English
As, m the eight classes of consciousness rooted in greed two roots called greed and ignorance, in the two classes rooted in hate two roots called hate and ignorance, and in the twelve classes of morally beautiful consciousness disconnected from knowledge the two roots called disinterestedness and amity are associated with them, these twenty-two classes are known as consciousness conditioned by two roots. As the twelve classes of morally beautitul consciousness connected with knowledge and the thirty-five classes of sublime and transcendental consciousness making forty-seven are associated with the three roots of disinterestedness amit)' and knowledge, they are called consciousness conditioned by three roots. i6o OF FUNCTION FUNCTIONS In summarizing functions, there are fourteen of these, to wit: (0 Rebirth' (8) 1 ouching (2) Lifc-contimium^ (9) Receiving (5) Apprelicn ding (lo) Investigating (4) Seeing CO Determining (5) Hearing C^) Apperceiving (6) Smelling (M) Retention** (7) 1 asting (•4) Re-decease Note i Re-birth (patisandhi oSe0 2^) is, philosophically speaking, confined to the momentary mental function at the initial moment of reconception. In popular language, it mcludes reconceprion, embryonic growth and rebirth. Note z Life-continuum ^bhavanga fioSoQD) is, literally, part of existence. It is the state of mind when it does not receive external objects. In dreamless sleep we usually experience this state of mind. Note 3 Retention (tadarammana OD^dS^-iSSo or tadalambana 03<^ 02)a)€3w), literally, means *' that object " and is the final phase in the registration of impression by way of sense. That object which has been just apperceived, if \ivid enough, reaches this stage. But if we classify these fourteen functions by way of ' stage * (thana d&a2>5), then the category of stages must be considered as ten-fold'. Note 1 Thana (dbD^), literally, place or occasion. It is pretty clear, from the fact that the only difference between (kicca i&£0) 161 function and ^thana du32SD) stage lies in five senses or a five-fold sense, that the meaning is :— The five senses having the same mental status form only one distinctive class. Only one at a time can take part m a process of presentative cognition. Regarding consciousness under the aspect of function, we nay distinguish : — (a) Nineteen classes of consciousness functioning at re-birth, during life-continuum and at re-decease, to wit : — (i) Two classes of investigation-consciousness accom- panied by hedonic indifference. (ii) Eight classes of resultants in Kamaldka. (iii) Nine resultants in ROpaloka and Ariipaloka. (b) Two classes of consciousness functioning by way of the impressions called 'turning towards' the sense stimulus. (f) Two classes of consciousness functioning in each of the five senses and in reception of impressions. (d) Three classes of consciousness functioning by way of investigation. * Mind-door cognition^ ' alone performs the function of determining the sense-impression at the five-doors. (e) Fifty-five classes of consciousness functioning in appercep- tion, to wit, fifty-five*^ modes of moral, immoral, frui- tional and ineffective consciousness, not counting the two in (b), (/) Eleven classes of consciousness in the retentive function, to wit, the eight great resultants and the three modes of investigation. Note i Man5dvaravajjana (f)®iOD<QS9<5a©db'553) receives the name of votthapana(®©t?2:>0^) or vottabbana ((©©•eW)€3S)255), when I 62 it takes part in a presentative cognition and determines the sense impression ( already investigated ) for apperception. Note 2 Moral 21, immoral 12, fruirional 4 and ineffective 18=55. Now, a class of consciousness may perform one or more func- tions : — (i) Investigation-consciousness accompanied by hedonic in- difference may perform five functions — i.e., it may be active at rebirth^ during the life-continuum, at redecease, in retention and in investigation itself. (ii) The eight great resultants may perform four functions — I. e., they may be active at rebirth, during the life- continuum, at redecease and in retention. (iii) The nine sublime classes of resultants may perform three functions —I. c, they may be active at rebirth, during the life-continuum and at redecease. (iv) Investigation-consciousness accompanied by joy may perform two functions — i. e., it may be active both in investigation and in retention ; and again determining consciousness may be active in determining and by way of ' turning to ' impressions. (v) All the remaining kinds of consciousness can perform only a single function. They are the fifty- five apper- ceptions, the triple element of apprehension- and the twice five kinds of sense-cognition, each cognition functioning simply, as it comes to pass. Note i It must not be supposed that investigation consciousness investigates its object at rebirth. This particular class of con- 165 sciousness is simply active as rebirth-consciousness connecting the two consecutive existences. None of the classes of consciousness can perform more than one function at a unit of time. Note 2 Manodhatu (3;®a0j6)tQ) includes five-door cognition and the two modes of reception. Patisandhadayo nama kiccabhedena cuddasa Dasadha thanabhedena cittuppada pakasita Atthasatthi tatha dveca navatthadve vathakkaman 0000 00 / Hkadvitucatupanca kiccarrhanani niddise <|pdbOOc® G3C^3 ®e)0 2536db ®e) c663eS5^®o The states of consciousness, such as rebirth and so on, are four- teen according to their functions and are ten according to their stages. Of them, one function is performed by 68 classes of con- sciousness, two functions by 2 classes, three functions by 9 classes,, four functions by 8 classes, and five functions by 2 classes. FUNCTIONS The 89 classes of consciousness, described in Chapter I, perform fourteen functions. It is like 89 men employed in an industrial institution performing 14 different kinds of work. Just as a particular kind of work could be performed by a certain number of men, so could one function be performed by a certain number of classes of consciousness. Just as a man is designated by the name of the work he does, so does the class of consciousness sometimes receive the name of the function it performs. The classes of consciousness that cause rebirth are called rebirth- consciousness. In the Chapter I on consciousness, no class was described as rebirth-consciousness. Some classes of consciousness described therein perform the function of rebirth. Therefore, they are called rebirth-consciousness. The remainder should be understood in the same manner. 1 164 REBIRTH Re-linking of one existence with another existence is the function of rebirth. Vibhavini TTka states " bhavato bhavassa patisandhanan parisandhi kiccan" (^33© (©03 CoScass c8c52S)D2ro OSa23SitSS0.). Regarding one bemg, the Hux of mind and its mental concomitants are endless. The characteristic feature of this flux or continuity is that each thought moment or unit of mental activity, which consists of three small units or time phases, to wit, nascent, static and arrested or cessant, is followed by another similar thought moment or unit of mental activity and so on. The manner in which a thought moment rises and falls is so quick and subtle that their difference is inappreciable. It is likened to a torch light being revolved round and round as fast as possible, when no space could be discerned. In this manner, the flux or continuity wliich consists of the rise and fall of each thought moment in one existence is broken and re-linked with another existence is the only difference. Fhe first consciousness that originates in the second existence is known as rebirth-consciousness. It is so called because it causes the re-linking of the first existence with the second existence. The function performed by that consciousness is that of rebirth or re-linking. There are nineteen classes of consciousness that perform the function of rebirth. LIIH-CONriNUUN4 Life-continuum (bhavanga 00^3^®) is explained in the X'ibha- vini Tika as "avicchedappavatti hetu bhavena bhavassa anga bhavo bhavangan ^©^©Cf<;c:>:38'c5^ ©QDCg CS)J®e)2SJ QO0C3C3 <|p 0)0300 3 (9 03 QJ59^C5)o) as being the factor of life by means of which the flux or continuity of mind and its concomitants are maintained without a break. The function of life-continuum is said to be caused whenever consciousness does not perceive any sense impression through the hve-doors or conceive of an idea or concept through the mind-door.