Citta Santati-Bhavanga-Mental Continuity

Citta Santati-Bhavanga-Mental Continuity

(Vagga, the meaning of which is chapter and has no concomitant with mental formation).

Citta Santati is the summum bonum of Dhamma terminology.

There are many prerequisite for Dhamma.

1. Number one is Bhavanga (Life Stream) which has to exist with its mental accompaniments.

The existence of the Citta Santati is based on Kamma Principle.

2. Number two Kamma the storehouse for Citta and Cetasika (indirectly Rupa, too).

Even though mind, can exist on its own (Jhana states in Kamavacara World and Arupa Jhana in higher living order) and the body can exist without mind (mind is almost imperceptible in this order), the basic tenet in Dhamma in Abhidhamma terminology is Nama Rupa duality (Mental and Material duality).

3. Number three is the Rebirth (I do not make a distinction for the Hindu word reincarnation) principle.

4. Number four is higher beings or Devas with lofty minds (Do not confuse them with the creator god) all of them have no lofty ideas of creating a new world order except one who thinks he is the creator (the Maha Brahma) with his grandiose illusion.

All these simple gods are very good guys (all male but no females, I wonder why?) would like to associate with Somanassa Guys/Girls (I’ll describe the Somanassa and Domanassa later) to prolong their stay in heavenly abodes.

Why?

Simply to prolong their life there since they cannot acquire any merits in heaven.

They are your Divine Angles that helps you when you need them but you have to donate your merits (pin) in return.

It is a two way process.

In Dhamma, Kamma is the driving force and encompasses, the Bhavanga, Rebirth and Mind (in its all existences, this world and other worlds).

Cetanaham (volition or will ) Bhikkawe Kammam Vadami is Budhha’s simplification of the basic tenet.

The simplification ends at that point and the purpose of this brief is to extract the mental concomitants described, classified and categorized (in that sense which fully confuses the ordinary wayfarer in disbelief) in Abhidhamma.

I tuned the Manual in English and Sinhala (fortunately I did not try Pali) upside down and could not make a head or tail of it.

There is another caveat here.

The conventional truth and absolute or ultimate truth in Dhamma.

For me truth is only one it cannot have two sides likes the two sides of  a coin.

Coming from medical background grasping the 

1. Rupa (body), 

2. Vedana(feeling) , 

3. Sanna (perception), 

4. Sankhara (mental formations), 

5.Vinnana (consciousness, the better term awareness of the world within and around us) was effortless but the Abhidhamma connotation of Citta, Cetasika and Rupa was confusing to say the least.

I will leave out the Rupa or body in this piece.

Having scrutinized I have got some workaround words.

1. Kusala

2. Akusala

3. Sasankharika cita (prompted externally or internally)

4. Asankharika cita (unprompted or spontaneous)

5. Domanassa

6. Somanassa

7. Jhana

8. Vipaka

9. Kriya

10. Magga

11. Pala


12. Sati

13. Samadhi

14. Piti

15. Sukha

16. Vitakka- Reflective thinking

17. Vicara -Sustained application to clear doubt

18. Ekaggata- One pointedness-focus of attention

19. Upekkha

20 Passadhi-tranquility

21. Panna

22. Dhamma vicaya (Investigative of the TRUTH phenomenon)

23. Ditthigatasampayuthha

24. Ditthigatavippayutta

25. Nanagatasampayutta

26. Nanagatavippayutta

27. Kamavatara

28. Rupavatara

29. Arupavatara

30. Lokuttara

To begin with Dhamma only deals with only one type of Cetasikas.

Those Kammas that have rebirth or Vipaka (resultants) states in this world in the present or in future (lives, too).

Those mental activities that have no resultant effects are called Kriya (actions and no after effects).

Domanassas by definition are Akusalas.

Somanassa are Kusalas.

Now these Domanassa and Somanassas are put in one bucket and there are 52 or 54 mental components (I do not know whether 52 or 54 is correct and I am very good in mathematics)

My gut feeling 54 is correct by using my simple mathematical talents.

Domansaa

Consists of 12 Akusal Cittas, 7 resultant and 3 Kriyas making 22 in total.

How the above calculation is derived, I do not know.

Somansaasa are 8 Kusala ciitas, 8 resultants and 8 Kriyas making 24 in total.

The total is 46 and I am 8 short in my total.

If I add another 8 from (unprompted, prompted scenario) the missing unprompted or spontaneous Kusala, I get 54 in total.

It is said that all Ciitas composite of 54 Cetasikas which in my belief is a wrong connotation.

It is either 22 in Akusala field or 24 or 32 in Kusala field.

Now the bombshell.

There are 5 Jhana states that is accomplished in this world and other worlds.

They are all related to 8 Somanassa cittas and never to Domanaasa (Akusala) cittas.

Therefore, there are 10 to 40 higher state cittas (Sotapatti,Sakadagami, Anagami, Arhth) in, Somanassa, the total in all the worlds will comprise 91 or 121 somanassa cittas or cetasikas.

1. Kamavatara 24 (8x3)

2. Rupavatara 15 (5x3)

3. Arupavatara 12 (3x4)

4. Jhana States of 10 to 40 (10x4)

Total of 61 to 91 Somanassa (Happy States)

1. Kamavatara 32 (8 +32 +8)

2. Rupavatara 15 (5x3)

3. Arupavatara 12 (3x4)

4. Jhana States of 10 to 40 (8x5)

Total of 69 to 99

Now add the 22 in Domanassa (99 plus 22 equals 121 in total).

Kamavacara (32 plus 22 equals 54 Cetasikasa with all its components) has only 54 Cetasikas.

This was a question (what is the total) posed in the book but it got 89 instead of 91 in my simple calculation.

Below is the Five (5) Jhana states.

They are complete but temporary and may last about 7 days in an ascetic.

Whereas in Rupavatara (5) and Arupavatara (4) the beings are born with that state of mind at the time of Patisandi (at least 5 in form sphere and 4 in Arupa planes of existence), the ones who achieved Lokuttara Jhana states are not born again (detached, abandoned and extinction of all conditional states).

In Rupavatara sphere, there are 5 states of existence
1.  1^st Jhana
2.  2^nd Jhana
3.  3^rd Jhana
4. 4^th Jhana
5. 5^th Jhana (has five special powers)


 In Arupavatara sphere 4 states of existence
 Beings are born in these spheres as a result of 5^th Jhana (has five special powers) state of achievement.


Jhana states in total in an ascending order are five only. 

There are altogether 27 states of existence but those who achieved 40 states of Lokuttara are not reborn.

1^st Jhana State one attains

1. Vittakka (thought conception and attention to thought-thinkink)

2. Vichara (reflecting or on inner speech or discursive thinking)

3. Piti (rapture)

4. Sukha (joy)

5. Ekaggata (one pointedness)

2^nd Jhana State

Vittaka is dropped.

1. Vicara
2. Piti

3. Sukha

4. Samadhi are accompaniments

3^nd Jhana State

1. Piti
2. Sukha

3. Samadhi

4^th Jhana State

1. Sukha

2. Samadhi

5^th Jhana State

1. Equanimity

2. Samadhi

One has special powers when born with this Jhana (Five in number).

Citta or the Stream of Awareness (Consciousness)

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)

Basic Tenets of Dhamma

Basic Tenets of Dhamma

The inclement weather made me to be home bound and compose myself to investigate the three words in our discussion and find the closest English rendition (as much as Sinhala cannot translate them correctly, English fare much worse).

As I write this there is a YouTube session on the Internet on, and an American Lady (lay person but taken the role of a preacher) is having a talk show and stating that there is an anti-universe and in there life of beings is eternal and there is no death but permanent existence.

What a hoax?

To her my prediction is that even the anti-universe is subjected to state of flux and extinction and another round of universe and anti-anti universe would come into existence.

But our discussion is on mind and its behavior which can grasp or cling into both the micca diiti (wrong view) and samma ditti (right view).

The bottom line is we should not corrupt the Pali Terminology.

1. Animitta          Conditionless

2. Apanahita        Desirelss

3. Sunatta            Emptiness or Void

What I find to my surprise is that they are the three of the 18 contemplative states described for monks with correspondingly higher states that can be attained in Vipaasana Meditation.

Suffice is to say these are very difficult to accomplish by an

ordinary layperson.

My subsequent investigation leads me to the following summary.

The base line technique which is easy and useful for focusing the mind is nothing but Ana Pana Sati.

What is the objective?

Attainment of Dyana is the correct term for the commonly used term Jhanas (4 to 8 in number) that could be attained momentarily.

These states are not the same but similar to the psychological effects of psychedelic drugs.

These are very addictive states and bring out rapture and happy states and have the proclivity for more of the same arousal tendency, craving and delight in essence.

That should not be the attitude of the meditator but is a hindrance to upward mobility.

They are not permanent and subjected to change.

That is why one should contemplate the Anitta, Dukkha and Anatta principles in these state of arousal.

As one ascends through higher Dyana levels the technique is to drop the mental states that are hindrance to the next level and finally achieve the highest level which is Upekka or Equanimity.

The next stage is to contemplate on detachment, abandoning and extinction leading to Nirodha.

I have summarized the states achieved in the first 4 levels, below.

The seven elements of Enlightenment are

1. Sati or Mindfullness

2. Dhamma vicaya or the Truth Principle.

3. Viriya or Energy

4. Piti or Rapture

5. Passadhi or Tranquility

6. Smadhi or Concentration

7.Upekkha or Equanimity

The seven states of enlightenment developed and frequently practiced leads to Wisdom and Deliverance (Vijja-vimutti).

Samadhi or the Concentration

In other words the attainment of four to five Jhana absorptions.

In Jhana Absorptions, there is complete but temporary detachment from all five sensual spheres and of five hindrances or the 

Nivarana

They are

1. Kamacchanda (Loba)

2. Vyapada(Dosa)

3. Tina Middha (sloth and torpor)

4. Uddhakka-kukkussa(restlessness)

5. Vicikiccha (doubt)

1^st Jhana State one attains

1. Vittakka (thought conception and attention to thought-thinkink)

2. Vichara (reflecting or on inner speech or discursive thinking)

3. Piti (rapture)

4. Sukha (joy)

5. Ekaggata (one pointedness)

2^nd Jhana State

Vittaka is dropped.

1. Vicara
2. Piti

3. Sukha

4. Samadhi are accompaniments.

3^nd Jhana State

1. Piti
2. Sukha

3. Samadhi

4^th Jhana State

1. Sukha

2. Samadhi

5^th Jhana State

1. Equanimity

2. Samadhi

Beings of other planets have attained the next four levels (5 to 8) of higher mental states and for lack of proper terms they could be called Divine Entities.

The four Jhana states practised and attained at Patisnandhi state of mind would cause births in better worlds higher than the earth. 

Unfortunately in these states they are unable to acquire new Kusala Kammasa and it is practically a dead end and once the Kamma is consumed, they fall into lower levels including birth in world system like ours.

It is just like one who has a big saving account and he/she withdraws money little by little before full maturity and empties it in no time.

Full maturity should be taken as Nirodha Samapatti.

Pangna or Wisdom

This is the understanding of the Four Noble Truths, the suffering, the origin of suffering, the path for cessation (Nirodaya) of suffering and the cessation of suffering. 
This is the more difficult and is the intellectual pursuit of Vipassana Meditation.

The Samatha Meditation is the more practical and easy way of meditation. There are about 40 objects for Samatha Bhavana (Vissudhi Magga has over 1000 objects) and one should select one which suits the personalty.

Objects of Insight Mediation

There is lot of commercial advertisement to meditation, I thought of giving a little resume for the novice.

There are 18 kinds of insight knowledge that can be used as objects of Vipassana Meditation.

It is Knowledge or Truth or Dhamma based meditation as opposed to Samatha Meditation.

1. Annitta Contemplation of impermanence

2. Dukkha Contemplation of unsatisfactoriness (suffering)

3. Anatta Contemplation of non self

4. Nibbhidana Contemplation of disinclination or aversion

5. Viraga Contemplation of dispassionateness

6. Nidodha Contemplation of extinction or cessation

7. Patinissangga Contemplation of of abandonment

8. Khayanu Contemplation of body

9. Vayanu Contemplation of state vanishing

10. Viparinama Contemplation of state change

11. Animitta Contemplation of state of conditionlessness

12. Apanihita Contemplation of state desirelessness

13. Sunnatta Contemplation of state of emptiness or void

14. Adhipanna Contemplation based on higher knowledge

15.Yathabhuta Contemplation based on knowledge and vision of reality

16. Adhinavana Contemplation of misery

17. Patisankha Reflecting or thinking on contemplation

18. Vivatta Absence of cycle of existence – Nirodha samapatthi

Objects of Insight Mediation

Objects of Insight Mediation

There is lot of commercial advertisement to meditation, I thought of giving a little resume for the novice.

There are 18 kinds of insight knowledge that can be used as objects of Vipassana Meditation.

It is Knowledge or Truth or Dhamma based meditation as opposed to Samatha Meditation.

1. Annitta Contemplation of impermanence

2. Dukkha Contemplation of unsatisfactoriness (suffering)

3. Anatta Contemplation of non self

4. Nibbhidana Contemplation of disinclination or aversion

5. Viraga Contemplation of dispassionateness

6. Nidodha Contemplation of extinction or cessation

7.Patinissangga Contemplation of of abandonment

8. Khayanu Contemplation of body

9. Vayanu Contemplation of state vanishing

10. Viparinama Contemplation of state change

11. Animitta Contemplation of state of conditionlessness

12.Apanihita Contemplation of state desirelessness

13. Sunnatta Contemplation of state of emptiness or void

14. Adhipanna Contemplation based on higher knowledge

15.Yathabhuta Contemplation based on knowledge and vision of reality

16. Adhinavana Contemplation of misery

17. Patisankha Reflecting or thinking on contemplation

18. Vivatta Absence of cycle of existence – Nirodha samapatthi