Vitthicitta

“ — The Mental Process”

The manner of clear knowing in this way is called
asammoha-sampajañña (asammoha — non-delusion; sampajañña — clear comprehension)
in this passage of the Pāḷi.

Another way to understand it:

Asammoha-sampajañña (asammoha — non-delusion; sampajañña — clear comprehension)
in this Pāḷi text is to be known by:

• determining the original cause (hetu — cause)
• determining the adventitious cause (hetu — arriving cause)
• determining the momentary arising cause (khaṇika-hetu — momentary cause)

It should first be understood by determining the original cause.

THE SEVEN FUNCTIONS IN A COGNITIVE PROCESS
(satta-kiccāni — seven activities)

The following occur:

1. Bhavaṅga-kicca (bhavaṅga — life-continuum; kicca — function)
2. Āvajjana-kicca (āvajjana — adverting; kicca — function)
3. Dassana-kicca (dassana — seeing; kicca — function)
4. Sampaṭicchana-kicca (sampaṭicchana — receiving; kicca — function)
5. Santīraṇa-kicca (santīraṇa — investigating; kicca — function)
6. Votthapana-kicca (votthapana — determining; kicca — function)
7. Javana-kicca (javana — impulsion; kicca — function)

These seven
arise in order.

THE SEQUENCE OF CONSCIOUSNESSES (ARISING ONE AFTER ANOTHER)

In those vīthi-cittāni (vīthi — mental process; citta — consciousness):

• The bhavaṅga-citta (bhavaṅga — life-continuum; citta — consciousness)
accomplishes the function that is the characteristic mark of the rebirth-linking existence (upapatti-khandha).

• The kiriya-mano-dhātu (kiriya — functional; mano-dhātu — mind-element)
which considers (ramenti — reflects on) that bhavaṅga-citta,
accomplishes the āvajjana-kicca (adverting-function).

• After the kiriya-mano-dhātu ceases,
the cakkhu-viññāṇa (cakkhu — eye; viññāṇa — consciousness)
accomplishes the dassana-kicca (seeing-function).

• After the cakkhu-viññāṇa ceases,
the vipāka-mano-dhātu (vipāka — resultant; mano-dhātu — mind-element)
accomplishes the sampaṭicchana-kicca (receiving-function).

• After the vipāka-mano-dhātu ceases,
the vipāka-mano-viññāṇa-dhātu (vipāka — resultant; mano — mind; viññāṇa — consciousness; dhātu — element)
accomplishes the santīraṇa-kicca (investigating-function).

• After the vipāka-mano-viññāṇa-dhātu ceases,
the kiriya-mano-viññāṇa-dhātu (kiriya — functional; mano — mind; viññāṇa — consciousness; dhātu — element)
accomplishes the votthapana-kicca (determining-function).

• After the kiriya-mano-viññāṇa-dhātu ceases,
the javana-citta (javana — impulsion; citta — consciousness)
runs seven times (satta-javanāni — seven impulsions).

HOW “LOOKING AHEAD” AND “TURNING TO THE SIDE” DO NOT YET ARISE

In those vīthi-cittāni (mental-process consciousnesses),
even in the first javana, there does not occur:

• looking ahead (anuloma-olokana — forward looking)
• looking around in directions (disā-olokana — directional looking)
• by the force of lust (rāga),
• ill-will (dosa),
• or delusion (moha)

such as the notions:

“This is a woman.”
“This is a man.”

Likewise:

• not in the second javana,
• … nor even in the seventh javana.

When these mental-process consciousnesses
break up from the beginning to the end,
then — afterwards —
there occurs what is called “looking” and “glancing”
by the force of lust etc., saying:

“This is a woman.”
“This is a man.”

This is likened to:

“soldiers on a battlefield”

— when the line breaks, scattering begins.

Thus the asammoha-sampajañña (non-deluded clear comprehension)
regarding looking and glancing,
by means of determining the original cause,
should be understood up to this point.

EXAMINATION OF THE EYE-DOOR (cakkhu-dvāra-vinicchaya)

When a visible object (rūpārammaṇa — form-object) appears,
and immediately after the bhavaṅga-citta (bhavaṅga — life-continuum; citta — consciousness) vibrates,
then the series of mental-process consciousnesses — beginning with the āvajjana-citta (āvajjana — adverting; citta — consciousness) —
arise and cease,
each accomplishing its own function.

At the end of the series,
the javana-citta (javana — impulsion; citta — consciousness) arises.

This javana-citta is like a man who has come as a visitor (āgantuka-purisa — visiting man)
to the eye-door (cakkhu-dvāra — eye-door),
which is nothing more than the “house”
of the āvajjana-citta and the other consciousnesses that preceded it.

SIMILE OF THE VISITING MAN

When that visiting man enters someone else’s house
in order to ask for some possession,
even if the residents of the house remain silent,
he should not exert authority.

In the same way:

Even if the āvajjana-citta and the others
have no lust (rāga — lust),
no ill-will (dosa — aversion),
no delusion (moha — delusion)
in the “house” of the eye-door,

there should be
no lust,
no ill-will,
no delusion
for the javana-citta either.

Thus the non-deluded clear comprehension
(asammoha-sampajañña — non-delusion clear-awareness)
should be understood
by the force of understanding this “visitor-like” nature
of the javana-citta.

THE DISAPPEARANCE OF EACH COGNITION IN ITS OWN DOOR

All consciousnesses up to the votthapana-citta
(votthapana — determining; citta — consciousness)
that arise in the eye-door
cease right in that place,
together with their associated mental factors (sampayutta-dhamma — conjoined states).

They do not see one another.

Therefore, all other consciousnesses beyond that
exist only for a very brief moment (khaṇika-bhāva — momentariness).

Vivid simile from the commentary:

In a certain house,
when all people have died
and only one remains
who is on the very point of death,
there is no delight
in dancing, singing, or entertainment.

In the same way:

When the āvajjana-citta and the others,
which are the “members of the same household,”
have ceased right there in that door,
there is no proper “delighting”
through lust, ill-will, or delusion
for the javana-cittas that remain
— which themselves
must cease in that very moment.

Thus, the non-deluded clear comprehension
(asammoha-sampajañña)
should be understood
by the force of understanding
this momentariness (khaṇika-bhāva)
in just this way.

ASAMMOHA-SAMPAJAÑÑA BY ANALYZING
KHANDHA — ĀYATANA — DHĀTU — PACCAYA

Another method is this:

Asammoha-sampajañña
should be understood
by analyzing the process as:

• aggregates (khandha)
• sense bases (āyatana)
• elements (dhātu)
• conditions (paccaya)

IN TERMS OF THE FIVE AGGREGATES (pañca-khandhā)

In this matter:

• cakkhu (cakkhu — eye faculty)
  and rūpa (rūpa — visible form)
  are rūpa-khandha (material aggregate).
• dassana (dassana — seeing)
  is viññāṇa-khandha (consciousness aggregate).
• The vedanā (vedanā — feeling)
  associated with that consciousness
  is vedanā-khandha (aggregate of feeling).
• Saññā (saññā — perception)
  is saññā-khandha.
• The associated mental states (sampayutta-dhamma — conjoined dhammas)
  such as phassa (phassa — contact)
  constitute the saṅkhāra-khandha (formations aggregate).

“Looking forward” and “looking around sideways”
arise only because these five aggregates
come together.

IN TERMS OF THE SIX SENSE BASES (āyatanāni)

• cakkhu (eye) → cakkhāyatana
• rūpa (form) → rūpāyatana
• dassana (seeing) → manāyatana
• associated dhammas such as feeling → dhammāyatana

These four together
create the appearance of:

• looking forward
• looking in directions

IN TERMS OF THE FOUR ELEMENTS (dhātuyo)

• cakkhu → cakkhu-dhātu (eye element)
• rūpa → rūpa-dhātu (visible object element)
• dassana → cakkhu-viññāṇa-dhātu (eye-consciousness element)
• associated dhammas → dhamma-dhātu (mind-object element)

These four elements
give rise to:

• looking forward
• looking in directions

IN TERMS OF CONDITIONS (paccayā)

• cakkhu is nissaya-paccaya (support condition)
• rūpa is ārammaṇa-paccaya (object condition)
• āvajjana-citta is
  • anantara-paccaya (immediate condition)
  • samanantara-paccaya (preceding condition)
  • upanissaya-paccaya (decisive-support condition)
  • natthi-paccaya (absence condition)
  • vigata-paccaya (disappearance condition)
• āloka (āloka — light) is upanissaya-paccaya (decisive support)
• associated dhammas such as vedanā (feeling) are sahajāta-paccaya (co-nascent condition), etc.

When these conditions unite,
there arises:

• looking forward
• looking around in directions

Thus the non-deluded clear comprehension
(asammoha-sampajañña)
regarding looking forward and looking sideways
should be understood
by analyzing as:

• khandha
• āyatana
• dhātu
• paccaya

in this manner.

Clear comprehension of purpose
(sātthaka-sampajañña — purposeful comprehension)
is defined as:

Knowing what is beneficial (attha — benefit)
and what is not beneficial (anattha — non-benefit)
with respect to the bending or stretching
of the hands and feet.

It is:

• the reviewing of benefit,
• the reviewing of non-benefit,

and then acting only on what is beneficial.

This comprehension means:

Even without any bending or stretching
that is driven by the mind’s unwholesome impulses,
one discerns the usefulness (attha)
in performing the movement.

HOW IT FUNCTIONS IN PRACTICAL TERMS

Whenever a bhikkhu stands bending or stretching
his hands or feet too long,
then:

• vedanā (vedanā — feeling) inevitably arises
  due to that bending or stretching.
• The mind (citta) does not obtain
  a single, unified object (ekārammaṇa — one-pointed object).
• The meditation subject (kammaṭṭhāna)
  becomes “licked away” (leyya — worn away, eroded).
• The bhikkhu will not attain higher qualities
  (visesa-guṇa — special qualities).

This describes:

Overextension → discomfort → distraction → loss of samādhi → no attainment.

But:

Correct bending and stretching:

When a bhikkhu bends just enough,
and stretches just enough,

then:

• The vedanā (feeling) does not arise.
• The citta (mind) gains a unified object (ekārammaṇa).
• The meditation subject (kammaṭṭhāna) succeeds.
• The meditator attains special qualities (visesa-guṇa).

Thus, the discernment of benefit and non-benefit
(attha-anattha-vivecana — discrimination of benefit)
should be understood in this way.

by shifting from:

• asammoha-sampajañña (non-delusion clear comprehension)
• sātthaka-sampajañña (purposeful clear comprehension)

and leading toward:

• gocara-sampajañña (clear comprehension of one’s proper domain)
• asammoha-sampajañña again, with expanded analysis.

“This is how one should understand
the consideration of benefit and non-benefit.”

Thus, in bending (sammiñjita — bending)
and stretching (pasārita — stretching),
the bhikkhu should knowingly consider:

• “This is beneficial” (attha — benefit)
• “This is not beneficial” (anattha — non-benefit)

and act only within the boundary of benefit.

Whenever bending or stretching is excessive,
there arises:

• vedanā (vedanā — feeling)
• disturbance of mind (citta-vibbhanta — distracted mind)
• loss of a single object (ekārammaṇa — unified object)
• erosion of the meditation subject (kammaṭṭhāna-leyya — meditation scraped away)
• non-attainment of higher qualities (visesa-agamana — failure to reach special qualities)

But when bending and stretching are performed
neither too much nor too little,

then:

• feeling does not arise
• the mind becomes unified
• the meditation subject succeeds
• higher qualities are attained

Thus the comprehension of benefit and non-benefit
should be understood in this way.

GLOSSARY

asammoha-sampajañña (asammoha — non-delusion; sampajañña — clear comprehension)
Non-deluded awareness of causes, conditions, and processes.

sātthaka-sampajañña (sātthaka — purposeful; sampajañña — comprehension)
Clear comprehension of what is beneficial or not beneficial.

vīthi-citta (vīthi — mental process; citta — consciousness) A chain of consciousness-events arising in a sense-door.

bhavaṅga (bhavaṅga — life-continuum) Background flow of mind between sense-door moments.

bhavaṅga-kicca (kicca — function) Function of maintaining the rebirth continuity.

Āvajjana (āvajjana — adverting) Turning toward the object when it strikes a sense-door.

Dassana (dassana — seeing) Eye-consciousness function.

sampaṭicchana (sampaṭicchana — receiving) Mind-element that “receives” the object after seeing.

santīraṇa (santīraṇa — investigating) Investigates the object as pleasant, painful, neutral.

Votthapana (votthapana — determining) Determines how the object will be engaged.

Javana (javana — impulsion) The 7 rapid moments where karmic force occurs.

cakkhu-dvāra (cakkhu — eye; dvāra — door) Eye-door or visual channel.

cakkhu-viññāṇa (cakkhu — eye; viññāṇa — consciousness) Eye-consciousness.

mano-dhātu (mano — mind; dhātu — element) Mind-element performing sub-functions.

mano-viññāṇa-dhātu (mano — mind; viññāṇa — consciousness; dhātu — element) Mind-consciousness element.

Vipāka (vipāka — resultant) Consciousness produced by conditions, not creating new kamma.

Kiriya (kiriya — functional) Purely functional consciousness without kamma.

sampayutta-dhamma (sampayutta — conjoined; dhamma — mental factors) Mental factors arising with consciousness.

ārammaṇa (ārammaṇa — object) That which the mind takes as its focus.

nissaya-paccaya (nissaya — support; paccaya — condition) Support condition.

ārammaṇa-paccaya (Object condition) The role of an object in conditioning consciousness.

anantara / samanantara-paccaya (“immediate” / “immediately preceding” condition) Instant neighbor conditions in the stream of mind.

upanissaya-paccaya (upanissaya — decisive support) Strong supportive condition.

natthi-paccaya (absence condition) A state conditions something by not being present.

vigata-paccaya (disappearance condition) Conditioned by the fading of the previous state.

Phassa (contact — meeting of sense organ, object, consciousness)

Vedanā (feeling — pleasant, painful, neutral)

Saññā (perception — marking/recognizing qualities)

saṅkhāra (mental formations — volitions + associated factors)

viññāṇa (consciousness — knowing of an object)

khandha (aggregate — one of the five heaps)

āyatana (sense-base — internal or external)

dhatu (element — cognitive/physical element)

sammiñjita / pasārita (bending / stretching) Used in bodily-movement clear comprehension.

kammaṭṭhāna (meditation subject) Object used for cultivation.

ekārammaṇa (one-object, unified mind) Mark of collectedness necessary for progress.

visesa-guṇa (superior quality; special attainment) Refers to jhāna, path, fruit.