Life goes on only by conditions

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A. Sujin: Without phassa (the mental factor of contact), can citta arise? When we understand what citta is we know that there isn't just one reality which can experience an object, but there must be many different realities which arise to experience the object, but each has its characteristic and its own function. So they cannot be the same like that which is the chief, the citta, which experiences the characteristic of that which is there, but it does not take it for something at all, it just experiences to see what is there, so clear, like the one who doesn't have good eyes cannot see anything clear, but the one who has good eyes can see that object, that same object, clearer. So the citta is the chief of experiencing the characteristic of that which is experienced only, but it cannot do other functions, it cannot remember, it cannot feel. And phassa is a reality which is not the rūpa, because it can experience an object and its function is not the chief of experiencing, it just contacts, it knows that there is the object and it contacts that particular object, and the other realities which can experience that object arise together with it, that's why it is āhara paccaya, because as soon as it arises citta and cetasikas arise to experience the object which it contacts. So it arises with each moment of citta but it's not citta, that's why we understand the difference between citta and cetasikas. Because cittas are so much different from each one, because the lobha with citta, that which clings, likes, attaches, it's a reality, it cannot change its characteristic, to attach instantly to the object, and the other reality doesn't like the object at all, aversion is there, different from attachment. And phassa is neither attachment nor aversion, it just performs the function of contacting that which is there, and then citta and cetasikas arise to experience the object, only that which contact contacts, it cannot just experience the other thing which phassa is not there contacting. Is it clear now? Each moment, no matter what moment, there must be phassa together with citta and other cetasikas, it performs only its function just to contact, and it's the reality which experiences the object, only at moment of contacting, because it is that which experiences. If it doesn't experience it, how can it contact that object, to condition the other realities which experience [to] just arise together and experience the same object.

So even at the moment of vipassana or moment of enlightenment, sotapatti magga, sotapatti phala citta, or any citta, there must be contact. Because without it citta cannot arise. And because of its function of bringing about the other realities, it is āhara paccaya, phassa-āhara. Because whenever it arises citta and the other cetasikas have to arise together with it, experiencing the same object, they cannot experience the other object which phassa hasn't contacted. So it's not anyone, no one there at all, because that is the characteristic of a reality which arises to perform its function any time of experiencing any object, even while one is asleep, whenever, wherever there is citta there must be phassa, experiencing that object and it is āhara for citta and the other cetasikas to experience the same object, to perform their functions. So no doubt about phassa or is still there doubt about it? Can it be known? Can it be directly experienced?

That's why what is there in daily life which appears can be object of understanding, but that which does not appear in daily life, even if anyone tries so hard to experience it, can it be known or directly experienced? Impossible, because [it's] only pañña which knows it, depending on conditions, because pañña understands the anattaness of everything, nothing can be chosen to be the object at all. So life is this, no one, it goes on only by conditions, from moment to moment that's all. This is the way to let go, this is a deep and subtle path, letting go the idea of self, the clinging to what is there as something, ignorance is there. So as long as there's not enough pañña, it cannot let go perfectly or absolutely the idea of self. That's why the development of pañña begins from hearing considering, pariyatti, well enough, so well enough to be saccañāna of the noble truth. It's now, no need to go anywhere, no need to think so much about it, but to understand the characteristic which is now appearing as we have heard, from the words of the Buddha. Which is that seeing sees now, hearing does not see, it hears, and phassa contacts sound, otherwise hearing cannot arise. At this moment of seeing there is not only citta, there must be cetasikas, phassa cetasika, arising together with citta, depending on conditions what citta is there, by kamma, as result, or whatever.

So many realities as conditions, which are not known now, but can be known little by little, and let go, from knowing that it lets go the idea of self little by little, by conditions, and that is the understanding of khanti parami. Sacca parami, because this is so true. Nekkhama parami. Adhitthana parami, have confidence in the path. This is the only way, at moment of understanding what is there now, little by little. Even that which is appearing now as the picture of something, but pañña has to understand that it's not the moment of understanding, the moment of understanding is the beginning of not forgetting that what appears is only that which impinges on the eye-base only. So it lets go the other thoughts about things in the picture and whatever appears as something, little by little. And does this answer your question about phassa?

Alberto: Ajahn, if you can also talk about pañca-dvāra-āvajjana as well, please.

Su. So pañca-dvāra-āvajjana (adverting to the five-sense-door) it's a function of citta, with other cetasikas arising together with citta at that moment, but citta also has its function too. Fourteen functions of citta, and one function is the function of pañca-dvāra-āvajjana, because at moment of bhavanga (life-continuum) no experiencing of any object, nothing appearing at all, because it experiences the object without dvāra (door), no need to have any dvāra because it has the same object as the object before death of last life, no need for any dvāra at all because it's not the object of this world. But when there is the moment of experiencing an object in this world, not bhavanga, when it is the sensous object, there are five dvāras for five objects, and before pañca-dvāra-āvajjana can arise to experience the object, which impinged on the sense or the base, there must be bhavanga, and bhavanga cannot experience the object of this world at all, because the object of bhavanga does not appear at all, because it experiences the same object as we said. So we can see the difference between moment of bhavanga and moment of experiencing an object, the six doorways are different. In the five doorways there must be the rūpa which has its characteristic, which can impinge on its proper base, for example, what is heard, the sound, cannot impinge on the eye-base, it has to impinge on the ear-base, that is the quality, the characteristic of different reality as anatta, no one can change the way it is at all.

But the rūpa is not that which is phassa, it's only the rūpa, the special rūpa, it has its special characteristic, which can be the base for its object to impinge upon. So pañca-dvāra-āvajjana is the first citta which depends on doorway to experience an object. Without the five-sense-doorways there would never be pañca-dvāra-āvajjana-citta because it needs the impinging of the object on its base, accordingly, whether it's the eye or ear or tongue, and at that moment the bhavanga cannot experience the object, as the last bhavanga in that series, bhavanga-upaccheda, has fallen away, it conditions pañca-dvāra-āvajjana to advert to the object which impinged on the doorway, but at moment of adverting it cannot see, it cannot hear, it cannot smell at all. It's not its function, its function is just turning towards or adverting to the object which is there, impinging on the eye-base or ear-base, for example. So it just arises to advert to that object, it cannot experience, it cannot see. And after that it conditions the moment of that which arises to experience, to see the object, only that, and then falls away, just hearing the sound, or seeing the object as it is, as not anything at all, as that which can impinge on the base.

So the adverting consciousness is kiriya (functional) citta because it can advert to pleasant object or unpleasant object, to condition kusala vipāka or akusala vipāka. But it's not the director, it's only the moment of adverting to the object, only that. And seeing just arises and sees.

And as the rūpa hasn't fallen away yet, that's why that seeing is a condition, as anantara paccaya, samanantara paccaya, for sampaticchana to arise and then falls away, vipāka, by kamma, and santirana after that, and then votthapana, which does not direct anything, but makes way for kusala and akusala which has been accumulated, so great, so much, enormous, that it just has to arise for seven moments after votthapana, to be kusala or akusala, by conditions, by accumulation, pakatupanissaya paccaya and so on, [for] seven moments. These are the functions of citta which cannot be exchanged at all, seeing cannot ask hearing to see at all, there has never been any one or any thing. They all are different dhammas, different realities. And when we're talking about sampaticchana, santirana, votthapana, javana, we are talking about the functions of citta, that it has to arise to perform its function, one of the fourteen functions, with cetasikas, phassa, vedana, sañña, cetana being there.

Sarah: At the beginning Alberto was asking about phassa and pañca-dvāra-āvajjana and at the end he asked about tadārammana.

Su. Since tadārammana is vipāka, when the object is still there, not fallen away yet, kamma conditions it to experience that, because the result of kamma is to condition the vipāka to experience the object, as tadārammana, as well as sampaticchana, santirana, or seeing or hearing, and fall away. The vipāka is not the hetu like the javana, when one hasn't become arahatta yet, and after that kiriya performs the function of javana. The way it is, the way dhamma is, just to understand that no one can make it arise, no one can change its way, because they're absolute dhammas, paramattha dhammas, abhidhammas, ariya sacca dhammas.

Is there tadārammana now? Is there javana now? Is there sampaticchana, santirana now? So what can be experienced is that which is now appearing, for example, who can experience pañca-dvāra-āvajjana, sampaticchana, santirana? Only seeing appears, but what is there before and after? The rapidity of the succession of the arising and falling away, no one can change it, by samanantara paccaya and anantara paccaya. Just learn to understand more about no one and no self. The idea... the understanding, hearing more, considering more, having more confidence of the truth that it's this moment, what can appear can be object of even direct understanding with direct awareness, exactly the same as usual, but usually there is no understanding, but at that moment it's different from other moments, because it begins to be aware and begins to understand the truth of it, it's there as we have heard, hardness is there. Without understanding one thinks that it's still there, but in truth as soon as it appears and it's not there anymore.



Image on video: Detail of the rail of Bharhut stupa