Hello all,

Someone in the Pali forum I moderate asked the following question and
has given me permission to post it here since I'm not sure if we have
any people who would be able to answer it. It seems interesting to me,
but I have no idea about how to answer. I tried looking up "bhavanga"
in the CSCD, but I couldn't find it under that or under "bhavanga.m" and
also "bhavaanga.m" just in case of a strengthening. Apparently it is
there if I am to believe what I read below, but I just don't seem to be
able to look it up. Oh well.

Here is the question:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Hello, friends - Please forgive my ignorance as I am not learned in the
ancient languages. So, please make allowances as I outline my questions.

There have been several discussions going on in the Buddhist Philosophy
forum regarding the concepts 'mindstream' and 'store conciousness' as
central to later texts such as the Abhidhamma, notably alaya- and mula-
vijnana (will be posting questions about that in Sanskrit forum).

However, the question has come up as to whether or not equivalent
concepts were earlier discussed in the Triptaka. After some research we
located a paper "Alaya Vijnana Store Consciousness" by Ven. Dr. Walpola
Rahula:

"In the Yogacara (Vijnanavada) School of Buddhism, alaya Vijnana is one
of the most important doctrines developed by Asanga (fourth century
C.E.). He divides the Vijnana skandha (Aggregate of Consciousness) the
fifth of the five skandhas, into three different aspects or layers,
namely, citta, manas and Vijnana. In the Theravada Tipitaka as well as
in the Pali Commentaries, these three terms - citta, manas, Vijnana -
are considered as synonyms denoting the same thing. The Sarvistivada
also takes them as synonyms. Even the Lankavatara Sutra, which is purely
a Mahayana text, calls them synonyms although their separate functions
are mentioned elsewhere in the same sutra. Vasubandhu, too, in his
msatikavijnapti-matratasiddhi considers them as synonyms. Since any one
of these three terms - citta, manas, Vijnanas - represents some aspect,
even though not all aspects, of the fifth Aggregate Vijnana skandha,
they may roughly be considered as synonyms."

But also, have located other terms which may be relevant. Both are based
on the term bhavanga: bhava + anga = factor of life, or indispensable
cause or condition of existence. And the specific terms under discussion
are bhavanga-citta and bhavanga-sota, cited as being in the Nikayas.

Question 1: These terms bhavanga-citta and bhavanga-sota are Pali, correct?

If yes, further questions. I located an old e-sanga post
<http://www.lioncity.net/buddhism/index.php?act=ST&f=24&t=15181&hl=&view=findpost&p=216841>,
which states:

Bhavanga (bhava-anga), which, in the canonical works, is mentioned twice
or thrice in the Patthána, is explained in the Abhidhamma commentaries
as the foundation or condition (kárana) of existence (bhava), as the
sine qua non of life, having the nature of a process, lit. 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, karma and rebirth. etc. An
alternative rendering is 'life-continuum'.

It should be noted that bhavanga-citta is a karma-resultant state of
consciousness (vipáka, q.v.), and that, in birth as a human or in higher
forms of existence, it is always the result of good, or wholesome karma
(kusala-kamma-vipáka), though in varying degrees of strength (s.
patisandhi, end of the article). The same holds true for rebirth
consciousness (patisandhi) and death consciousness (cuti), which are
only particular manifestations of subconsciousness. In Vis.M. 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 karma
(volitional action done in a former birth and remembered there at the
moment before death). And again a further similar state of
subconsciousness arises. Now, as long as no other consciousness arises
to interrupt the continuity of the life-stream, so long 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 of those states of consciousness in
the life-stream." Cf. viññána-kicca. For more details, s. Fund. 11.
(App.).'"

The above quote seems to mix Sanskrit and Pali term in its descriptions.

Question 2: What are the best interpretations of the two terms
bhavanga-citta and bhavanga-sota?

>
>