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Cetasika Mental Factors

This document discusses 7 mental factors (cetasikas) that are part of the Buddhist Abhidhamma teachings: 1. Contact (phassa), which causes consciousness and object to impinge. 2. Volition (cetana), which directs and coordinates functions. 3. One-pointedness (ekaggata), which unites the mind on an object like water mixes powder, and leads to peace or wisdom. 4. Mental life faculty (jivitindriya), which maintains associated mental states in the mind. 5. Attention (manasikara), which directs associated states towards the object like a rudder guides a ship.

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82 views7 pages

Cetasika Mental Factors

This document discusses 7 mental factors (cetasikas) that are part of the Buddhist Abhidhamma teachings: 1. Contact (phassa), which causes consciousness and object to impinge. 2. Volition (cetana), which directs and coordinates functions. 3. One-pointedness (ekaggata), which unites the mind on an object like water mixes powder, and leads to peace or wisdom. 4. Mental life faculty (jivitindriya), which maintains associated mental states in the mind. 5. Attention (manasikara), which directs associated states towards the object like a rudder guides a ship.

Uploaded by

Nanissaro Bhikkhu
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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ghj

Cetasika
Mental Factors
contents:

1. phassa
2. vedanā
3. sannā
4. cetanā
5. ekaggatā
6. jīvitindriya
7. manasikāra
1. phassa (contact)
phasso
 phusana-lakkhaṇo,
 saṅghaṭ ṭ ana-raso,
 sannipāta-paccupaṭ ṭ hāno/ vetanā-paccupaṭ ṭ hāno
vā,
- āpāthagata(āpātagata)-visaya-padaṭ ṭ hāno.
(DhsA.151, Vs.2.93)

contact
(C) touching.
(F) the act of impingement, as it causes consciousness
and the object to impinge.
(M) as the concurrence of consciousness, sense
faculty (door), and object; or as feeling in the mode of
effect (phala-paccupatthana).
(P) an object that has come into focus.

association: 89/ 121

dissociation: 0 (as it is universal mental factor)


4. cetana (volition)
cetanā
 cetayita-lakkhaṇā (cetanābhāva-lakkhaṇāti attho),
 āyūhana-rasā,
 saṃvidahana-paccupaṭ ṭ hānā (sakicca-parakicca-
sādhikā jeṭ ṭ hasissa-mahā vaḍḍhakī-ādayo viya).
(DhsA.154.155, Vs.2.93)

volition
(C) the state of willing.
(F) to accumulate (kamma).
(M) as coordination (directing).
It accomplishes its own and others’ functions, as a
senior pupil, a superintendent, a head carpenter, etc.,
do.
(P) *the associated mental states (or basis + the
object +contact etc.)
5. ekaggatā (one-pointedness)
ekaggatā (samādhi)
 pāmokkha-lakkhaṇo/ avisāra-lakkhaṇo/ avikkhepa-
lakkhaṇo vā,
 sahajātānaṃsampiṇḍana-raso (nhāniya-cuṇṇānaṃ
udakaṃviya),
 upasama-paccupaṭ ṭ hāno/ ñāṇa-paccupaṭ ṭ hāno vā,
(‘samāhito yathābhūtaṃjānāti passatī’ti hi vuttaṃ).
(DhsA.162)
 visesato sukha-padaṭ ṭ hāno.
nivāte dīpaccīnaṃṭ hiti viya cetaso hitīti daṭ ṭ habbo.
(DhsA.161.162, Vs.2.94)

one-pointedness (concentration)
(C) leadership; non-wandering; or non-distraction.
(F) to conglomerate or unite the associated mental
states (to take anapana-patibhaga-nimitta as object)
as water does bath powder.
(M) as peace; or as the wisdom in the mode of effect,
because the Buddha says:
“One who has enough concentration knows and sees
the
dhammas as they really are.” (S.2.12)
(P) usually bliss (pleasure).
It should be regarded as steadiness of the mind, like
the steadiness of lamp’s flame when there is no
draught (breeze).
6. jīvitindriya (mental life-faculty)
jīvitindriyaṃ
 sampayutta-dhammānaṃanupālanalakkhaṇaṃ,
 tesaṃpavattana-rasaṃ,
 tesaṃyeva ṭ hapana-paccupaṭ hānaṃ,
 yāpayitabba-bhūta-padaṭ ṭ hānanṃ. (DhsA.167)

mental life faculty


(C) maintaining the associated mental states
(dhammas) in its own consciousness-moment.
(F) to make them occur.
(M) as the establishing of their presence.
(P) the mental states (dhammas) to be maintained.
7. manasikāra
manasikāro
 sāraṇa-lakkhaṇo,
 sampayuttānaṃārammaṇe saṃyojana-raso,
 ārammaṇā-bhimukhabhāva-paccupaṭ ṭ hāno,
ārammaṇapaṭ ipādakattena sampayuttānaṃsārathi
viya daṭ ṭ habbo. (DhsA.177, Vs.2.96)

attention
(C) conducting the associated mental states towards
the object.
(F) to yoke the associated mental states (dhammas) to
the object.
(M) as confrontation with an object.
(P) *the object.
Attention is like the rudder of a ship, which directs it
to its destination, or like a charioteer who sends or
drives the well-trained horses towards their
destination, so too, the attention directs the
associated dhammas towards the object.

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