Post on “Citta, Manō, Viññāna – Nine Stages of a Thought”

We need to learn to think on our own rationally and also not to wander off to irrelevant subjects.

• Per the description in that post, citta, mano, and mānasan stages do not have any defilements. Arahant‘s mind would go through those stages per the reasons I gave, for example, to identify people. 
• I also stated that there is no description in the Tipitaka about how the mind of an Arahant gets to the viññā­ṇak­khan­dha stage. There is no need for that either.
• Of course, the viññā­ṇak­khan­dha stage of an Arahant is not the same as that of a puthujjana. In particular, it would not have any defilements. But it should encompass past, future, and paccuppanna states of the mind (because an Arahant also can recall the past and may have some expectations for the future, like taking a bath later in the day.) 

At the beginning of the post, it is stated: “A citta evolves into viññānakkhanda via nine stages.” See “Citta Evolving To Viññāna And Viññākkhanda In Nine Steps.

• The mind starts at the “citta” stage and evolves into the viññānakkhanda stage in a citta vithi. But that repeats over many citta vithi, and the javana power increases to the level of doing kamma after numerous citta vithi that occur within seconds.
• The citta, mano, mansan stages are within the “bahiddha vinnana” stage (which also takes place for an Arahant.)
• It gets to the ajjhatta vinnana stage when the mind attaches to the sensory input (i.e., the “distorted sanna.”) I think I mentioned that in the post. Again, that ajjhatta vinnana strengthens with time if the mind stays on that sensory input.
• So, the mind goes through the “purana kamma” and “nava kamma” stages also during that process.

I had the same misconception that the 9 stages refer to the stages that a single citta goes through.

In Citta Vithi – Processing of Sense Inputs

Does it mean that the later steps of the citta vithi – Vottapanna, Javana, corresponds to the viññānakkhanda stage? And each of the 17 cittas in a citta vitthi can be somewhat mapped to the 9 step citta evolution?

An “Idappaccayātā Paṭicca Samuppāda ” describes the same process (evolution of a mind) as described in “Citta Evolving To Viññāna And Viññākkhanda In Nine Steps.”

• ” Citta Vithi – Processing of Sense Inputs” describes the same process in a different way. They are all related.
• Another way of analysis: “Purāna and Nava Kamma – Sequence of Kamma Generation.”

All recent posts (over the past year, starting around 8/5/23) discuss various aspects of this process: “New / Revised Posts.”
 

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pathfinder

You have some valid points. I will take a look at it later today. Thank you!

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dosakkhayo

I need to rewrite the post. Unless I can finish it sooner, it will likely be the post for next week.

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pathfinder, dosakkhayo

The old post has been rewritten with a new title: “Citta, Manō, Viññāna – Nine Stages of Mind Contamination“

• Dosakkhayo quoted from that new post.
• Yes. I will try to do that ASAP.

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dosakkhayo

Hopefully, the following description will give you a good idea. But feel free to ask questions.

1. Pancupadanakkhandha (PUK) accumulation occurs when a mind attaches to a sensory input (arammana.) 

• For example, PUK accumulation does not occur while we are in sleep.
• Furthermore, the process never starts at the pancakkhandha state. Our minds attach to PUK and keep on adding to it.

2. The following figure shows the accumulation of PUK in kama loka (i.e., applicable to humans). The figure shows the expansion of vinnana, i.e., the build-up of vinnanakkhandha. 

• It starts with a sensory input (arammana) leading to the registration of a rupa (six types: vanna rupa, sadda, gandha, rasa, pottabbha, dhamma) in mind. Those are NOT external rupa. Those mental rupas arise simultaneously with vedana, sanna, sankhara, and vinnana in mind. 
• The chart below shows how a cakkhu viññāṇa starts with a rupa (visual) as a sensory input. A sensory event starts on the left at the “dhātu stage.” While the mind of an Arahant stops there, that of a puthujjana keeps evolving to the right, becoming increasingly defiled.

3. As we can see from the figure, a vinnana starts as a “bahidda vinnana” and immediately becomes an “ajjhatta vinnana” for a puthujjana. 

• Rupa (that arises in mind), vedana, sanna, and sankhara associated with bahidda and ajjhatta vinnana also fall into those two categories. For example, the rupa also transitions from a bahidda rupa to an ajjhatta rupa.
• That is the beginning of the development of the 11 types.

4. Vinnana (and PUK) expand as the mind gets increasingly attached to the arammana. The expansion of vinnana (in two stages of purana kamma and nava kamma) is shown in the figure. 

• That is a highly complex process. During both stages, the mind recalls similar previous events (atita vinnana) and also generates expectations of similar vinnana in the future (anagata vinnana). They have associated rupa (that arises in mind), vedana, sanna, and sankhara. Of course, paccuppanna vinnana arises at each moment.
• Those are the atita, anagata, and paccuppanna components of PUK.

5. So far, we have discussed five of the 11 components. To get an idea of the rest, we need to look at the “bigger picture,” including rupa and arupa loka relative to Nibbana (or the pabhassara mind). That figure is shown below.

6. Similar processes occur for rupa loka and arupa loka Brahmas (details not shown). While the mind of a being (say a human) in kama loka falls on “kama dhatu” and proceeds to the bahiddha vinnana stage, a rupa loka Brahma‘s mind would fall on “rupa dhatu” and proceed to the bahidda vinnana stage (and go through the subsequent similar steps).

• All five entities in PUK proceed the same way in rupa and arupa loka.

7. As we can see from the second figure, kama loka is the furthest from Nibbana. Rupa loka is next, and arupa loka is the closest to Nibbana.

• Thus, the five entities associated with the kama loka are labeled “dure” (far away), and the other two are closer (santike).
• In the same way, the five entities associated with the kama loka are labeled coarse (olārika), and the other two are finer (sukuma).
• In the same way, the five entities associated with the kama loka are labeled inferior (hīna), and the other two superior (paṇīta). 

8. That is a brief description of the 11 types of PUK.

Note: The top figure is from “Purāna and Nava Kamma – Sequence of Kamma Generation” and the second figure from “Vipariṇāma – Two Meanings.”

• Also see “Ārammaṇa (Sensory Input) Initiates Critical Processes.”

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jennydo, dosakkhayo