Rootless cittas

Each citta experiences an object. There is not only one type of citta, but there is a great diversity of cittas that experience objects. If we want to know ourselves we should not merely know the moments of akusala cittas or kusala cittas but other moments as well. Kusala cittas and akusala cittas are cittas that are cause, they can motivate good or evil deeds, and these deeds can produce their appropriate results later on. Kusala cittas and akusala cittas are accompanied by cetasikas that are roots, hetus. As we have seen, three of these hetus are akusala; they are: lobha (attachment), dosa (aversion) and moha (ignorance). Three hetus are sobhana (beautiful); they are: alobha (greedlessness or generosity), adosa (non-hate or loving kindness) and amoha (paññā or wisdom). The citta or cetasika which is accompanied by a hetu is sahetuka (“sa” means “with”). For example, dosa-mū la-citta, citta rooted in dosa, is sahetuka; moha and dosa are the hetus which arise with dosa-mūla-citta. There are also cittas that are rootless, ahetuka. There are many ahetuka cittas arising in a day. Seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting and the experience of tangible object through the bodysense are ahetuka vipākacittas. Nobody can cause the arising of seeing, hearing or the other sense-cognitions; they are the results of kamma, a deed performed in the past. An evil deed produces akusala vipākacitta and a good deed produces kusala vipā kacitta. Seeing that is akusala vipākacitta experiences an unpleasant object and seeing that is kusala vipākacitta experiences a pleasant object. Of each of the five sense-cognitions (seeing, etc.) there are two kinds experiencing an object through one of the five sense-doors: one is ahetuka akusala vipāka and one is ahetuka kusala vipāka. Thus, there are five pairs of ahetuka vipākacittas which arise depending on the five sense-doors. These five pairs are called in Pali: dvi-pañca-viññāṇa (two times five viññāṇa). When a pleasant or an unpleasant object impinges on the eyesense, seeing-consciousness only experiences what appears through the eyes, there is no like or dislike yet of the object. Seeing-consciousness is an ahetuka vipākacitta. Cittas which like or dislike the object arise later on; these are sahetuka cittas (arising with hetus). Seeing is not the same as thinking of what is seen. When one uses the word “seeing” one usually means: paying attention to the shape and form of something and knowing what it is, such as a person or a thing. However, there must also be a kind of citta which merely sees visible object, and this citta does not know anything else. What is seen we can call “visible object” or “ colour”; what is meant is: what appears through the eyes. Whenever we see, hear, smell, taste or experience tangible object through the bodysense, there are ahetuka vipākacittas before akusala cittas or kusala cittas arise. The citta which dislikes the object may arise afterwards. This citta is “sahetuka”, with hetus (roots); it is akusala citta rooted in dosa, aversion, and it is accompanied by unpleasant feeling. Or the citta which likes the object may arise; this citta is also “sahetuka”, rooted in lobha, attachment, and it may be accompanied by pleasant feeling or by indifferent feeling. We are inclined to think that the “five pairs” (dvi-pañca-viññāṇa), such as seeing or hearing, can occur at the same time as like or dislike of the object, but this is not so. Different cittas arise at different moments and the feelings which accompany the cittas are different too; these realities arise each because of their own conditions and they are non-self.