Lokuttara cittas - What is the object of lokuttara citta?


B. Each citta experiences an object. What is the object experienced by the lokuttara citta?

 

A.

The lokuttara citta experiences the dhamma which does not arise and

fall away, it experiences nibbana.

 

As we have seen, there are four paramattha dhammas: citta, cetasika, rūpa

and nibbāna. Citta, cetasika and rupa are realities which arise and fall away,

they are conditioned dhammas (sankhāra dhammas). Nibbāna does not

arise and fall away. It has no conditions through which it arises, it is an

unconditioned dhamma (visankhāra dhamma). We cannot experience the

unconditioned reality unless paññā is developed to the degree that it can

experience the conditioned dhammas as they are: impermanent, dukkha and

anattā (not self).

 

B. 

Do both magga-citta and phala-citta directly experience nibbāna?

 

A.

The magga-citta and the phala-citta are lokuttara cittas, thus they have

nibbāna as the object. When the magga-citta has fallen away, it is succeeded

immediately by the phala-cittas which experience the same object. When one

performs kāmāvacara kusala kamma (kusala kamma of the sensuous plane of

consciousness) the vipāka does not follow immediately. Even if the vipāka

were to arise soon after the kamma, it could never arise in the same process

of citta. It is different with the lokuttara citta. The magga-citta has to be

followed immediately by the phala-cittas, which are two or three moments of

citta, depending on the individual.

 


Topic 196