Hello everyone,
I’d like to know how right effort and sati are explained in the Abhidhamma and Visuddimagga. What are the causes and conditions for effort and sati?
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Viriya, energy or effort is associated with every kusala and akusala citta.
Sati only with kusala.
Most of the day we have akusala cittas and thus we are accustomed to viriya that is associated with akusala.
The viriya that is associated with kusala citta (and sati) is also associated with alobha, non-greed. There can be viriya of this type for example when we are helping someone or giving dana or learning abhidhamma.
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see this topic also
Hello Robert, thank you for the answer. I wonder what causes effort to arise. Does it arise due to reflection on the dangers of the planes of misery, desire for attainments, etc.
Also what causes sati to arise? Is sati the bare knowing of a meditation object such as the breath?
I take this from Nina Van gorkom’s translation of the Vism tika
Visuddhimagga XIV, 141 and Tiika
Intro:
Sati, mindfulness, is a sobhana cetasika, arising with each sobhana citta.
It remembers, is non-forgetful of what is wholesome. The Text uses the word
sara.na, remembering, but this cetasika is different from saññaa,
recognition or remembrance, which arises with each citta.Text Vis.: 141. (x) By its means they remember (saranti), or it itself
remembers,
or it is just remembering (sara.na), thus it is ‘mindfulness’ (sati).N: As to the words, they remember (saranti), this refers to the accompanying
dhammas that are conditioned by sati. Just as the Vis. states in the case of
saddhaa: by means of it they have faith.
The Tiika explains that the accompanying dhammas are conditioned by the
predominant influence of sati. When there is such condition it is said in
conventional language (vohaaro) that a person Œremembers¹.
N: He remembers, is non-forgetful of what is wholesome.Text Vis. : It has the characteristic of not wobbling. [64]
Note 64 (from the Tiika). ‘Apilaapana’ (“not wobbling”) is the steadying of
an object, the remembering and not forgetting it, keeping it as immovable as
a
stone instead of letting it go bobbing about like a pumpkin in water’.Text Vis. : Its function is not to forget.
N: Sati is steadfast with regard to an object, it is non-forgetful.
Whenever there is an opportunity for daana, siila or bhaavanaa, sati is
non-forgetful, it does not let such an opportunity pass.
Sati prevents us from committing evil deeds. Siila is not only abstention
from akusala but it also includes helping others by action or speech. When
sati arises we do not neglect the opportunity to help others.
There is sati with bhaavanaa. Bhaavanaa includes samatha and vipassanaa.
Sati is non-forgetful of the meditation subject of samatha and non-forgetful
of the object of vipassanaa: a naama or ruupa appearing at the present
moment.Text Vis. : It is manifested as guarding,
N: The Tiika refers to Gradual Sayings, Book of the Tens, X, 20: ³By
guarding mindfulness he is composed of mind² (³Sataarakkhena cetasaa²ti).
The Co to this sutta refers to the sati of the arahat who accomplishes the
function of guarding the three doors all the time.
These are the doors of action, speech and mind. The Co explains that he
guards those, no matter he walks, stands, sleeps or is awake.Text Vis.: or it is manifested as the state of confronting an objective
field.N: The Tiika explains that sati does not go elsewhere and that by it the
object of citta is confronted.
When there is sati there is no agitation or distraction from the object that
is experienced at that moment. When the object is experienced by kusala
citta with sati the citta is intent on daana, siila or bhaavanaa.Text Vis.: Its proximate cause is strong perception (thirasaññaa).
N: Firm remembrance is the proximate cause of sati. When one listens to the
Dhamma and considers it again and again there can be firm remembrance of
what one has heard, and thus, there are conditions for the arising of sati
which is mindful of the naama or ruupa appearing at the present moment.Text Vis. : or its proximate cause is the foundations of mindfulness
concerned with the body, and so on (see M. Sutta 10).N: The four Applications of Mindfulness include all naamas and ruupas that
can be the objects of mindfulness. When they have become the objects or
bases for sati they are the proximate cause of mindfulness.
The four Applications of Mindfulness remind us that naama and ruupa
occurring in daily life are the objects of mindfulness. We are reminded to
be aware of naama and ruupa no matter whether we are walking, standing,
sitting of lying down. Also when akusala citta arises it can be object of
mindfulness, it is classified under the Application of Mindfulness of citta.
One should learn to see citta in citta and not take akusala citta for self.Text Vis.: It should be regarded, however, as like a pillar because it is
firmly founded, or as like a door-keeper because it guards the eye-door, and
so on.N: Mindfulness guards the doors of the senses and the mind-door. Whenever
there is mindfulness of visible object that appears and this is realized as
only a ruupa appearing through the eyedoor, we are not infatuated by this
object, there are no lobha, dosa or moha on account of it.
Mindfulness is an indriya, a " controlling faculty", a "leader’ of the citta
and accompanying cetasikas in its function of heedfulness, of
non-forgetfulness of what is wholesome. We read in the Expositor ((I, Part
IV, Ch II< 147):<… It exercises government (over associated states) in the characteristic
of presenting or illuminating the object- this is the faculty of
mindfulness.>As the Tiika explains, sati does not go elsewhere but confronts the object
that presents itself. Sati does not move away from the present object, it is
steadfast like a pillar.
Mindfulness is non-forgetful of the object, and understanding (paññaa) has
the function of knowing it as it is.
Right Mindfulness is one of the Path-factors and it is among the factors
leading to enlightenment.
Nina.
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It depends on whether it is sati of say giving, or samatha or vipassana bhavana.
We should keep in mind that sati of satipatthana vipassana can only arise during a BUddha sasana as it depends on hearing and understanding his words…
But for example the sati associated with metta, this can occur without hearing any Buddhist teaching.
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Text Vis. : It has the characteristic of not wobbling. [64]
Note 64 (from the Tiika). ‘Apilaapana’ (“not wobbling”) is the steadying of
an object, the remembering and not forgetting it, keeping it as immovable as
a
stone instead of letting it go bobbing about like a pumpkin in water’.
Hello,
Thank you again for replying.
How do we differentiate between sati, vitakka, vicara, and ekagatta?
This is a critical matter to understand.
Vitakka and vicara are pakinnaka, they can arise with kusala and akusala, also vipaka and kiriya . But not every citta.
Ekagatta (concentration) is sabbacittasadharana (universal)- it arises with each citta. It can be very weak or very strong.
Sati is quite different from these as it only arises with sobhana cittas, kusala.
Without understanding the nature of sati the person intent on bhavana is likely to go wrong. Sati arises with other sobhana cetasikas like alobha, non- attachment. And thus the citta arising at that time with ekkaggata (concentration) is not attached to the object.
I was on a retreat once and the teacher claimed that vipassana was about non-attachment whereas samatha bhavana was about attachment to the object - not true. So while it is easy to concentrate on an object like breath this is no indication of kusala citta and sati.
Why is it easy to concentrate- Well because everything we do requires concentration - whether schoolwork, reading a book, programming a computer, driving or stealing money. Thus it is an almost ever present factor of life since we were born
Some people think they need sati to cross the road - but this can be done with ekaggata and sanna - no need at all for sati. Or they think they can’t remember where they left their keys and this shows lack of sati.
So it is not so easy to understand sati and one reason for this is that it doesn’t arise often. I think there needs to be khanti, patience. To understand that sati arises only when there are conditions, not because of trying to have it or concentrating.
Viriya, effort, energy is another cetasika that arises with both kusala and akusala and thus also with lobha, attachment, and ignorance.
When viriya and concentration and lobha are present, as they often are, but not really understood one might think they are developing samatha or satipatthana but actually be going wrong.
The texts explain that hearing/studying Dhamma is needed so that sati of satipatthana can arise. But we could study with a mindstate that sees study as something separate from real Dhamma. Then it is not much benefit.
But actually while studying and considering Dhamma there can be conditions for direct understanding - to see that what is said in Abhidhamma is exactly what life is right then and there. It can be known each by himself.
What is the Abhidhamma explanation for which conditions give rise to sati?
So, in the context of meditation, I see sati as the act of continuously keeping awareness of the breath, whereas I see ekaggata more as something that happens on its own. So basically, sati is something that you do. Ekaggata is something that happens naturally when your mind doesn’t waver or get distracted anymore.
Putting it in a general way:
For sati of satipatthana the prime condition is hearing and considering the Dhamma. However without pubbekatapunnata, merit from the past, one could hear/study Dhamma and it wouldn’t be much productive.
In Abhidhamma of course each moment can be analysed by way of object and the other paccaya explained in the Patthana.
Say we consider the sati associated with dana - there might be the accumulations to give but no suitable object, such as a bhikkhu. And so that type of sati cannot arise at that moment.
It is obviously very complex thing, this present moment. And so it is amazing that it could be understood - it shows the power of the Sammasambuddha.
Reading this now, if sati were to arise at the level of having respect for the Buddha, that is conditioned by seeing the words, considering, accumulated wisdom etc.
Another might read this and think - what rubbish, and that is conditioned too by seeing, unwise attention and other factors.
Gradually - if the right factors develop- the world, these five khandhas, is understood and there is no doubt about some hidden self making sati arise. The causes and conditions are seen and thus wrong view is erased little by little. It is the great benefit of learning Abhidhamma .
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