Dear Suan, Dimitri and all,

Suan, thank you very much for your post. I am always so impressed whenever I
see this text. It is very straightforward, sober, and very deep.
This deals actually with the first of the eight types of mahaakusala citta,
that is accompanied by paññaa.
Some people are wondering whether all these cetasikas are necessary. Yes,
they are. They are the helpers of citta, the chief in knowing the object.
All these cetasikas perform their own function while they assist the citta.
We have many more akusala cittas than kusala cittas and kusala citta
accompanied by pañña needs many concurrent conditions, just for one moment
and then it falls away. Necessary factors are among others, saddhaa,
confidence, sati, alobha, adosa, passaddhi, and many other cetasikas. Strong
confidence in the Triple Gem and in the Path taught by the Buddha is a
condition for kusala citta. As understanding develops also confidence
becomes firmer. Conascent dhammas condition each other by sahajaata paccaya.
When we study all these cetasikas it will make more sense to us. The Co.,
the Atthasaalinii, is very helpful in understanding the Dhammasanga.ni.
Citta and its accompanying cetasikas experience the same object, they arise
at the same physical base, and fall away together. Life is actually one
moment of citta. But the citta that falls away conditions the next moment by
way of anantara paccaya, contiguity condition. From birth to death our life
is an unbroken series of cittas. That is why good and bad tendencies, all we
learn and experience can be accumulated from moment to moment. Accumulated
wholesome qualities and also defilements are a condition for their arising
at the present time by way of pakatupanissaya paccaya, natural strong
dependence condition.
For the arising of mahaakusala citta with paññaa many conditions are
necssary, not only conditions that are present but also factors of the past.
Yasmim samaye, at what time or occasion...
The Atthasaalinii, the Co. to the Dhammasanganii, elaborates on the meaning
of samaya. I touched on this already in connection with the sutta on the
four Wheels. Here is what I wrote before:
<The ³Expositor² (The English translation of the Atthasaalinii, p. 76 etc.)
explains numerous meanings of samaya, such as: time or occasion, concurrence
of causes, moment. It explains that the ³four wheels² should be classed as
the one moment in the sense of occasion, they form the occasion for the
production of merit. It states: ³It does not occur without there being a
concurrence of circumstances, such as existence as a human being, the rise
of the Buddha, and the stability of the good Law, etc.... ³ It shows the
extreme shortness of the time in the occurrence of kusala citta and it
points out ³the extreme rarity of such moments². It stresses that advice has
been given that we should have strenuousness and earnestness in pa.tivedha,
realization of the truth, since this is very difficult: ³as difficult for
the mind as stringing pearls in the dark by a lightning-flash, because of
its extremely short duration.²
Samaya can also mean group, and this shows the simultaneous occurrence of
many dhammas.
By samaya is shown the concurrence of conditions, the mutual contribution
towards the production of a common result. The Expositor explains with
regard to samaya as condition: ³By this word showing thus the condition, the
conceit of one who believes that states unconditionally follow one¹s own
will is subdued.²
When we learn about all the different factors that are necessary conditions
for the arising of one moment of kusala citta with paññaa we are reminded
that kusala citta does not belong to us and that it falls away immediately.
Kusala citta is very rare and even more so kusala citta with paññaa. We have
accumulated a great amount of akusala and thus there are conditions for its
arising very often. This is a pungent reminder to develop all kinds of
kusala for which there is an opportunity. >

op 19-08-2004 17:18 schreef abhidhammika op suanluzaw@...:

>
> Dhammasanganii, Abhidhaamma
> Pi.taka.
>
> 1. Cittuppaadaka.n.dam
>
> Kaamaavacarakusalam
>
> Padabhaajanii
>
> 1. Katame dhammaa kusalaa? Yasmim samaye kaamaavacaram
> kusalam cittam uppannam hoti somanassasahagatam ñaa.nasampayuttam
> ruupaaramma.nam vaa saddaaramma.nam vaa gandhaaramma.nam vaa
> rasaaramma.nam vaa pho.t.thabbaaramma.nam vaa dhammaaramma.nam vaa
> yam yam vaa panaarabbha, tasmim samaye phasso hoti, vedanaa
> hoti, saññaa hoti, cetanaa hoti, cittam hoti, vitakko hoti, …"
>
> The above passage shows that when a mental event happens by taking
> one or another of the six stimuli, namely, the five sense objects
> and one mental object, relevant mental associates such as contact,
> feeling, memory, activation, thinking and the like also arise
> simultaneously.
>
> Please note the clause "cittam hoti" which the Buddha intentionally
> included to indicate the mind and its mental associates (cetasikas)
> arise simultaneously.