Last week we studied the first type of cakkhu-dvara vithis, atimahanta-rammana vithi. It arises when a visible object of very great intensity strikes the eye-door.
Today we will learn about the second type of cakkhu-dvara vithis, mahanta-rammana vithi. Mahanta-rammana vithi arises when a visible object of fairly great intensity strikes the eye door.
We will continue with Dr. Mehm Tin Mon's explanation of cakkhu-dvara vithis in his book "The Essence of Buddha Abhidhamma" (1995: pp. 144-146):
When a visible object of fairly great intensity strikes the eye-door, two mahanta-rammana vithis may arise. The cognitive series may be represented as follows:
(1) "Ti-Ti-Na-Da-Pa-Ca-Sam-Na-Vo-Ja-Ja-Ja-Ja-Ja-Ja-Ja-Bha"-
(2) "Ti-Ti-Ti-Na-Da-Pa-Ca-Sam-Na-Vo-Ja-Ja-Ja-Ja-Ja-Ja-Ja-Bha"-
Explanation:
(1) In the first mahanta-rammana vithi the sense-object and the cakkhu-pasada (eye-door) arise (uppada) together at the arising instant of the first atita-bhavanga. The sense-object takes two conscious-moments (Ti-Ti) for its full development and it becomes distinct at the mind-door at the arising-instant of bhavanga-calana (Na). Then the life-continuum (bhavanga) vibrates for 2 conscious moments (Na-Da) and becomes arrested or cut off at the dissolving instant of bhavangu-paccheda (Da). Then the cognitive series proceeds as follows:
Pa =
Pańca-dvaravajjana (five-door-adverting consciousness)
It adverts the consciousness-stream towards the sense-objects.
Ca =
Cakkhu-vinnana (eye-consciousness)
It sees the object and makes the sense-impression.
Sam =
Sampaticchana (receiving consciousness)
It receives the object together with the sense impression.
Na =
Santirana (investigating consciousness)
It investigates the object and the impression.
Vo =
Votthapana (determining consciousness)
It determines whether the object is good or bad.
Ja =
Javana (impulsive consciousness)
One of the 29 kama-javana cittas arises seven times enjoying the taste of the sense-object.
So far 16 conscious-moments have elapsed since the genesis of the sense-object at the mind-door, and only one conscious-moment is left before the object dissolves. So two tada-lambana cittas (registering consciousness) can no longer arise. (Tadalambana arises only in ati-mahanta-rammana). One bhavanga citta arises instead, and the sense-object and the cakkhu-pasada, which have arisen together, dissolve together at the dissolving instant of that bhavanga citta. After that the life-continuum flows on as usual.
(2) In the second mahanta-rammana vithi, the intensity of the sense-object is a little weaker than the intensity of the object in (1). So after the genesis of the sense-object at the mind-door, three atita-bhavanga cittas pass by before the object becomes well developed and distinct at the eye-door. Then the life-continuum vibrates and becomes arrested (Na-Da). After that the cognitive series proceeds as in (1), i.e., in the order of pańca-dvaravajjana, cakkhu-vinnana, samapaticchana, santirana, votthapana and seven javanas. At the dissolving instant of the seventh javana the object and the cakkhu-pasada (eye-door) also dissolve. So the cognitive series terminates and life-continuum proceeds as usual.
Thus there are two mahanta-rammana vithis which end with javana-citta; they are known as javana-vara vithis.
In the "Summary of the Topics of Abhidhamma" called "Exposition of the Topics of Abhidhamma" (translated by R.P. Wijeratne and Rupert Gethin, pp. 126-128), it is written:
"The stream of existence-continuum: the flow of existence-continuum.
Adverting: turning around as if to ask, 'Now what is this?'
Seeing: beholding directly. But, since it is said that 'one sees visible forms with the eye' is it not the eye-faculty itself that performs the function of seeing, and not consciousness? Not so. Materiality, being blind, has no capacity to see the visible form. And if it were the eye-faculty that saw visible form, then it would also be possible for someone experiencing a consciousness other [than eye-consciousness] to see visible form. Yet if one attributes the function [of seeing] to consciousness, then, since consciousness has no obstacles, one would see concealed visible objects. One can allow the seeing of something concealed when it is placed behind crystal, etc., and there is no obstacle to light, but when it is something concealed by a wall, etc., there is an obstacle to light, and in the absence of this condition consciousness does not arise and eye-consciousness does not apprehend the object. But in the above quotation 'by the eye' means 'by the eye-door which is the means [of seeing]'. Alternatively, the supported activity is referred to as something bound up with its support, as in the expression 'the beds make a noise'.
Receiving: as if accepting that same visible form.
Investigating: as if examining that same visible form.
Determining: as if carefully noting that same visible form.
Whichever of the ... impulsions has obtained the right causal conditions - has obtained the conditions of clear bringing-to-mind, etc.; this is the construction. As there are only five or six impulsions when one is semi-conscious or close to death, he says usually.
Following after impulsion: they go along with impulsions for some time, like the current of a river [going along] with a boat that is moving upstream.
Retaining-the-object (tadarammana) means that the object of impulsion is their object, by virtue of the dropping out of the middle word, as in such expression as 'one whose voice is Brahma's [voice] (brahmassara); resultants retaining the object (tadarammana-paka) means that they are both retentions and resultants.
As appropriate: appropriate to the object, impulsions and living being; but he himself will explain its occurrence thus [later].
Lapse into existence-continuum: he states that the appearance of consciousness as existence-continuum is like its lapsing into the existence-continuum once it has ceased to be active as process-consciousness. In order to make it easy to understand the activity of the process consciousness they offer various similes like that of the mango. (We read the mango simile in our Abhidhamma class 83).
In our next Abhidhamma classes we will study paritta-rammana vithi and atiparitta-rammana vithi.
Bibliography
Dr. Mehm Tin Mon, "The Essence of Buddha Abhidhamma", publisher Mehm Tay Zar Mon, Yangon, 1995
Wijeratne, R. P. and R. Gethin (translators), 2002, "Summary of the Topics of Abhidhamma" and "Exposition of the Topics of Abhidhamma", Pali Text Society, Oxford
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