Bhavanga citta, Nirodha Samapatti, Asannasatta beings

[Alex123]

Hello all,


1) Does Bhavanga-citta exist in Nirodha-samapatti?
2) Does Bhavanga-citta experience anything in Nirodha Samapatti? If so, what does it experience?
3) Does Bhavanga-citta exist in asannasatta being?
4) What does Bhavanga-citta experience in asannasatta beings?


With metta,

Alex

[Anicca]

Greetings Alex!

Have you read this?

Then the question arises as to the position of consciousness on such occasions as when perceptual activities are apparently completely still, such as in deep, dreamless sleep. What would explain the uninterrupted continuity of the life process? Hence it is very likely that, as Sarathchandra observes, it was as a solution to this problem that the theory of bhavanga came to be developed.

To this we may add another reason. This has reference to the Buddhist teaching on sannavedayita-nirodha . This is the attainment of the highest level of concentration, when all sense-activity comes to a complete end. In such a situation what happens to the mind? If nirodha-samapatti means the suspension of all mental activities, how could one who has attained it emerge from it? This was a problem that confronted the various schools of Buddhist thought, and it was as an answer to this that the Sautrantikas posited a suksma-citta , a subtle consciousness that persists during the nirodha-samapatti . That the theory of bhavanga was intended as a solution to both is clear from the Milindapanha. Here, in an answer to a question raised by King Milinda, Nagasena says that on two occasions the mind does not function in the body ( sarire cittam appavattam hoti ), i.e. during deep sleep and during nirodha-samapatti . It is therefore maintained that when a man is in deep sleep his mind has 'gone into bhavanga ' ( cittam bhavangagatam ). This implies that the same is true of nirodha-sampatti

hope this helps
Metta

[Alex123]

Thank you very much, Anicca.


So asannasatta beings and meditator in nirodha-samapatti have bhavanga occuring, right?

What sort of bhavanga process happens in asannasatta beings and in nirodha-samapatti?


Thanks,

[Anicca]

So asannasatta beings and meditator in nirodha-samapatti have bhavanga occuring, right?

No mention of the asannasatta, so i won't say "right!" - but if i were a betting man i'd place my bet on it.

What sort of bhavanga process happens in asannasatta beings and in nirodha-samapatti?

Seems there is only one process with different labels. Try this "The Function of Bhavanga (Life-Continuum)" - again no mention of the asannasatta and no mention of nirodha-samapatti this time - but a better explanation of the bhavanga process than that last link - Nina is a favorite authority around here it seems

...there are nineteen types of bhavanga-citta ...The different names which denote these bhavanga-cittas do not represent different functions; bhavanga-cittas have as their only function to keep the continuity in the life of a being ...

I can't resist here, Alex - why all the "brain dead" questions?

<and to myself - why am i the only one discussing this with him? >

Metta

[Gena1480]

Thank you Anicca
i have been thinking of how to understand this for long time
how do shut down the bhavanga citta?