Lokuttara cittas - How often can lokuttara cittas arise?

B.

When the sotāpanna attains enlightenment there are the magga-citta of the

sotāpanna and the phala-cittas of the sotāpanna. How often during a lifetime

can these cittas arise again?

A.

The magga-citta of the sotāpanna can arise only once in the cycle of birth and

death, because its function is to eradicate defilements: When the defilements

which are to be eradicated at the stage of the sotāpanna have been

eradicated, it is once and for all. Thus, the magga-citta of that stage does not

arise again.

The phala-citta can arise again in other processes of citta if enlightenment is

attained with absorption. As we have seen (the previous chapter), lokuttara

cittas accompanied by jhāna-factors can experience nibbāna with absorption

in the case of those who have accumulated skill for jhāna. Those who attain

enlightenment have different accumulations and according to one's

accumulations the lokuttara cittas are accompanied by jhāna-factors of

different stages of jhāna. The phala-citta which is accompanied by jhāna-

factors can arise many times again, experiencing nibbāna with absorption.

Cittas can be counted as eighty-nine or as a hundred and twenty-one.

When cittas are counted as a hundred and twenty-one, there are, instead

of eight lokuttara cittas, forty lokuttara cittas,which are lokuttara cittas

accompanied by jhāna-factors. As we have seen, there are five stages of rupa

-jhāna and at each stage jhāna-factors are successively abandoned until at

the fifth stage(or at the fourth stage of the fourfold system) there are the

remaining
factors of samādhi (concentration) and upekkhā (indifferent feeling), which arises instead of sukha (pleasant feeling). Lokuttara cittas can be accompanied by jhāna-factors of each of the five stages of jhāna. For example, when lokuttara cittas are accompanied by jhāna-factors of the fifth stage of rūpa-jhāna, it means that they are accompanied by samādhi and upekkhā.

As regards the arūpa-jhānacittas, they have meditation subjects which are

different from rūpa-jhāna, but the jhana-factors which accompany them are

the same as the jhāna-factors of the fifth stage of rūpa-jhāna, namely

samādhi and upekkhā. Thus, the jhāna-factors of only five types of

jhānacitta have to be taken into account when we classify lokuttara cittas

which are accompanied by jhāna-factors. Consequently, each one of the eight

lokuttara cittas can be resolved into five classes and then they can be

counted as forty lokuttara cittas

When cittas are counted as 89, they can be summarized as follows:.

12 akusala cittas             }

18 ahetuka cittas             }

8 mahā-kusala cittas        }   54 kāmāvacara cittas (cittas of the sensuous

8 mahā-vipāka cittas        }   plane of consciousness)

8 mahā-kiriyācittas           }

15 rūpāvacara cittas

12 arūpāvacara cittas

8 lokuttara cittas

When cittas are counted as 121, there are, instead of 8 lokuttara cittas, 40

lokuttara cittas.

B.

It seems to me that the way to nibbana is a long way. How could we ever

attain it?

A.

We should not be impatient and wish for a result that is far off. Instead, we

should consider what we have to do at the present moment: to develop

mindfulness of the nāma and rūpa which appear right now. Thus we

cultivate the condition for the attainment of nibbāna.