Some passages from Abhidhamma in Daily Life

Discussion of Abhidhamma and related Commentaries
User avatar
phil
Posts: 874
Joined: Tue Mar 03, 2009 5:08 am
Location: Tokyo

Some passages from Abhidhamma in Daily Life

Post by phil »

Dear all

I will occasionally post passages from Abhidhamma in Daily Life by Nina Van Gorkom, which can be found online if you don't have the book edition. I will do it in a pretty random way, just passages that I want to review personally. Hopefully of interest to others. (I will try to avoid any passages that may spark debates about practice/application etc.)

Please feel free to raise any questions etc. We will be able to ask Nina for clarification if need be.

from Chapter One: The Four Paramattha Dhammas.
There are two kinds of reality: mental phenomena (nama) and physical phenomena (rupa). Nama experiences something; rupa does not experience anything. Seeing is, for example, a type of nama; it experiences visible object. Visible object itself is rupa; it does not experience anything. What we take for self are only nama and rupa which arise and fall away. The 'Visuddhimagga' ('Path of Purity', a commentary) explains (Ch. XVIII, 25):

For this has been said:
- 'As with the assembly of parts.
The word "chariot" is countenanced,
So, When the khandhas are present,
'A being' is said in common usage'
(Kindred Sayings I, 135).

The five khandhas (aggregates) are nothing else but nama and rupa ... So in many hundred suttas there is only mentality-materiality which is illustrated, not a being, not a person. Therefore, just as when the component parts (of a chariot) such as axles, wheels, frame, poles...
are arranged in a certain way, there comes to be the mere conventional term 'chariot', yet in the ultimate sense, when each part is examined, there is no chariot, ...so too,... there comes to be the mere conventional term 'a being', 'a person', yet in the ultimate sense, when each component is examined, there is no being as a basis for the assumption ' I am' or ' I ' ; in the ultimate sense there is only mentality-materiality. The vision of one who sees in this way is called correct vision.(ADL,p.4, quoting visudimaggha)
Kammalakkhano , bhikkhave, bālo, kammalakkhano pandito, apadānasobhanī paññāti
(The fool is characterized by his/her actions/the wise one is characterized by his/her actions/Wisdom shines forth in behaviour.)
(AN 3.2 Lakkhana Sutta)
randall
Posts: 112
Joined: Fri Jan 24, 2014 3:13 pm

Re: Some passages from Abhidhamma in Daily Life

Post by randall »

thanks for sharing phil.

it truly is a great thing when we can see things on a more dissected level, it helps to take the attachment away, letting us let go of the whole "i-making". The trick is how long can we maintain such awareness before we go back to our habitual selves.


As for an analyses of citta, the first of the four paramatta dhammas, and a mixture of the five aggregates or paramattha dhamma (I guess depending on how you look at it?) the dhammasangani (Matika, Duka 56: Citta Duka) states:
(i) (1193). What are the dhamma which are mind (citta)?

There are Eye-consciousness, Ear-consciousness, Nose-consciousness, Tongue-consciousness, Body-consciousness,
Mind-element and Mind-consciousness-element.
~These are the dhamma which are mind.


(ii) (1194). what are the dhamma which are not mind?

There are the aggregate of Sensation, the aggregate of Perception, the aggregate of Volitional Activities;
there is all that is Corporeality; and there is also the Unconditioned Element (Nibbana).
~These are the dhamma which are not mind.


When we analyze the different cittas, we have:
: Eye,Ear,Nose,Tongue,Body consciousness that includes both kusala and akusala (10 cittas)
: Mind-element = 5 door adverting, receiving consciousness that includes both kusala and akusala (3 cittas)
: Mind-consciousness-element = all remaining cittas (76 cittas)
: giving us 89 cittas in total...

All cittas are both "chief/leader" and associated with the Volitional Activities, Sensation and Perception giving us nama (translated sometimes as name, mental phenomena, and mentality). I guess you can say "it's stuck like white on rice!"



I look forward to reading some more passages!





edit: I wrote this before falling asleep after a long day, my apologies if it seems drifted from the topic?
User avatar
phil
Posts: 874
Joined: Tue Mar 03, 2009 5:08 am
Location: Tokyo

Re: Some passages from Abhidhamma in Daily Life

Post by phil »

Thanks Randall.

Feel free everyone to bounce off what I post with anything Abhidhamma related. Don't be concerned about whether it is on topic or not. (Stay within forum guidelines, though.) As long as it gets things down to the paramattha level.

Phil
Kammalakkhano , bhikkhave, bālo, kammalakkhano pandito, apadānasobhanī paññāti
(The fool is characterized by his/her actions/the wise one is characterized by his/her actions/Wisdom shines forth in behaviour.)
(AN 3.2 Lakkhana Sutta)
User avatar
phil
Posts: 874
Joined: Tue Mar 03, 2009 5:08 am
Location: Tokyo

Re: Some passages from Abhidhamma in Daily Life

Post by phil »

Dear all

Continuing with another passage from Ch.1 of Abhidhamma in Daily Life by Nina Van Gorkom, available online:

Nama and rupa are different types of realities. If we do not distinguish them from each other and learn the characteristic of each we will continue to take them for self. For example, hearing is nama; it has no form or shape. Hearing is different from ear-sense, but it has ear-sense as a necessary condition. The nama which hears experiences sound. Ear-sense and sound are rupas, which do not experience anything; they are entirely different from the nama which hears. If we do not learn that hearing, ear-sense and sound are realities which are altogether different from each other, we will continue to think that it is self which hears.

The 'Visuddhimagga' (XVIII, 34) explains:

Furthermore, nama has no efficient power, it cannot occur by its own efficient power... It does not eat, it does not drink, it does not speak, it does not adopt postures. And rupa is without efficient power; it cannot occur by its own efficient power. For it has no desire to eat, it has no desire to drink, it has no desire to speak, it has no desire to adopt postures. But rather it is when supported by rupa that nama occurs; and it is when supported by nama that rupa occurs. When nama has the desire to eat, the desire to drink, the desire to speak, the desire to adopt a posture, it is rupa that eats, drinks, speaks and adopts a posture....(p.5)
Kammalakkhano , bhikkhave, bālo, kammalakkhano pandito, apadānasobhanī paññāti
(The fool is characterized by his/her actions/the wise one is characterized by his/her actions/Wisdom shines forth in behaviour.)
(AN 3.2 Lakkhana Sutta)
User avatar
phil
Posts: 874
Joined: Tue Mar 03, 2009 5:08 am
Location: Tokyo

Re: Some passages from Abhidhamma in Daily Life

Post by phil »

Hello all

Today's passage:
As regards citta, citta knows or experiences an object. Each citta must have its object of knowing, in Pali: arammana. The citta which sees has what is visible as its object. The citta which hears (hearing-consciousness) has sound as its object. There isn't any citta without an object (arammana). Even when we are sound asleep, citta experiences an object.(p.6)
phil
Kammalakkhano , bhikkhave, bālo, kammalakkhano pandito, apadānasobhanī paññāti
(The fool is characterized by his/her actions/the wise one is characterized by his/her actions/Wisdom shines forth in behaviour.)
(AN 3.2 Lakkhana Sutta)
User avatar
phil
Posts: 874
Joined: Tue Mar 03, 2009 5:08 am
Location: Tokyo

Re: Some passages from Abhidhamma in Daily Life

Post by phil »

Hello All:
It is important to know which jati a citta is. We cannot develop wholesomeness in our life if we take akusala for kusala or if we take akusala for vipaka. For instance, when we hear unpleasant words, the moment of experiencing the sound (hearing-consciousness) is akusala vipaka, the result of an unwholesome deed we performed ourselves. But the aversion which may arise very shortly afterwards is not vipaka, but it arises with akusala citta. (7)
phil
Kammalakkhano , bhikkhave, bālo, kammalakkhano pandito, apadānasobhanī paññāti
(The fool is characterized by his/her actions/the wise one is characterized by his/her actions/Wisdom shines forth in behaviour.)
(AN 3.2 Lakkhana Sutta)
User avatar
Lazy_eye
Posts: 996
Joined: Fri Jan 23, 2009 3:23 pm
Location: Laurel, MD
Contact:

Re: Some passages from Abhidhamma in Daily Life

Post by Lazy_eye »

phil wrote:Hello All:
It is important to know which jati a citta is. We cannot develop wholesomeness in our life if we take akusala for kusala or if we take akusala for vipaka. For instance, when we hear unpleasant words, the moment of experiencing the sound (hearing-consciousness) is akusala vipaka, the result of an unwholesome deed we performed ourselves. But the aversion which may arise very shortly afterwards is not vipaka, but it arises with akusala citta. (7)
phil
Wondering if I understand this correctly. She is not saying that our unwholesome kamma caused somebody to say unpleasant words to us.

She is saying that our experience of hearing those words (of being offended or distressed because of them) is reflective of a mental state conditioned by unwholesome kamma. That is, if we were arahants, for instance, they would be no more unpleasant than the sound of a pebble dropping into the water.
User avatar
robertk
Posts: 5613
Joined: Sat Jan 03, 2009 2:08 am

Re: Some passages from Abhidhamma in Daily Life

Post by robertk »

Vipaka is a completely different jati from akusala kamma.
This thread has some details
http://www.dhammawheel.com/viewtopic.ph ... rkom#p3220
User avatar
phil
Posts: 874
Joined: Tue Mar 03, 2009 5:08 am
Location: Tokyo

Re: Some passages from Abhidhamma in Daily Life

Post by phil »

Dear all

Another passage from Chapter 1 of Abhidhamma in Daily Life:
Another way of classifying citta is by plane of consciousness (bhumi). There are four different planes of consciousness: kamavacara citta, rupavacara citta, arupavacara citta, lokuttara citta.

The sensuous plane of consciousness (kamavacara cittas) is the plane of sense-impressions, for examples: seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting and receiving impressions through the body-sense. There are other planes of citta which do not experience sense-impressions. Those who cultivate samatha (tranquil meditation) and attain absorption (jhana), have jhanacittas. The jhanacitta is another plane of citta; it does not experience sense-impressions. The lokuttara citta ('supramundane' consciousness) is the highest plane of consciousness because it is the citta which directly experiences nibbana (7).
phil
Kammalakkhano , bhikkhave, bālo, kammalakkhano pandito, apadānasobhanī paññāti
(The fool is characterized by his/her actions/the wise one is characterized by his/her actions/Wisdom shines forth in behaviour.)
(AN 3.2 Lakkhana Sutta)
User avatar
phil
Posts: 874
Joined: Tue Mar 03, 2009 5:08 am
Location: Tokyo

Re: Some passages from Abhidhamma in Daily Life

Post by phil »

Hello all. Here is today's passage:
There is only one citta at a time, but there are several cetasikas (at least seven) arising together with the citta and falling away together with the citta, citta never arises alone. For example, feeling, in Pali: vedana, is a cetasika which arises with every citta. Citta only knows or experiences its object; it does not feel. Vedana, however, has the function of feeling.
phil
Kammalakkhano , bhikkhave, bālo, kammalakkhano pandito, apadānasobhanī paññāti
(The fool is characterized by his/her actions/the wise one is characterized by his/her actions/Wisdom shines forth in behaviour.)
(AN 3.2 Lakkhana Sutta)
Spiny Norman
Posts: 10159
Joined: Fri Mar 05, 2010 10:32 am
Location: Andromeda looks nice

Re: Some passages from Abhidhamma in Daily Life

Post by Spiny Norman »

phil wrote:
As regards citta, citta knows or experiences an object. Each citta must have its object of knowing, in Pali: arammana. The citta which sees has what is visible as its object. The citta which hears (hearing-consciousness) has sound as its object. There isn't any citta without an object (arammana). Even when we are sound asleep, citta experiences an object.(p.6)
I assume that citta is synonymous with vinnana here, so for example ear-consciousness is a type of citta?

Also, what's the practical difference between citta and sanna in knowing an object?
Buddha save me from new-agers!
User avatar
phil
Posts: 874
Joined: Tue Mar 03, 2009 5:08 am
Location: Tokyo

Re: Some passages from Abhidhamma in Daily Life

Post by phil »

Spiny Norman wrote:
phil wrote:
As regards citta, citta knows or experiences an object. Each citta must have its object of knowing, in Pali: arammana. The citta which sees has what is visible as its object. The citta which hears (hearing-consciousness) has sound as its object. There isn't any citta without an object (arammana). Even when we are sound asleep, citta experiences an object.(p.6)
I assume that citta is synonymous with vinnana here, so for example ear-consciousness is a type of citta?

Also, what's the practical difference between citta and sanna in knowing an object?
Yes, if I understand correctly citta is sometimes used just for vinnana, and sometimes for vinnana and the accompanying cetasikas. So when we reflect on the teachings that the mind is the leader etc. we can reflect on both aspects in my opinion..happy to be corrected, though.
Kammalakkhano , bhikkhave, bālo, kammalakkhano pandito, apadānasobhanī paññāti
(The fool is characterized by his/her actions/the wise one is characterized by his/her actions/Wisdom shines forth in behaviour.)
(AN 3.2 Lakkhana Sutta)
User avatar
phil
Posts: 874
Joined: Tue Mar 03, 2009 5:08 am
Location: Tokyo

Re: Some passages from Abhidhamma in Daily Life

Post by phil »

Dear all, continuing with Chapter 1..
The second paramattha dhamma is cetasika which is nama. As we have seen, citta experiences an object: seeing has what is visible as its object, hearing has sound as its object, thinking has what is thought about as its object. However, there is not only citta, there are also mental factors, cetasikas, which accompany a citta. One can think of something with aversion, with a pleasant feeling, with wisdom. Aversion, feeling and wisdom are mental phenomena which are not citta; they are cetasikas which accompany different cittas. There is only one citta at a time, but there are several cetasikas (at least seven) arising together with the citta and falling away together with the citta, citta never arises alone.
Phil
Kammalakkhano , bhikkhave, bālo, kammalakkhano pandito, apadānasobhanī paññāti
(The fool is characterized by his/her actions/the wise one is characterized by his/her actions/Wisdom shines forth in behaviour.)
(AN 3.2 Lakkhana Sutta)
User avatar
phil
Posts: 874
Joined: Tue Mar 03, 2009 5:08 am
Location: Tokyo

Re: Some passages from Abhidhamma in Daily Life

Post by phil »

Dear all, another passage from Abhidhamma in Daily Life:
Although citta and cetasika are both nama, they each have different qualities. One may wonder how cetasikas can be experienced. When we notice a change in citta, a characteristic of cetasika can be experienced. For instance, when akusala cittas with stinginess arise after kusala cittas with generosity have fallen away, we can notice a change. Stinginess and generosity are cetasikas which can be experienced; they have different characteristics. We may notice as well the change from attachment to aversion, from pleasant feeling to unpleasant feeling. Feeling is a cetasika we can experience, because feeling is sometimes predominant and there are different kinds of feeling. We can experience that unpleasant feeling is different from pleasant and neutral feeling. These different cetasikas arise with different cittas and they fall away immediately, together with the citta they accompany. If we know more about the variety of citta and cetasika, it will help us to see the truth.
phil
Kammalakkhano , bhikkhave, bālo, kammalakkhano pandito, apadānasobhanī paññāti
(The fool is characterized by his/her actions/the wise one is characterized by his/her actions/Wisdom shines forth in behaviour.)
(AN 3.2 Lakkhana Sutta)
User avatar
phil
Posts: 874
Joined: Tue Mar 03, 2009 5:08 am
Location: Tokyo

Re: Some passages from Abhidhamma in Daily Life

Post by phil »

Dear all, another passage from Abhidhamma in Daily LIfe by Nina Van Gorkom
There are not only mental phenomena, there are also physical phenomena. Physical phenomena (rupa) are the third paramattha dhamma. There are altogether twenty-eight classes of rupa. There are four principal rupas or 'Great Elements', in Pali: maha-bhuta-rupa. They are:

1. 'Element of Earth' or solidity (to be experienced as hardness or softness)
2. 'Element of Water' or cohesion
3. 'Element of Fire' or temperature (to be experienced as heat or cold)
4. 'Element of Wind' or motion (to be experienced as motion or pressure)

These 'Great Elements' arise together with all the other kinds of rupa, in Pali: upada-rupa. Rupas never arise alone. They arise in 'groups' or 'units'. There have to be at least eight kinds of rupa arising together. For example, whenever the rupa which is temperature arises, solidity, cohesion, motion and other rupas arise as well. Upada-rupas are, for examples, the physical sense-organs of eye-sense, ear-sense, smelling-sense, tasting-sense and body-sense, and the sense-objects of visible object, sound, odour and flavour.(
phil
Kammalakkhano , bhikkhave, bālo, kammalakkhano pandito, apadānasobhanī paññāti
(The fool is characterized by his/her actions/the wise one is characterized by his/her actions/Wisdom shines forth in behaviour.)
(AN 3.2 Lakkhana Sutta)
Post Reply