Functions of Citta in the Sense-Door Process and in the Mind-Door Process - Kusala and akusala subjected to conditions I

If we do not know about the cittas arising in processes and their different

conditions we may think that there is a 'self' who decides at certain moments

to do good deeds or bad deeds. In reality there is no person, no 'self' who

decides, but there are cittas which are conditioned by accumulations of kusala

and akusala.

Cittas experience pleasant or unpleasant objects through the senses and

through the mind-door. If someone has accumulated a great deal of lobha

and dosa, lobha-mūla-cittas are likely to arise when the object is pleasant and

dosa-mūla-cittas are likely to arise when the object is unpleasant. These cittas

arise because of conditions, they are not self, they are beyond control.

However, through the study of Dhamma and above all through the

development of 'insight' there can be conditions for kusala cittas and then

there is 'wise attention' (yoniso manasikāra) to the object. No matter whether

the object is pleasant or unpleasant, in the sense-door process the

votthapana-citta can be succeeded by kusala cittas and in the mind-door,

process the mano-dvārāvajjana-citta can, after it has adverted to the object,

be succeeded by kusala cittas.

We are inclined to think that in the process of cittas, akusala vipākacittas

which experience an unpleasant object should necessarily be followed by

akusala cittas, since we let ourselves be ruled by the objects we experience.

However, if there is 'wise attention' there is no aversion towards unpleasant

objects. Kusala cittas and akusala cittas arise because of conditions which are

entirely different form the conditions for vipākacittas. Akusala vipāka and

kusala vipāka are the result of kamma. We wish to control our vipāka, but this

is impossible. When it is time for akusala vipāka, we cannot prevent it from

arising. We should realize that our life is nāma and rūpa, which arise because

of condition and fall away immediately. If we would only realize that vipāka is

but a moment of citta which falls away as soon as it has arisen, we would be

less likely to have aversion towards unpleasant objects we experience.