Thought-Processes

§ 2.

Cha vatthūni, cha dvārāni, cha ālambanāni, cha viññānani, cha vīthiyo, chadhā visayappavatti c'āti vīthisangahe chachakkāni veditabbāni.

Vīthimuttānam pana kamma-kammani-mitta-gatinimitta-vasena tividhā hoti visayappavatti .

Tattha vatthudvārālambanāni pubbe vuttanayen' eva.

Cakkhuviññānam, sotaviññānam, ghānaviññānam, jivhaviññānam, kāyaviññānam manoviññānam c'āti cha viññānāni.

Vīthiyo pana cakkhudvāravīthi, sotadvāra vīthi, ghānadvāravīthi, jivhādvāravīthi, kāyadvāravīthi, manodvāravīthi c'āti dvāravasena vā cakkhuviññānavīthi, sotaviññānavīthi, ghānaviññānavīthi, jivhāviññānavīthi, kāyaviññānavīthi manoviññānavīthi c'āti viññānavasena vā dvārappavattā cittappavattiyo yojetabbā.

§ 3.

Atimahantam, mahantam, parittam atiparittam c'āti pañcadvāre manodvāre, vibhūtamavibhūtam c'āti chadhā visayappavatti veditabbā.

Katham?

Uppādatthitibhangavasena khanattayam ekacittakkhanam nāma. Tāni pana sattarasacittakkhanāni rūpadhammānam āyu. Ekacittakkhanātītāni vā, bahucittakkhanātītāni vā thitippattān' eva pañcālambanāni pañcadvāre āpātham āgacchanti. Tasmā yadi ekacittakkhanātitakam rūpārammanam cakkhussa āpātham āgacchati. Tato dvikkhattum bhavange calite bhavangasotam vocchinditvā tam'eva rūpārammanam āvajjentam pañcadvārāvajjanacittam uppajjitvā nirujjhati . Tato tass' ānantaram tam' eva rūpam passantam cakkhuviññānam, sampaticchantam sampaticchanacittam, santīrayamanam santīranacittam, vavatthapentam votthapanacittam c'āti yathākkamam uppajjitvā nirujjhanti. Tato param ek' ūnatimsakāmāvacarajavanesu yam kiñci laddhapaccayam yebhuyyena sattakkhattum javati. Javanānubandhāni ca dve tadārammanapākāni yathāraham pavattanti. Tato param bhavangapāto.

Ettāvatā cuddasacittuppādā dve bhavangacalanāni pubbevātītakamekacittakkhananti katvā sattarasa cittakkhanāni paripūrenti. Tato param nirujihati. ālambanam' etam atimahantam nāma gocaram.

Yāva tadālamban' uppādā pana appahon-tātītakam āpātham āgatam ālambanam mahantam nāma. Tattha javanāvasāne bhavangapāto' va hoti. Natthi tadālambanuppādo.

Yāva javanuppādā' pi appanontātītakamā-pātham āgatam ālambanam parittam nāma.

Tattha javanam pi anuppajjitvā dvattikkhatthum votthapanam' eva pavattati. Tato param bhavangapāto' va hoti.

Yāva votthapanuppāda ca pana appahontātītakam āpātham āgatam nirodhāsannamālambanam atiparittam nāma. Tattha bhavangacalanam' eva hoti. Natthi vīthicittuppādo.

Icc' evam cakkhudvāre, tathā sotadvārādīsu c'āti sabbathā' pi pañcadvāre tadālambanajavana-votthapanamoghavāra-sankhātānam catunnam vārānam yathākkamam ālambanabhūta visayappavatti catudhā veditabbā.

§ 4.

Vīthicittāni satt' eva cittuppādā catuddasa Catupaññāsa vitthārā pañcadvāre yathāraham.

Ayam' ettha pañcadvāre vīthicittappavattinayo.

 

(translation)

§ 2.

In the compendium of thought-processes six kinds of six classes each should be understood - namely,

1. six bases,
2. six doors,
3. six objects^[1],
4. six-fold consciousness,
5. six processes (2),
6. and sixfold presentation of objects (3)

The presentation of objects to the process-freed consciousness^[2] is threefold - namely,

1. Kamma,
2. Kamma sign,
3. and Destiny sign.

The bases, doors, and objects, therein, are as described 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.

§ 3.

The sixfold presentation of objects (4) should be understood as follows:-

1. At the five sense doors -
       (i) 'very great,'
      (ii) 'great,'
      (iii) 'slight,'
      (iv) 'very slight.'
2. At the mind door -
      (v) 'clear' and
      (vi) 'obscure.'

How is the intensity of objects be determined?

The three instants such as genesis, static (or development), 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 -

5. eye-consciousness seeing that very form,
6. recipient consciousness receiving it,
7. investigating consciousness investigating it,
8. 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,

1. fourteen 'thought-arisings' (cittuppāda)
2. two vibrations of bhavanga, and
3. one thought-moment that passed at t he inception.

Then the object ceases.

Such an object is termed 'very great.' (See pp. 231, 232.)

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 consciousness, is termed 'very slight.'

In that case there is merely a vibration of the bhavanga, but no genesis of a thought-process.

As the eye-door so is in the ear-door etc.

In all the five doors, the fourfold presentation of objects should be understood, in 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^[3] and fourteen different types of consciousness in the thought-process. In detail there are accordingly 54^[4] in the five doors.

Herein this is the method of thought-process in the five sense-doors.

 

Notes: -

2. Vīthi is derived from vi + Ö i, to go.

This term means a way or street, but here it is used in the sense of process (paramparā). A thought-process consists of several thought-moments, and a thought-moment is never called a citta-vīthi.

3. Visayappavatti -

The commentarial explanation is - 'the presentation of objects at the doors,' or 'the genesis of consciousness on the presentation of such objects.' (visayānam dvāresu, visayesu ca cittānam 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 consciousness, hanging on to some object - whether physical of 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 duration of a flash of lightning, or in the twinkling of an eye billions of thought-moments may arise and perish.

Each thought-moment consists of three minor instants (khanas). They are uppāda (arising or genesis), thiti (static or development), and bhanga (cessation or dissolution).

Birth, decay, and death^[5] 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 perishes conditioning another, transmitting at the same time all its potentialities to its successor. There is, therefore, a 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-niyāma (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 (uppāda), the last as dissolution (bhanga), and the interval 15 moments as decay or development (thiti or jarā).

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 atīta-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 (tadālambana), 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 perceived through the five sense-doors, is subsequently conceived by the mind-door, or when a thought process arising 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 perceived by the mind at different moments. According to Abhidhamma it is not correct to say that the stars are perceived by the sub-consciousness and the moon by the consciousness.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

These first three classes have already been discused in the previous chapter. They are repeated hero merely to complete the six groups.

[2]:

Namely, patisandhi, bhavanga and cuti.

[3]:

Namely, 1. āvajjana, 2. pañca viññāna, 3. sampaticchana, 4. santīrana, 5. votthapana, 6. javana, (7 moments) and 7. tadālambana. These become 14 when the 7 javana moments and 2 tadālambanas are reckoned separately.

[4]:

These comprise all the classes of Sense-sphere consciousness which arise through the five sense-doors.

[5]:

These three stages correspond to the Hindu view of Brahma (Creator). Vishnu (Preserver) and Siva (Destroyer).