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 10 - Functions of Citta

Citta can experience objects through six doors. All objects which can be experienced by citta can be classified as six-fold:

  1. Visible object, rūpārammaṇa, can be known by citta through the eye-door and through the mind-door
  2. Sound, saddārammaṇa, can be known by citta through the ear-door and through the mind-door
  3. Odor, gandhārammaṇa, can be known by citta through the nose-door and through the mind-door
  4. Flavor, rasārammaṇa, can be known by citta through the tongue-door and through the mind-door
  5. Tangible object, phoṭṭhabbārammaṇa, can be known by citta through the body-door and through the mind-door
  6. Mental object, dhammārammaṇa, can be known by citta only through the mind-door

The cittas arising in the mind-door process, mano-dvāra vīthi-cittas, can experience all six classes of objects. As regards mental object, dhammārammaṇa, this can be known only by mind-door process cittas.

Each citta which arises performs a function and then it falls away. The rebirth-consciousness which succeeds the dying-consciousness of the previous life performs the function of rebirth only once. After that citta has fallen away, bhavanga-cittas arise and all bhavanga-cittas, including the past bhavanga, atīta bhavanga, the vibrating bhavanga, bhavanga calana, and the arrest bhavanga, bhavangupaccheda, perform the function of bhavanga; they preserve the continuity in a lifespan. The bhavangupaccheda is the last bhavanga-citta arising before the stream of bhavanga-cittas is arrested and a series of cittas arising in a process occurs. The bhavangupaccheda is succeeded by the first citta of a process, a vīthi-citta. This citta performs the function of adverting, āvajjana, it pays attention to or adverts to the object which appears through one of the doorways. It does not take part of the succession of bhavanga-cittas, but it turns towards the object which impinges on one of the senses. If the object impinges on the eye-sense, the five-sense-door adverting-consciousness, the pañcadvārāvajjana-citta, arises and performs the function of adverting through the eye-door. If the object impinges on one of the other senses, the five-sense-door adverting-consciousness performs the function of adverting to the object through the relevant doorway. It experiences the object which contacts one of the five sense-doors, but it does not see, hear, smell, taste yet, and there is no body-consciousness yet. If the object contacts the mind-door, thus, not one of the five senses, the mind-door adverting-consciousness, the manodvārāvajjana-citta, arises and this is another type of citta which is different from the five-sense-door adverting-consciousness. It performs the function of adverting to the object only through the mind-door.

During the arising and falling away of bhavanga-cittas, flavor, for example, may arise and impinge on the rupa which is tasting-sense (jivhāppasāda rupa). The atīta bhavanga, past bhavanga, arises and falls away and is succeeded by the bhavanga calana, vibrating bhavanga, and this again is succeeded by the bhavangupaccheda, the arrest bhavanga. The bhavangupaccheda is succeeded by the five-sense-door adverting-consciousness. This citta attends to the object, it knows that the object impinges on the tongue-door but it cannot taste yet. It is as if one knows that a visitor has arrived at the door but one does not see him yet and does not know who he is. We all have guests who come to see us. When we think of guests we are likely to think of people, but in reality our guests are the different objects which appear through the eyes, the ears, the nose, the tongue, the body-sense and the mind-door. When we see visible object which appears through the eyes, visible object is our visitor. When we hear sound, sound is our visitor. When we do not hear, sound does not appear, and thus, a visitor has not come yet through the ear-door. When flavor appears, flavor is like a visitor, it appears through the door of the tongue just for a moment, and then it disappears. Whenever an object appears through one of the doorways that object can be seen as a visitor which comes through that doorway. It is there just for an extremely short moment and then it disappears completely, it does not come back again in the cycle of birth and death.

Elderly people tend to feel lonely when they lack company. When they were younger they met many people, they enjoyed the company of relatives and friends. When they have become older the number of visitors, whom they see as people, has dwindled. When one asks elderly people what they like most of all, they will usually answer that they like most of all the company of people. They are happy when other people come to see them, they like to be engaged in conversation. However, in reality everybody has visitors, at each moment one sees, hears, smells, tastes or experiences tangible object. Usually when such visitors come, citta rooted in attachment arises and enjoys what appears through the eyes, the ears, the nose, the tongue or the body-sense.

There are different kinds of visitors. Nobody would like a wicked person as visitor, but a dear relative or friend is most welcome. In reality the different objects which appear through the senses are only rupas. Rupa does not know anything and therefore it cannot have any evil intention towards anybody. When would a visitor be an enemy and when a dear relative or friend? Actually, when an object appears and one enjoys it and clings to it, there is an enemy, because enjoyment with clinging is akusala Dhamma. Akusala Dhamma is not a friend to anybody. Whereas kusala Dhamma is like a close relative who is ready to help one, eager to give assistance at all times. Therefore, we should know the difference between the characteristic of kusala citta and of akusala citta. Akusala citta is evil, harmful, it is like an enemy, not a friend. When we think of an enemy we may be afraid, and we do not like his company. However, it is akusala citta which is wicked, and this citta is a condition that there will also be an enemy in the future. Whereas kusala citta, which is like a dear relative or friend, is a condition that there will also be a dear relative or friend in the future[1] .

Rupa is not a condition for foe or friend, because rupa does not know anything, it has no evil or good intention. The sound which appears is a reality which does not experience anything, it has no wish that anybody hears it or does not hear it. Sound is rupa which arises because there are conditions for its arising; which kind of sound will impinge on someone’s ear-sense is dependent on conditions. When we are fast sleep we do not even hear the deafening, frightening sound of thunder. Then the sound of thunder is not our visitor. However, it can be someone else’s visitor when there are the accumulated conditions which cause the ear-sense to be impinged upon by that sound. It is dependent on conditions whether an object will be someone’s visitor through the doorway of eyes, ears, nose, tongue or body-sense. Kamma which has been accumulated causes the arising of vipākacitta which experiences an object through one of the sense-doors.

Thus, the visitors which present themselves through the eyes, the ears, the nose, the tongue and the body-sense are visible object, sound, odor, flavor and tangible object. They appear just for a moment and then they fall away, they disappear, not to return again. There is no living being, person, self or anything there. Nobody knows in a day which visitor will come through which doorway and at which moment.

Whenever citta experiences an object through the eyes, the other senses or the mind-door, it is vīthi-citta, citta arising in a process. The five-sense-door adverting-consciousness which succeeds the bhavangupaccheda is the first vīthi-citta in a sense-door process. This citta performs the function of adverting to the object. It merely knows that an object is impinging on one of the five sense-doors, thus, it is different from the citta which performs the function of seeing or from the other sense-cognitions. If the five-sense-door adverting-consciousness has not arisen and fallen away first, the other vīthi-cittas of that sense-door process cannot arise, be it a process of the doorway of the eyes, the ears, the nose, the tongue or the body-sense. Thus, the five-sense-door adverting-consciousness is the first vīthi-citta in a sense-door process and it adverts to the object through one of the five sense-doors. Therefore, it is called five-sense-door adverting-consciousness, pañca-dvārāvajjana-citta[2] , and is named after the corresponding doorway, as the case may be. When it adverts to visible object through the eye-door, it is called eye-door adverting-consciousness, cakkhu-dvārāvajjana-citta. In the same way the adverting-consciousness which adverts to the object through each of the other sense-doors is called ear-door adverting-consciousness, nose-door adverting-consciousness, tongue-door adverting-consciousness and body-door adverting-consciousness. However, the collective name five-sense-door adverting-consciousness can also be used for this type of citta, since it performs the function of adverting through all five sense-doors.

There is also a type of citta which is the first vīthi-citta of the mind-door process and this experiences different objects through the mind-door. Before kusala cittas or akusala cittas in a mind-door process arise which may think of different subjects, there must be a citta which performs the function of adverting to the object which contacts the mind-door. This citta which is the mind-door adverting-consciousness, mano-dvārāvajjana-citta, is the first vīthi-citta of the mind-door process. If this citta does not arise the following vīthi-cittas which experience an object through the mind-door cannot arise. The mind-door adverting-consciousness is a type of citta different from the five-sense-door adverting-consciousness. The five-sense-door adverting-consciousness can arise only in the five-sense-door processes, not in a mind-door process. The mind-door adverting-consciousness can perform the function of adverting only through the mind-door.

Thus, there are two types of vīthi-citta which perform the function of adverting: the five-sense-door adverting-consciousness which performs the function of adverting through the five sense-doors, and the mind-door adverting-consciousness which performs the function of adverting only through the mind-door.

One may wonder whether at this moment a five-sense-door adverting-consciousness arises. There must be, otherwise there could not be seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting or the experience of tangible object. There is also at this moment mind-door adverting-consciousness. Different vīthi-cittas arise which experience an object through one of the five sense-doors and then they fall away. When the sense-door process is over there are many bhavanga-cittas arising in succession, and then vīthi-cittas of a mind-door process arise which experience the same object again as the vīthi-cittas of the preceding sense-door process. They experience this object through the mind-door, which is the citta preceding the mind-door adverting-consciousness, the bhavangupaccheda, arrest bhavanga[3] .

When we are fast sleep we do not experience any object through one of the six doors. There cannot be the five-sense-door adverting-consciousness nor the mind-door adverting-consciousness. Also when we are not asleep there are moments that we do not experience any object through one of the six doors. At such moments the five-sense-door adverting-consciousness or the mind-door adverting-consciousness do not arise, but there are bhavanga-cittas arising in between the different processes of cittas.

In the five-sense-door process there are seven different types of vīthi-cittas arising in a fixed order. When the first vīthi-citta, the five-sense-door adverting-consciousness, has arisen, has performed the function of adverting to the object and has fallen away, it conditions the arising of the second vīthi-citta. In the case of the eye-door process, seeing-consciousness (cakkhu-viññāṇa) arises and performs the function of seeing (dassana kicca) just once and then it falls away. It is the same in the case of the other sense-door processes: hearing-consciousness, smelling-consciousness, tasting-consciousness and body-consciousness, which arise, perform their function just once and then fall away. Types of citta other than the five sense-cognitions cannot succeed the five-sense-door adverting-consciousness.

The five-sense-door adverting-consciousness is the first vīthi-citta. Seeing-consciousness or one of the other sense-cognitions is the second vīthi-citta in the process. When the second vīthi-citta has fallen away it is succeeded by the third vīthi-citta which is the receiving-consciousness, the sampaṭicchana-citta. This citta performs the function of sampaṭicchana, it receives the object from one of the sense-cognitions. When the sampaṭicchana-citta has fallen away, the fourth vīthi-citta arises, the investigating-consciousness, santīraṇa-citta. This citta performs the function of investigating, it investigates the object just once and then it falls away. The fifth vīthi-citta is the determining-consciousness, votthapana-citta. This is actually the type of citta which is the mind-door adverting-consciousness, mano-dvārāvajjana-citta, but in the five-sense-door process it performs the function of determining the object and it is then called after its function determining-consciousness, votthapana-citta. It determines whether kusala citta, akusala citta or maha-kiriyacitta will succeed it. It prepares the way for these types of cittas.

When the determining-consciousness, the votthapana-citta, has fallen away the sixth type of vīthi-citta arises, and this can be kusala citta, akusala citta or maha-kiriyacitta. There are different types of kusala citta, of akusala citta and of maha-kiriyacitta, and when the series of javana cittas occurs, these cittas are all of the same type of kusala citta, of akusala citta or of maha-kiriyacitta. They perform the function of javana, impulsion[4] , "running through" the object. As has been stated, this type of citta "arranges itself in its own series or continuity by way of javana".

All the types of vīthi-cittas which experience an object through the eyes, the ears, the nose, the tongue, the body-sense or the mind-door arise in a fixed sequence. This fixed order of cittas (citta niyāma) takes its course according to conditions and nobody has any power or control over this fixed order.

It is because of the appropriate conditions that first the vīthi-citta which is the five-sense-door adverting-consciousness arises, performs its function only once and falls away. The second type of vīthi-citta of the sense-door process, which is in the case of the eye-door process seeing-consciousness, arises and performs the function of seeing only once and then it falls away. The third type of vīthi-citta, the receiving-consciousness, sampaṭicchana-citta, arises once and then falls away. The fourth type of vīthi-citta, the investigating-consciousness, santīraṇa-citta, arises only once. The fifth type of vīthi-citta, the determining-consciousness, votthapana-citta, arises only once. The sixth type of vīthi-citta, which may be kusala citta, akusala citta or maha-kiriyacitta, performs the function of impulsion, javana, and this function is performed seven times by seven javana-cittas arising in succession. It is according to conditions that the javana vīthi-citta arranges itself in its own series or continuity, that this type of vīthi-citta arises and falls away seven times in succession. For those who are not arahats the citta which performs the function of javana is kusala citta or akusala citta. For the arahat there is no kusala citta or akusala citta but maha-kiriyacitta which can perform the function of javana. For the arahat there are only cittas of the jātis (classes) which are vipāka and kiriya. There are several types of kiriyacittas. After seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, the experience of tangible object and also while there is thinking, the javana-cittas of the arahat are "mundane" kiriyacittas. The citta experiences at such moments visible object, sound, odor, flavor and tangible object, objects which are "the world".

After a single moment of seeing we enjoy what we have seen and then akusala citta rooted in attachment arises seven times. Thus, akusala citta arises seven times more often than seeing-consciousness which sees only once. In this way akusala is actually accumulated in daily life, and this concerns all of us. Because of the persistent accumulation of akusala the eradication of defilements is extremely difficult, it cannot be achieved without right understanding of realities. If someone believes that it is easy to eradicate defilements, he should learn the truth about the process of accumulation, the accumulation of ignorance, attachment, aversion and of all the other faults and vices. One should know that defilements arise seven times more often than seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting and body-consciousness, which types of citta arise only once. If someone has expectations and if he is wondering when he will penetrate the four noble Truths, he does not take into account cause and effect as they really are, he does not consider the conditioning factors which have been accumulated in the cycle of birth and death. We should develop right understanding of the characteristics of all kinds of realities in order to know them as they are. Then we shall penetrate the four noble Truths and defilements can be eradicated stage by stage.

When we are listening to the Dhamma or studying the subject of citta, and sati of satipaṭṭhāna can be aware of the realities as they are, we are following the right practice. This means that we are developing the way eventually leading to the realization of nibbāna, the reality which is the cessation of defilements. Whenever sati is not aware of the characteristics of realities as they appear, one does not develop the way leading to the eradication of defilements, even if kusala Dhamma arises.

The "Atthasālinī" states (I, Book I, Part I, Ch I, Triplets in the Mātikā, 44) that akusala Dhamma as well as kusala Dhamma which are not of the eightfold Path[5] are leading to accumulation, to continuation of the cycle of birth and death.

We read about akusala and kusala which are not of the Path:

... "leading to accumulation" (ācayagāmin) are "those states which go about severally, arranging (births and deaths in) a round of destiny like a bricklayer who arranges bricks, layer by layer, in a wall."

Whenever we are not aware of the characteristics of realities when they appear and we do not understand them as they are, no matter whether akusala Dhamma or kusala Dhamma presents itself, we accumulate and build up life after life, just as the bricklayer who piles up the bricks one by one until it is a wall. However, when sati is aware of the characteristics of realities which appear as they really are, that is the Path, that is dispersion (apācayagāmin[6] ), because one does not build up Dhammas which lead to accumulation, just as a man who tears up the bricks which the bricklayer has piled up. Are we at this moment like the man who knocks down the bricks, or are we like the man who piles up the bricks?

The first vīthi-citta, the five-sense-door adverting-consciousness, the second vīthi-citta, one of the sense-cognitions (pañca-viññāṇas), the third vīthi-citta, receiving-consciousness, the fourth vīthi-citta, investigating-consciousness, the fifth vīthi-citta, determining-consciousness, these cittas do not arise in their own series, because of these types there is only one citta which arises and then falls away. Even though the determining-consciousness, votthapana-citta, can arise two or three times in the case when the rupa which is the object falls away before the javana-citta arises[7] , it cannot be said that the votthapana-citta arises in its own series, like the javana-citta.

It is only the sixth type of vīthi-citta, the javana-citta, which arranges itself in its own series or continuity, because there are usually seven cittas of this type arising and falling away in succession. When one loses consciousness the javana-cittas arise and fall away six times in succession, and just before dying they arise and fall away five times in succession. Since the javana-cittas arise and fall away up to seven times in succession, they arise more frequently than the other types of vīthi-cittas. Therefore it is said that the javana vīthi-citta arises in its own series or continuity.

 

Questions

  1. What is contiguity-condition, anantara-paccaya?
  2. How many jātis are there of citta and cetasika, and which are these jātis?
  3. What is vīthi-citta? Which citta is not vīthi-citta?
  4. What is past bhavanga, atīta bhavanga?
  5. Can there be bhavanga-citta when one is not asleep?
  6. Which objects are known by the five-sense-door adverting-consciousness and through which doorways?
  7. Through which doorways does the mind-door adverting-consciousness know an object?
  8. Through how many doorways does citta know dhammārammṇa, mental object?
  9. Which function is performed by the five-sense-door adverting-consciousness, and through which doorway?
  10. Which functions are performed by the mind-door adverting-consciousness, and through how many doorways?

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Akusala citta and kusala citta arise and fall away, but the inclinations to akusala and kusala are accumulated; the accumulated inclinations are the condition for the arising again later on of akusala citta and kusala citta.

[2]:

In Pali, pañca means five, dvāra means door and āvajjana means adverting.

[3]:

The five sense doors are rupas, whereas the mind door is nama.

[4]:

Javana, which means "impulse" is also translated in some places as "apperception".

[5]:

One may perform wholesome deeds without the development of the eightfold Path, without right understanding of nama and rupa. Then there will be no eradication of defilements, no end to the cycle of birth and death.

[6]:

This is the opposite of acayagāmin, accumulation.

[7]:

This is the case when the process does not run its full course, as will be explained later on.

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