cognitive = of or pertaining to cognition; based on or pertaining to empirical factual knowledge
vithi = chain of consciousness or cognitive series
We have been studying Abhidhamma for over a year and a half and in this time we have learned about citta (consciousness), cetasika (mental factors), and rupa (materiality). Now we begin learning the process of consciousness (in Pali vithi).
Dr Mon's (1995) definition of vithi is "a chain of consciousness or cognitive series that arises when a sense object appears at one of the sense-doors in order to be aware of the object".
"As the road passes one village after another without skipping any nor changing the order of the villages, so also the cittas (consciousness) arise one after another in the order they should according to the law of cittas (citta-niyama)".
"Cittas arise and dissolve in a person at a tremendous rate of more than a thousand billion times per eye-wink, and there are about 250 eye-winks in a second. So the life-time of a citta (consciousness) is less than one-thousand billionth of a second.
The Life-time of Citta
"The life-time or duration of a citta (consciousness) is measured by three short instants of the distinct features in the arising and passing away of a citta. These are:
(i) Uppada = the genetic instant
(ii) Thiti = the existing instant
(iii) Bhanga = the dissolving instant
"These three short instants (khanas) are said to be equal to one moment of consciousness or conscious-moment (cittakkhana).
"So the life-time of a citta is equal to the three short instants of arising, existing and dissolving of the citta or it is equal to one conscious-moment or one cittakkhana. One cittakkhana is better represented by 'one conscious moment' rather than a 'thought moment' which is coined by some translators.
"The duration of one cittakkhana (i.e., one conscious-moment) will be hard to be verified by science. But we ourselves know from experience that it is possible within one single second to dream of innumerable things and events.
The Life-time of Rupa
"The life-time of rupa or corporeality is 17 times longer than that of citta. So we can say that the life-time of rupa is equal to 17 cittakkhanas or 17 conscious moments or 17 x 3 = 51 short instants as there are 3 short instants and there are 3 short instants in a moment of consciousness.
"Thus rupa also arises and dissolves at a tremendous rate of more than 58 billion times per second. The difference between citta and rupa is that citta arises one after another whereas rupa arises by thousands of units at a small instant and it goes on arising incessantly at every small instant. Therefore rupa may be piled up to large masses which are visible to the naked eye whereas the fleeting stream of consciousness is invisible to the naked eye.
Anuruddha (2002) in the Summary of the Topics of Abhidhamma and Exposition of the Topics of Abhidhamma explains that:
"In the summary of process, six sets of six should be understood: six bases, six doors, six objects, six consciousnesses, six processes, six kinds of presentation of objects.
The six consciousnesses are eye-consciousness, ear-consciousness, nose-consciousness, tongue-consciousness, body-consciousness, and mind-consciousness.
The six kinds of presentation of object should be understood as the very great, the great, the slight, and the very slight at the five doors, and the clear and unclear at the mind-door.
With regard to very great and so on, [the presentation of an object] that comes into range after one consciousness-moment has passed and lasts for sixteen consciousness-moments is called very great; that which does so after two or three consciousness-moments have passed and lasts for fifteen or fourteen consciousness-moments is called great; that which does so after from four to nine consciousness-moments have passed and lasts from thirteen to eight consciousness-moments is called slight; that which does so after from ten to fifteen consciousness-moments have passed and lasts from seven to two consciousness-moments is called very slight.
What is distinct is clear; what is indistinct is unclear.
How? The three moments consisting of arising, presence, and dissolution are defined as one consciousness-moment.
How? He asks in what manner objects are determined as 'very great', etc., and in order to make this clear by referring to consciousness-moments he begins with the words, arising, presence. Arising is the event of arising, the taking of the opportunity ; dissolution is dissolving, the destruction of its own appearance. Between these two, facing towards dissolution, is presence. Some, however, deny that consciousness has a presence-moments. Their reasoning is as follows.
In the section on consciousness in the Yamaka it is stated that 'what is arising has arisen' ; in the analysis of this statement it is stated: 'At the moment of dissolution, a thing has arisen, but is not arising ; at the moment of arising, it has both arisen and is arising.' Thus dissolution and arising are clearly stated, but not the moment of presence. But if there were a moment of presence for consciousness, then it should have been stated [in the quoted passage] as occurring at the moment of presence and the moment of dissolution. So they consider that the moment of presence exists in accordance with the Suttanta text that states : 'Arising is known (pannayati), ceasing is known, the change of what is present is known. In this passage also, since there is no occurrence of change in one particular dhamma and because of the use of the expression 'is known', it is presence as continuity that is meant and not presence as a moment. And there is no reason for something that is found not to be mentioned in the Abhidhamma. Therefore as it is not mentioned in the tradition of the Dhamma this shows it does not exist.
On this question it would be said [in reply] that since, in the arising and dissolution of the underlying condition of a particular dhamma, the moment of arising is one moment, the moment of ceasing another, a phase of dissolution that is distinct from the phase of arising is required, for otherwise one would be committed to the position that one Dhamma is arising while another is ceasing. In this way a phase facing dissolution that is distinct from the phases of arising and dissolution is required. This phase is called 'presence'.
However, in the canonical text the moment of presence is not mentioned by reason of wise reflection out of consideration for the disposition of those receiving the teaching, although in fact in consideration for the disposition of those receiving the teaching in some places the Abhidhamma teaching does occur, as when it is taught that the arising of materiality is to be distinguished at twofold as accumulation and continuity. As for the Sutta text:
"Monks, these three characteristics of the conditioned belong to the conditioned. Which three? Arising is known, ceasing is known, the alteration of what is present is known."
Since arising, etc., are spoken of here in order to indicate the characteristics of conditioned dhammas, it is not possible to consider that what is spoken of here is the presence of continuity, which is by nature a concept and something unconditioned. And since the prefix in the word pannayati occurs in the same meaning as the root, the meaning is 'is perceived (vinnayati). Therefore there is not sufficient reason to reject the presence moment of consciousness, and it is correct to say, 'By way of arising, presence, and dissolution.' In consideration of this, it is said in the [Abhidhamma] Commentary too, 'By way of arising, presence, and dissolution, all consciousnesses have three moments'.
Next week, we will study more on vithi.
References
Anuruddha, 2002, Summary of the Topics of Abhidhamma and Exposition of the Topics of Abhidhamma, R. P Wijeratne and Rupert Gethin (translators), Pali Text Society, Oxford, pp. 118 - 123.
Dr. Mehm Tin Mon, 1995, "The Essence of Buddha Abhidhamma", publisher Mehm Tay Zar Mon, Yangon, pp. 131 - 132.
Our Ref: LAN 2 I:/abhi82.rtf