Lokuttara cittas - What eradicates defilements?

A. The Abhidhamma teaches us about different kinds of wholesome cittas. There are kāmāvacara kusala cittas (kusala cittas, belonging to the sensuous plane of citta), rūpāvacara kusala cittas (which are rūpa-jhānacittas) and arūpāvacara kusala cittas (which are arūpa-jhānacittas). All these types of citta are kusala but they do not eradicate the latent tendencies of defilements. Only lokuttara kusala cittas (magga-cittas) eradicate the latent tendencies of defilements. When all defilements are eradicated completely there will be an end to the cycle of birth and death.

 

B. 

Can lokuttara kusala cittas really eradicate defilements so that they never

arise again? There are many defilements. We are full of lobha, dosa and

moha. We have avarice, jealousy, worry, doubt, conceit and many other kinds

of defilements. The clinging to the concept of self is deeply rooted: we take

our mind and our body for self. I cannot imagine how all these defilements

can be eradicated.

 

A.

Defilements can be eradicated and there is a Path leading to it. We have,

however, accumulated defilements to such an extent that they cannot be

eradicated all at once. Ditthi or wrong view has to be eradicated first; as

long as we take realities for self there cannot be eradication of any

defilement. There are four stages of enlightenment: the stages of the

sotāpanna, the sakadāgāmī, the anāgamī  and the arahat. Defilements

are eradicated stage by stage, until they are all eradicated at the attainment

of arahatship. The sotāpanna, the ariyan who has attained the first stage of

enlightenment, has eradicated ditthi completely.

 

B.

When the sotāpanna has eradicated ditthi, can it never arise again?

 

A.

If ditthi arises again, it means that it has not really been eradicated; in that

case that person has not really attained enlightenment and thus he is not a

sotāpanna. The sotāpanna has eradicated all latent tendencies of ditthi, so

that it can never arise again.