Dear Tzungkuen,
op 11-06-2004 07:05 schreef Mr Tzung-Kuen Wen op s4060239@...:

> N: We should not consider this citta as a citta that decides about kusala or
> akusala, it is only ahetuka kiriyacitta.
>

Tz: Do you mean that even though the manodvaaraavajjana-citta can be said
to be

> yoniso or ayoniso, one can put his effort only at the stage of javana process
> in order to cause 'yoniso manasikaraa' to arise? We can do nothing with the
> mind-door adverting mind since it is ahetuka- kiriya-citta ?

N: When we say yoniso and ayoniso we have to think of the whole stream of
javanacittas, and I am inclined to include the manodvaaraavajjana-citta that
precedes it.
We read in the Co to the Dhammasangani, the Atthasaalinii, translated as the
Expositor (Book I, Part IV, Moral Consciousness in the world of sense, 133):
definition of three kinds of manasikaara. One is a cetasika accompanying
each citta, the second one is the citta that is the sense-door
adverting-consciousness, called the regulator of the sense-door process. The
third one concerns the manodvaaraavajjana-citta we are discussing here:
<Attention which regulates apperception (javana) is a synonym for
mind-door-adverting. > Thus, we can say, it regulates what is following. But
it is so fast, just one moment, and it is kiriyacitta, not kusala nor
akusala. There is no time for this citta to pause and think: what shall I
decide, kusala or akusala. It all happens in a flash and it is conditioned
by previous accumulations of kusala and akusala. This kiriyacitta just
performs its function in a moment.
There is a fixed order of the cittas in a process, it is citta-niyaama. We
cannot cause kusala cittas to arise, but favorable conditions can be
cultivated, so that we accumulate the inclination to kusala. Right
understanding of dhammas is most important.
Tz: Which English book of Ledi Sayadaw do you refer to? English translation
of

> Paramatthadipani ?

N: Yes, printed by the Dep of Religious Affairs, Rangoon. Given to us by a
Burmese friend, I do not think it is for sale now. As I understand it is
also on line?
Nina.