Concept of Mind in Abhidhamma: A General

Overview
-Fanindra Kumar Neupane

Introduction:

The teachings of Lord Buddha in the course of 45 years of his Buddhahood have been divided
into three collections called Tipiṭaka in Pali language, meaning ‘Three Basket’ literally. Of these
Piṭakas, Sutta Piṭaka is the collection of conventional teachings (Vohāra desanā) and Vinaya
Piṭaka is the rules and disciplines for monks and nuns (Ᾱnā desanā). In Abhidhamma Piṭaka,
Buddha analyzed mind and matter in minute detail in terms of the ultimate realities known as
Paramatthas desanā. These realities have been explained in seven treatises namely,
Dhammasaṅgaṇi, Vibhaṅga, Dhātukathā, Puggalapaññatti, Kathāvatthu, Yamaka and Paṭṭhāna.

The present article is based on Abhidhammattha Saṅgaho in dealing with Abhidhamma

Philosophy, a treatise written by Venerable Anuruddha Thera in about 12 th - 14th century, which
is considered as the most fitting essence of Abhidhamma content. C.A.F. Rhys Davids
acknowledges Abhidhammattha Saṅgaho as a notable analysis of cognition which is sandwiched
between metaphysical statements and examination of states of consciousness complicated by
ethical considerations.1 The concept of mind in modern psychology as cognitive process has
been well defined in terms of Citta and Cetasika by Abhidhamma Philosophy. So, modern
Psychology can get abundant ideas on concept of mind from Abhidhamma philosophy. The
present article tries to give a general overview on this subject.

Definition of Mind:

1
C.A.F. Rhys Davids, Buddhist Psychology, An Inquiry into the Analysis and Theory of Mind in Pali Literature,
India: Cosmo Publication, 2001, P. 4
Abhidhamma explains mind (citta), mental factors (cetasika), enlightenment (nirvāna) and
matter (rūpa) as the four permanent truths.2 Citta is consciousness and Cetasikas are mental
factors. Citta is that faculty of mind which generates awareness regarding the physical and
mental subject matters thus, also known as mana or viññāṇa. Cetasikas are the faculties of mind
which arise and ceases together with citta and influence citta to be good, bad or neutral. These
cittas and cetasikas are collectively known as mind (nāma) according to Abhidhamma
philosophy.3

There are several theories and schools in modern psychology defining mind and its functions.
With the effort of Wilhelm Wundt, the experimental psychologist in 1879, modern psychology
has made significant contribution in this field till the emergence of cognitive science in the
decade of 1950s. But none of the theories and schools are found formulating a well-structured
definition of mind as it is found in Abhidhamma Philosophy. Cognitive psychology defines mind
as a complex process of cognitive faculties that enables consciousness, thinking, reasoning,
perception and judgment process of a being.4 It is that element of a person which enables him/her
to be aware of the world and its experiences, to think, and to feel. Thus, modern psychology is
yet to explain qualitative aspects of mind i.e. the ways how it becomes miserable, what are the
good and bad qualities of mind etc. which Abhidhamma philosophy has minutely accomplished.

Categorization of Mind:

Abhidhamma describes a human being as an nāmarūpa or ‘psychophysical personality.5 The

components of the “mind” are classified into four groups, namely: matter or form (rūpa);
sensation, emotion or feeling (vedanā); recognition or perception (saññā); karmic activity,
formation, or force (saṅkhāra); and consciousness (viññāṇa).6 These are the four gross mental
groups collectively known as mind (nāma) and which are categorized minutely in Abhidhamma.

2
Bhikkhu Bodhi (tr.), A Comprehensive Manual of Abhidhamma, Kandy: Buddhist Publication Society, 1999, P. 25
3
Mehm Tin Mon, ‘The Essence of Buddha Abhidhamma’, Yangon: Mya Mon Yadanar Publication, 1995, P.15
4
Michael W. Eysenck and Mark T. Keane, Cognitive Psychology, USA: Psychology Press, 2010, P.1
5
David J. Kalupahana, Principles of Buddhist Psychology, Albany: State University of Newyork Press, 1987, P.15
6
Mathieu Boisvert, The Five Aggregates, Understanding Theravada Psychology and Soteriology, Wilfrid Laurier
University Press, 1995, P. 4
In one categorization, mind (citta) has been divided into four classes in accordance with the four
planes (bhūmi) or spheres (lokas).

“Tattha citta tāva catubbidhaṁ hoti

kāmāvacarṁ rūpvacara arūpvacara lokuttara c’ti.”7
-Abhidhammatthasagaho, Citta Kānḍa

In this classification, four kinds of cittas are: (1) kmvacara cittas, the consciousness mostly
experienced in the sense sphere (kma loka), (2) rūpvacara cittas, the consciousness mostly
experienced in the fine material sphere (rūpa loka), (3) arūpvacara cittas, the consciousness
mostly experienced in the immaterial sphere (arūpa loka) and (4) lokuttara Cittas, the
consciousness experienced in the superabundance (transcendental) level.8

There are 54 types of kāmāvacara cittas of which 12 are immoral (akusala), 18 are rootless
(ahetuka) and 24 are beautiful consciousness (kāma-sobhaṇa cittas). People usually commit
wicked and evil deeds with akusala cittas since it is rooted in greed, hatred and delusion.
Sometimes cittas without concomitant root-conditions arise which are knowna as ahetuka cittas.
Such cittas are kamma-resultants (vipāka) and functional (kriya) in nature. Beautiful
consciousness arise when we perform some meritorious deeds such as generosity making,
morality practices and meditations. Beautiful consciousness are also three types namely moral,
resultant and functional.

Rūpāvacara and arūpāvacara cittas are 15 and 12 in number respectively which arise due to
tranquility meditation. Rūpāvacara cittas arise when one establishes his/her absorption on five
factors (jhānaṅga) namely vitakka (initial application), vicāra (sustained application), pīti (joy),
9
sukha (bliss) and ekaggatā (one pointedness) while meditating on physical objects.
Arūpāvacara cittas arise with the tranquility meditators when he/she goes above physical objects
and tries to concentrate on immaterial objects such as infinite space (ākāsa), consciousness
(viññāṇa), nothingness (ākiñcañña) and ‘perception neither exists nor doesn’t exist’ (neva-

7
Dharmaratna Shakya, (tr.), Abhidhammatthasagaho, Lalitpur: Bagmati Chhapakhana, 2003, P. 2
8
Mehm Tin Mon, Op.Cit., f.n. 3, P. 20
9
Y. Karunadasa, The Theravāda Abhidhamma, Hongkong: Center for Buddhist Studies, University of Hongkong,
2010, P. 92-94
saññā-nāsaññāyatana). These rūpāvacara and arūpāvacara cittas can also be categorized as per
kusala, vipāka and kriya Cittas. Abhidhamma explains lokuttara cittas as consciousness
experienced in supramundane level. These consciousness are experienced by ariya puggala
(noble person) after they attain the path (magga) towards enlightenment and get fruits (phala) of
enlightenment. These noble persons are sotāpanna ariya, sakadāgāmi ariya, anāgāmi ariya and
arahatta ariya. These 4 noble persons’ magga citta and phala citta which is 8 in number is
known as lokuttara citta.10

Categorization of Mental Factors:

Abhidhamma explains cetasikas as concomitants of mind. They arise and perish together with
citta, depend on citta for their arising and influence the mind to be bad, good or neutral as they
arise.11
Ekuppda-nirodh ca -eklambanavatthuk
Cetoyutt dvipasa - dhamm cetasik mat 12
-Abhidhammatthasagaho, Cetasika kānḍa

(Meaning- 52 states associated with consciousness that arise and cease together with
consciousness that have the same object and base as consciousness, are known as mental factors)

Among the 52 mental factors 13 are categorized as general (aññasamāna cetasikas), 14 are
immoral (akusala cetasiksa) and 25 are beautiful (sobhaṇa cetasikas). General mental factors are
again sub divided into two groups i.e. (i) sabbacitta-sādhāraṇa cetasikas and (ii) pakiṇṇaka
cetasikas. sabbacitta-sādhāraṇa cetasikas are 7 in number and associate with all cittas i.e.
phassa (contact), vedanā (feeling), saññā (perception), cetanā (volition), ekaggatā
(concentration), jīvitindriya (psychic life) and manasikāra (advertance).13 Pakiṇṇaka cetasikas
do not associate with all cittas but they associate with only those cittas with which they should
associate. So, they are selective in nature. Some Pakiṇṇakas associate with sobhaṇa cittas while

10
Ibid, P. 95-96
11
Mehm Tin Mon, Op.Cit., f.n. 3, P. 64
12
Dharmaratna Shakya, Op. Cit., f.n.7, P. 27
13
Bhikkhu Bodhi, Op.Cit, f.n.2, P. 78
others associate with asobhaṇa cittas. Namely, they are vitakka (initial application), vicāra
(sustained application), adhimokkha (decision), viriya (effort), pīti (joy) and chanda (desire).14

Immoral mental factors are lobha (greed), dosa (hatred), moha (ignorance), diṭṭhi (wrong view),
māna (conceit), issā (envy), macchariya (selfishness), kukkucca (worrry), ahirika (lack of moral
shame), anotappa (lack of moral dread), uddhacca (restlessness), thīna (sloth), middha (torpor)
and vicikicchā (skeptical doubt).15 These 14 immoral mental factors are always come in
association with immoral consciousness. There are 25 beautiful mental factors (sobhaṇa
cetasikas) of whom 19 are always arise in association with beautiful consciousness. They are:
saddhā (faith), sati (mindfulness), hiri (moral shame), ottappa (moral dread), alobha (non-
attachment), adosa (goodwill), tatramajjhattatā (mental balance), kāya -passaddhi (tranquility of
mental factors), citta-passaddhi (tranquility of consciousness), kāya-lahutā (lightness of mental
factors), citta-lahutā (lightness of consciousness), kāya-mudutā (elasticity of mental factors),
citta-mudutā (elasticity of consciousness), kāya-kammaññatā (adaptability of mental factors),
citta-kammaññatā (adaptibility of consciousness), kāya-paguññatā (proficiency of mental
factors), citta-paguññatā (proficiency of consciousness), kāyujjukatā (straightness of mental
factors) and cittujjukatā (straightness of consciousness). Other beautiful mental factors arising
with association with sobhaṇa cittas are sammā-vācā (right speech), sammā-kammanta (right
action), sammā-ājīva (right livelihood), karuṇā (compassion), muditā (sympathetic joy) and
upekkhā (equanimity).16

In modern psychology the emotions or mental states are discussed in the process of sense-
perception. Stress, anxiety, depression, phobia, etc. discussed in modern psychology can be
compared with mental factors in Buddha’s teaching. In this way, many of the subject matters of
modern Psychology have been found already discussed in teachings of Buddha, especially in
Abhidhamma. However, modern psychology cannot differentiate between mind and mental
factors as it is done in Abhidhamma. Venerable Narada Thera acknowledges Psychology as

14
Ibid, P. 81
15
Y. Karunadasa, Op.Cit., f.n. 9, P. 68
16
Bhikkhu Bodhi, Op.Cit., f.n. 2, P. 85
subject of discussion within the scope of Abhidhamma in as much as it deals with the mind, with
thoughts, thought processes, and mental status.17

Cognitive Process in Abhidhamma Philosophy:

Cognitive psychology is concerned with the study of ‘cognitive processes. It studies mental
processes such as sensation (the process by which our sense organ receive information from the
environment), the perception (process of sorting out, interpreting and analyzing this information)
and other mental process such as attention, language, memory and thinking etc. Abhidhamma
also has detailed analysis of cognitive series of mind which is termed as ‘Vithi’ in Pali literature.

Abhidhamma takes the process of consciousness as a chain (citta niyāna) which arise and
dissolve in a person at a tremendous rate of more than a thousand billion times per eye wink. 18 It
has analyzed six sense doors (eye, ear, nose, tongue, body and mind) as six sense consciousness.
In the cognitive series, the first consciousness is five-door-adverting consciousness (Panca-
dvārāvajjana). In this series, the five-door-adverting consciousness leads to sense impression of
any related objects confronting with these five sense organs known as pañca-viññāṇa cittas. In
this cognitive process, the following mental functions are receiving consciousness
(sampaṭicchana), investigating (santiraṇa), determining (voṭṭhabana), impulsive consciousness
enjoying the taste of the sense objects (javana) and registering consciousness (tadālambaṇa)
which take place in a chained series.19 In this way, Buddhism talks about more advanced and
detailed series of cognition process which is yet to subject of investigation for modern
Psychology.

Conclusion:
Abhidhamma defines mind as consciousness of the senses and mental factors as those faculties
which depend on mind for their arising. Mental factors are various functions of mind because
they always refer to some kind of activity such as lobha (greed), dosa (hatred), saddhā (faith)
and mettā (loving kindness). In Abhidhamma, mind is explained, analyzed and classified as 89

Narada, ‘A Manual of Abhidhamma’, Kuala Lumpur: Buddhist Missionary Society, Kuala

17

Lumpur,1979, P. 6
18
Mehm Tin Mon, Op.Cit., f.n.3, P. 131
19
Ibid, P. 143
types (or 121); and 52 types of mental factors are also comprehensively analyzed according to
their 3 classes i.e. general, immoral and beautiful mental concomitants.

Mind and mental factors are mostly same in both the traditions i.e. in Abhidhamma and modern
psychology, because they refer to the common human experience. But the problem arises in
regard to the psychological processes described in the two traditions. Modern psychology talks
about mental process such as attention, language, memory and thinking etc. in sensation,
perception and cognition process whereas Abhidhamma analyzes this cognitive series in Vithi
process. Buddhist teaching is based on an ethical structure leading to spiritual development and
the modern psychology is an ongoing process in search of truth. However truth is one and it
cannot be two. Whatever point of view they adapt, one day both should arrive at the same
conclusion.

References:
Davids, C.A.F. Rhys, Buddhist Psychology, An Inquiry into the Analysis and Theory of
Mind in Pali Literature, India: Cosmo Publication, 2001
Bodhi, Bhikkhu (tr.), A Comprehensive Manual of Abhidhamma, Kandy: Buddhist
Publication Society, 1999
Mon, Mehm Tin, The Essence of Buddha Abhidhamma, Yangon: Mya Mon Yadanar
Publication, 1995
Eysenck, Michael W. and Keane, Mark T., Cognitive Psychology, USA: Psychology Press,
2010
Kalupahana, David J., Principles of Buddhist Psychology, Albany: State University of
Newyork Press, 1987
Boisvert, Mathieu, The Five Aggregates, Understanding Theravada Psychology and
Soteriology, Wilfrid Laurier University Press, 1995
Shakya, Dharmaratna (tr.), Abhidhammatthasagaho, Lalitpur: Bagmati Chhapakhana, 2003,
Karunadasa, Y., The Theravāda Abhidhamma, Hongkong: Center for Buddhist Studies,
University of Hongkong, 2010
Narada, ‘A Manual of Abhidhamma’, Kuala Lumpur: Buddhist Missionary Society, 1979