• Source: Mental factors (Buddhism)

Mental factors (Sanskrit: चैतसिक, romanized: caitasika or chitta samskara चित्त संस्कार; Pali: cetasika; Tibetan: སེམས་བྱུང sems byung), in Buddhism, are identified within the teachings of the Abhidhamma (Buddhist psychology). They are defined as aspects of the mind that apprehend the quality of an object, and that have the ability to color the mind. Within the Abhidhamma, the mental factors are categorized as formations (Sanskrit: samskara) concurrent with mind (Sanskrit: citta). Alternate translations for mental factors include "mental states", "mental events", and "concomitants of consciousness".




Introduction


Mental factors are aspects of the mind that apprehend the quality of an object and have the ability to color the mind. Geshe Tashi Tsering explains:

The Tibetan for mental factors, semlay jungwa chö (Skt. chaitasika dharma), means phenomena arising from the mind, suggesting that the mental factors are not primary to the mind but arise within a larger framework. A mental factor, again, is defined as the aspect of the mind that apprehends a particular quality of an object. Because it is characterized by the qualities of activity and non-neutrality, it has the ability to color the mind in dependence on the way it manifests. Hence, a feeling of desire from seeing what is conceived as a beautiful object affects the other mental factors that are present at that time, and this colors the whole mind.
The relationship between the main mind (Sanskrit: citta) and the mental factors can be described by the following metaphors:

The main mind is like screen in a cinema, and the mental factors are like the images projected on the screen. In this analogy, we typically do not notice the screen because we are so caught up on the images.
The main mind is like a king who sits passively on a throne, and the mental factors are like the king's busy ministers.
Traleg Rinpoche states that the main distinction between the mind and mental factors is that the mind apprehends an object as a whole, whereas mental factors apprehend an object in its particulars.




Lists of mental factors


Within Buddhism, there are many different systems of abhidharma (commonly referred to as Buddhist psychology), and each system contains its own list of the most significant mental factors. These lists vary from system to system both in the number of mental factors listed, and in the definitions that are given for each mental factor. These lists are not considered to be exhaustive; rather they present significant categories and mental factors that are useful to study in order to understand how the mind functions.
Some of the main commentaries on the Abhidharma systems that are studied today include:

Abhidhammattha-sangaha by Acariya Anuruddha – a Theravada commentary that lists fifty-two mental factors.
Atthasālinī by Buddhaghosa – a Theravada commentary that provides explanations for fifty-two mental factors.
Abhidharmakośa by Vasubandhu – a Sarvastivada commentary (studied by the Mahayana schools) that lists forty-two mental factors.
Abhidharma-samuccaya by Asanga – a Yogachara commentary (studied by the Mahayana schools) that lists fifty-one mental factors.
Innermost Core of Topics of Knowledge (mDzod-phug) by Shenrab Miwo – a Tibetan Bon commentary that lists fifty-one factors.




Sthaviravāda Sarvastivada tradition


The number of mental factors varies in different Sarvastivada works.
The Abhidharmakośa lists 42 mental factors which include:




= Ten factors arising with every mind (mahābhūmika)

=
Vedanā – feeling
Saṃjñā – perception
Cetanā – volition
Sparśa – contact
Chanda – desire (to act)
Prajñā – wisdom
Smṛti – mindfulness
Manasikāra – attention
Adhimokṣa – decision
Samādhi – mental concentration. it also called Ekaggata, one-pointedness




= Ten factors arising with every good mind (kuśalamahābhūmikā)

=
Śraddhā – faith
Vīrya – energy
Hrī – shame at doing evil
Apatrāpya – decorum, regard for consequence
Alobha – non-attachment
Adveṣa – non-aggression
Praśrabdhi – calmness
Upekṣā – equanimity
Appamāda – conscientiousness
Ahiṃsā – non-injuriousness




= Six factors arising with every defiled mind (kleśamahābhūmika)

=
Moha – delusion
Pramāda – heedlessness, carelessness, unconcern
Kauśīdya – laziness, slothfulness
Āśraddhya – lack of faith, lack of trust
Styāna – lethargy, gloominess
Auddhatya – excitement, ebullience




= Two factors arising with every bad mind (akusalamahābhūmika)

=
Āhrīkya - shamelessness
Anapatrapya - disregard




= Ten factors arising with defiled mind to a limited extent (parittaklesabhūmika)

=
Krodha - anger
Mrakśa - hypocrisy
Mātsarya - selfishness
Īrṣyā - envy
Pradāśa - spite
Vihiṃsā - violence
Upanāha - vengefulness
Śāṭhya - deception
Māyā - deceit
Mada - pride




= Four indeterminate factors (aniyatabhūmika)

=
These factors can be associated with good, bad or neutral mind.

kaukritya - regret
Middha - sleepiness
Vitarka - initial thought
Vicāra - sustained thought




Theravāda Abhidhamma tradition



Within the Theravāda Abhidhamma tradition, the Abhidhammattha-sangaha enumerates the fifty-two mental factors listed below:
Note that this list is not exhaustive; there are other mental factors mentioned in the Theravada teachings. This list identifies fifty-two important factors that help to understand how the mind functions.




= Seven universal mental factors

=
The seven universal mental factors (sabbacittasādhāraṇa cetasikas) are common (sādhāraṇa) to all consciousness (sabbacitta). Bhikkhu Bodhi states: "These factors perform the most rudimentary and essential cognitive functions, without which consciousness of an object would be utterly impossible."
These seven factors are:

Phassa – contact
Vedanā – feeling
Saññā – perception
Cetanā – volition
Ekaggata – one-pointedness
Jīvitindriya – life faculty
Manasikāra – attention




= Six occasional mental factors

=
The six occasional or particular mental factors (pakiṇṇaka cetasikas) are ethically variable mental factors found only in certain consciousnesses. They are:

Vitakka – Application of thought
Vicāra – Examining
Adhimokkha – Decision
Viriya – Energy
Pīti – Rapture
Chanda – Desire (to act)




= Fourteen unwholesome mental factors

=
The unwholesome mental factors (akusala cetasikas) accompany the unwholesome consciousnesses (akusala citta).
The fourteen unwholesome mental factors are:

Four universal unwholesome mental factors (akusalasādhāraṇa):
Moha – delusion
Ahirika – lack of shame
Anottappa – disregard for consequence
Uddhacca – restlessness
Three mental factors of the greed-group (lobha):
Lobha – greed
Diṭṭhi – wrong view
Māna – conceit
Four mental factors of the hatred-group (dosa)
Dosa – hatred
Issā – envy
Macchariya – miserliness
Kukkucca – regret
Other unwholesome mental factors
Thīna – sloth
Middha – torpor
Vicikicchā – doubt
Bhikkhu Bodhi states:

Unwholesome consciousness (akusalacitta) is consciousness accompanied by one or another of the three unwholesome roots—greed, hatred, and delusion. Such consciousness is called unwholesome because it is mentally unhealthy, morally blameworthy, and productive of painful results.




= Twenty-five beautiful mental factors

=
The beautiful mental factors (sobhana cetasikas) accompany the wholesome consciousnesses (kusala citta).
The twenty-five beautiful mental factors (sobhana cetasikas) are:

Nineteen universal beautiful mental factors (sobhanasādhāraṇa):
Saddhā – faith
Sati – mindfulness
Hiri – shame at doing evil
Ottappa – regard for consequence
Alobha – lack of greed
Adosa – lack of hatred
Tatramajjhattatā – balance, neutrality of mind
Kāyapassaddhi – tranquility of mental body
Cittapassaddhi – tranquility of consciousness
Kāyalahutā – lightness of mental body
Cittalahutā – lightness of consciousness
Kāyamudutā – malleability/softness of mental body
Cittamudutā – malleability/softness of consciousness
Kāyakammaññatā – wieldiness of mental body
Cittakammaññatā – wieldiness of consciousness
Kāyapāguññatā – proficiency of mental body
Cittapāguññatā – proficiency of consciousness
Kāyujukatā – straightness/rectitude of mental body
Cittujukatā – straightness/rectitude of consciousness
Three Abstinences (virati):
Sammāvācā – right speech
Sammākammanta – right action
Sammā-ājīva – right livelihood
Two Immeasurables (appamañña):
Karuṇā – compassion
Mudita – sympathetic joy
One Faculty of wisdom (paññindriya):
Paññā – wisdom
Bhikkhu Bodhi states:

Wholesome consciousness (kusalacitta) is consciousness accompanied by the wholesome roots—non-greed or generosity, non-hatred or loving-kindness, and non-delusion or wisdom. Such consciousness is mentally healthy, morally blameless, and productive of pleasant results.




Abhidharma tradition according to the Mahayana tradition


Abhidharma studies in the Mahayana tradition are based on the Sanskrit Sarvāstivāda abhidharma system. Within this system, the Abhidharma-samuccaya identifies fifty-one mental factors:




= Five universal mental factors

=
The five universal mental factors (sarvatraga) are:

Sparśa – contact, contacting awareness, sense impression, touch
Vedanā – feeling, sensation
Saṃjñā – perception
Cetanā – volition, intention
Manasikāra – attention
These five mental factors are referred to as universal or omnipresent because they operate in the wake of every mind situation. If any one of these factors is missing, then the experience of the object is incomplete. For example:

If there is no sparśa (contact), then there would be no basis for perception.
If there is no vedana (feeling, sensation), there is no relishing of the object.
If there is no saṃjñā (perception), then the specific characteristic of the object is not perceived.
If there is no cetanā (volition), then there is no movement towards and settling on the object.
If there is no manasikāra (attention), then there is not holding onto the object.




= Five object-determining mental factors

=
The five object-determining mental factors (viṣayaniyata) are:

Chanda – desire (to act), intention, interest
Adhimokṣa – decision, interest, firm conviction
Smṛti – mindfulness
Prajñā – wisdom
Samādhi – concentration
The five factors are referred to as object-determining is because these factors each grasp the specification of the object. When they are steady, there is certainty concerning each object.




= Eleven virtuous mental factors

=
The eleven virtuous (kuśala) mental factors are:

Sraddhā – faith
Hrī – self-respect, conscientiousness, sense of shame
Apatrāpya – decorum, regard for consequence
Alobha – non-attachment
Adveṣa – non-aggression, equanimity, lack of hatred
Amoha – non-bewilderment
Vīrya – diligence, effort
Praśrabdhi – pliancy, mental-flexibility
Apramāda – conscientiousness
Upekṣa – equanimity
Ahiṃsā – nonharmfulness, nonviolence




= Six root unwholesome factors

=
The six root unwholesome factors (mūlakleśa) are:

Rāga – attachment
Pratigha – anger
Avidya – ignorance
Māna – pride, conceit
Vicikitsa – doubt
Dṛṣṭi – wrong view




= Twenty secondary unwholesome factors

=
The twenty secondary unwholesome factors (upakleśa) are:

Krodha – rage, fury
Upanāha – resentment
Mrakśa – concealment, slyness-concealment
Pradāśa – spitefulness
Īrṣyā – envy, jealousy
Mātsarya – stinginess, avarice, miserliness
Māyā – pretense, deceit
Śāṭhya – hypocrisy, dishonesty
Mada – self-infatuation, mental inflation, self-satisfaction
Vihiṃsā – malice, hostility, cruelty, intention to harm
Āhrīkya – lack of shame, lack of conscience, shamelessness
Anapatrāpya – lack of propriety, disregard, shamelessness
Styāna – lethargy, gloominess
Auddhatya – excitement, ebullience
Āśraddhya – lack of faith, lack of trust
Kauśīdya – laziness, slothfulness
Pramāda – heedlessness, carelessness, unconcern
Muṣitasmṛtitā – forgetfulness
Asaṃprajanya – non-alertness, inattentiveness
Vikṣepa – distraction, desultoriness




= Four changeable mental factors

=
The four changeable mental factors (aniyata) are:

Kaukṛitya – regret, worry,
Middha – sleep, drowsiness
Vitarka – conception, selectiveness, examination
Vicāra – discernment, discursiveness, analysis




Alternate translations


Alternate translations for the term mental factors (Sanskrit: caitasika) include:

Mental factors (Geshe Tashi Tsering, Jeffrey Hopkins, Bhikkhu Bodhi, N.K.G. Mendis)
Mental events (Herbert Guenther)
Mental states (Erik Pema Kunzang, Nārada Thera)
Concomitants (N.K.G. Mendis)
Concomitants of consciousness (Bhikkhu Bodhi)
Subsidiary awareness (Alexander Berzin)




See also


Kleshas (Buddhism)
Saṅkhāra
Three poisons




Notes






References






Sources


Berzin, Alexander (2006). Primary Minds and the 51 Mental Factors. Study Buddhism.
Bhikkhu Bodhi (1995–1012). A Comprehensive Manual of Abhidhamma. Buddhist Publication Society.
Geshe Tashi Tsering (2006). Buddhist Psychology: The Foundation of Buddhist Thought. Perseus Books Group. Kindle Edition.
Goleman, Daniel (2008). Destructive Emotions: A Scientific Dialogue with the Dalai Lama. Bantam. Kindle Edition.
Guenther, Herbert V. & Leslie S. Kawamura (1975), Mind in Buddhist Psychology: A Translation of Ye-shes rgyal-mtshan's "The Necklace of Clear Understanding". Dharma Publishing. Kindle Edition.
Kunsang, Erik Pema (translator) (2004). Gateway to Knowledge, Vol. 1. North Atlantic Books.
Nārada Thera. Abhidhammattha-sangaha
Traleg Rinpoche (1993). The Abhidharmasamuccaya: Teachings by the Venerable Traleg Kyabgon Rinpoche. The Kagyu E-Vam Buddhist Institute.[1]




External links



Mahayana mental factors:

Introduction to the Mind and Mental Factors by Alexander Berzin
Primary Minds and the 51 Mental Factors by Alexander Berzin
Developing the Mind Based on Buddha-Nature, Session Two: Primary Consciousness and Mental Factors, Alexander Berzin
Mind and Mental Factors by Venerable Thubten Chodron
Rigpa wiki entry for mental factors
Theravada mental factors:

Cetasikas by Nina von Gorkom
Introducing the Buddhist Abhidharma, Appendix 2 – Cetasika by U KYAW MIN
Theravada Abhidharma:

A Comprehensive Manual of Abhidhamma
Abhidhammattha-sangaha

Kata Kunci Pencarian:

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• Intuisi
• Paramita
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• Krodha (Mental factor)
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