Dear Alan,
Reply below:
In Pali@yahoogroups.com, Alan McClure <alanmcclure3@...> wrote:

> > 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).

++++++++++++++
1.Abhidhamma is not a later text.
2. It is not helpful to think of bhavanga as like a storehouse and
the Abhidhamma doesn't suggest that it is.

>
> 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?

+++++++
Yes they are pali words.
++++++++++++++++

>
> 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.

>

++++++++++++++
No sanskrit in the passage that was quoted - all pali.

+++++++++++++++++++++

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

++++++++
In my opinion it is better to leave bhavanga untranslated. Although
life -continuum could be 'ok'. Bhavanga is not 'sub-consciousness'
as it is a citta (and citta is translated as consciousness).
Robertk