Abhidhammattha Sangaha ( A Manual of Abhidhamma )
Translated by Narada Maha Thera
Published By the Buddhist Missionary Society
Chapter IV _______
Vithi—Sangaha Vibhago
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§1.Cittuppadanamicc’ evam katva sangaham
uttaram
Bhumi-puggalabhedena pubbaparaniyamitam
Pavattisangaham nama patisandhippa-
vattiyam
Pavakkhama samasena yathasambhavato
katham.
§2.Cha vatthuni, cha dvarani, cha alambanani,
cha vinnanani, cha vithiyo, chadha
visayappavatti c’ati vithisangahe cha chakkani
veditabbani.
Vithimuttanam pana kamma-kammani-
mitta-gatinimitta-vasena tividha hoti
visayappavatti.
Tattha vatthudvaralambanani pubbe vutta-
nayen’ eva.
Cakkhuvinnanam, sotavinnanam, ghana-
vinnanam, jivhavinnanam, kayavinnanam
manovinnanam c’ati cha vinnanani.
Vithiyo pana cakkhudvaravithi, sotadvara-
vithi, ghanadvaravithi, jivhadvaravithi,
kayadvaravithi, manodvaravithi c’ati dvara-
vasena va cakkhuvinnanavithi, sotavinnana-
vithi, ghanavinnanavithi, jivhavinnanavithi,
kayavinnanavithi manovinnanavithi c’ati
vinnanavasena va dvarappavatta cittappa-
vattiyo yojetabba.
§3.Atimahantam, mahantam, parittam, atipari-
ttam c’ati pancadvare, manodvare, vibhuta-
mavibhutam c’ati chadha visayappavatti vedi-
tabba.
Katham? Uppadatthitibhangavasena
khanattayam ekacittakkhanam nama. Tani
pana sattarasacittakkhanani rupadhammanam
ayu. Ekacittakkhanatitani va, bahucittakkha-
natitani va thitippattan’ eva pancalambanani
pancadvare apathamagacchanti. Tasma yadi
ekacittakkanatitakam ruparammanam cak-
khussam’ apatham’agacchati, tato dvikkhat-
tum bhavange calite bhavangasotam
vocchinditva tam’ eva ruparammanam avaj-
jentam pancadvaravajjanacittam uppajjitva
nirujjhati. Tato tass’ anantaram tam’ eva
rupam passantam cakkhuvinnanam, sam-
paticchantam sampaticchanacittam, santira-
yamanam santiranacittam, vavatthapentam
votthapanacittam c’ati yathakkamam
uppajjitva nirujjhanti. Tato param ek’
unatimsakamavacarajavanesu yam kinci
laddhapaccayam yebhuyyena sattakkhattum
javati. Javananubandhani ca dve
tadarammanapakani yatharaham pavattanti.
Tato param bhavangapato.
Ettavata cuddasacittuppada dve bhavanga-
calanani pubbevatitakamekacittakkhananti
katva sattarasa cittakkhanani paripurenti.
Tato param nirujjhati. âlambanam’ etam
atimahantam nama gocaram.
Yava tadalambun’ uppada pana appahon-
tatitakam apatham agatam alambanam maha-
ntam nama. Tattha javanavasane bhavanga-
pato’ va hoti. Natthi tadalambanuppado.
Yava javanuppada’ pi appahontatitakama-
patham agatam alambanam parittam nama.
Tattha javanam pi anuppajjitva dvattikkha-
ttum votthapanam’ eva pavattati. Tato
param bhavangapato’ va hoti.
Yava votthapanuppada ca pana appahon-
tatitakam apatham agatam nirodhasannama-
lambanam atiparittam nama. Tattha bhavan-
gacalanam’ eva hoti. Natthi vithicittuppado.
Icc’ evam cakkhudvare, tatha sotadvaradisu
c’ ati sabbatha’ pi pancadvare tadalambana-
javana-votthapanamoghavara-sankharanam
catunnam varanam yathakkamam arammana-
bhuta visayappavatti catudha veditabba.
§4.Vithicittani satt’ eva cittuppada catuddasa
Catupannasa vitthara pancadvare yatharaham.
Ayam’ ettha pancadvare vithicittappavattinayo.
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Analysis of Thought-Processes
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Five Sense-Door Thought-Process
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Introductory
§1.Having thus completed the noble compendium of
consciousness and its concomitants (with respect to feel-
ings etc.), I shall briefly describe, in due order, the com-
pendium of (thought) processes both at rebirth and in life-
time, according to the planes and individuals, and as they
are determined by what (consciousness) that precedes and
by what that follows (1).
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Notes:—
1. In the preceding chapter states of consciousness
and mental concomitants were treated according to feel-
ings, roots, etc. In the present one the author deals with
thought-processes as they arise through the mind and the
other five senses, in accordance with the different kinds of
individuals and planes of existence.
The Pali phrase pubbaparaniyamitam needs an ex-
planation. The commentary explains it thus—this citta
arises after so many cittas, and so many cittas follow this
citta (idam ettakehi param, imassa anantaram, ettakani
cittani).
Patisandhi here refers to the initial thought-process
that occurs at the moment of conception in a new birth.
Pavatti refers to all thought-processes that occur during
the course of one’s lifetime.
The translation of these two verses appears in the
Compendium of Philosophy as follows:—
“This further summary of geneses
Of thought now having made, I will go on
To speak concisely, summing up again
Processes of the mind, in birth and life,
By order due, the ‘after’, the ‘before’,
Distinguishing both person and life-plane.”(p.124).
Thought-Processes
§2.In the compendium of thought-processes six kinds of
six classes each should be understood—namely,
i.six bases, ii. six doors, iii. six objects,
93 iv. six-
fold consciousness, v. six processes (2), and vi. sixfold
presentation of objects (3).
93.These first three classes have already been discussed in the previous chapter.
They are repeated here merely to complete the six groups.
The presentation of objects to the process-freed con-
sciousness94 is threefold—namely, (i) Kamma, (ii)Kamma
sign, and (iii) Destiny sign.
The bases, doors, and objects, therein, are as de-
scribed before.
The sixfold types of consciousness are eye-consciousness,
ear-consciousness, nose-consciousness, tongue-consciousness,
body-consciousness, and mind-consciousness.
According to the doors the thought-processes are:—
1.The process connected with the eye-door,
2.The process connected with the ear-door,
3.The process connected with the nose-door,
4.The process connected with the tongue-door,
5.The process connected with the body-door, and
6.The process connected with the mind-door.
Or, according to consciousness the thought-processes are:
1.The process connected with the eye-consciousness,
2.The process connected with the ear-consciousness,
3.The process connected with the nose-consciousness,
4.The process connected with the tongue-consciousness,
5.The process connected with the body-consciousness,
and
6.The process connected with the mind-consciousness.
The thought procedure connected with the doors should
thus be co-ordinated.
94.2.Namely, Patisandhi, bhavanga and cuti.
§3.The sixfold presentation of objects (4) should be
understood as follows:—
a.At the five sense-doors—
(i) ‘very great’, (ii) ‘great’, (iii) ‘slight’, (iv) ‘very
slight’.
b.At the mind-door
(v) ‘clear’ and (vi) ‘obscure’.
How is the intensity of objects determined?
The three instants such as genesis, static (or develop-
ment), and dissolution constitute one thought-moment.
The duration of material things consists of seventeen such
thought-moments.
The five sense-objects enter the avenue of five sense-
doors at the static stage when one or several thought-
moments have passed.
Hence the thought-process (4) runs as follows:—
Suppose a visible object which has passed one instant
(i) enters the avenue of eye. Then the bhavanga-
consciousness vibrates for one moment and perishes,
(ii,iii) arresting the bhavanga stream. Subsequently the
five-door apprehending consciousness (iv) arises and
ceases apprehending that very visible object.
Thereafter the following thought-moments arise and
cease in order—
(v)eye-consciousness seeing that very form,
(vi)recipient consciousness receiving it,
(vii)investigating consciousness investigating it,
(viii)determining consciousness determining it.
Then any one of the 29 kinds of Sense-sphere javanas, thus
causally conditioned, runs mostly for seven moments (ix–xv).
Following the javanas, two retentive resultants
(xvi,xvii) arise accordingly. Finally comes the subsidence
into the bhavanga.
Thus far seventeen thought-moments are complete
namely,
fourteen ‘thought-arisings’ (cittuppada)
two vibrations of bhavanga, and
one thought-moment that passed at the inception.
Then the object ceases.
Such an object is termed ‘very great.’
95
That object which enters the avenue of sense, having
passed (a few moments) and is not able to survive till the
arising of the retentive thought-moments, is termed ‘great’.
That object which enters the avenue of sense, having
passed (a few moments) and is not able to survive even till
the arising of the javanas, is termed ‘slight’.
In that case even the javanas do not arise, but only the
determining consciousness lasts for two or three moments
and then there is subsidence into bhavanga.
That object which is about to cease and which enters
the avenue of sense, having passed a few moments and is
not able to survive till the arising of determining con-
sciousness, is termed ‘very slight.’
95. See pp. 263, 264.
In that case there is merely a vibration of the bha-
vanga, but no genesis of a thought-process.
As in the eye-door so is in the ear-door etc.
In all the five doors, the fourfold presentation of
objects should be understood, is due order, in the four
ways, known as—
1.the course (ending with) retention.
2.the course (ending with) javana,
3.the course (ending with) determining, and
4.the futile course.
§.4.There are seven modes
96 and fourteen different
types of consciousness in the thought-process. In detail
there are accordingly 54 97 in the five doors.
Herein this is the method of thought-process in the
five sense-doors.
Notes:—
2.Vithi is derived from vi +
√ i, to go.
This term means a way or street, but here it is used in
the sense of process (parampara). A thought-process con-
sists of several thought-moments, and a thought-moment
is never called a citta-vithi.
3.Visayappavatti—
The commentarial explanation is — ‘the presentation of
96.Namely, 1. avajjana, 2. panca vinnana, 3. sampaticchana, 4. Santirana,
5. votthapana, 6. Javana, (7 moments) and 7. tadalambana. These become 14
when the 7 javana moments and 2 tadalambanas are reckoned separately.
97.Those comprise all the classes of Sense-sphere consciousness which arise
through the five sense-doors.
objects at the doors’, or ‘the genesis of consciousness on
the presentation of such objects’. (visayanam dvaresu,
visayesu ca cittanam pavatti.)
The author evidently prefers the first explanation.
4.Thought-processes
According to Abhidhamma ordinarily there is no moment
when we do not experience a particular kind of conscious-
ness, hanging on to some object—whether physical or
mental. The time-limit of such a consciousness is termed
one thought-moment. The rapidity of the succession of
such thought-moments is hardly conceivable by the ken of
human knowledge. Books state that within the brief dura-
tion of a flash of lightning, or in the twinkling of an eye bil-
lions of thought-moments may arise and perish.
Each thought-moment consists of three minor instants
(khanas). They are uppada (arising or genesis), thiti (static
or development), and bhanga (cessation or dissolution).
Birth, decay, and death98 correspond to these three
states. The interval between birth and death is regarded as
decay.
Immediately after the cessation stage of a thought-
moment there results the genesis stage of the subsequent
thought-moment. Thus each unit of consciousness per-
ishes conditioning another, transmitting at the same time
all its potentialities to its successor. There is, therefore, a
98.These three stages correspond to the Hindu view of Brahma (Creator), Vishnu
(Preserver) and Siva (Destroyer).
continuous flow of consciousness like a stream without
any interruption.
When a material object is presented to the mind
through one of the five sense-doors, a thought-process
occurs, consisting of a series of separate thought-moments
leading one to the other in a particular, uniform order. This
order is known as the citta-niyama (psychic order). As a
rule for a complete perception of a physical object through
one of the sense-doors precisely 17 thought-moments must
pass. As such the time duration of matter is fixed at 17
thought-moments. After the expiration of that time-limit,
one fundamental unit of matter perishes giving birth to
another unit. The first moment is regarded as the genesis
(uppada), the last as dissolution (bhanga), and the interval
15 moments as decay or development (thiti or jara).
As a rule when an object enters the consciousness
through any of the doors one moment of the life-
continuum elapses. This is known as atita-bhavanga. Then
the corresponding thought-process runs uninterruptedly
for 16 thought-moments. The object thus presented is
regarded as ‘very great’.
If the thought-process ceases at the expiration of
javanas without giving rise to two retentive moments
(tadalambana), thus completing only 14 moments, then
the object is called ‘great’.
Sometimes the thought-process ceases at the
moment of determining (votthapana) without giving rise
to the javanas, completing only 7 thought-moments. Then
the object is termed ‘slight’.
At times when an object enters the consciousness
there is merely a vibration of the life-continuum. Then the
object is termed ‘very slight’.
When a so-called ‘very great’ or ‘great’ object, per-
ceived through the five sense-doors, is subsequently con-
ceived by the mind-door, or when a thought process aris-
ing through the mind-door extends up to the retentive
stage, then the object is regarded as ‘clear’.
When a thought-process, arising through the mind-
door, ceases at the javana stage, the object is termed ‘obscure.’
When, for instance, a person looks at the radiant
moon on a cloudless night, he gets a faint glimpse of the
surrounding stars as well. He focuses his attention on the
moon, but he cannot avoid the sight of stars around. The
moon is regarded as a great object, while the stars are
regarded as minor objects. Both moon and stars are per-
ceived by the mind at different moments. According to
Abhidhamma it is not correct to say that the stars are per-
ceived by the sub-consciousness and the moon by the con-
sciousness.
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