Abhidhammattha Sangaha - Summary of Doors

Abhidhammattha Sangaha ( A Manual of Abhidhamma )

Translated by Narada Maha Thera
Published By the Buddhist Missionary Society

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(iv.Dvara—Sangaho)
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§8.Dvarasangahe dvarani nama cakkhudvaram
sotadvaram ghanadvaram jivhadvaram kaya-
dvaram manodvaran c’ ati chabbidhani bhavanti.
Tattha cakkhum’ eva cakkhudvaram, tatha
sotadayo sotadvaradini. Manodvaram pana
bhavangam pavuccati.
Tattha pancadvaravajjana-cakkhuvinnana-
sampaticchana-santirana-votthapana-kama-
vacarajavana-tadalambanavasena cha cattaëisa
cittani cakhudvare yatharaham uppajjanti.
Tatha pancadvaravajjana-sotavinnanadiva-
sena sotadvaradisu’ pi chacattaëis’eva bhavanti.
Sabbatha’ pi pancadvare catupannasa cittam
kamavacaran’ eva’ ti veditabbani.
Manodvare pana manodvaravajjana-

pancapannasajavana-tadalambanavasena
sattasatthicittani bhavanti.
Ekunavisati patisandhi-bhavanga-cutiva-
sena dvaravimuttani.
Tesu pana dvipancavinnanani c’eva maha-
ggata-lokuttarajavanani c’ati chattimsa yatha-
raham’ ekadvarikacittani nama.
Manodhatuttikam pana pancadvarikam.
Sukhasantirana votthapana-kamavacarajava
nani chadvarikacittani.
Upekkhasahagata santirana-mahavipakani
chadvarikani c’ eva dvaravimuttani ca.
Mahaggatavipakam dvaravimuttan’ eva’ ti.
§9.Ekadvarikacittani pancadvarikani ca
Chadvarika vimuttani vimuttani ca sabbatha.
Chattimsati tatha tini ekatimsa yathakkamam
Dasadha navadha c’ati pancadha paridipaye.
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(iv.Summary of Doors)
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§8.In the summary of doors (43), there are six kinds —
namely, eye-door (44), ear-door, nose-door, tongue-door,
body-door, and mind-door (45).

Therein the eye itself is the eye-door; and so for the
ear-door and others. But bhavanga is called the mind-door.
Of them forty-six (46) types of consciousness arise
accordingly (47) in the eye-door:
(a)five-door apprehending,
(b)eye-consciousness,
(c)receiving,
(d)investigating,
(e)determining,
( f )Sense-sphere javana,
(g)retention.
Likewise in the ear-door and others forty-six types of
consciousness arise such as five-door apprehending, ear-
consciousness, and so forth.
It should be understood that in every way in the five
doors there are fifty-four types of Kamavacara conscious-
ness (48).
In the mind-door sixty-seven types of consciousness
arise such as mind-door apprehending, fifty-five javanas
(49), and retention (50).
Nineteen types of consciousness such as relinking,
bhavanga, and decease are without doors (51).
Of those (that arise through doors) thirty-six types
of consciousness (52) such as twice fivefold sense-
impressions and the sublime and supramundane javanas
(53) are with one door accordingly.

The three mind-elements (54) arise through five doors.
Pleasurable investigation (55), determining (56),
and the Kama-sphere javanas arise through six doors.
Investigation, accompanied by indifference, and the
great Resultants arise either through the six doors or with-
out a door (57).
The Sublime Resultants do arise without a door (58).
§9.Thirty-six (59) types of consciousness arise through
one door, three through five, thirty-one through six, ten
through six without a door, nine wholly free from a door
respectively. In five ways they are shown.
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Notes:—
43.Dvara or door, derived from du, two and
√ ar, to go, to enter, is that which serves both as an
entrance and an exit. Eye, ear and other organs of sense
act as doors for objects to enter.
The five physical senses and the mind are regarded
as the six doors through which objects gain entrance.
See Compendium of Philosophy, p. 85, N. 4.
44. By Cakkhudvara or eye-door is meant the sen-
sory surface of the eye. The other doors should be similarly
understood.
45.Manodvara—Mind-door
It was explained earlier that when an object enters the
mind the bhavanga consciousness first vibrates for a

moment and is then arrested. Subsequently avajjana or
apprehending thought-moment arises. In the case of a
physical object it is one of the five sense-impressions. In
the case of a mental object it is the manodvaravajjana—
mind-door consciousness. The bhavangupaccheda (bha-
vanga arrest) thought-moment that immediately precedes
the mind-door apprehending consciousness is known as
the mind-door (manodvara).
Abhidhammavatara states—
S’avajjanam bhavangantu manodvaranti vuccati.
(The bhavanga with the avajjana is known as mind-
door).
46.The commentary sums up 46 as follows:—
(a)1; (b)2 (akusala and kusala vipaka cakkhu vinnana);
(c)2 (akusala and kusala vipaka sampaticchana);
(d)3(akusala vipaka = 1, kusala vipaka santirana = 2);
(e) 1; (f) 29 (akusala = 12 + kusala = 8 + ahetuka kriya
hasituppada = 1 + sobhana kriya = 8); (g)8 (sobhana
vipaka — the other three being included in santirana).
1 + 2 + 2 + 3 + 1 + 29 + 8 = 46.
46. Forty-six types of consciousness arise through
the eye-door with material form as the object (rupalam-
bana). An equal number arises in the remaining four phys-
ical doors with their respective objects.

47.Accordingly, yatharaham—
That is, “according as the object is desirable or not, as
attentiveness is right or wrong, as passion-freed individu-
als or not” (Vibhavini Tika). Mr. Aung says “Ledi Sayadaw
explains the same by ‘According to the object, the plane of
existence, the subject, attention, etc.’.”
48. All types of Kamavacara consciousness arise
through these five doors.
49. Namely, 12 akusalas + 1 ahetuka kriya +
16sobhana kusala and kriya + 10 Rupavacara kusala and
kriya + 8 Arupavacara kusala and kriya + 8 Lokuttara
Magga and Phala. (12 + 1 + 16 + 10 + 8 + 8 = 55).
50. Namely, 3 santiranas and 8 sobhana vipakas.
51.Dvara-vimutta, door-freed.
Vibhavini Tika explains that they are so called because
(i)they do not arise in any of the sense-doors such as eye
etc., (ii) bhavanga itself is the mind-door, and (iii) they
exist without receiving any new external object (pertain-
ing to the present life).
The first reason applies to cuti and patisandhi, the
second to bhavangupaccheda, and the third to all bhavan-
gas and cuti.
It was stated earlier that patisandhi, bhavanga and cuti
of a particular life are similar because their objects and their
co-adjuncts are identical although their functions differ.

At the moment of death a thought-process that con-
ditions the future existence occurs. The object of this
thought-process may be (i) a Kamma (action) which one
has performed in the course of one’s life. One recollects the
deed as if being renewed. Strictly speaking, it is a recurring
of the consciousness which one has experienced while per-
forming the action. Or it may be (ii) any symbol (Kamma-
nimitta) which was conspicuous during the performance
of the action. It may also be (iii) characteristic symbol of
the place in which one is bound to be reborn (gati-
nimitta).
91 Taking one of these three as the object, the
rebirth-consciousness takes place in the future existence.
The object of the bhavanga and cuti of that particular
existence is similar to that of the patisandhi. Hence it was
stated above that they do not take any new external object.
52. They arise in their respective doors such as eye,
ear, etc..
53. All the 26 Sublime and Supramundane javanas
arise through the mind-door.
54. The two sampaticchanas and pancadvaravaj-
jana arise only through the five physical sense-doors.
Readers should note that at times all these three types
91.Referring to the object of the patisandhi citta Mr. Aung says in the
Compendium — “These have for their object either the past efficient action
itself, or a symbol of that past action (Kamma nimitta), or a sign of the
tendencies (gati-nimitta) that are determined by the force of that past
action”—p. 26.
Here gati-nimitta means a sign or symbol of the place in which he is to be
born, such as fire, flesh, celestial mansions, etc.

of consciousness are collectively termed manodhatuttika
(three mind-elements).
55. Pleasurable investigation arises through the
five physical doors when the object presented is desirable.
It occurs through the mind-door as a tadalambana.
56. This is the manodvaravajjana which functions
purely as a mind-door apprehending consciousness and as
a determining consciousness in a thought-process which
arises through any of the five physical doors.
57. When they function as patisandhi, bhavanga
and cuti they are door-freed.
58. The nine Rupavacara and Arupavacara vipaka
cittas arise as patisandhi, bhavanga and cuti in their
respective planes. Hence they are door-freed.
59. They are:—
dvipanca vinnana (sense-impression) = 10
Rupavacara kusala and kriya = 10
Arupavacara kusala and kriya = 8
Lokuttara Magga and Phala = 8 ___
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