Moha - Moha accompanied by restlessness

The second type of moha-mūla-citta is accompanied by indifferent feeling, arising with restlessness (upekkhā-sahagatam, uddhacca- sampayuttam) . Uddhacca is translated  as 'restlessness' or 'excitement'. Uddhacca arises with all akusala cittas. When there is uddhacca there is no sati (mindfulness) with the citta. Sati arises with each wholesome citta;  it is mindful, non-forgetful, of what is wholesome. There is sati not only in vipassanā, the development of right understanding of realities, but also with each kind of kusala. There is sati when one performs dāna (generosity), observes sīla (good moral conduct) or applies oneself to bhāvanā, mental development, which comprises studying or teaching the Dhamma, the development of samatha, tranquil meditation, and vipassanā. Sati in vipassanā is aware of a characteristic of nāma or rūpa. 

 

When there is uddhacca, the citta cannot be wholesome; one cannot at

that moment apply oneself to dāna, sila or bhavanā. Uddhacca distracts the

citta from kusala. Uddhacca is restlessness with regard to kusala. Thus,

uddhacca is different from what we in conventional language mean by

restlessness.

 

Uddhacca arises also with the moha-mūla-citta which is accompanied by

doubt, since it arises with each akusala cilia. The second type of moha-mūla-

citta, however, is called uddhacca-sampayutta; it is different from the first

type of moha-mūla-citta which is called vicikicchā-sampayutta. 

  The second type of moha-mūla-citta, the moha-mūla-citta which is uddhacca- sampayutta, accompanied by restlessness, arises countless times a day, but it is difficult to know its characteristic. If one has not developed vipassanā one does not know this type of citta. When we are forgetful of realities and ''day- dreaming'', there is not necessarily this type of citta. When we are ''day- dreaming'' there is not only the second type of moha-mūla-citta (uddhacca- sampayutta), but there may also be lobha-mūla-cittas (cittas rooted in attachment) and dosa-mūla-cittas (cittas rooted in aversion).
Moha-mūla-citta can arise on account of what we experience through the five sense-doors and through the mind-door. When, for example, we have heard sound, moha-mūla-citta may arise. When the second type of moha-mūla-citta which is uddhacca-sampayutta arises, there is ignorance and forgetfulness with regard to the object which is experienced at that moment. We may not see the danger of this type of citta  since it is accompanied by indifferent feeling and thus less obvious. However, all kinds of akusala are dangerous.


Topic 180