A Manual of Abhidhamma
by Nārada Thera | 80,494 words | ISBN-13: 9789380336510
In the Abhidhammattha Sangaha there is a brief exposition of the Law of Dependent Origination, followed by a descriptive account of the Causal Relations that finds no parallel in any other philosophy. Edited in the original Pali Text with English Translation and Explanatory Notes by Narada Maha Thera....
(rūpāvacara kusala cittani-5)
§ 7.
- Vitakka--īپ-sukh'첹-sahitam pathamajjhāna-kusalacittam.
- վ-īپ-sukh'첹-sahitam dutiyajjhāna-kusalacittam,
- īپ-sukh'첹-sahitam tatiyajjhāna-kusalacittam,
- Sukh'첹-sahitam catutthajjhāna-kusalacittam,
- Upekkh'첹-sahitam pañcamajjhāna-kusalacittañ c'āti.
Imāni pañca'pi rūpāvacara-kusalacittānināma.
(rūpāvacara vipāka cittāni-5)
- Vitakka--īپ-sukh'첹-sahitam pathamajjhāna-vipākacittam,
- վ-īپ-sukh'첹-sahitam dutiyajjhāna-vipākacittam,
- īپ-sukh'첹-sahitam tatiyajjhāna-vipākacittam,
- Sukh'첹-sahitam, catutthajjhāna-vipākacittam,
- Upekkh'첹-sahitam pañcamajjhāna-vipākacittañ c'āti.
Imāni pañca'pi rūpāvacara-vipākacittāni nāma.
(rūpāvacara kriyā cittāni-5)
- Vitakka--īپ-sukh'첹-sahitam pathamajjhāna-kriyācittam,
- վ-īپ-sukh'첹-sahitam dutiyajjhāna-kriyācittam,
- īپ-sukh'첹-sahitam tatiyajjhāna-kriyācittam,
- Sukh'첹-sahitam catutthajjhāna-kriyācittam,
- Upekkh'첹-sahitam pañcamajjhāna-kriyācittañ c'ati.
Imāni pañca'pi rūpāvacara-kriyācittāni nāma.
Icc'evam sabbathā'pi pannarasa rūpāvacara kusala-vipāka-kriyācittāni samattāni.
Pañcadhā jhānabhedena - rūpāvacaramānasam
Puññapākakriyābhedā - tam pañcadasadhā bhave.
(translation)
(Form-Sphere Moral Consciousness - 5)
§ 7.
- First Բ moral consciousness together with initial application, sustained application, joy, happiness, and one-pointedness.
- Second Բ moral consciousness together with sustained application, joy, happiness, and one-pointedness,
- Third Բ moral consciousness together with joy, happiness, and one-pointedness,
- Fourth Բ moral consciousness together with happiness and one-pointedness.
- Fifth Բ moral consciousness together with equanimity and one-pointedness.
These are the five types of Form-Sphere Moral consciousness.
(Form-Sphere Resultant Consciousness - 5)
- First Բ Resultant consciousness together with initial application, sustained application, joy, happiness, and one-pointedness,
- Second Բ Resultant consciousness together with sustained application, joy, happiness, and one-pointedness,
- Third Բ Resultant consciousness together with joy, happiness, and one-pointedness,
- Fourth Բ Resultant consciousness together with happiness and one-pointedness,
- Fifth Բ Resultant consciousness together with equanimity and one-pointedness.
These are the five types of Բ Resultant consciousness.
(Form-Sphere Functional Consciousness-5)
- First Բ Functional consciousness together with initial application, sustained application, joy, happiness and one-pointedness,
- Second Բ Functional consciousness together with sustained application, joy, happiness, and one-pointedness,
- Third Բ Functional consciousness together with joy, happiness, and one-pointedness,
- Fourth Բ Functional consciousness together with happiness and one-pointedness.
- Fifth Բ Functional consciousness together with equanimity and one-pointedness.
These are the five types of Form-Sphere Functional consciousness.
Thus end, in all, the fifteen types of Form-Sphere Moral Resultant, and Functional consciousness.
(Summary)
Form-Sphere consciousness is fivefold according to different Բs. That becomes fifteen fold according to Moral, Resultant and Functional types.
Notes:
36. ū屹-
There are three planes of existence-namely, Sensuous Sphere (峾ǰ첹), Form-Sphere (ū貹ǰ첹), and Formless-Sphere (ū貹ǰ첹). The four states of misery (ⲹ), human realm (manussa), and the six celestial realms (devaloka) constitute the 峾ǰ첹. It is so called because sense-desires play a predominant part in this sphere. The four states of misery are called duggati (evil states). Evil-doers are born in such states. The remaining seven are called sugati (good states). The good are born in these states of sensuous bliss.
The more evolved persons, who seek no delight in ordinary sense-desires, but are interested in higher spiritual progress, must naturally be born in congenial places in harmony with their lofty aspirations. Even in the human realm it is they who retire to solitude and engage themselves in meditation.
Such meditation (屹) is of two kinds - samatha (concentration) and 貹 (insight). Samatha, which means calm, or tranquillity is gained by developing the Բs. վ貹 is seeing things as they truly are. With the aid of Բs one could develop higher psychic powers (ññ). It is 貹 that leads to Enlightenment.
Those who develop Բs are born after death in higher Form-Spheres (ū貹ǰ첹) and Formless-spheres (ū貹ǰ첹).
In the Formless-Spheres there is no body but only mind. As a rule, both mind and body are interrelated, interdependent, and inseparable. But by will-power there is a possibility for the mind to be separated from the body and vice versa temporarily. Beings born in celestial realms and Form-Spheres are supposed to posses very subtle material forms.
The Compendium of Philosophy states that "ū貹ǰ첹 is so called because the subtle residuum of matter is said, in that place of existence, to be still met with. Arūpaloka is so called because no trace of matter is held to be found in it".
That which frequents the ū貹-Sphere is ū屹. There are fifteen cittas pertaining to it. Five are kusalas, which one can develop in this life itself. Five are their corresponding 첹 which are experienced after death in the ū貹-sphere. Five are kriyā cittas, which are experienced only by Buddhas and Arahats either in this life or by Arahats in the ū貹-Sphere.
37. Բ - Sanskrit Բ-
The Pāli term is derived from the root "jhe", to think. Venerable Buddhaghosa explains Բ as follows, "Aramman'upanijjhānato paccanīkajhāpanato vajhanam", Բ is so called because it thinks closely of an object or because it burns those adverse things (hindrances - īԲ).
By Բ is meant willful concentration on an object.
Of the forty objects of concentration, enumerated in the 9th chapter of this book, the aspirant selects an object that appeals most to his temperament. This object is called parikamma nimitta - preliminary object.
He now intently concentrates on this object until he becomes so wholly absorbed in it that all adventitious thoughts get ipso facto excluded from the mind. A stage is ultimately reached when he is able to visualize the object even with closed eyes. On this visualized image (uggaha nimitta) he concentrates continuously until it develops into a conceptualized image (patibhāga nimitta).
As an illustration let us take the 貹ٳī kasina.
A circle of about one span and four inches in diameter is made and the surface is covered with dawn-colored clay and smoothed well. If there be not enough clay of the dawn color, he may put in some other kind of clay beneath. This hypnotic circle is known as the parikamma nimitta. Now he places this object about two and half cubits away from him and concentrates on it, saying mentally or inaudibly - 貹ٳī or earth. The purpose is to gain the one-pointedness of the mind. When he does this for some time - perhaps weeks, or months, or years - he would be able to close his eyes and visualize the object. This visualized object is called uggaha nimitta. Then he concentrates on this visualized image, which is an exact mental replica of the object, until it develops into a conceptualized image which is called patibhāga nimitta.
The difference between the first visualized image and the conceptualized image is that in the former the fault of the device appears, while the latter is clear of all such defects and is like a "well-burnished conchshell". The latter possesses neither color nor form. "It is just a mode of appearance, and is born of perception".
As he continually concentrates on this abstract concept he is said to be in possession of "proximate concentration" (upacāra samādhi) and the innate five Hindrances to progress (īԲ), such as sense-desire (峾Ի岹), hatred (patigha), sloth and torpor (ٳīԲ-), restlessness and brooding (uddhacca-kukkucca), and doubts (쾱) are temporarily inhibited.
Eventually he gains "ecstatic concentration" (貹 samādhi) and becomes enwrapped in Բ, enjoying the calmness and serenity of a one-pointed mind.
As he is about to gain 貹 samādhi a thought process runs as follows:- bhavanga, mano-dvārāvajjana, parikamma, upacāra, anuloma, dzٰū, 貹.
When the stream of consciousness is arrested, there arises the Mind-door consciousness taking for its object the patibhāga nimitta. This is followed by the Javana process which, as the case may be, starts with either parikamma or ܱ貹. Parikamma is the preliminary or initial thought-moment. 貹 means proximate, because it is close to the 貹 samādhi. It is at the anuloma or "adaptation" thought-moment that the mind qualifies itself for the final 貹. It is so called because it arises in conformity with 貹. This is followed by dzٰū, the thought-moment that transcends the 峾-plane. Ҵdzٰū means that which subdues (ū) the 峾-lineage (gotra). All the thought-moments of this Javana process up to the dzٰū moment are 峾屹 thoughts. Immediately after this transitional stage of dzٰū there arises only for a duration of one moment the 貹 thought-moment that leads to ecstatic concentration. This consciousness belongs to the ū貹-plane, and is termed the First ū貹 Բ. In the case of an Arahat it is a kriyā citta, otherwise it is a kusala.
This consciousness lasts for one thought-moment and then subsides into the Bhavanga state.
The aspirant continues his concentration and develops in the foregoing manner the second, third, fourth, and fifth Բs.
The five Բ 첹 are the corresponding Resultants of the five Morals. They are experienced in the Form sphere itself and not in the 峾-sphere. Kusala and Բs could be experienced in the 峾-sphere continuously even for a whole day.
The five factors, vitakka, , īپ, sukha, 첹 collectively found in the 貹 consciousness, constitute what is technically known as Բ. In the second Բ the first factor is eliminated, in the third the first two are eliminated, in the fourth the first three are eliminated, while in the fifth even happiness is abandoned and is substituted by equanimity.
Sometimes these five Բs are treated as four, as mentioned in the Visuddhi-Magga. In that case the second Բ consists of three constituents as both vitakka and are eliminated at once.
38. Vitakka - is derived from "vi" + "takk" to think. Generally the term is used in the sense of thinking or reflection. Here it is used in a technical sense. It is that which directs the concomitant states towards the object. (ārammanam vitakketi sampayuttadhamme abhiniropeti' ti vitakko). Just as a king's favourite would conduct a villager to the palace, even so vitakka directs the mind towards the object.
Vitakka is an unmoral mental state which, when associated with a kusala or akusala citta, becomes either moral or immoral. A developed form of this vitakka is found in the first Բ consciousness. A still more developed form of vitakka is found in the Path-consciousness (magga citta) as -첹貹 (Right thoughts). The vitakka of the Path-consciousness directs the mental states towards Nibbāna and destroys (wrong or evil) vitakka such as thoughts of sense-desire (峾), thoughts of hatred (岹), and thoughts of cruelty (). The vitakka of the Բ consciousness temporarily inhibits sloth and torpor (ٳīԲ-) one of the five Hindrances (īԲ).
Through continued practice the second Բ is obtained by eliminating vitakka. When four Բs are taken into account instead of the five, the second Բ is obtained by eliminating both vitakka and at the same time.
39. վ is derived from "vi" + "car" to move or wander. Its usual equivalent is investigation. Here it is used in the sense of sustained application of the mind on the object. It temporarily inhibits doubts (쾱).
According to the commentary is that which moves around the object. Examination of the object is its characteristic. Vitakka is like the flying of a bee towards a flower. վ is like its buzzing around it. As Բ factors they are correlates.
40. īپ is zest, joy, or pleasurable interest. It is derived from "pi", to please, to delight. It is not a kind of feeling (岹) like sukha. It is, so to say, its precursor. Like the first two Բ factors, (īپ) is also a mental state found in both moral and immoral consciousness. Creating an interest in the object is its characteristic īپ inhibits 岹, ill-will or aversion.
There are five kinds of īپ:-
- Khuddaka īپ, the thrill of joy that causes "the flesh to creep".
- Khanika īپ, instantaneous joy like a flash of lightning.
- Okkantika īپ, the flood of joy like the breakers on a seashore.
- Ubbega īپ, transporting joy which enables one to float in the air just as a lump of cotton carried by the wind.
- Pharana īپ, suffusing joy, which pervades the whole body like a full blown bladder or like a flood that overflows small tanks and ponds.
41. Sukha is bliss or happiness. It is a kind of pleasant feeling. It is opposed to uddhacca and kukkucca (restlessness and brooding). As vitakka is the precursor of , so is īپ the precursor of sukha.
The enjoyment of the desired object is its characteristic. It is like a king that enjoys a delicious dish.
īپ creates an interest in the object, while sukha enables one to enjoy the object.
Like the sight of an oasis to a weary traveler, is īپ. Like drinking water and bathing therein, is sukha.
This mental sukha which should be differentiated from ahetuka kāyika (physical) happiness is identical with somanassa. But it is a joy disconnected with material pleasures. This pleasurable feeling is the inevitable outcome of renouncing them (nirāmisa sukha). Nibbānic bliss is yet far more subtle than Jhānic bliss. There is no feeling in experiencing the bliss of Nibbāna. The total release from suffering (ܰū貹) is itself Nibbānic bliss. It is comparable to the "ease" of an invalid who is perfectly cured of a disease. It is a bliss of relief.
42. - literally, means seeing (ikkhati) impartially (upa = yuttito). It is viewing an object with a balanced mind, Atthasālini states: - "This is impartiality (majjhattam) in connection with the object, and implies a discriminative knowledge (paricchindanakam ñānam)".
This explanation applies strictly to ܱ found in sobhana consciousness accompanied by wisdom. found in the akusalas and ahetukas is just neutral feeling, without the least trace of any discriminative knowledge. In the 峾屹 sobhanas, too, there may arise that neutral feeling, as in the case of one hearing the Dhamma without any pleasurable interest, and also a subtle form of ܱ that views the object with deliberate impartiality and discriminative knowledge, as in the case of a wise person who hears the Dhamma with a critical and impartial mind.
of the Բ consciousness, in particular is of ethical and psychological importance. It certainly is not the ordinary kind of ܱ, generally found in the akusala consciousness which comes naturally to an evil-doer. The Բ ܱ has been developed by a strong will-power. Realizing that pleasurable feeling is also gross, the Yogi eliminates it as he did the other three Բ factors, and develops the more subtle and peaceful ܱ. On the attainment of the fifth Բ breathing ceases. As he has transcended both pain and pleasure by will-power, he is immune to pain too.
This ܱ is a highly refined form of the ordinary ٲٰٳٲ, even-mindedness, one of the moral mental states, latent in all types of sobhana consciousness.
In the Pāli phrase - ܱ satipārisuddhi - purity of mindfulness which comes of equanimity - it is the ٲٰ-ٳٲ that is referred to. This is latent in the first four Բs too. In the fifth Բ this ٲٰ-ٳٲ is singled out and becomes highly refined. Both neutral feeling ܱ vedanā) and equanimity that correspond to the one Pāli term ܱ are found in the fifth Բ.
Thus there appear to be four kinds of ܱ viz:-
- just neutral feeling, found in the six akusala cittas,
- sensitive passive neutral feeling (anubhavana ܱ) found in the eight ahetuka sense-door consciousness (屹貹ñ-ññԲ) (excluding ⲹññԲ),
- intellectual ܱ, found mostly in the two sobhana kriyā cittas, accompanied by knowledge, and sometimes in the two sobhana kusala cittas, accompanied by knowledge,
- ethical ܱ, found in all the sobhana cittas, especially in the fifth Բ.
Brahmavihārܱ and sankhārܱ may be included in both intellectual and ethical ܱ.
The first is equanimity amidst all vicissitudes of life. The second is neither attachment nor aversion with respect to all conditioned things.
Visuddhi-Magga enumerates ten kinds of ܱ. See the Path of Purity -Vol. II pp. 184-186.
43. 첹 (eka + agga + tā) lit., one-pointedness. This is a mental state common to all Բs. By sammā samādhi (Right Concentration) is meant this 첹 found in the Path-consciousness. 첹 temporarily inhibits sensual desires.