Abhidhamma in Daily Life (by Ashin Janakabhivamsa)

by Ashin Janakabhivamsa | 66,666 words

English translation of "Abhidhamma in Daily Life" by Professor Ko Lay. Revised by Sayadaw U Silananda, International Theravada Buddhist Missionary University, Yangon, 1999...

Factor 4 - Uddhacca (distraction, restlessness, wavering)

Uddhacca means distraction. It may also be called the unsettled state of mind. Just as minute particles of ash fly about when a stone is thrown into a heap of ash, the mind which cannot rest quickly on an object but flits about from object to object is said to be distracted. The mind arising together with uddhacca is called the distracted mind. When one is overpowered by distraction, one will become a drifter, a floater, a loafer, an aimless person.

Nanda Thera’s Inability to Concentrate

When Nanda, the young prince, was about to many Janapada Kalyani, Buddha took him to the monastery and ordained him a bhikkhu. He was so distracted that he could not concentrate on the Dhamma, his mind wandering back often to Princess Janapada Kalyani. In this story, Prince Nanda’s state of mind which is unable to concentrate on Dhamma is a good example of uddhacca.

The Feeble Power of Uddhacca

Uddhacca is the inability to concentrate on any object steadfastly. Being distracted, one’s mind wanders from this object to that object. Although uddhacca is akusala, of unwholesome nature, because it does no evil deeds effectively, it has no power to throw one into apayas, (the four woeful worlds), as greed, hatred and delusion do.

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