Chan Academy is a registered trading name of
Buddhist Discussion Centre (Upwey) Ltd.
A.C.N. 005 701 806 A.B.N. 42 611 496 488

33 Brooking St, Upwey, Victoria 3158, Australia
Telephone / Facsimile: +613 9754 3334
Email: wbu@bdcu.org.au
Websites: www.bdcu.org.au
www.bdcublessings.net.au
www.bddronline.net.au
www.bsbonline.com.au
www.buyresolved.com.au

World Fellowship of Buddhists Regional Centre
Associated Institution of the World Buddhist University


Abhidhamma Class No. 87, 24 February 2004

Prepared by
Evelin C. Halls, BA
Leanne Eames BA, MA


Namo Tassa Bhagavato Arahato Sammasambuddhassa
Honour to him the Blessed One,
The Worthy one,
The Fully Enlightened One


Vithi - Process of Consciousness - Part 6:
Maranasanna Nimitta

Glossary

nimitta = as signifying the mental reflex-image occurring in meditation, this term, singly or in compounds, is found only in the Commentary, Visuddhimagga, etc.
maranasanna nimitta = kamma-related object at the dying moments
kamma-nimitta = sign of kamma
gati-nimitta = sign of destiny
patisandhi-citta = rebirth consciousness
bhavanga-citta = life continuum
cuti-citta = death consciousness
cetana = volition
karma (Sanscrit) (kamma in Pali) = 'action', correctly speaking denotes the wholesome and unwholesome volitions (kusala- and akusala-cetana) and their concomitant mental factors, causing rebirth and shaping the destiny of beings. These karmical volitions (kamma-cetana) become manifest as wholesome or unwholesome actions by body (kaya-kamma), speech (vaci-kamma) and mind (mano-kamma). Thus the Buddhist term karma by no means signifies the result of actions, and quite certainly not the fate of man, or perhaps even of whole nations (so-called wholesale or mass kamma). Such misconceptions, through the influence of theosophy, have become widely spread in the West ("Buddhist Dictionary", Nyanatiloka, p. 92).
Garuka-kamma = weighty kamma which is so strong that no other kamma can stop its function in the next life. In other words, it certainly produces its results in the next life.
Asanna-kamma = proximate kamma that is performed or remembered just before death.
Acinna-kamma = habitual kamma which is performed regularly. Or it maybe a kamma which is performed once and is recollected and remembered all the time.
Katatta-kamma = unspecified kamma which is done once and soon forgotten.


Bhavanga-citta is explained in the "Buddhist Dictionary" by Nyanatiloka as follows (pp. 38-39):

Bhavanga can be rendered as 'subconsciousness', though, as will be evident from the following, it differs in several respects from the usage of that term in Western psychology. Bhavanga (bhava-anga), which, in the canonical works, is mentioned twice or thrice in the Patthana, is explained in the Abhidhamma commentaries as the foundation or condition (karana) of existence (bhava), as the sine qua non of life, having the nature of a process, literally a flux or stream (sota). Herein, since time immemorial, all impressions and experiences are, as it were, stored up, or better said, are functioning, but concealed as such to full consciousness, from where however they occasionally emerge as subconscious phenomena and approach the threshold of full consciousness or, crossing it, become fully conscious. This so-called 'subconscious life-stream' or undercurrent of life is that by which might be explained the faculty of memory, paranormal psychic phenomena, mental and physical growth, kamma and rebirth, etc. An alternative rendering is 'life-continuum'.

It should be noted that bhavanga-citta is a kamma-resultant state of consciousness (vipaka), and that, in birth as a human or in higher forms of existence, it is always the result of good, or wholesome kamma (kusalakamma-vipako), though in varying degrees of strength. The same holds true for rebirth consciousness (patisandhi) and death consciousness (cuti), which are only particular manifestations of subconsciousness.

In the Visuddhimagga XIV it is said:
"As soon as rebirth-consciousness (in the embryo at the time of conception) has ceased, there arises a similar subconsciousness with exactly the same object, following immediately upon rebirth-consciousness and being the result of this or that kamma (volitional action done in a former birth and remembered there at the moment before death). And again a further similar state of subconsiousness arises. Now, as long as no other consciousness arises to interrupt the continuity of the life-stream, so the life-stream, like the flow of a river, rises in the same way again and again, even during dreamless sleep and at other times. In this way one has to understand the continuous arising for those states of consciousness in the life-stream".

Last week we studied three types of identical cittas. These are: rebirth consciousness (patisandhi-citta), (life-continuum) bhavanga citta, and death consciousness (cuti-citta).

The sense-object that these cittas take is the maranasanna-nimitta which appears just before death in the immediate past life. The nimitta is in the form of 'kamma', 'sign of kamma' or 'sign of destiny'.

Dr Mehm Tin Mon explains in "The Essence of Buddha Abhidhamma" (pp.138-140):

Maranasanna nimitta are kamma-related objects at the dying moments.

In the present life, a person will be alive as long as the kusala-kamma (wholesome deeds), which have given him rebirth in this life, keep on supporting him, i.e., keep on producing bhavanga cittas (life continuum as kamma-resultant).

Just before that supporting kamma fades out, of the many kusala-kammas and akusala-kammas which compete with one another to have the chance of bearing kamma-resultant, one kamma will emerge as the winner.

This successful kamma may appear in the life continuum (mind-door) of the person as kamma-object. When this happens the person may recollect the good or bad action which he or she has performed in the past in connection with the successful kamma. The moral or immoral consciousness, experienced at that particular moment, arises now as a fresh consciousness.

In other words, it is a recurring of the consciousness which one has experienced in performing the action.

At times it may be a sign or symbol associated with the successful kamma that appears at one of the sense-doors. It may be one of the five physical objects viewed through one of the five doors as a present object, or viewed through the mind door as a past object. This past or present object associated with the successful kamma is called 'kamma-nimitta' or 'sign of kamma'.

For example, let us suppose that a person listens to the Dhamma at his dying moment and this good kamma becomes the successful kamma to bear kamma-resultant for the next life. In this case, the present audible Dhamma words grasped through the ear becomes the 'kamma-nimitta'.

In another case, let us suppose that a dying teacher sees through his mental eye (mano-vinnana) the students he has taught. This is also 'kamma-nimitta' in the form of a past object which appears at the mind-door.

Or say, in another case, a dying butcher hears the groans of the cattle he has killed. This past audible object is also 'kamma-nimitta' presented to him through the mind-door.

At times, some symbol of the place in which he is to be reborn according to the successful kamma may appear at the mind-door.

For example, celestial beings or celestial mansions, etc., may appear to the dying person if he is to be reborn in one of the celestial abodes, or miserable people in hell or hellhounds etc. may appear to him if he is to be reborn in hell. These objects related to the place of rebirth are known as 'gati-nimitta' or 'sign of destiny'.

Thus, when a person is dying, one of the three types of maranasanna-nimitta, namely, 'kamma', 'kamma-nimitta' or 'gati-nimitta', will always appear at one of the six sense doors. The person will die soon after and will be reborn in the next life. Then his patisandhi-citta, bhavanga-citta and cuti-citta in the new life will all grasp the maranasanna-nimitta of the past life.

The simile of a cattleshed

Suppose that many cattle are kept in a big shed for the night. In the morning, the door of the shed is opened to let the cattle go out to the pasture. Now which one will come out first?

All the cattle want to get out as soon as possible. If there is an exceptionally strong big one, this one will walk majestically to the door and come out first. This one is like a garuka-kamma (weighty kamma which is so strong that no other kamma can stop its function in the next life. In other words, it certainly produces its results in the next life.).

Now, if there is not exceptionally strong big one, the one nearest the door may come out first. This is similar to the assana-kamma (= proximate kamma that is performed or remembered just before death) bearing its fruit in the next life.

Sometimes a vigilant one, which has regularly noticed the time when the shed is opened, may walk to the door just before it is opened and come out first when the door is opened. This is like the acinna-kamma (habitual kamma which is performed regularly, or it maybe a kamma which is performed once and is recollected and remembered all the time) producing its result in the next life.

Sometimes an unexpected frail one, by being pushed by stronger ones, may come out of the shed first. This is similar to the case when an unexpected katatta-kamma (unspecified kamma which is done once and soon forgotten) has the chance to condition the next life.

Queen Mallika led a righteous life, but she remembered a lie that she had told King Kosala long ago, at her death moment. So this bad katatta-kamma cast her down to a woeful state for seven days.


Next week we will study the three types of bhavanga citta in more detail.


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

Nyanatiloka (edited by Nyanaponika), "Buddhist Dictionary - Manual of Buddhist Terms and Doctrines", Buddhist Publication Society, Kandy, Sri Lanka, 1980

Our Ref: LAN 2 I:/abhi87.rtf

Home | Top