"The meditator should dedicate himself to the Blessed One, the Enlightened One, or to a teacher, and he should ask for the meditation subject with a sincere inclination [of the heart] and sincere resolution" (Visuddhimagga, III, 123).
Before we start each Abhidhamma class, we do the following:
1. Bow to your Superiors; Buddha, Dhamma, Sangha
2. Observe respect for Superiors
3. Observe obedience for Superiors
4. Maintain concentration
5. Keep the mind inside
6. Observe eight precepts in body, speech and mind:
No Lying
No Killing
No Stealing
No Sexual Misconduct
No Intoxicants that Cloud the Mind
No Slander
No Idle Chatter
No Harsh Speech
Dr. Mehm Tin Mon (1995, pp 136-138) writes:
Vithi-cittas and Vithi-vimutti Cittas
(Vithi-consciousness and Vithi-freed consciousness)
Those cittas which participate in the cognitive series are called vithi-cittas.
Those cittas which do not participate in the cognitive series of consciousness are called vithi-vimutti cittas.
The 19 cittas - namely, 2 upekkha-santira?a cittas, 8 maha-vipaka cittas and 9 mahagata-vipaka cittas, are not involved in the cognitive series while they are performing rebirth-function, life-continuum function or death function. So they are known are vithi-vimutti cittas - ie., the number of vithi-freed consciousness is 19. (That these 19 cittas are dvara-vimutti - ie., door-freed- has been mentioned in Chapter III.)
Of the above 19 cittas, the 2 upekkha -santira?a cittas are involved in the cognitive series when they perform the investigating function or the registering function, and the 8 maha-vipaka cittas take part in the cognitive series when they perform the registering function. So these 10 cittas must be included in counting vithi-cittas.
Since only the 9 mahaggata-vipaka cittas are totally free from the cognitive series, the total number of vithi cittas is 89 - 9 = 80
Three types of identical Cittas
The life of a living being begins with a rebirth consciousness (pa?isandhi-citta). After the dissolution of this consciousness, bhavañga cittas (life-continuum) arise and dissolve continuously till death performing the function of life-continuum.
The last bhavañga-citta is known as death consciousness (cuti-citta), because it performs death-function.
For a living being, these three cittas, namely, the pa?isandhi-citta, the bhavañga-citta and the cuti-citta are the same in jati (birth), in concomitants and in the sense-object they take. For a normal human being, one of the 8 maha-vipaka cittas functions as pa?isandhi-citta, bhavañga-citta and cuti-citta. These three cittas are identical in a person, because they are the resultants of the same 'kamma' associated with a kusala citta. If the kusala citta is 'somamassa-sahagatam ña?a-sampayuttam asañkharika maha-vipaka citta will function as pa?isandhi-citta, bhavañga-citta and cuti-citta.
The sense-object that these cittas take is the maranasanna-nimitta which appeared just before death in the immediate past life. The nimitta is in the form of 'kamma', 'sign of kamma' or 'sign of destiny'. These phenomena will be explained further next week when we will study maranasanna nimitta.
Revision
Students have requested to find out more about the hadaya vatthu.
In the Visuddhimagga XIV, 60, it is stated:
"The hadaya vatthu has the characteristic of being the (material) support for the mind-element and for the mind-consciousness element. Its function is to observe them. It is manifested as the carrying of them. It is to be found in dependence on the blood, of the kind described in the Treatise on Mindfulness of the Body (Chapter VIII, Paragraph III), inside the heart. It is assisted by the primaries with their functions of upholding, etc., it is consolidated by temperature, consciousness, and nutriment; it is maintained by life; and it serves as physical basis for the mind-element and mind-consciousness-element, and for the states associated with them".
Hadaya vatthu is a physical base, it is rupa, not nama. There are billions of hadaya vatthus.
In earlier Abhidhamma classes, we have established that we must learn the Pali words, because often it is difficult to translate Pali accurately into the English language as the particular word may not exist in English. For this reason, we recommend to use the Pali terms as these are correct. Words are nama, and to find the true meaning of a word such hadaya vatthu, for example, the student ought to meditate on it, as the true meaning cannot be understood with speech; it can only be understood with the mind.
Rupa is one of the four paramatthas (ultimate realities) in Buddha Abhidhamma. The Buddha has specified various meditations on the body such as the meditation on the parts of the body.
The eight constituents of the Noble Eightfold Path (a??hangika-magga) can be divided into three groups called sikkha (learning or training).
The second group of the a??hangika-magga is samadhi-sikka = training in concentration.
This also comprises three maggangas (constituents of the Path):
(1) samma-vayama = right effort
(2) samma-sati = right mindfulness
(3) samma-samadhi = right concentration
In order to come to a full understanding of rupa, all aspects of the Noble Eightfold Path need to be practised.
Note the simile of the stage-coach:
"If one misses one coach, one cannot catch the remaining coaches. If one cannot develop Moral Purity, one shall miss the Purity of Mind. If one cannot develop Purity of Mind, one shall miss the next coach, i.e. Purity of View, and so on.
Based on sila-foundation, one shall develop concentration (samadhi-sikkha), and based on concentration, one shall practise vipassana to develop wisdom (pañña).
The Buddha expounded suttas about mindfulness of the body. Today we will read the Kaayagataasativaggo, Mindfulness of the six doors of mental contact in the body, the Amatavagga - Deathlessness and the Kaayaanupassisutta from the Majjhima Nikaaja (translated by the Venerable Sister Uppalawanna).
Kaayagataasativaggo - Mindfulness of the six doors of mental contact in the body
563 .Bhikkhus, if the great ocean is penetratingly seen, you see that all small rivulets flow into it, in the same manner mindfulness of the body, developed and made much arouse thoughts of merit leading to knowledge.
Bhikkhus, if this one thing is developed and made much it leads to
564. Great religious anxiety
565. Great benefits
566. Coming to the end of unpleasantness
567. Mindful awareness
568. Gain of knowledge and vision
569. A pleasant abiding here and now and
570. The Realization of the fruits of release, with knowledge.
What is that one thing? It's mindfulness of the body. Bhikkhus, this one thing developed and made much,
conduces to the realization of the fruits of release with knowledge.
571. Bhikkhus, when mindfulness of the body is developed and made much, the body and mind is appeased, thoughts and thought processes are appeased and with its development and completion all knowledgeable things get completed.
572. Bhikkhus, when mindfulness of the body is developed and made much, not arisen demeritorious thoughts do not arise and arisen demeritorious thoughts fade.
573. Bhikkhus, when mindfulness of the body is developed and made much, not arisen thoughts of merit arise and arisen thoughts of merit develop and reach completion
574. Bhikkhus, when mindfulness of the body is developed and made much, ignorance fades, science arises, self-conceit fades, latent tendencies get completely destroyed and bonds fade.
575-576. Bhikkhus, when mindfulness of the body is developed and made much, it conduces to penetrating wisdom and to final extinction without holdings
577-579. Bhikkhus, when mindfulness of the body is developed and made much, the various mental spheres and their respective pastures are penetratingly understood.
580-583. Bhikkhus, when mindfulness of the body is developed and made much, it conduces to realizing the fruits of the entry into the stream of the Teaching, fruits of returning once, fruits of not returning, and fruits of worthiness
584-598. Bhikkhus, when mindfulness of the body is developed and made much, it conduces to gain of wisdom.
Bhikkhus, when mindfulness of the body is developed and made much, it conduces to growth in wisdom
Bhikkhus, when mindfulness of the body is developed and made much, it conduces to amassing wisdom.
Bhikkhus, when mindfulness of the body is developed and made much, it conduces to wisdom as extensive as the earth.
Bhikkhus, when mindfulness of the body is developed and made much, it conduces to wisdom that spreads out.
Bhikkhus, when mindfulness of the body is developed and made much, it conduces to quick wisdom.
Bhikkhus, when mindfulness of the body is developed and made much, it conduces to deep wisdom.
Bhikkhus, when mindfulness of the body is developed and made much, it conduces to exhilarating wisdom.
Bhikkhus, when mindfulness of the body is developed and made much, it conduces to unbounded wisdom.
Bhikkhus, when mindfulness of the body is developed and made much, it conduces to spontaneous wisdom.
Bhikkhus, when mindfulness of the body is developed and made much, it conduces to sharp wisdom.
599. Bhikkhus, when mindfulness of the body is developed and made much, it conduces to penetrating wisdom.
Amatavagga- Deathlessness
600. Bhikkhus, they that do not partake mindfulness of the body, [1] do not partake deathlessness and they that partake mindfulness of the body, partake deathlessness.
601. Bhikkhus, they that have not experienced mindfulness of the body, have not experienced deathlessness and they that have experienced mindfulness of the body, have experienced deathlessness.
602. Bhikkhus, they that have neglected mindfulness of the body, have neglected deathlessness and they that have not neglected mindfulness of the body, have not neglected deathlessness.
603. Bhikkhus, they that have gone wrong in mindfulness of the body, have gone wrong in deathlessness and they that have mindfulness of the body, have deathlessness.
604. Bhikkhus, those negligent in mindfulness of the body, are negligent in deathlessness and the diligent in mindfulness of the body, are diligent in deathlessness.
605.Bhikkhus, those that have forgotten mindfulness of the body, have forgotten deathlessness and they that have not forgotten mindfulness of the body, have not forgotten deathlessness.
606. Bhikkhus, those that have not practised mindfulness of the body, have not practised deathlessness and they that have practised mindfulness of the body, have practised deathlessness.
607. Bhikkhus, those that have not practised mindfulness of the body, have not practised deathlessness and they that have practised mindfulness of the body, have practised deathlessness.
608. Bhikkhus, they that have not made much of mindfulness of the body, have not made much of deathlessness and they that have made much of mindfulness of the body, have made much of deathlessness.
609. Bhikkhus, those who do not know with deep knowledge mindfulness of the body, do not have deep knowledge of deathlessness and they that know mindfulness of the body deeply know deathlessness deeply.
610. Bhikkhus, they that do not thoroughly know mindfulness of the body, do not thoroughly know deathlessness and they that thoroughly know mindfulness of the body, thoroughly know deathlessness.
611.Bhikkhus, they that have not realized mindfulness of the body, have not realized deathlessness and they that have realized mindfulness of the body, have realized deathlessness.
Notes.
[1] Mindfulness of the body 'kaayagataasati'. In this sutta, mindfulness of the body is equated to deathlessness. Mindfulness of the body is nothing other than the control of the six mental faculties. The Blessed One has explained that the release with knowing 'a~n~naavimutti' is the release that one experiences when his six spheres of mental contact do not arouse feelings in any circumstance. So this is explained as deathlessness 'amatapada.m' or arahantship here and now.
Kaayaanupassisutta - Mindfulness of the body.
117. Bhikkhus, without dispelling six things it is not possible to abide reflecting the body in the body. What six?
Fondness for activity, fondness for talk, fondness for sleep, fondness for company, non-control in the mental faculties and not knowing the right amount to eat.
Bhikkhus, without dispelling these six things it is not possible to abide reflecting the body in the body.
Bhikkhus, dispelling six things it is possible to abide reflecting the body in the body. What six?
Fondness for activity, fondness for talk, fondness for sleep, fondness for company, non-control in the mental faculties and not knowing the right amount to eat.
Bhikkhus, dispelling these six things it is possible to abide reflecting the body in the body.
Bibliography
Buddhaghosa, Bhadantacariya, (no date), "The Visuddhi Magga", translated from the Pali by Bhikkhu Nanamoli, Singapore Buddhist Meditation Centre, Singapore
Dr. Mehm Tin Mon, "The Essence of Buddha Abhidhamma", publisher Mehm Tay Zar Mon, Yangon, 1995
Anguttara Nikaaya I Ruupaadii - Ekaka Vagga I, "The Kaayagataasativaggo, Mindfulness of the six doors of mental contact in the body", "The Amatavagga - Deathlessness", "The Kaayaanupassisutta", translated from Pali by the Venerable Sister M. Uppalawanna, URL http://www.bdcu.org.au/anguttara.html, acccessed 16 February 2004
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