Manasikāra, that which is now attending to the object

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(Excerpt from the Dhamma discussion with Ajahn Sujin on Zoom - Mon Aug 7th 2023)

0:00 - Manasikāra, that which is now attending to the object
[Ann] Ajahn, can you can you say something about the consideration of vitakka?

[A. Sujin] That's why we have to learn just one reality at a time, for example, what is vitakka? It's a reality. And what is manasikāra? A reality. Are they the same or different? Can vitakka consider anything?

So vitakka is only the reality which touches the object, it arises after seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, touching. Because seeing, hearing,... is conditioned by a kamma, a kamma, just to see, one moment only. Who knows: the citta before seeing cannot see, it's there, performing its function. And the citta after seeing cannot see either, it performs its function. But manasikāra arises with each moment, arising with citta which experiences the object. That's why, how many cetasikas arise with any moment of citta? All the time, no matter when and what.

1:34 - Ārammaṇa-paṭipādaka-manasikāra, the cetasika attending, considering the object
So, understanding the characteristic of a reality, to begin to understand that what is there is not known at all, that's why now, are there the seven universal cetasikas, arising with each moment, one by one? That's why there is the term manasikāra, a reality which, no matter what word we use, is there, attending to the object, depending on what arises with it and on what level. That's why there is the word ārammaṇa-paṭipādaka-manasikāra (for instance in Visuddhimagga, 14. Khandhaniddeso, Saṅkhārakkhandhakathā, par. 473), for the cetasika which perform the function of attending, no matter what the object is, it arises with citta, it cannot experience the object clearly as citta, or vitakka (i.e. touching) and so on, but it's there, attending to the object. Even right now, hearing these words, it's that which is attending, to the sound, to the meaning of it, to consider it and so on, that's why it's there all the time.

2:50 - Vīthi-paṭipādaka-manasikāra, the citta attending to the object which is impinging on the five bases
And when it is the first moment experiencing the object which is not the object of bhavanga (life continuum), because at moment of birth citta experiences an object, we don't talk about that yet, and the next moment is conditioned by the same kamma, experiencing the same object, unknown object. But there's seeing right now, before seeing there's no seeing (i.e. bhavanga) and then a moment of citta, just āvajjana, adverting to that which is there, impinging on the sense-door and so on. That is the vīthi-paṭipādaka-manasikāra, it's the manasikāra which attends to the object which is impinging on the eye-base and so on. So that is vīthi, the beginning of the process, if it does not arise, if it does not attend, through that citta, there can never be other objects experienced at all. That's why it is the vīthi-citta, which attend to the object which impinges on the five bases, that is pañca-dvāra-āvajjana citta (five-sense-door adverting consciousness).

4:07 - Javana-paṭipādaka-manasikāra, the citta making way for javana to ooze
And that which has been accumulated from moment to moment right now: ignorance and attachment to being and so on, ready to ooze, but it has three moments before voṭṭhabbana. That's why, when the voṭṭhabbana has fallen away, it's there: javana, so, it is javana-paṭipādaka, without that citta which is javana-paṭipādaka, it makes way for javana, to be ready to come out, to ooze, without that moment of citta whatever is there cannot experience the object with what has been accumulated, ready to be attachment or aversion. So that is javana-paṭipādaka-manasikāra.

That's why there are three kinds manasikāra, one is cetasika, arising which each citta, attending to the characteristic of the object, no matter it's heard, about the Dhamma or whatever, experienced, it's there: ārammaṇa-paṭipādaka-manasikāra. But the moment of experiencing the object, adverting to that, is the first vīthi-citta, so it is vīthi-paṭipādaka-manasikāra: if it hadn't arisen there couldn't be seeing, hearing and so on. And the other one is javana-paṭipādaka-manasikāra, which is the mano-dvāra-āvajjana citta, it's the javana-paṭipādaka-manasikāra: it has to make way for whatever has been accumulated, no matter through sense-door or mind-door, performing different functions. When it's [performing] the function of the sense-door, it is not the beginning of the mano, mind-door, dvāra, to experience the object, but it performs the function of voṭṭhabbana: making way for javana to arise, no matter in what doorway, so that mano-dvāra-āvajjana [citta] is javana-paṭipādaka-manasikāra. So, when we hear[d] about the three words ārammaṇa-paṭipādaka-manasikāra, it's the cetasika, but vīthi-paṭipādaka-manasikāra is pañca-dvāra-āvajjana [citta], and when it is javana-paṭipādaka-manasikāra it has to be mano-dvāra-āvajjana [citta] because it has two functions, but what function is more (frequent)? Mano-dvāra-āvajjana is more. That's why even if we use the word voṭṭhabbana, it is the [same kind of] citta which is the first moment of mind-door process (i.e. mano-dvāra-āvajjana), but it arises and then falls away, it makes way for javana, no matter what vīthi-citta, through mind-door or sense-door.

7:13 - A little more letting go of doubt about the truth
So, no one, it's the cetasika which is manasikāra, that's why there is the word wise or unwise (yoniso or ayoniso) manasikāra, now: no one. A little more understanding of the details of the reality can condition a little more letting go [of] doubt about the truth: it's there as it is. Not appearing as it is, but appearing as: the citta which can be the object of understanding has to be only through six doorways, one at a time. No matter it is manasikāra or vitakka, does it appear now? So what appears has to be only what is there through one of the six doorways. Even it's there, like bhavanga before and after the process: not known.

So what considers? As dhammas, not anyone? It has to be cetasikas, and which cetasika performs manasikāra? Attending to the characteristic of a reality which is there, experienced by the chief, the citta. It's there now, at moment of hearing and we use the word considering, we don't talk about phassa or vitakka or feeling or cetana. Just that which is now attending to the object. Is there no vitakka at moment of thinking? Is there manasikāra? Because it has to attend to the characteristic of the reality which is the object of thinking.