comes that stage of
representative cognition termed the determining con-
sciousness (Votthapana). Discrimination is exercised at
this stage. Freewill plays its part here. Immediately after
there arises the psychologically most important stage—
Impulsion or Javana. It is at this stage that an action is
judged whether moral or immoral. Kamma is performed
at this stage; if viewed rightly (yoniso manasikàra), the
18.i. e., if the object is a form (råpa). This consciousness depends on the five
objects of sense.
19. See Diagram I. p. 51

Javana becomes moral; if viewed wrongly (ayoniso mana-
sikàra), it becomes immoral. In the case of an Arahant this
Javana is neither moral nor immoral, but merely func-
tional (Kiriya). This Javana stage usually lasts for seven
thought-moments, or, at times of death, five. The whole
process which happens in an infinitesimal part of time
ends with the registering consciousness (Tadàlambana),
lasting for two thought-moments—thus completing one
thought-process at the expiration of seventeen thought-
moments.
20
The three kinds of Bhavaïga consciousness are
Vipàka. They are either one of the two Santãrana Cittas,
accompanied by indifference, mentioned above, or one of
the eight Sobhana Vipàka Cittas, described in section 6.
Pancadvàràvajjana is a Kriyà Citta. Panca-Vinnàna is one
of the ten moral and immoral Vipàka Cittas. Sampa-
ticchana and Santãrana are also Vipàka Cittas. The Mano-
dvàràvajjana (mind-door consciousness), a Kriyà Citta,
functions as the Votthapana consciousness. One can use
one’s freewill at this stage. The seven Javana thought-
moments constitute Kamma. The Tadàlambana is a Vipàka
Citta which is one of the three Santãrana Cittas or one of
the eight Sobhana Vipàka Cittas.
Thus, in a particular thought-process there arise var-
ious thought-moments which may be Kamma, Vipàka, or
Kriyà.
21
20.See Compendium of Philosophy—Introductory Essay — pp. 27–30.
21.A detailed exposition of this subject will appear in chapter IV.

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