Change of Mindset Due to an Ārammaį¹‡a

March 21, 2022; revised June 20, 2023

Idappaccayātā Paį¹­icca Samuppāda starts with an ārammaį¹‡a or a sensory input.

Numerous Changes of Mindset in a Day

1. Think about how often our “mood” or “mindest” changes during even an hour.

  • Consider person X eating a meal and experiencing a good mindset; he enjoyed the food. That mindset arose due to an ārammaį¹‡a, the taste of the food.
  • Suppose X saw a long hair on the plate halfway through the meal. For some people like X, that new ārammaį¹‡a of “seeing the hair on the plate” is enough to ruin the meal and get into an angry mindset. Suppose X was eating at a restaurant, and he called the waiter and angrily complained.
  • The waiter apologized and promised to bring X a fresh meal. Soon as X heard that, he again became happy. X finished his meal and came out of the restaurant with a happy and content mindset.
  • While walking, X saw one of his worst enemies, Y. The sight of Y brought in a new “strong ārammaį¹‡a” and changed X’s mood again. He started thinking about the problems that the person had caused, and he got angrier by the minute.

2. As you see, our mindset and thoughts change rapidly. The examples that we discussed above can be explained via Idappaccayātā Paį¹­icca Samuppāda, which we discussed in the previous post: “Idappaccayatā Paį¹­icca Samuppāda ā€“ Bhava and Jāti Within a Lifetime.”

  • Each mindset discussed above resulted from a new ārammaį¹‡a coming through one of the six senses.
  • In chronological order, those mindsets were triggered by tasting food (jivhā viƱƱāį¹‡a), seeing the hair (cakkhu viƱƱāį¹‡a), waiter sayingĀ that he will get a fresh serving (sota viƱƱāį¹‡a), and seeing Y (cakkhu viƱƱāį¹‡a).
  • All those triggers were vipāka viƱƱāį¹‡aĀ or different types of “consciousness.”Ā They happened to be that way. The meal could have been not tasty; if you didn’t see the hair, that would have prevented you from getting into an angry mindset, etc.
Pāli Word for “Mindset” Is “Bhavaį¹…ga“

3. The word “bhavaį¹‡ga” comes from “bhava” + “aį¹‡ga” where “bhava” means “existence” and“aį¹‡ga” means “part of.” Thus, “bhavaį¹‡ga” means “part of existence at that time,” which is the “mindset at that time.”

  • There is also a “natural bhavaį¹‡ga”Ā that we are born with. If the mind is not focused on a “strong ārammaį¹‡a,” the mind falls back to that “natural bhavaį¹‡ga.” Thus, we can say that our mind is in the “natural bhavaį¹‡ga”Ā state while we sleep.
  • However, once we wake up and start getting bombarded with all kinds of ārammaį¹‡a coming through the six senses, our “mindset” or “temporary bhavaį¹‡ga” can change many times a day, as we saw above.
  • I will be using “mindset” and “temporary bhavaį¹‡ga” interchangeably so that you will get used to the meaning.
  • Now you can start seeing the difference between Upapatti PS and Idappaccayātā PS. In the former, “bhava” refers to “human existence,” while in the latter, “temporary bhava” is the mindset (or existence) lasting a relatively short time.
Only “Strong Ārammaį¹‡a” Can Bring in a “Temporary Bhavaį¹‡ga“

4. During the day, we get bombarded with an uncountable number of ārammaį¹‡a, i.e., sensory inputs comping through the six senses. Yet, we don’t pay attention to most of them, i.e., they are “weak ārammaį¹‡a” and not strong enough to “grab our attention.” In such cases, there is no change in the “bhavaį¹‡ga”Ā or “mindset.”

  • So, what kind of ārammaį¹‡a “grabs our attention” and changes the “bhavaį¹‡ga” state?
  • That would be one we “really like,” “really dislike,” or “something unusual or something we cannot understand.” In the latter case, we could get into a “confused state of mind.” A “strong ārammaį¹‡a” is usually associated with “lobha,” “dosa,” and “moha.”
  • Let us examine the examples in #1 to clarify.

5. Taste of food was a “strong ārammaį¹‡a” that changed the mindset from the “natural bhavaį¹‡ga” state to a good “temporary bhavaį¹‡ga” state. Here, the ārammaį¹‡a was associated with lobha (attachment via liking.)

  • Then another “strong ārammaį¹‡a”Ā of “seeing the hair” flipped the mindset to an angry “temporary bhavaį¹‡ga” state. That ārammaį¹‡a was associated with dosaĀ (attachment via dislike.)
  • Hearing the waiter promising to bring a new meal was a new “strong ārammaį¹‡a” made a good “temporary bhavaį¹‡ga” again. That ārammaį¹‡a was associated with lobhaĀ (attachment via liking.)
  • Seeing Y on the road was enough for X to get into a bad state of mind (with dosa) again.

6. To summarize: Our minds usually are in the “natural bhavaį¹‡ga”Ā state that comes with human existence. It can change to a different “temporary bhavaį¹‡ga”Ā by a ‘strong ārammaį¹‡a.” Depending on how strong that ārammaį¹‡a is, the “temporary bhavaį¹‡ga” can stay for minutes to hours to many days.

  • Ā In the examples discussed above, “temporary bhavaį¹‡ga”Ā states lasted only for short times, less than an hour. In the Abhidhamma language, such ārammaį¹‡a are categorized as “mahantārammaį¹‡a” (“mahanta + ārammaį¹‡a” or “strong ārammaį¹‡a.”)
  • However, a very strong ārammaį¹‡a can keep that “temporary bhavaį¹‡ga”Ā state for many days. For example, upon hearing the death of a parent, one may get into a “sad mindset” that can last even weeks. They are “very strong ārammaį¹‡a” orĀ “atimahantārammaį¹‡a” (“ati + mahanta + ārammaį¹‡a”.)
How Does an Ārammaį¹‡a Change the Mindset (Bhavaį¹‡ga)?

7. It is CRITICALLY important to understand how the mindset (temporary bhavaį¹‡ga) changes due to an ārammaį¹‡a.

  • As we discussed, a new ārammaį¹‡a comes via a new sensory input coming through the six senses. Thus, it is one of the following: cakkhu, sota, ghāna, jivhā, kāya, or mano viƱƱāį¹‡a. They are ALL vipāka viƱƱāį¹‡a. They provide sensory input. We see, hear, taste, smell, touch, or recall a memory. That, by itself, cannot change our mindset.
  • For example, an Arahant will also see attractive things or taste a delicious meal. But no matter how delicious that meal is, it will NOT change the mindset of an Arahant.
  • But the person in our example in #1 above got “attached” to the tasty meal. That is normal for an average human, and so are the other “mood swings” that the person went through in #1. But it is essential to understand how each of those swings in the mindset took place.

8. Delicious taste from the meal was a vipāka viƱƱāį¹‡a, specifically a jivhā viƱƱāį¹‡a. The pleasant taste experienced was a natural vipāka vedanā associated with that vipāka viƱƱāį¹‡a.Ā If an Arahant had eaten the same meal, he would have experienced its delicious taste. But what happens immediately after taking the first few bites would be very different for X and the Arahant.

  • X got attached to the taste of the meal. In the Dhamma language, he started generating vaci abhisaį¹…khāra that naturally would arise for an average human. He started thinking about how delicious the meal was AND how he might return to the restaurant for the same meal. Those thoughts were lobha-based (i.e., greedy) vaci abhisaį¹…khāra. They were a strong version of saį¹…khāra, i.e.,Ā abhisaį¹…khāra. Thus, they arose via “avijjā paccayā abhisaį¹…khāra” in Idappaccayātā Paį¹­icca Samuppāda.
  • That immediately led to the second effect of “deciding to return to the restaurant in the future to have the same meal.” That expectation is a kamma viƱƱāį¹‡a. That kamma viƱƱāį¹‡a or the “expectation” was the result of abhisaį¹…khāra, i.e., “(abhi)saį¹…khāra paccayā viƱƱāį¹‡a.”

9. Those abhisaį¹…khāra and kamma viƱƱāį¹‡a arose in powerful javana citta that ran through X’s mind while he was enjoying the meal. His mindset (temporary bhavaį¹‡ga) also changed to a “happy state.”

  • So, here is the time sequence: (i) experience of a delicious taste (vipāka viƱƱāį¹‡a), (ii) arising of “happy but greedy thoughts” or vaci abhisaį¹…khāra in javana citta, (iii) arising of a future expectation of having the same meal (creation of a kamma viƱƱāį¹‡a), and (iv) registration of that experience as a “temporary bhavaį¹‡ga” state.
  • Note: Javana cittāĀ are a special type of citta that makes a kamma viƱƱāį¹‡a more than just “consciousness.” AĀ kamma viƱƱāį¹‡aĀ has an expectation/desire. Abhisaį¹…khāra (with strong feelings) arise in javana citta and make javana citta become kamma viƱƱāį¹‡a.
  • As we know, vipāka viƱƱāį¹‡aĀ are of six types: cakkhu, sota, ghāna, jivhā, kāya, and mano viƱƱāį¹‡a.
  • On the other hand, kamma viƱƱāį¹‡aĀ are ALWAYS mano viƱƱāį¹‡a. We create kamma viƱƱāį¹‡aĀ with javana citta.Ā Such kamma viƱƱāį¹‡a arises via “(abhi)saį¹…khāra paccayāĀ viƱƱāį¹‡a” in any type ofĀ Paį¹­icca Samuppāda.
No Change in Mindset (and No Javana Citta) in an Arahant

10. Now, let us see what would happen to Arahant if he had the same meal.

  • The Arahant would have tasted the meal to be delicious too. Thus, the vipāka viƱƱāį¹‡a (jivhā viƱƱāį¹‡a) was the same.
  • But since an Arahant would not generate any lobha, dosa, or moha thoughts, vaci abhisaį¹…khāra that arose in X will not occur in the Arahant. Thus, such a powerful javana citta would not have arisen in the Arahant.
  • Thus, the Arahant will not generate any future expectation to taste it again, i.e., no kamma viƱƱāį¹‡a.Ā 
  • Furthermore, the Arahant would not generate a “happy mindset” or “temporary bhavaį¹‡ga” state.Ā An Arahant will always have a neutral mindset.

11. Thus, abhisaį¹…khāra in javana citta, establishing a new expectation (kamma viƱƱāį¹‡a), and change in the bhavaį¹‡ga (mindset) will occur ONLY IF one attaches to a strong ārammaį¹‡a.

  • Those are the drastic differences between X and an ArahantĀ eating the same meal.
  • The following posts discuss why such javana citta with lobha, dosa, and moha would not arise in an Arahant: “Paį¹­icca Samuppāda During a Lifetime.”
  • It is critical to realize that an Arahant does not need to control the arising of such defiled thoughts. It happens automatically. The root causes for arising of such thoughts had been removed from the mind of Arahant.
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