Glossary
vatthu = base
vinnana = consciousness
vithi = chain of consciousness or cognitive series
Last week we started to learn about 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".
We learned about the life-time of citta and the life-time of rupa.
This week we learn about six types of vinnana and six types of vithi using the text 'The Essence of Buddha Abhidhamma' by Dr Mehm Tin Mon, pp. 132-133:
Six Types of Vinnana
Vinnana cittas (consciousness) may be classified as follows according to the six sense-doors and the six physical bases (vatthu):
1. Cakkhu-vinnana = 2 eye-consciousness
2. Sota-vinnana= 2 ear consciousness
3. Ghana-vinnana= 2 nose consciousness
4. Jivha-vinnana = 2 tongue consciousness
5. Kaya-vinnana = 2 body consciousness
6. Mano-vinnana = 79 mind-consciousness
Please note that eye-consciousness arises at the eye-door depending on the eye-base (vatthu) and so on. The mind-consciousness arises at the mind-door depending on the hadaya-vatthu in the heart.
The first five vinnanas comprise of 2 sense-impressions each whereas mano-vinnana comprises of 79 types of consciousness.
Six Types of Vithi
(Mon: pp. 133, 134)
Vithi or the cognitive series of consciousness is also divided into six classes which may be named according to either the six-sense doors or the six types of vinnana as follows:
1. Cakkhu-dvara-vithi = cakkhu-vinnana - vithi
It is the cognitive series of consciousness connected with the eye-door or with the eye consciousness.
2. Sota-dvara-vithi = sota-vinnana - vithi
It is the cognitive series of consciousness connected with the ear-door or with the ear-consciousness.
3. Ghana-dvara-vithi = ghana-vinnana - vithi
It is the cognitive series of consciousness connected with the nose-door or with the nose-conscioisness
4. Jivha-dvara-vithi = jivha-vinnana - vithi
It is the cognitive series of consciousness connected with the tongue-door or with the tongue-consciousness
5. Kaya-dvara-vithi = kaya-vinnana - vithi
It is the cognitive series of consciousness connected with the body-door or with the body-consciousness
6. Mano-dvara-vithi = mano-vinnana - vithi
It is the cognitive series of consciousness connected with the mind-door or with the mind-consciousness
In the "Summary of the Topics of Abhidhamma and Exposition of the Topics of Abhidhamma" it is written (2002: pp. 123, 124) :
Immaterial things change fast, material things change slowly, each being produced momentarily in their [respective] conditions as that which apprehends and that which is apprehended, and so he states the words beginning, These.
These: of the same kind as these, Seventeen-consciousness-moments are moments that are equivalent to the moments of seventeen consciousnesses, or they are seventeen consciousness-moments; this is the construction. But taken separately there are fifty-one consciousness moments.
Note: Seventeen multiplied by the three moments of arising, presence and dissolution.
Of material dhammas: of material dhammas other than the kinds of communication and the characteristic [phases]. For the two kinds of communication last for one consciousness-moment, and are therefore mentioned among the dhammas whose occurrence coincides with consciousness; and of the characteristic [phases], birth and impermanence have the same duration as the moments of arising and dissolution of consciousness, while decay lasts for forty-nine consciousness-moments. In consideration of this they say:
Except for communication and the characteristic [phases], it lasts for seventeen consciousnesses.
In the Abhidhamma Commentary it is stated:
Materiality that has arisen along with the relinking consciousness ceases with the seventeenth [moment of consciousness] after that; materiality that has arisen at the presence-moment of the relinking consciousness ceases at the arising-moments of the eighteenth...
The mango simile
A man is sleeping under a mango tree that is in fruit with his head covered. At the sound of a single mango falling close by he wakes up; he removes the cloth from his head, opens his eyes, and sees it; taking hold of it, he presses it, smells it, realises that it is ripe, eats it, and swallowing the saliva with what is left in his mouth goes back to sleep in the same place. Herein the occurrence of the existence-continuum is like the time when the man is sleeping; when the object makes impact with the sense organ it is like the moment when the fruit has fallen; the occurrence of adverting is like the time when he wakes up at the sound; the occurrence of eye-consciousness's activity is like the time when, opening his eyes, he looks down; the occurrence of receiving is like the time when he takes hold [of the mango]; the occurrence of investigating is like the time when he presses it; the occurrence of determining is like the time when he smells it; the occurrence of impulsion is like the time when he is eating it; the occurrence of retention is like the time when he is swallowing what is left in his mouth with the saliva; the occurrence of the existence-continuum is like the time when he is once more sleeping.
What does this simile show? That the function of the object is just to make impact with the sense organ; that of adverting is just to direct [the mind] towards the objective field; that of eye-consciousness is merely seeing; and those of receiving, etc., are merely accepting, etc.; but it is the function of impulsion alone to enjoy the taste of the object, while that of retention is enjoying just what has been enjoyed by that [impulsion]. In this way it is shown how each of these dhammas has a distinct function, and thus one should understand that when consciousness is operating, it operates by virtues of the fixed order of consciousness, like the fixed order of the seasons and seeds, without there being anyone issuing orders saying, 'You are adverting and come immediately after existence-continuum; you are, say, seeing, or whatever, and come immediately after adverting'.
(Wijeratne and Gethin (translators), 2002: pp. 128, 129)
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
Dr. Mehm Tin Mon, 1995, "The Essence of Buddha Abhidhamma", publisher Mehm Tay Zar Mon, Yangon
Our Ref: LAN 2 I:/abhi83.rtf