Dear Nina,
Thanks a lot for your clear explanations.
I used to understand yonisomanasikara as a 'manner of attention towards objects that come into contact with our sense bases that triggers wholesome states of mind'; or 'paying attention to those aspects of the objects that would trigger wholesome stats of mind'. For example, if we pay attention to good and admirable qualities of a person, loving kindness will arise.
Please comment.

Bhante Sobhana

--- In Pali@yahoogroups.com, Nina van Gorkom <vangorko@...> wrote:
>
> Venerable Bhante Sobhana,
> Op 27-dec-2010, om 4:29 heeft sakyaputtiyo@... het volgende
> geschreven:
>
> > can you please share your knowledge about 'yonisomanasikara'.
> -------
> N: Manasikaara has several meanings. It can refer to the cetasika
> manasikaara, attention, that accompanies every citta. It can also
> refer to: the citta that is the five-sense-door adverting-
> consciousness which is the first citta of a sense-door process
> adverting to the object that has impinged on the relevant sense-door.
> Thirdly, it refers to the mind-door adverting-consciousness,
> manodvaaraavajjana-citta. In the sense-door process this citta (the
> manodvaaraavajjanacitta) performs the function of determining,
> votthapana, and it is followed by kusala cittas or akusala cittas (in
> the case of non-arahats). In the mind-door process it performs the
> function of adverting to the object that has impinged on the mind-
> door and it is followed by kusala cittas or akusala cittas.
> Yoniso means: in the right way, thoroughly. Yono means womb, origin,
> nature, matrix. When the votthapanacitta is followed by kusala
> cittas, and also when the manodvaaraavajjanacitta is followed by
> kusala cittas there is yoniso manasikaara, right attention. When they
> are followed by akusala cittas there is unwise attention, ayoniso
> manasikaara.
> Usually the series of kusala cittas and akusala cittas are seven in
> number. They are called javana-cittas.
> Cittas succeed one another extremely fast and therefore we cannot
> actually pinpoint when there the citta manasikaara arises. Nor can we
> control it, it has already arisen before we know it. It is because of
> accumulations of wholesome or unwholesome inclinations that there are
> conditions for the arising of kusala cittas and akusala cittas. For
> example, we may dislike loud sounds and when we hear it the dislike
> has already arisen before we realise it. There is already unwise
> attention. This process goes on the whole day. After seeing visible
> object or hearing sound, javana-cittas arise very shortly afterwards
> and usually there is unwise attention. There may be attachment to the
> object accompanied by indifferent feeling and this may be unnoticed.
> After akusala cittas have fallen away there may be another mind-door
> process with mindfulness of the akusala cittas that have just fallen
> away. Then there is wise attention, yoniso manasikaara. When we have
> listened to the Dhamma and wisely considered it there are conditions
> for the arising of mindfulness of whatever reality appears, be it
> kusala or akusala. The eightfold path can be developed that
> eventually leads to the end of unwise attention.
> -------
> with respect,
> Nina.
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>