Lokuttara cittas - What is exactly a latent tendency?

A.

When you desire something you have lobha. When the lobha-mūla-cittas have

fallen away, there are other kinds of citta which are not accompanied by

lobha. However, the lobha which arose before has been accumulated, it is

latent. When there are conditions, it can arise again with the akusala citta.

Latent tendencies are accumulated in every citta, even in the bhavanga-citta

(life-continuum) which does not experience an object through one of the

sense-doors or through the mind door.

B.

Is ditthi eradicated gradually or suddenly? 

A.

One cannot attain enlightenment without having cultivated the right

conditions. We see that in the Buddha's time some people could attain

enlightenment quickly, even during a discourse; some could attain

enlightenment after a more detailed explanation of the truth, while others had

to develop the Eightfold Path for a longer time, sometimes for many years,

before they could attain enlightenment. It all depends on how much wisdom

has already been accumulated, including accumulation from previous lives. As

to who can attain enlightenment in the present time, the right conditions have

to be cultivated; enlightenment cannot occur quickly. There should be

awareness of all kinds of nāma and rūpa appearing in our daily life and

paññā has to consider their characteristics over and over again. In this way

panna can gradually develop. We cannot expect a great deal of sati and

paññā in the beginning. However, each moment of right awareness is fruitful,

because it can condition further moments of awareness and thus it can be

accumulated. When  paññā realizes a phenomenon which appears are nāma

and rūpa, there is less clinging to the concept of self and in this way ditthi is

gradually eradicated, until finally all latent tendencies of ditthi are eradicated

by the magga-citta (lokuttara kusala citta) of the sotāpanna; then ditthi

will never arise again.