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).