tibetanlanguage.school

Skip to main content
Explore the Tibetan language
< All Topics
Print

Citta

Posted
Updated
Bynick.prior

Other names:

  • Sanskrit: citta
  • Pali: citta
  • Tibetan: sems

Mind and mental factors

Universal mental factors

Universal mental factors accompany every citta (moment of cognition).

According to chapter 2 of the Abhidhammattha Sangaha of Ācariya Anuruddha, there are 7 mental factors that are universal to all cittas:

  1. Phasso (Skt. Sparśa);
  2. Vedanā (Skt. idem);
  3. Saññā (Skt. Saṃjñā);
  4. Cetanā (Skt. idem);
  5. Ekaggatā (Skt. Ekāgratā);
  6. Jīvitindriyaṃ (Skt. Jīvitendriya);
  7. Manasikāro (Skt. Manaskāra).

According to chapter 2 of the Abhidharmakośa of Ācarya Vasubandhu, there are 10 mental factors that are universal to all cittas:

  1. Vedanā;
  2. Cetanā;
  3. Saṃjñā;
  4. Chanda;
  5. Sparśa;
  6. Prajñā;
  7. Smṛti;
  8. Manaskāra;
  9. Adhimukti;
  10. Samādhi.

In the Abhidharmakośa, the universal mental factors are called “mahābhūmikas” which means “that which has a great ground”.

Similarities

Between the two traditions, there is common agreement that the following six mental factors are universal to every citta:

  1. Sparśa;
  2. Vedanā;
  3. Saṃjñā;
  4. Cetanā;
  5. Manaskāra;
  6. Samādhi / Ekāgratā (because Samādhi is defined as Ekāgratā).

Dissimilarities

In terms of their dissimilarities, in Anuruddha’s list there is one unshared mental factor:

  1. Jīvitendriya.

And in Vasubandhu’s list there are four unshared mental factors:

  1. Chanda;
  2. Prajñā;
  3. Smṛti;
  4. Adhimukti.

Universal mental factors of good minds

According to chapter 2 of the Abhidhammattha Sangaha of Ācariya Anuruddha, there are 19 mental factors that are universal to good cittas:

  1. Saddhā (Skt. Śraddha);
  2. Sati (Skt. Smṛti);
  3. Hiri (Skt. Hrī);
  4. Ottappaṃ (Skt. Apatrāpya);
  5. Alobho (Skt. Alobha);
  6. Adoso (Skt. Adveṣa);
  7. Tatramajjhattatā (Skt. ???);
  8. Kāyapassaddhi;
  9. Cittapassaddhi;
  10. Kāyalahutā;
  11. Cittalahutā;
  12. Kāyamudutā;
  13. Cittamudutā;
  14. Kāyakammaññatā;
  15. Cittakammaññatā;
  16. Kāyapāguññatā;
  17. Cittapāguññatā;
  18. Kāyujjukatā;
  19. Cittujjukatā.

If we reduce the 6 doublets to their common ending, then the last 12 members of the list (numbers 8 to 19) are reduced to only 6:

  1. Passaddhi (Skt. Praśrabdhi);
  2. Lahutā (Skt. Laghutā);
  3. Mudutā (Skt. Mṛdutā);
  4. Kammaññatā (Skt. Karmaṇyatā);
  5. Pāguññatā (Skt. *Prāguṇyatā);
  6. Ujjukatā (Skt. *Ārjavakatā).

When these 6 are added to the initial 7 members, we get a reduced list of 13 mental factors that are universal in good cittas.

According to chapter 2 of the Abhidharmakośa of Ācarya Vasubandhu, there are 10 mental factors that are universal to all good cittas:

  1. Śraddha (Tib. dad pa);
  2. Apramāda (Tib. bag yod pa);
  3. Praśrabdhi (Tib. shin tu sbyangs pa);
  4. Upekṣā (Tib. btang snyoms);
  5. Hrī (Tib. ngo tsha shes pa);
  6. Apatrāpya (Tib. khrel yod pa);
  7. Alobha (Tib. ma chags pa);
  8. Adveṣa (Tib. zhe sdang med pa);
  9. Avihiṃsā (Tib. rnam par mi ‘tshe ba);
  10. Vīrya (Tib. brtson ‘grus).

Similarities

Between the two traditions, there is common agreement that the following 7 mental factors are universal to every good citta:

  1. Śraddha;
  2. Hrī;
  3. Apatrāpya;
  4. Alobha;
  5. Adveṣa;
  6. Tatramajjhattatā / Upekṣā (because Tatramajjhattatā is a type of Upekṣā);
  7. Praśrabdhi (2 separate entities in Anuruddha’s system).

Dissimilarities

In terms of their dissimilarities, in Anuruddha’s reduced list there are 6 unshared mental factors:

  1. Sati (Skt. Smṛti);
  2. Lahutā (Skt. Laghutā);
  3. Mudutā (Skt. Mṛdutā);
  4. Kammaññatā (Skt. Karmaṇyatā);
  5. Pāguññatā (Skt. *Prāguṇyatā);
  6. Ujjukatā (Skt. *Ārjavakatā).

And in Vasubandhu’s list there are 3 unshared mental factors:

  1. Apramāda;
  2. Avihiṃsā;
  3. Vīrya.

Universal mental factors of bad minds

According to chapter 2 of the Abhidhammattha Sangaha of Ācariya Anuruddha, there are 4 mental factors that are universal to bad cittas:

  1. Moha (Skt. Moha);
  2. Ahirika (Skt. *Ahrī);
  3. Anottappa (Skt. *Anpatrāpya);
  4. Uddhacca (Skt. Auddhatya).

According to chapter 2 of the Abhidharmakośa of Ācarya Vasubandhu, there are 6 mental factors that are universal to all bad cittas:

  1. Moha;
  2. Pramāda;
  3. Kausīdya;
  4. Āśraddhya
  5. Styāna;
  6. Auddhatya.

Similarities

Between the two traditions, there is common agreement that the following 2 mental factors are universal to every bad citta:

  1. Moha;
  2. Auddhatya.

Dissimilarities

In terms of their dissimilarities, in Anuruddha’s list there are 2 unshared mental factors:

  1. Ahirika (Skt. *Ahrī);
  2. Anottappa (Skt. *Anpatrāpya);

And in Vasubandhu’s list there are 4 unshared mental factors:

  1. Pramāda;
  2. Kausīdya;
  3. Āśraddhya
  4. Styāna.

Table of Contents