--- In Pali@yahoogroups.com, "Stephen Hodge" <s.hodge@...> wrote:

> Robert Kirkpatrick wrote:
>
> > From commentary translation of Samyutta nikaya by Bhikkhu Bodhi
> > (p771 vol 1): "..one citta is not able to endure for a whole day

or a

> > whole night. Even in the time of a fingersnap many hundred
> > thousands of kotis of cittas arise and cease.(1 koti =10

million)"

> This could be a case of hyperbole for emphasis. If you think it is
> literally true, could you please explain how this works in the

light of

> current neurophysiological knowledge ? Do cittas occur

independently of the

> mind or are they derivative from it ? Please correct me if I am

wrong, but

> is it not a Theravadan doctrine that two or more cittas do not

occur

> simulataneously ? If so, the text is claiming that

10,000,000,000,000

> cittas occur sequentially in less than a second. From what I have

read

> about the brain, I think it is physiologically impossible for

neurons to

> fire so quickly.

++++++++++
Dear Stephen,
You are entirely correct that cittas arise sequentially and that no
two cittas can arise at the same time. I think scientists can never
understand nama, rupa (materiality) and is very different from nama
and so any ideas such as neurons are not helpful when trying to
understand mentality.

Mind is a concept that also doesn't help us- cittas and cetasikas
are nama (mentality), they do not depend on 'brain'.

The texts are clear that many moments of nama/citta/mentality arise
and pass away in a split second - but whether it is exactly
10,000,000,000,000 or a factor of 10 or more either way is
unimportant. Not hyperbole though. Many lifetimes happen in a very
short-time, in fact time itself can only be understood in relation
to the arising and passing away of mentality.

BTW Dimitry, I should mention that some conditioning factors arise
at the same time as the cetasika they condition.
Robertk