A Survey of Paramattha Dhammas

by Sujin Boriharnwanaket | 129,875 words

A Survey of Paramattha Dhammas is a guide to the development of the Buddha's path of wisdom, covering all aspects of human life and human behaviour, good and bad. This study explains that right understanding is indispensable for mental development, the development of calm as well as the development of insight The author describes in detail all ment...

Chapter 8 - Citta Knows an Object

As we read in the "Atthasālinī" in the section about the aspects of citta (I, Book I, Part II, 63), citta is so called because it thinks of its object, it clearly cognizes its object. We then read:

Or, inasmuch as this word citta is common to all states or classes of citta, that which is known as mundane, lokiya[1] : kusala (wholesome), akusala (unwholesome), or maha-kiriya[2] , is termed citta, because it arranges itself in its own series or continuity by way of javana (impulsion), in a process of citta[3] . And the vipāka is also termed citta because it is conditioned by accumulated (cita) kamma and the defilements.

Moreover, all (four classes[4] ) are termed citta because they are variegated (vicitta) according to circumstance. The meaning of citta may also be understood from its capacity of producing a variety or diversity of effects.

When we study the commentaries which have been composed later on we shall find that they deal with six characteristics of citta. These aspects are actually taken from the "Atthasālinī" which is the Commentary to the "Dhammasangaṇi" (Buddhist Psychological Ethics), the first Book of the Abhidhamma.

The aspects of citta can be classified as six categories:

  1. Citta is so called because it thinks (cinteti[5] ) of an object, it clearly knows an object.
  2. Citta is so called because it arranges itself in its own series or continuity, by way of javana[6] in a process.
  3. Citta is so called because it is result (vipāka), conditioned by accumulated (cita) kamma and defilements.
  4. Citta is so called because it is variegated (vicitta), according to circumstances. In the Commentaries composed later on this aspect has been given as twofold:
  5. Citta is variegated because it experiences different objects,
  6. Citta is variegated because of the accompanying cetasikas, sampayutta Dhammas.
  7. Citta is so called because of its capacity of producing a diversity of effects.

All these aspects will be dealt with systematically, so that the characteristic of citta will be understood in conformity with the explanation of the "Atthasālinī".

Citta is so called because it thinks of its object, it clearly knows its object. All of us are thinking time and again. If we notice that we are thinking and carefully investigate this, we shall see that we are really quite occupied with thinking, that we think for a long time of a variety of things. We cannot prevent thinking, it goes on and on. Therefore, some people do not want to think, they want to be calm. They believe that it is beneficial to prevent thinking because they see that when they are thinking, they have worry and anxiety, they are restless and disturbed because of attachment or aversion. We should know that citta is actually the reality which thinks. Rupa cannot think. When we consider what the subjects are citta thinks about, we shall know why citta thinks about them, even though we sometimes do not like to think about them at all. It is quite natural that citta arises and thinks time and again about what appears through the eyes, the ears, the nose, the tongue, the body-sense and the mind-door. We believe that all the subjects citta thinks about are very serious and important, but thinking only occurs because citta arises and thinks of an object, and then it falls away. If citta would not think about all those things we take very seriously, they would not exist at all. As we read in the "Atthasālinī", citta is so called because it thinks, it clearly knows an object.

As to the Dhammas which experience an object, there are different types of realities, each with their own characteristic, which experience an object. Cetasika is a reality which experiences an object, but it is not the "leader" in cognizing an object. Cetasikas arise together with the citta and they experience the same object as the citta, but they each perform their own function. Phassa cetasika (contact), for example, arises together with the citta, but it performs its own function, it experiences the object in contacting it. If phassa cetasika does not arise and performs its function while it experiences the object, there is no contact with the object. Phassa cetasika experiences the object only in contacting it, but it does not know the object in the same way as citta which clearly cognizes the object. Paññā is another cetasika, which knows, for example, the characteristics of realities which appear as non-self, not a living being, not a person. It penetrates the true characteristics of realities, which appear through the six doors. As regards citta, this is the reality which clearly knows its object, as has been explained. However, citta knows the object in a way different from phassa, which just contacts the object, or saññā (perception or remembrance) which recognizes the characteristic of the object, or paññā which penetrates the true nature of realities.

Citta is the reality which cognizes, which clearly knows the different characteristics of the objects which appear. Is what is appearing through the eyes at this moment one and the same color or are there different colors appearing? Reality is true Dhamma (sacca Dhamma), it can be verified. We should find out whether at this moment we see only one thing, only one color, or whether we see that which is appearing as different colors, in a detailed way, so that we can distinguish between different things which are perceived. Can we, for example, distinguish between a real diamond and a synthetic diamond?

Citta is the reality which sees and knows clearly, it clearly knows the different characteristics of the different objects, and that even into the smallest details. At this moment the rupa which is the eye-sense has as its characteristic a special clarity, it can be compared to a mirror in which the image of whatever passes is clearly reflected. The eye-sense can come into contact with visible object. The ear-sense can come into contact just with sound, smelling-sense just with odor, tasting-sense just with flavor, and body-sense just with those rupas which are tangible object.

Whatever color appears, color of a real diamond, of a synthetic diamond, of jade, of a stone, even the color of the look in someone’s eyes which expresses envy, all that can appear to the citta which sees. What appears at this moment through the eyes appears to citta which clearly knows it. It sees all the colors of the different objects which appear, and thus the meaning of things can be known, the shape and form perceived, and there can be thinking about what has appeared through the eyes.

Are sounds which appear through the ear-sense entirely the same or are there different sounds? Each sound is different depending on the conditions which cause the arising of that sound. No matter how many people there are, the sound of each individual is different. Citta clearly knows each of the different sounds which appear. Citta knows the sound of ridicule, of sarcasm, of contempt, of a fan, of a waterfall, the cry of an animal, the different calls of various kinds of animals, or even the sound of a man who imitates the sound of an animal. Citta clearly knows the characteristics of the different sounds, it hears each different sound.

All kinds of realities can appear when citta arises and clearly knows the object which presents itself. The citta which smells through the nose can arise and clearly know the different odors which appear. It can clearly know the smell of different kinds of animals, plants or flowers, the smell of food, of curry and of sweets. Even if we only smell without seeing anything, we can know what kind of smell it is.

The citta which experiences flavor through the tongue can arise and clearly know different flavors. There are many flavors of food, such as flavor of meat, vegetable or fruit, there is the flavor of tea, coffee, salt, sugar, orange juice, lemon or tamarind. All these flavors are completely different, but the citta which tastes clearly knows each of the different flavors which appear. Citta is able to distinguish clearly the most subtle differences in flavor, it knows them in a detailed way. For example, when we sample food, the citta which tastes the flavor knows exactly whether there is still something lacking. It knows which ingredient should be added, how the food should be seasoned so that it is more tasty.

The citta which experiences tangible object impinging on the body-sense, clearly knows the different characteristics of tangible object. It knows, for example, the characteristic of cold of the air, cold of the water, or cold of the weather. It knows the characteristic of silk or of wool which touches the body-sense.

Someone said that while he was standing on the road there was mindfulness of the characteristic of hardness which appeared. He thought that this was hardness of the road, that hardness of the shoes and that hardness of the stockings. All this is thinking about the characteristic of hardness which appears. The citta which thinks arises because of conditions. When hardness impinges on the body-sense and one thinks about what this hardness is, the road, the shoes or the stockings, it can be known that nobody can avoid thinking of different things. However, paññā should understand that citta arises, knows clearly one object at a time and then falls away very rapidly. In this way the characteristics of realities can be known as they are. Thinking about the road, the shoes or the stockings does not occur at the same time as realizing the characteristic of hardness.

If we clearly understand that it is not self who thinks, that it is citta which knows the subject about which it thinks, it can be a condition for paññā to develop, so that it comes to know precisely the characteristics of realities as they are. The citta which thinks is different from the citta which sees. The citta which sees knows an object through the eye-sense, whereas the citta which thinks knows an object through the mind-door. When a reality appears through the body-sense, be it the characteristic of softness or hardness, it is natural that at that moment we do not know yet what it is that is impinging on the body-sense. Later on we know what the object is that is hard or soft. If we touch something in the dark we may turn on the light in order to see what we are touching. Thus, we can understand that at the moment citta experiences hardness it does not think, that thinking is another type of citta. When citta experiences just hardness, there is not the world of the road, the shoes or the stockings. There is not the world of conventional truth, of concepts. There is only the reality which experiences the characteristic of hardness. The reality which experiences hardness is not a living being or a person, it is just a type of nama which arises and then falls away. The citta which arises later on can think about what has appeared through the eyes, the ears, the nose, the tongue, the body-sense or the mind-door. It thinks about a story, about concepts of what has appeared. Since we are so occupied with our thinking we forget that the citta which arose and experienced hardness and the rupa which is hardness have fallen away already. Also the cittas which are thinking about the hard substance fall away immediately. Nama as well as rupa arise and fall away. Cittas arise and fall away in succession continuously and also rupas arise and fall away one after the other; this happens so rapidly that we do not realize their arising and falling away. We do not realize that the nama Dhammas and rupa Dhammas which arise and fall away are non-self.

Citta is the reality which clearly knows the object which appears, be it through the eyes, the ears, the nose, the tongue, the body-sense or the mind-door. Whatever object phassa cetasika contacts, the citta which arises together with it clearly knows the characteristic of that object, it knows each different object. When it is said of citta, the reality which experiences something, that it has the characteristic of clearly knowing an object, we should understand what that means. It means that citta knows the different characteristics of the different objects appearing through the senses or through the mind-door. Citta is the reality which clearly knows an object, and the object is a condition for citta to arise and to experience that object. The object is object-condition (ārammaṇa-paccaya), it is a condition for the arising of citta by being its object. Citta cannot arise without knowing an object, but besides object-condition there are also several other conditions for each type of citta which arises.

 

Questions

  1. Which are the different ways of knowing an object in the case of phassa cetasika, saññā cetasika, paññā cetasika and citta?
  2. What is object-condition?
  3. Which objects can be object-condition?

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Mundane, lokiya, is not lokuttara, supra mundane. Lokuttara cittas experience nibbana. Cittas other than lokuttara cittas are mundane. This will be explained in Ch 23.

[2]:

The arahat has instead of maha kusala cittas maha kiriyacittas.

[3]:

In this context the Pali term cita derived from cināti is used, which means heaped up, accumulated.

[4]:

Kusala, akusala, vipāka, result, and kiriya, neither cause nor result. This will be explained further on.

[5]:

The different Pali terms used here are all derived from the word citta and they represent the different aspects of citta.

[6]:

In a process of cittas there are seven javana cittas which are, in the case of non arahats, kusala cittas or akusala cittas. This will be explained later on.

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