Process of Consciousness and Matter - Abhidhamma.com
Process of Consciousness and Matter - Abhidhamma.com
Process of Consciousness and Matter - Abhidhamma.com
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I. CONSCIOUSNESS AND ITS FACTORS<br />
the unconscious or the subconscious mind. Bhavanga is actually the<br />
passive mode <strong>of</strong> consciousness, not the active mode. Bhavanga citta<br />
arises <strong>and</strong> passes away every moment during the passive phase <strong>of</strong><br />
consciousness, it flows on <strong>and</strong> on like an endlessly flowing stream or<br />
river.<br />
Cuti Kicca - Death Function.<br />
This function occurs at the last moment <strong>of</strong> an individual’s<br />
existence. It is the citta or consciousness which marks the exit from a<br />
particular life. This citta is the same type as the rebirth <strong>and</strong> bhavanga<br />
consciousness, which are the process-freed side <strong>of</strong> existence, the<br />
passive flow <strong>of</strong> consciousness outside an active cognitive process. It<br />
differs from them only in that it performs a different function, i.e. the<br />
function <strong>of</strong> passing away. There are nineteen cittas which perform<br />
these three functions.<br />
The unwholesome-resultant investigating consciousness<br />
(santīraṇa) does so in the case <strong>of</strong> those beings who take rebirth into<br />
the woeful planes - the hells, the animal realm, the sphere <strong>of</strong> petas <strong>and</strong><br />
the ghost asuras. The wholesome-resultant investigating<br />
consciousness, ac<strong>com</strong>panied by equanimity, performs the functions in<br />
the case <strong>of</strong> a human rebirth where one is congenitally blind, deaf,<br />
dumb, etc., as well as among certain lower classes <strong>of</strong> gods <strong>and</strong> spirits.<br />
It functions as bhavanga <strong>and</strong> cuti in respective moments. The eight<br />
great resultants - the beautiful sense sphere resultants (kāmāvacara<br />
sobhana vipāka), with two <strong>and</strong> three roots, perform the three functions<br />
for those reborn in the fortunate sensuous realms, as gods <strong>and</strong> humans<br />
free from congenital defects. These ten cittas pertain to rebirth in the<br />
sensuous plane.<br />
The five fine-material-sphere resultants (rūpāvacara vipāka) serve<br />
as rebirth consciousness, life-continuum <strong>and</strong> death consciousness for<br />
those reborn into the fine-material plane <strong>of</strong> existence. The four<br />
immaterial-sphere resultants (arūpāvacara vipāka) serve as rebirth<br />
consciousness, life-continuum <strong>and</strong> death consciousness for those<br />
reborn into the respective immaterial planes <strong>of</strong> existence.<br />
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