Glossary
manasikara = attention or advertence, bringing to mind
sabbacitta-sadharana cetasikas = essentials or primary ones
vithi = chain of consciousness or cognitive series
Dr. Mehm Tin Mon explains the causes for the arising of vithi as follows (1995: 134,135):
1. Four conditions must meet for the arising of cakkhu-dvara-vithi. These are:
(i) cakkhu-pasada (eye-door) must be good
(ii) rupa-rammana (visible object) must be present.
(iii) aloka (light) must be present, and
(iv) manasikara (attention) must be present.
2. Four conditions must meet for the arising of sota-dvara-vithi. They are:
(i) sota-pasada (ear-door) must be good.
(ii) sadda-rammana (sound) must be present.
(iii) akasa (space) for the passing of sound must be present, and
(iv) manasikara (attention) must be present.
3. Four conditions must meet for the arising of ghana-dvara-vithi. They are:
(i) ghana-pasada (nose-door) must be good.
(ii) gandha-rammana (smell) must be present.
(iii) vayo (air-element that carries smell) must be present, and
(iv) manasikara (attention) must be present.
4. Four conditions must meet for the arising of jivha-dvara-vithi. They are:
(i) jivha-pasada (tongue-door) must be good.
(ii) rasa-rammana (taste) must be present.
(iii) apo (liquid-element such as saliva) must be present, and
(iv) manasikara (attention) must be present.
5. Four conditions must meet for the arising of kaya-dvara-vithi. They are:
(i) kaya-pasada (body-door) must be good.
(ii) photthabba-rammana (touch) must be present.
(iii) thaddha-pathavi (firm solid element) must be present.
(iv) manasikara (attention) must be present.
6. Four conditions must meet for the arising of mano-dvara-vithi. They are:
(i) mano-dvara (mind-door) must be good.
(ii) dhamma-rammana (mind-object) must be present.
(iii) hadaya-vatthu (heart-base) must be present.
(iv) manasikara (attention) must be present.
Note: Of the four causes which are required for the arising of each type of vithi, the first three more or less parallel the requirements known by science. The fourth cause, i.e., manasikara, is unknown in science. But many instances may be quoted that this cause is indispensable for the awareness of a sense-object.
For illustration, a mother with a young baby has to get up several times every night to nurse her baby. After losing sleep for several nights, she may sometimes, fall so soundly asleep that even a loud thunder that shakes the house may not awake her. Yet, if her baby cries very softly, she will be immediately awake. This illustrates how important manasikara (attention) is.
We studied manasikara in earlier Abhidhamma classes. It belongs to the group of seven sabbacitta-sadharana cetasikas (Mon, p. 67). These are the 'Essentials' or 'Primary Ones'.
Today we will revise manasikara (Mon, pp. 70, 71):
Manasikara is the mind's first 'confrontation with an object' and 'directs the associated mental concomitants to the object'.
As the rudder of a ship directs her to her destination, so manasikara directs the citta and its concomitants towards the sense object. Without manasikara, the mind is like a rudderless ship and it cannot be aware of an objet. We have a saying in Myanmar that runs like this: "If we are not attentive, we shall not see a cave".
In a more general sense, manasikara appears frequently in the suttas as yoniso-manasikara (wise-attention or wise-reflection) and as ayoniso-manasikara (unwise-attention or unwise-reflection). Wise-attention leads to moral consciousness whereas unwise-attention leads to immoral consciousness.
References
Dr. Mehm Tin Mon, 1995, "The Essence of Buddha Abhidhamma", publisher Mehm Tay Zar Mon, Yangon
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