Dear Nina,
Thanks very much for your synopsis and introduction to the Abhidhamma. I found
it a very informative and useful introduction to something about which I
previously knew nothing,
Metta, Bryan
________________________________
From: Nina van Gorkom <
vangorko@...>
To:
dhammastudygroup@yahoogroups.com;
pali@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Tue, September 28, 2010 5:00:09 AM
Subject: [Pali] Abhidhamma Series, no 30. The Seven Books of the Abhidhamma
(part 7).
Dear friends,
The Seven Books of the Abhidhamma (part 7)
The Seventh Book of the Abhidhamma is the “Pa.t.thaana” (translated
partly by the Venerable U Naarada as Conditional Relations). The
translator also wrote a “Guide to Conditional Relations” with many
explanations.
The “Pa.t.thaana” describes in detail all possible relations between
phenomena. There are twentyfour classes of conditions. Each reality
in our life can only occur because of a concurrence of different
conditions which operate in a very intricate way.
These conditions are not abstractions, they operate now, in our daily
life. What we take for our mind and our body are mere elements which
arise because of their appropriate conditions and are devoid of self.
We should consider the conditions for the bodily phenomena which
arise and fall away all the time. At the first moment of our life
kamma produced the heart-base and other ruupas together with the
rebirth-consciousness, and throughout our life kamma continues to
produce the heartbase and the sense-bases. Not only kamma, but also
citta, heat and nutrition produce ruupas of the body.
The cittas which arise are dependent on many different conditions. We
tend to forget that seeing is only a conditioned reality and that
visible object is only a conditioned reality, and therefore we are
easily carried away by sense impressions.
Each citta experiences an object, be it a sense object or a mental
object, and the object conditions citta by object-condition,
aaramma.na-paccaya. It is beneficial to remember that seeing, hearing
and the other sense-cognitions are vipaakacittas, cittas which are
results of kamma. They arise at their appropriate bases, vatthus,
which are also produced by kamma.
Hearing is conditioned by sound which impinges on the earsense. Both
sound and earsense are ruupas which also arise because of their own
conditions and fall away. Thus, hearing, the reality which they
condition, cannot last either; it also has to fall away. Each
conditioned reality can exist just for an extremely short moment.
When we understand this it will be easier to see that there is no
self who can exert control over realities. How could we control what
falls away immediately? When we move our hands, when we walk, when we
laugh or cry, when we are attached or worried, there are conditions
for such moments.
Cittas succeed one another without any interval. The citta that has
just fallen away conditions the succeeding citta and this is by way
of proximity-condition, anantara-paccaya. Seeing arises time and
again and after seeing has fallen away akusala cittas usually arise.
In each process of cittas there are, after the sense-cognitions have
fallen away, several moments of kusala cittas or akusala cittas,
called javana-cittas. These experience the object in a wholesome way
or unwholesome way. There are usually seven javana-cittas and each
preceding javana-citta conditions the following one by way of
repetition-condition, aasevana-paccaya.
We cling to visible object, or we have wrong view about it, taking it
for a being or a person that really exists. Defilements arise because
they have been accumulated and they are carried on, from moment to
moment, from life to life. They are a natural decisive support-
condition, pakatuupanissaya-paccaya, for akusala citta arising at
this moment.
The study of conditions helps us to have more understanding of the
‘Dependent Origination’. It is necessary to know which conditioning
factors are conascent with the dhamma they condition and which are
not. Each link of the Dependent Origination conditions the following
one by way of several types of conditions.
The “Pa.t.thaana” helps us to understand the deep underlying motives
for our behaviour and the conditions for our defilements. It
explains, for example, that kusala, wholesomeness, can be the object
of akusala citta, unwholesome citta. On account of generosity which
is wholesome, attachment, wrong view or conceit, which are
unwholesome realities, can arise. The “Pa.t.thaana” also explains
that akusala can be the object of kusala, for example, when akusala
is considered with insight. This is an essential point which is often
overlooked. If one thinks that akusala cannot be object of awareness
and right understanding, the eightfold Path cannot be developed.
--------
Conclusion: All of the texts of the Tipi.taka , including the
Abhidhamma, are not meant merely for intellectual study or
memorizing, they are directed to the practice, the development of
vipassanaa. All the classifications of cittas, cetasikas and ruupas
are terse reminders of the truth, they are an exhortation to develop
understanding of what appears at this moment. This is the development
of the eightfold Path leading to the eradication of all defilements.
(The end)
---------
Nina.
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