Abhidhammā and Cittānupassanā Teachings

After his enlightenment, the Buddha preached his teachings (Dhamma) for forty-five years.  When these Buddha teachings are grouped in accordance with the same categories, there become the Three Baskets of Dhamma or Tipitaka – Vinaya, Suttanta and Abhidhammā.

Among these Tipiṭaka, Cittānupassanā of Abhidhammā Piṭaka will be taught.

When the Abhidhammā Piṭaka is summarized, we get four Ultimate Realities: Consciousness (Citta), Mental factors (Cetasika), Matter (Rūpa) and Nibbāna.  How many Ultimate Realities? (four Ultimate Realities sir.)  When these four Ultimate Realities are summarized again, we get two kinds of the truths "Mind and matter – Nāma and Rūpa".  How many truths? (two kinds sir).  Among these two kinds of the truth, mind (Nāma) meant consciousness will be preached. 

I, he, she, you, man and woman said by many people in the world are not the truths according to the Abhidhammā concepts.  They are just only "Panññatti – names or designations".  I, he, she, you, man and woman are just only mind and matter - Nāma and Rūpa according to the Abhidhammā concepts.  What are they? (They are mind and matter)

From the "Mind and matter – Nāma and Rūpa", mind is the consciousness.  It doesn't have physical conditions.  We cannot see it.  But, we cannot say that there is no mind as it cannot be seen.  If there is no mind, we can say that he is a dead person.  People are alive with their minds.  

In the Dhamma Pada Pāli, the Buddha said that all mental phenomena have the mind as their forerunner; they have the mind as their chief; they are mind-made.  If one thinks, speaks or acts with an evil mind, the "dukkha or suffering" follow him just as the wheels follow the hoof-print of the ox that draws the carts.

In the Citta Sutta in Saṁyutta Pāli of the Suttanta Pitaka, the Buddha said that all mental phenomena have the mind that leads the world and attracts it.  All Dhamma have to follow the control of the mind.

Body is the aggregate.  If this body is grouped, we can find the physical group and the mental group.  The physical group has one aggregate and the mental group has four aggregates.  Therefore, Abhidhammā says that there are five aggregates.  How many kinds of aggregates? (Five kinds of aggregates).  These five aggregates are led by the mind.  There is a proverb that "Broken spirit drieth the bones.  Thus, the mind is the most important.  If we can control our mind, we can get everything we want.  We can get the happiness of human beings, celestial beings, Brahma beings and Nibbāna.

If a person cannot control his mind, he will meet the suffering "Dukkha".  He will be reborn in the woeful planes – hell, animal, Petas (hungry ghosts) and Asuras realms.  Thus the mind must be governed and controlled by itself (the mind).  If the mind is let to wander without the control, it enjoys evil deeds. No need to see others.  We can see ourselves.  We don't want to study our lessons.  We want to play.  Do you want to study or play? (We want to play).  Yes, this is the nature of the mind.  Thus, mind is the most important and we must know that it needs to be controlled most.  The Buddha preached in the Abhidhammā Piṭaka that there are 89 kinds of Cittas or minds in brief.  How many kinds of Citta? (89 kinds, sir).  The Buddha explained these Cittas details such as Lokiya Citta, Lokuttara Citta, Kusala Citta, Akusala Citta, Kāmāvacara Citta, Rūpāvacara Citta, and Arūpāvacara Citta. 

Lokiya Citta is the Citta which appears in the mind of a Puthujjana person and Lokuttara Citta is the Citta which appears in the mind of an Ariya person.   Sotāpatti, Sakadāgāmi, Anāgāmi and Arahatta persons are Ariya persons.  If one is not become Ariya person yet, he is the Puthujjana person.  In short, Lokiya Citta appears in the mind of a Puthujjana person and Lokuttara Citta appears in the mind of an Ariya person.  The 89 kinds of Cittas can be divided into 81 kinds of Lokiya Cittas and 8 kinds of Lokuttara Cittas.  How many kinds of Lokiya Citta? (81 kinds sir), How many kinds of Lokuttara Cittas? (8 kinds sir)

Kusala Citta is the Citta which is free from evil consciousness and can give benefits.  Akusala Citta is the Citta which is associated with the evil consciousness and can give sufferings.  There are 12 kinds of Akusala Cittas.  How many kinds of Akusala Cittas? (12 kinds sir).  If 8 greet-rooted consciousness (Lobhamūla Cittas), 2 hatred-rooted consciousness (Dosamūla Cittas) and 2 delusion-rooted consciousness (Mohamūla Cittas) are added together, there become 12 kinds of Akusala Citta.  How many kinds of Lobhamūla Cittas? (8 kinds sir).  How many kinds of Dosamūla Cittas? (two kinds, sir), How many kinds of Mohamūla Cittas? (two kinds, sir).  In short, we can find three kinds of Cittas - Lobhamūla Cittas, Dosamūla Cittas and Mohamūla Cittas. How many kinds? (three kinds). Therefore, Lobhamūla Cittas, Dosamūla Cittas and Mohamūla Cittas are Akusala Cittas.  We must accept that these Cittas are evil minds which cause sufferings "Dukkha".  Thus, we must control our mind not to arise such kinds of Akusala Cittas in it.

There are 31 planes of existences (Okāsa Loka).  They are eleven planes in the Sense spheres (Kāma Loka), sixteen planes in the Fine-material spheres (Rūpa Loka) and four planes in the Immaterial spheres (Arūpa Loka) – all together 31 planes.  Thus, the mind appeared in the Sense spheres is called sense sphere consciousness (Kāmāvacara Citta), the mind appeared in the sixteen planes of the Fine-material spheres is Fine-material consciousness (Rūpāvacara Citta) and the mind appeared in the Immaterial spheres is Immaterial consciousness (Arūpāvacara Citta).

The mental factors that have to occur depending on the Citta or together with the Citta are called Cetasika.  Cetasika is composed of 52 types.  Each cetasika has four characteristics.  How many characteristics in the Cetasika? (Four characteristics).  They are –

1.    Arising together with the mind

2.    Passing away together with the mind

3.    Having an equal object with the mind

4.    Having an equal basis with the mind

To understand easily, these Cetasika arise at the time of mind arising, disappear at the time of mind disappearing, have the object of the mind, and have the basis of the mind.

As all you know, matter (Rūpa) is everything we can see.  These things are not permanent. They are always changing.  We can see human beings, they are born, and become children, and then teenagers, and older and older.  They become youths and reach adult people and then older, they become old and sick.  Then finally they die.  These are changing and impermanent. 

Water changes to steam due to the hotness and ice due to the coldness.  Some people are rich, some are poor, some are beautiful and some are ugly.  For even twin brothers who are the same faces and cannot be distinguished by the others, one is polite but another one is rude.  Some people are fat and some are thin.  These matters are changing due to Kamma (volitional action), Citta (consciousness), Utu (heat) and Āhāra (nutriment).  Such kinds of changing are called matter (Rūpa).

That matter is classified into different types in Abhidhammā Piṭaka by the Buddha such as Mahābhūta Rūpa, Upādāya Rūpa, Nipphanna Rūpa and Anipphanna Rūpa.

Actually, a person is the combination of Citta, Cetasika and Rūpa.  In other words, he is Nāma and Rūpa, or five aggregates.  These Nāma and Rūpa, or five aggregates are impermanence of arising and dissolving.  They are sufferings because they are arising and dissolving.  They are non-self because they do not follow our desire.

The Buddha preached the Mahāsatipaṭṭhāna Sutta in the Mahā Vagga Pāli of the Dīghā Nikāya.  The mindfulness is Cetasika, means not forgetting, always awareness.  The mind associated together with the mindfulness does not forget.  The mind associated with the mind knows its arising and dissolving phenomena.  When we take meditation, the mindfulness is the most important.  There is no more mindfulness.  It is always necessary.  So, the Buddha preached Mahāsatipaṭṭhāna Sutta. 

The Buddha said that we must watch the body, the mind and matter (Nāma and Rūpa), and the three characteristics - impermanence, suffering and non-self of the mind and matter (Nāma and Rūpa) if we practice Vipassanā meditation.  In the Mahāsatipaṭṭhāna Sutta, the four contemplations of mindfulness have been presented.  They are body contemplation (Kāyānupassanā), feelings contemplation (Vedanānupassanā), consciousness contemplation (Cittānupassanā) and Dhammas contemplation (Dhammānupassanā).  Among these four contemplation of Vipassanā, consciousness contemplation (Cittānupassanā) will be taught.

All novices, please be calm, and sit cross-legged, keep body and head erect, place right hand on the left hand with palms turning upwards, and close the eyes.  And breath normally by the awareness of in-going breath and out-going breath focusing the mind at the tip of the nostrils.  Don't allow the mind to wander out to other sense objects.  Contemplate in-breath and out-breath time to time by focusing the awareness at the tip of the nostrils.

The novices cannot see anything because you are closing your eyes.  Eye consciousness does not arise at you, the novices.  Ear consciousness will arise at you as I, the monk is talking.  Nose consciousness will arise at you if smell somethings.  Body consciousness such as itching, biting and paining may arise as you are sitting.  And then, mind consciousness will arise as your mind is wandering out.  These Cittas must be observed wisely by concentrating the mind.  You can see that these Cittas are arising and dissolving again and again.  When you have weak concentration, you cannot see the arising and dissolving of every Citta.  But don't be disappointed and try hard.  If you have strong concentration, you can see the arising and dissolving of every Citta.

Arising and dissolving of Cittas again and again is Dukkha Sacca.  If we contemplate Dukkha Sacca many times, we could eliminate Samudaya Sacca.  And then, if we could eliminate Samudaya Sacca, we would reach Magga Sacca.  If we could reach Magga Sacca, we would realize Nibbāna called Nirodha Sacca. 

Thus, control the mind firmly.  Please observe the mind to see its arising and dissolving.  Contemplate Dukkha Sacca many times taking mental notes that they are subject to the three characteristics - impermanence, suffering and non-self.  If you contemplate many times, you would understand Four Noble Truths which are to know, eliminate, realize and contemplate, and you would realize Nibbāna which is real peace called Santi Sukha.

These are Abhidhammā and Cittānupassanā Teachings.

Please all call Sadhu.  Sadhu – Sadhu - Sadhu. 

                                                                                                          Aye Mar Way