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Citta

Citta

3 Main Terms for Consciousness

  • viññāṇa
  • citta
  • mano

Viññāṇa

4 Main Functions of Consciousness

1. Paricchijjagāha

  • Paricchijja: having separated / delimited it from another infinite number of objects, delimiting the range of focus
  • Gāha: the act of apprehending (knowing) an object

Though every mentality takes an object, mentalities other than consciousness do not take objects having delimited and separated it from other objects; therefore, consciousness is said to be taking objects having delimited them.

Definition based on the Khajjanīyasutta-a: Vijānātīti viññāṇaṃ — it knows, so it is called viññāṇa.

Meanings:

  • Vijānātīti paricchinnopaladdhivasena jānāti — it knows by means of delimiting and apprehending.
  • Because it discerns distinct qualities (e.g., sourness, etc.) distinguishing them from one another without mixing them.

Word formation: vi √ñā > ññā + ana > aṇa > viññaṇa — vi: visesa (unique nature)

2. Ārammaṇa-upaladdhi, -vibhāvana, and -upadhāraṇa

  • Ārammaṇa upaladdhi: obtaining an object
  • Ārammaṇa vibhāvana: making an object clear / showing it to other cetasikas
  • Ārammaṇa upadhāraṇa: investigating the object

Simile of the mūlaṭīka: Like a guard of a city, the function of consciousness is to make the object evident, to investigate it, and to obtain it.

3. Ārammaṇa vijānana

  • Vijānanalakkhaṇaṃ viññāṇaṃ — the characteristic of viññāṇa is vijānana.
  • All cittas, of all bhūmis, have this characteristic.

4. Sandahana Cittas arise and vanish, and their cintanakiriyāvega produces the subsequent citta immediately after them, connecting conscious moments in a mental flux without any interval between them until parinibbāna.

Kenaṭṭhena anantaro, kenaṭṭhena paccayoti. Attano anantare attasadisassa dhammantarassa uppādanaṭṭhena anantaro, upakārakaṭṭhena paccayo. (Pāṭṭh-ud-dī. 473.)

Why the flux of cittas is perceived as one single continuous thing: because as soon as one citta passes away, a new consciousness arises connected to it.

Mano

2 Grammatical constructions:

  1. √mi / √mā (to measure): ārammaṇaṃ minamānaṃ jānantīti mano — it knows the object measuring it.
  2. √man (to know): manate iti mano — it knows.

Citta

Ārammaṇavijānanalakkhaṇaṃ cittaṃ, pubbaṅgamarasaṃ, sandhānapaccupaṭṭhānaṃ, nāmarūpapadaṭṭhānaṃ.

7 definitions:

3 main definitions:

  1. Ārammaṇaṃ cintetīti cittaṃ — the thing that thinks about an object is consciousness (agent).
  2. Ārammaṇaṃ cinteti etenātīti cittaṃ — the thing with which one thinks about an object is the citta (instrument).
  3. Cintanamattaṃ cittaṃ — the mere act of thinking is citta (act).

The third shows the ultimate representation of citta; the others help overcome different ideas of a self.

2 definitions from Dutiyagaddulabaddhasutta:

  1. Cittakaraṇatāya cittaṃ — by the diversity it creates, it is called citta.
  2. Attano cittatāya cittaṃ — citta is called so due to its own diversity.

2 definitions from Dhammasaṅgaṇī:

  1. Attano santānaṃ cinotīti cittaṃ — it builds up / develops / strengthens its own lineage.
  2. Kammakilesehi citantipi cittaṃ — the reality that is built by kamma and kilesa is also called citta.

Lifespan of Citta

Simile for successive cittas: successive sounds occur after the strike of a drum.

Nāgasena’s simile on the number of cittas in a fingersnap: Vāhasataṃ kho, mahārāja, vīhīnaṃ aḍḍhacūḷañca vāhā vīhisattambaṇāni dve ca tumbā ekaccharākkhaṇe pavattacittassa ettakā vīhī lakkhaṃ ṭhapīyamānā parikkhayaṃ pariyādānaṃ gaccheyyuṃ.

Why does citta not last long? Arūpadhammā hi sārammaṇā cittapubbaṅgamā, te yathābalaṃ attano ārammaṇavibhāvanavasena pavattantīti tadatthanipphattisamanantarameva nirujjhanato lahuparivattino.

How Many Objects Can One Citta Cognize?

Only one object or a group of similar objects at a time.

3 Reasons Why It Is Difficult to Apprehend the Nature of Consciousness

  1. Due to its subtleness (it cannot be experienced by the physical senses)
  2. Rapidness (it arises and ceases rapidly)
  3. Consciousness can only be known by consciousness itself.

What is Cittasantati?

The mental continuum / continuity / stream. One citta arises, performs its function, and ceases, being immediately followed by another citta, one generation after the other, creating a continuity.