Prepared by
Evelin Halls, DipFLC
Abhidhamma Class No. 42, 8 April 2003
Kaya-kammannata and Citta-kammannata
Glossary
Kammannata: ‘Adaptability’, i.e. of corporeality (rupassa), mental factors (kaya), and of consciousness (citta).
Kammannata may be of 3 kinds: of corporeality (rupassa kammannata), of mental factors (kaya-kammannata), and of consciousness (citta-kammannata).
Propitious: favourable, gracious, well-disposed, favourably inclined; good, boding well.
Dr Mehm Tin Mon writes in his book ‘The Essence of Buddha Abhidhamma’: The two cetasikas kaya-kammannata and citta-kammannata refer to the adaptability of mental concomitants and consciousness and the goodness in carrying out their duty.
Their chief characteristic is the suppression of unserviceableness or unworkableness of citta and its concomitants.
It is stated in Atthasalini that these two cetasikas produce serenity (pasada) in propitious things, and are adaptable like pure gold for beneficial works (Mon 1995: 91).
According to the Visuddhimagga kaya-kammannata and citta-kammannata are explained as follows: The wieldy state of the [mental] body is wieldiness of body. The wieldy state of consciousness is wieldiness of consciousness.
They have the characteristic of quieting unwieldiness in the [mental] body and in consciousness. [466]
Their function is to crush unwieldiness in the [mental] body and in consciousness.
They are manifested as success in making [something] an object of the [mental] body and consciousness.
Their proximate cause is the [mental] body and consciousness.
As bringing trust in things that should be trusted in and as bringing susceptibility of application to beneficial acts, like the refining of gold, they should be regarded as opposed to the remaining hindrances, etc., that cause unwieldiness in the [mental] body and in consciousness (Bhadantacariya Buddhagosa: XIV, 146).
Wieldiness of matter has the characteristic of wieldiness that is favourable to bodily action. Its function is to dispel unwieldiness. It is manifested as non-weakness. Its proximate cause is wieldy matter (XIV, 64).
Lightness of matter, malleability of matter and wieldiness of matter, however, are not found apart from each other. Still their difference may be understood as follows:
Lightness of matter is alteration of matter such as any light (agile) state in material instances, as in one who is healthy, any non-slowness, any manner of light transformability in them, that is originated by conditions that prevent any disturbance of elements capable of creating sluggishness of matter.
Malleability of matter is alteration of matter such as any malleable state in material instances, as in a well-pounded hide, any pliable manner consisting in amenableness to exercise of power over them in all kinds of work without distinction, that [499] is originated by conditions that prevent any disturbance of elements capable of creating stiffness of matter.
Wieldiness of matter is alteration of matter such as any wieldy state in material instances, as in well-refined god, any manner in them consisting in favourableness to the work of the body, that is originated by conditions that prevent any disturbance of elements capable of creating unfavourableness to the work of the body.
“Workableness signifies that specific or suitable degree of pliancy or softness that makes the gold, that is, the mind, workable. While the mind is in the flames of passion it is too soft to be workable, as molten gold is. If on the contrary, the mind is too rigid then it is comparable to untempered gold.
Wieldiness is the opponent of the “hindrances”, such as sensuous desire (kamacchanda) and anger or hate (vyapada), that cause mental unwieldiness” (quoted in Nina van Gorkom:1999, Cetasikas, Part IV, Chapter 31).
The ‘Kindred Sayings’ (V, Maha-vagga, Book II, Chapter IV, 3) mention five corruptions of gold whereby gold is impure, brittle, not pliant or workable. It is the presence of other metals, of iron, copper, tin, lead and silver that makes it unwieldy. It is the five hindrances that make the mind unwieldy.
“...Likewise, monks, there are those five defilements of the mind, owing to which the mind is not pliant, not workable, impure, brittle and is not perfectly composed for the extinction of the passions.
Which are those five? Sensual desire, ill will, sloth and torpor, agitation and worry, doubt - these are the defilements of the mind owing to which the mind is not pliant, not workable, impure, brittle and is not perfectly composed for the extinction of passions.
According to the Atthasalini, wieldiness brings faith (saddha) in objects of faith and patient application in kusala. Wieldiness makes the mind workable so that one can apply oneself to kusala with confidence and with patience.
Nina van Gorkom (1999, Cetasikas, Part IV, Chapter 31) explains: “When someone, for example, wants to develop calm with loving kindness as meditation subject, he or she cannot be successful when there is no mental wieldiness.
When there is ill-will there is rigidity instead of wieldiness. In order to have loving kindness for all beings, not only for dear friends, but also for people one does not know or even for one’s enemies, there has to be wieldiness. Without wieldiness one cannot succeed in becoming calm with any meditation subject.
Wieldiness of cetasikas and for citta also perform their function in the development of insight; they are conditions for patience in the development of right understanding of nama and rupa.
When there is right understanding of a nama or a rupa as only a conditioned reality, not self, there is wieldiness of mind. The development of insight leads to the eradication of the hindrances.
The person who has eradicated them has no more unwieldiness but perfect wieldiness.
Right Understanding is the factor that conditions most of all the development of all the wholesome qualities represented in the six pairs: kaya-muduta and citta-muduta, kaya-kammannata and citta-kammannata, and kaya-pagunnata and citta-pagunnata (which we will study next week). In the arahat they have reached perfection.
‘Blessings for our Teachers’ long life’
As part of today’s Abhidhamma class, we will chant the Medicine Buddha mantra for our Buddha Dhamma Teacher John D. Hughes, who is critically ill in hospital.
His wife Anita and students are attending to him 24 hours each day.
We thank all the Doctors, Advisers, Nurses, Staff, Chief Deva and his retinue at the Maroondah Hospital for their dedication in caring for our Teacher.
We will continue with the 49 days of Medicine Buddha Practice.
May the merit of these good actions increase the health, strength and long life of John D. Hughes.
May the merit of these good actions increase the health, strength and long life of Anita M. Hughes.
May you be well and happy.
May all beings be well and happy.
References
Brown, Lesley (Ed.) (1993), “The New Shorter Oxford English Dictionary”, Clarendon Press, Oxford.
Buddhaghosa, Bhadantacariya, (no date), “The Visuddhi Magga”, translated from the Pali by Bhikkhu Nanamoli, Singapore Buddhist Meditation Centre, Singapore, XIV: 64, XIV: 147, XIV: 65.
Mon, Dr. Mehm Tin (1995), “The Essence of Buddha Abhidhamma”, publisher Mehm Tay Zar Mon, Yangon, p. 91.
Nyantiloka (no date) Buddhist Dictionary, The Corporate Body of the Buddha Educational Foundation, Taiwan, p 89.
Van Gorkom, Nina (1999), Cetasikas, Part IV, Chapter 31: Six Pairs of Beautiful Cetasikas, Sobhana Cetasikas,
http://www.dhammastudy.com/cetasikas33.html, accessed 18 March 2003.
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