I’m trying to understand from an Abhihdamma point of view how an Arahant can still experience things as pleasing and displeasing. An Arahant no longer craves this or that, but they still experience pleasant contact by way of the 6 doors. For the body its either a pleasant, neutral or painful feeling. If we take sight for a moment, the initial contact is neutral and its only at the mind base that it becomes somanassa or domanassa. Is that somanassa and domanassa the result of previous kamma?
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This thread has some useful information. Sivaka sutta (SN 36:21) and Vipaka ( regarding anittha, ittha)
Do you know about the 4 jati and how they differ? It is very important to understand these distinctions - they are occurring now.
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All cittas in processes that are kamma producing in normal beings are no longer producing kamma. They are functional or kiriya cittas.
No I don’t?
What about resultant kamma?
I’m a bit rusty since leaving IIT. I think the arahant can still experience somanassa, because santīraṇa citta is a vipākacitta, and arahants still experience vipāka. For example, in the body-door process when a pleasant phoṭṭhabba (tangible object) is contacted, the kāyaviññāṇa arises with sukha vedanā, later followed by santīraṇa with somanassa.
In an unpleasant bodily contact, kāyaviññāṇa arises with dukkha vedanā (bodily pain), and is later followed by santīraṇa citta accompanied by upekkhā vedanā (neutral feeling). So the painful feeling is in kāyaviññāṇa, while santīraṇa remains neutral.
However, If I remember correctly, it was said that arahants do not experience tadārammaṇa (registration consciousness), because their javana is kiriya (functional, not kamma-producing), and lacks the intensity needed to prompt registration.
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Thanks Bhante, that is what I was looking for.
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