A First Look at Abhidhamma (10):
Introducing Cetasikas



Let us now look at mental formations, or cetasikas. We shall go into the first thirteen cetasikas and leave the rest to the next chapter.  One cetasika, the feeling cetasika, is discussed in length to give a flavor of the nature of cetasikas, that it is non-self and impermanent.  We discuss how this cetasika affects our daily life, rather than the technicalities of it.


The Discovery of Cetasikas

We are usually so engrossed with life that we are not aware of things as they are.  It is already a tremendous breakthrough just in realizing the distinction between the physical world (rupa) and the mental world (nama).  This realization is a necessary first step towards Enlightenment, which is the end of suffering.  Without this necessary first step, we shall continue to be engrossed with life, and be slaves who react ignorantly to suffering.  Thus suffering leads to more suffering, a vicious cycle unending.

With the realization of the distinction between the physical world and the mental world, it is a matter of time that we soon realize the fundamental theorem: “Nama is not rupa; Rupa is not nama.”  We become more aware of our mental world and less involuntarily reactive to suffering.  Then it is also only a matter of time that we realize that experiencing and thinking are different.  Hence we realize the separation of the brain from the citta.  We realize that concepts and beliefs is not us, it is only the working of an organ of our body called the brain.  Our awareness then becomes more focused on the citta.  Through breathing meditation (satipatthana), we note more and more subtleties of the citta.  Finally it is only a matter of time, that we become aware of the existence of mental formations, which in pali, is called the cetasikas.


What are cetasikas

When we first noticed cittas, each of them is like an entity.  We are like primary school students learning that atoms are round balls.  However when our mindfulness becomes more mature and subtle, we can look inside the citta entity and realize its structure.  We are like secondary school students learning that an atom consists of the nucleus and electrons.

The so-called citta entity actually consists not only of the citta, but also many mental formations or cetasikas.  If you would imagine the citta as a king, the cetasika is like the king’s servants.  There are fifty-two kinds of cetasikas, of which not all are present for each citta.  Each of these cetasikas occurs in different intensity as well.  Hence there is practically infinitely many different cetasikas.  These cetasikas, like the servants of the king, serve primarily two purposes: to aid in the working of the citta, and to affect the nature of the citta and other cetasikas.  The cetasikas of each citta arise and fall together with the citta.

In classical Abhidhamma, the cetasikas are classified into four groups: the Universals, Particulars, Akusalas and Sobhanas.  The Univerals consists of seven cetasikas that are present with all cittas.  The Particulars consists of six cetasikas that are sometimes present with the citta and sometimes not.  The Akusalas consists of fourteen cetasikas that can only be present with unwholesome (akusala) cittas.  Among these fourteen cetasikas, there are four that are present in all unwholesome cittas, and ten that are sometimes present and sometimes not.  The Sobhanas consists of twenty-five cetasikas that can only be present with sobhanas cittas (consisting of all the wholesome cittas, the jhana cittas and the lokuttara cittas).  Among these twenty five, there are nineteen that are present in all sobhana cittas, and six that are sometimes present and sometimes not. 

In short, there are fifty-two kinds of cetasikas and they are classified according to their occurrence.

In the following, we shall explore briefly the nature of each of the cetasikas.  As we explore them, note that many things that we thought are done by or due to the presence of a self, are in reality the results of the presence of certain cetasikas.  These cetasikas arise in different intensity, and fall away immediately with the citta due to conditions provided by the mental object and the previous citta group.  Their arising is not directly due to the will of a self, or external or internal entities.  Put simply, we can condition them, but we cannot control them.  The entire system works without the existence of a self.  In fact, there is no self.


The Universals

There are seven cetasikas that are present in all cittas.  The cetasikas are:

The Particulars

There are six cetasikas that are present in some cittas but not all.  In the following, the sense-sphere cittas are mentioned frequently.  Recall that sense-sphere cittas are the usual cittas we have in our daily lives.  They do not include the cittas in high states of meditation and the enlightenment cittas.

The cetasikas are:

Non-self

From realizing the existence of these cetasikas, we know that there is no self that helps the citta experience the mental object.  The vitality cetasika gives life to the citta group, then the contact cetasika binds the citta to the mental object, the attention cetasika brings the citta group attention to the mental object and the concentration cetasika focuses it.  The applied thinking cetasika enables the experiencing of the citta, which is anchored by the sustained thinking cetasika, and convinced by the determination cetasika.  The energy, enthusiasm and zeal that are sometimes present in the experience are also provided by cetasikas.  Our experience is colored by feelings, which is also another cetasika.  This experience affects subsequent cittas through the perception cetasika, which causes remembrance, and volition cetasika, which propagates kamma.

Hence there is no self that remembers, and there is no self acting as a kamma storage.  Energy, enthusiasm and zeal are not willed by a self.  Most importantly feeling is also not self.


Feeling is non-self

Feeling comes and goes within a citta cycle.  Sometimes consecutive successions of feelings may make one think that one ‘has’ a spell of certain feeling.  However this is not true.  Each moment of feeling is new.  It lasts only and exactly as long as seeds and conditions could sustain the re-arising of the feeling. 

If the feeling is pleasant, our brain may remember the mental object and try to prolong the feeling by brain memory recall or by fantasizing the mental object.  However each moment of feeling is different.  Much as we would like to prolong it, it will never be the same because the first of the pleasant feeling has fallen long time ago.  If the feeling is unpleasant, our brain may also remember the mental object.  Then every time we are reminded of it, unpleasant feelings arise.  However these are new unpleasant feelings.  The old unpleasant feeling has also fallen long time ago.

Feeling is not ‘I’, and ‘I’ am not this feeling.  If feeling were ‘I’, then ‘I’ would be completely controlled by feeling.  However this is not the case.  When feeling is weak, ‘I’ can actually behave independently of feeling.  I can do a good job, despite of being (mildly) happy or sad.  I can also be a good spouse, sibling, child, parent or friend.  I can go about my normal daily activities.  I am mindful that the feeling is there, but my calmness need not be disturbed by it.  When feeling is strong, ‘I’ becomes influenced by feeling.  Nonetheless ‘I’ is conditioned by feeling rather than being feeling.  Conversely, if ‘I’ were this feeling, then feeling would be completely controlled by ‘I’.  This is also not the case.  Often I want to be happy, but I feel sad instead, and vice versa.  I can only condition feeling, rather than control it.

When we are ignorant of this fact, much suffering can come about.  Some people dedicate their entire lives to seeking a pleasant feeling that they once had, or dreamt about.  That pleasant feeling becomes the objective of their lives.  Is this worth it, for just a few citta cycles?  If we know that feeling is not ‘I’, then we would regard feeling as a ‘side-dish’ rather than a purpose in life.  Some people also dedicate their entire lives responding to or running away from an unpleasant feeling that they once had, or dreamt about.  The shadow of that unpleasant feeling controls much of their lives.  Is this worth it as well?  If we know that feeling is not ‘I’, that it arises and falls due to many conditions that we cannot control, then we would live our lives not based on it.


Overcoming Unpleasant Feelings

How do we overcome unpleasant feeling?  There are three ways.  The first way is by distraction.  If we distract our citta sequence with alternative mental objects, then different sets of feeling may arise.  For example if we are feeling sad, then taking a vacation or changing the environment may help.  This way however may not always work because the brain may remember the old mental object and brings us the unpleasant feeling again, during the distraction or after the distraction.  If it does work, the unpleasant feeling can at least be potentially weakened. 

The second way is by adopting certain concepts and beliefs.  We ‘teach’ ourselves that this mental object need not be associated with unpleasant feeling.  Instead this mental object could be associated with pleasant or neutral feeling.  For example we can always try to look at the positive side of things, resulting in generating pleasant feeling.  We can also try to cease regarding the mental object as important or influential, resulting in generating neutral feeling.  This way however has a lot of side effects because it modifies the concepts and beliefs of the person.  At the least, the person would become changed; at the worst, the person could become fanatic to certain concepts and beliefs.  Furthermore, counter concepts and beliefs may arise and throw the person back to the unpleasantness, and the person becomes trapped in a duality of beliefs.  If it does work however, this provides a very quick end to the unpleasant feeling.

The third way is by learning to cope or live with the unpleasant feeling.  This is the hardest method, however it provides an unconditional end to suffering due to that unpleasant feeling.  The first step in this method is to acknowledge the unpleasant feeling and be mindful of it, neither cling to it nor be averse to it.  Sit with it silently and with love.  At first the monkey mind will jump to millions and millions of conclusions in respond to the feeling.  Be mindful of such diversions, but do not indulge in them, simply bring the attention back to the feeling.  Then the unpleasant feeling may seem to become stronger.  This is not because the feeling actually grows, it is only because now one gives attention to it.  Next the feeling may really grow stronger, persists for a while, and then it will slowly dissolves.  This is letting the feeling runs its full course, exhausting the seeds and conditions that generate it.  If the feeling recurs, then we sit with it again.  The feeling will dissolve more and more easily.

This third way is also a good mindfulness exercise.  Weren’t we complaining that the breath has difficulty catching our attention?  Now we have a strong unpleasant feeling to maintain our mindfulness attention.

In practice, we usually do a combination of the three methods.  When the unpleasant feeling is too strong for us to handle, we may use the distraction method, with the understanding that we shall come back to confront it later.  We may also seek help from friends, who would usually apply the second method on us by giving advice and trying to cheer us up.  Finally when we are strong enough to face the feeling, and we could dedicate time to sit with it, we do the third method to confront it.  If one’s mindfulness practice is very strong, one can use the breath as a companion and confront the unpleasant feeling immediately.  Practice makes perfect.


Dealing with Pleasant Feelings

Unpleasant feeling is not ‘I’, similarly pleasant feeling is also not ‘I’.  Many people have no problem with pleasant feeling.  They simply indulge in it and enjoy it to the fullest.  However very often, craving arises after the pleasant feeling falls.  From this spark of craving, a complex and large chain of reactions could follow, along with much suffering.  Hence one should not lose one’s mindfulness when pleasant feeling arises.

When pleasant feeling arises, it is good to adopt mindfulness and equanimity.  Mindfulness lets us be aware when it arises, when it persists and when it falls.  After it has fallen, we are mindful of letting it go.  If craving arises we can turn our mindfulness towards craving.  We mindfully watch its arising, persisting and falling.  The craving may arise again, in which case we would watch it again.  Equanimity allows us to go beyond the pleasant feeling.  We regarding the pleasant feeling with equanimity to unpleasant and neutral feeling, and bear in mind of its impermanent and unsatisfactory (dukkha) nature.  Impermanence is as in it does not exist forever.  Unsatisfactoriness is as in one cannot dwell or take refuge in it.  In this way we lessen our attachment to it, so that we can move on with new experiences and feelings.


Mindfulness Meditation: Noting Cetasikas

The feeling cetasika is always present, and is less subtle than citta.  Hence this makes it a good object for mindfulness.  It is more likely that before we become aware of citta, we would first become aware of our feeling cetasika.  Thus feeling is listed as the second foundation of mindfulness while citta is listed as the third.

To become aware of the feeling cetasika, we must first achieve calmness of the body.  The body need to be relaxed and in a steady position.  As we observe the breath closely, our concentration becomes directed away from other parts of the body and towards the breath.  Hence the body relaxes.  As the body relaxes, it becomes calm.  After some time one may only sense the breath and not one’s body.

Next depends on whether one is a left brain inclined person or a right brain inclined person.  If one is a right brain inclined person, one may become aware of the feeling cetasika.  Nonetheless, the awareness is clouded by thoughts.  Hence regardless of one’s inclination, one need to work on reducing one’s thoughts.

As the monkey mind springs into action, we train to be mindful of the thoughts.  As we become mindful of each one, each will dissolve immediately and we can bring our mindfulness back to our breath.  Repeating this exercise, perhaps after days and years of practice, we would develop sufficient amount of concentration so that there are less stray thoughts.

Then we encounter our feeling cetasika.  If we are focused on our breath, we usually encounter neutral feeling.  Even if the feeling is pleasant or unpleasant, it is usually too mild for us to be aware of the difference.  However when a thought arises, or a sound mental object arises, or a bodily sensation mental object arises, feeling cetasikas arise as well.  We sense pleasant feelings and unpleasant feelings.  The feeling is sometimes strong and sometimes weak.  They cause ripples of thoughts, and thoughts cause ripples of feelings, each propagating the other by conditioning the other.  Feelings do not arise on their own.  Each has its seeds and conditions.  Each falls.  If the seeds and conditions persists, new feeling cetasika arises.  These rises and falls produce a rhythm, can you hear it?



--By Lee Hon Sing.  Last modified: February 24, 2004.  All ignorance is mine. 


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