Dear Tzung-Kuen,
Nice to see you again. I like your question.
op 09-06-2004 02:11 schreef Mr Tzung-Kuen Wen op
s4060239@...:
But isn¹t Manodvaaraavajjana always a citta which is rootless, functional,
> accompanied by equanimity? Why are the differences between yoniso¹ and
> ayoniso¹ in Manodvaaraavajjana?
N: It depends on accumulations whether kusala citta or akusala citta follows
upon the mano dvaaraavajjana-citta. This is just one moment of citta, it
adverts to the object through the mind-door and before anybody can do
anything about it, it is followed already by kusala cittas or akusala
cittas. This citta also arises in a sense-door process and is then called
votthapanacitta, determining citta. It is also followed by kusala cittas or
akusala cittas.
When kusala cittas (also those without panna) perform the function of
javana, there is wise attention to the object, yoniso manasikaara. This
refers in particular to the javanacittas, but also the preceding mano
dvaaraavajjana-citta can be included, although it is just one moment rapidly
arising and falling away. They are all in one stream. We should not consider
this citta as a citta that decides about kusala or akusala, it is only
ahetuka kiriyacitta. Ledi Sayadaw compares it as the helmsman of a boat,
saying that the coarse of a boat lies entirely in his hands. I wonder
whether this is from a Co. I only have the English text of his book.
The same is true for ayoniso manasikaara.
In the Suttas we often read about visible object, sound, etc that present
themselves and that there is unwise attention to it or wise attention. This
happens all the time, even now.
Nina.