Citta
or the Stream of Awareness (Consciousness)
This
short piece is for one who intends to practice Bhavana (Meditation).
I
think the objective of the subject (in meditation) is to develop mind to a higher state
or more sober state (Somanassa not Domanassa).
This
basic knowledge is essential to overcome difficulties and sometime to
bring back sanity (one can go mad) who has lost it due to wrong
practice.
Some
general points.
1.
Mind is generally extremely fast and equally stagnant in a state of
procrastination (indecisiveness).
I
know mind is very fast and it does not rest even in my sleep.
in another
guy/girl it may have different vibration (I do not like to use the
word frequency, of course, by the way, if something vibrates it has a frequency).
This
vibration cannot be quantified by alpha, beta or gamma waves.
What I
mean is we cannot extract these frequencies and playback as a record.
Mind has many other properties which we cannot measure in an
objective manner.
2.
Thought process has no two thought processes which looks alike.
3.
There are no two types of mind (conscious, subconscious).
4.
Mind is not dormant or dead in sleep state.
5.
Dreams are essentials part of the working brain but we do not
remember most of our dreams.
6.
What we call memory is transient and I think forgetting is the best
defense it has in its capacity.
7.
No two persons have (even identical twins) identical minds.
If
that is not not confusing enough, if I use Abhidhamma (I would give a
summary in 10 points later) terminology you would end up cursing me
for causing the confusion.
Intention
is not entanglement but attempt at clear comprehension.
Nothing
is guaranteed by simple language.
Let
us use the terminology, that the mind is not a process but a stream.
What
are its qualities and behaviour?
1.
It is a fast stream.
2.
It never stops (even at death).
3.
It likes entangling (conflicts) and clinging (dogmas) onto material
and mental objects.
4.
It rises, peaks to a steady state and then falls.
5.
In other words it is in a state of flux.
6.
It is never ending phenomenon which we cannot hold onto.
7.
The stream breaks.
8.
It vibrates.
9.
It starts again.
10.
It gets hold of another mind object or sense object (ear, eye, nose, taste,
touch).
11.
It focuses
12.
It determines the content.
13.
It gets attached.
14
It gets detached
15. It starts another thought process.
16.
In fact, it is a mystery.
Abhidhamma
description.
It
is said each thought process has 17 thought moments and Javana has 5-7 thought moments.
The
word Javana has no similar word in English and that is the term I
really love.
The
Javana I would like to call the Mind Monkey.
It
is really a mischievous monkey.
1.
Bhavanga sota (Attita Bhanga)
2.
Bhavanga uppacchda
3.
Bhavabga calana
4.Avarjjana
5.
Viinnana (citta)
6. Sampaticharana
(perception)
7.
Santirana (momentary attention and investigation
8.
Votthappana (determining-cognition)
9.
Javana (running at full speed-Impulsion)
10
Tadalammana (Registering)
