Multiple Cittas

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Ceisiwr
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Multiple Cittas

Post by Ceisiwr »

If the sabhāva of citta is to cognise only how can there be 5 door adverting, receiving, investigating and determining cittas in the cognitive process? The Vaibhāṣika masters seem to have rejected this, as it means citta will have more than one unique own-nature. What is the Theravādin reply?
“Knowing that this body is just like foam,
understanding it has the nature of a mirage,
cutting off Māra’s flower-tipped arrows,
one should go beyond the King of Death’s sight.”
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robertk
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Re: Multiple Cittas

Post by robertk »

The nature of citta is to experience.
However different cittas have different functions ( Kicca).
asahi
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Re: Multiple Cittas

Post by asahi »

Ceisiwr wrote: Wed Jun 30, 2021 10:50 pm If the sabhāva of citta is to cognise only how can there be 5 door adverting, receiving, investigating and determining cittas in the cognitive process? The Vaibhāṣika masters seem to have rejected this, as it means citta will have more than one unique own-nature. What is the Theravādin reply?
If sabhāva means characteristics that is ok but if take it as individual essence or unchanging substance then it is different .
Citta as mind base is one , citta as mind consciousness is another .
Do you mean 5 doors as 5 sense bases ?
There is always one door (mind base) that receives or adverting , investigating , determining , the other 5 sense bases upon receiving data will filter by mind door .
No bashing No gossiping
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robertk
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Re: Multiple Cittas

Post by robertk »

robertk wrote: Thu Jul 01, 2021 4:29 am The nature of citta is to experience.
However different cittas have different functions ( Kicca).
http://www.abhidhamma.org/development/w ... y-life.pdf
Time and again there are cittas arising which experience different objects through the senses
and through the mind-door. There are seeing or hearing, there are cittas with attachment
to what is seen or heard. These cittas arise because of different conditions. Seeing and the
citta with attachment to visible object do not arise at the same time, they are different and
they perform different functions. We will understand more about cittas if we know in what
order they arise and which function they perform. Each citta has its own function (in P¯ali:
kicca). There are fourteen functions of citta in all
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Ceisiwr
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Re: Multiple Cittas

Post by Ceisiwr »

robertk wrote: Thu Jul 01, 2021 10:26 am
robertk wrote: Thu Jul 01, 2021 4:29 am The nature of citta is to experience.
However different cittas have different functions ( Kicca).
http://www.abhidhamma.org/development/w ... y-life.pdf
Time and again there are cittas arising which experience different objects through the senses
and through the mind-door. There are seeing or hearing, there are cittas with attachment
to what is seen or heard. These cittas arise because of different conditions. Seeing and the
citta with attachment to visible object do not arise at the same time, they are different and
they perform different functions. We will understand more about cittas if we know in what
order they arise and which function they perform. Each citta has its own function (in P¯ali:
kicca). There are fourteen functions of citta in all
This will come down to if there is a difference between "cognition" or "awareness" and "seeing" or "hearing". The Vaibhāṣikas think there is. Citta then can only cognise, whilst the eye can only "see", the ear "hear" and so on. The Theravādin reply of course would be how can matter "see"? Regarding sense experience, once the initial citta has passed away what is it that the cittas of receiving, investigating and determining are cognising?
“Knowing that this body is just like foam,
understanding it has the nature of a mirage,
cutting off Māra’s flower-tipped arrows,
one should go beyond the King of Death’s sight.”
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robertk
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Re: Multiple Cittas

Post by robertk »

Regarding sense experience, once the initial citta has passed away what is it that the cittas of receiving, investigating and determining are cognising?
I am in an airport waiting to board.
but briefly only very brief cakkhu vinnana in the process actually cognises visible object - as your post hints at.
So we have brief flashes of seeing and then darkness , even while looking at anything.
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