The Flow of Experience
Physiologic Basis of Thoughts, Meditation & Consciousness
1 There's an old adage- "You can not step into same river twice" River is a dynamic flow of something very material- water. Yet, since it's in continuum, it's in a state of flux. What you call river is actually a flow & you can't hold same constituents in permanence
2 To an experience or cognition 3 things are required as absolute minimum: A) Object (Rupa) B) Consciousness (citta) C) Mind/ mental factors (caitta / cetasika) Definition of Consciousness is most abused & at the very least, used in part or vaguely in most of literatures.
3 FOUR concepts are worth mentioning: A) Upanishads: Subjective, all- inclusive, eternal & non local, observer B) Modern science: Awareness or perception of something- Resultant. C) Biocentrism- Cause of physical D) Buddhism- Non-permanence, no-soul (anatta). Both causal & resultant
4 All are true. It depends upon which part you are looking at. Quantum theory of Consciousness & Bio-centrism hold seemingly contrasting views as Resultant vs Causal nature of consciousness. But they are both true & arise from same reality as we will see later on.
5 Consciousness (citta): "I"ness Ego/ objective "I"- as 23rd tattva of material existence appears as permanent/ eternal observer- seat of individuality. However it actually is series of transient events, occurring at such rapid succession that we can't detect discrete occasions
6 Consciousness is carried as flow by subtle particles called as cittas. There are 89 types/ kinds/ nature (jati) of these cittas. - Characteristic - "knowing" - Function is "forerunner" of mental factors - Manifestation is "continuity" of process - Proximate cause is mind& matter
7 Mind & Mental factors: Similar to consciousness, mind is also a flow of separate subtle particles cetasika. There are 52 types of these. They arise & cease together with cittas and also have same object & base (medium) to act upon.
8 FOUR classes of mind factors: A) 7 Universals- Contact, Feeling, Perception, Volition, One-pointedness, Mental life faculty & Attention B) 6 Occasional C) 14 Unwholesome- Bring negative resultant D) 25 Pleasant factors
9 Process of cognition is dual mode phenomenon comprising of objective reality impression & subjective awareness which modifies resultant perception When information flow from sense organs contact bare attention then automatic process of cognition starts without need of observer
10 Stages of automatic flow of sensory information to its cognition: It can be best understood by cell receptor signalling pathway simile. Without going into molecular details of those... Sensory object is signal Sensory organ is its receptor Contact takes place in medium/base
11 Sense signals-organ(receptor)-medium 1. Form (Rupa)- eye- light 2. Sound (sabda)- ear- space 3. Smell (gandha)- nose- air 4. Taste (Rasa)- tongue- water 5. Touch (Tvak)- skin- Earth These are 1-15 tattvas
12 Mind is 6th Sense door where signal isn't external stimuli but internal thought, imagination, emotion. When contact with stimuli is with receptor in respective medium then signal is transmitted internally.
13 Time duration of this impulse transmission is measured in "mind moment" units. One mind moment is time taken to manifest 1 subtle particles (citta or cetasika). (It's possibly in order of 10^-27 of a second)
14 1 citta or cetasika manifestation has 3 parts (submoments): 1. Arising 2. Manifest 3. Dissolution It's like a wave with peak as manifest/present state. Peak to peak time duration is 1 mind moment. It's similar to collapsing of probability wave & manifest of quantum particle
15 There are 4 results of external (5 senses) stimuli-receptor contact: 1. Optimal 2. Suboptimal 3. Weak 4. Very weak Mind door stimuli-receptor contact has 2 results: 1. Clear 2. Obscure
16 First (optimal) contact of sense stimuli-receptor generates an impulse which is presented to basal life-continuum in 1 mind moment. In 2nd mind moment, life continuum vibrates in response to this presented stimuli. In 3rd mind moment, life continuum is arrested.
17 This arrest of basal life continuum is to give way to a citta- specifically called as Adverting consciousness which is orientation to incoming flow of information. This occurs in 4th mind moment. In next (5th) mind moment, appropriate sense consciousness senses the stimuli.
18 If external stimuli is visual object then medium is light (Tejas) & receptor is eye receptor & impulse so generated is sensed by "seeing consciousness" after Adverting by "Adverting consciousness". This citta takes 1 mind moment to carry the impulse & transfers to next citta.
19 Next in Cascade is called "Receiving consciousness". It receives the impulse from preceding sense consciousness in 6th mind moment. It then passes it to next called "Investigating consciousness" in 7th mind moment. Next is "Determining consciousness" in 8th mind moment
20 For next 7 mind moments, sense oriented 1 of the possible 29 type "Gnosis consciousness (javanas)" carries this impulse in 7 identical cittas one after another like staircase. Finally for 2 mind moments (16-17) 2 "Registering consciousness" cittas carry the object as own object
21 So after 17 mind moments, process of cognition is complete with submerging the stimuli impulse subtle object as registry object & subsidence to life continuum This life continuum again vibrates & arrested with new stimuli with same Cascade going over & over again through life
22 However if 1st contact was Suboptimal then impulse so generated is delayed by 2-3 mind moments. But this Cascade is automatic & fixed for 17 mind moments (including 1st mind moment reserved for 1st presentation of impulse) So if presentation is late then it ends prematurely.
23 So if 1st contact is delayed by even 1 mind moment to present the impulse to life-continuum then process ends at time of registration (16-17). However registration process takes 2 mind moments so it won't mature if it's short by even 1 mind moment.
24 So suboptimal contact doesn't result in registry. It ends at gnosis state. In weak contact, impulse presentation is delayed by 4-9 mind moments & so process of gnosis for 7 mind moments doesn't kick in or mature. Such impulse ends at Determining state.
25 Very weak contact delays impulse presentation by 10 -15 mind moments. So that it ends at subconscious state of life-continuum arrest without corresponding sense consciousness coming into play. Such a process is called futile process.
26 Just to know that optimal contact requires bright, large object with relaxed sharp eyes in optimal light. Small but bright object can also give optimal contact. But large & bright object in dim light or old eyes give suboptimal/weak/very weak contact This is example of seeing.
27 So for 5 sense door there are 7 modes of consciousness cittas at play 1. Adverting 2. Sense consciousness(1-5) 3. Receiving 4. Investigating 5. Determining 6. Javana/ Gnosis 7. Registration And 14 mind moments from Adverting to registry (4-17), 6th taking 7, 7th taking 2 moments
28 Simile for better grasp 😀 Man was sleeping under mango tree. Ripe mango loosened & fell to ground making sound to his ear. Awakened, man opened his eyes & looked. He stretched out his hand, took the mango, squeezed it, smelled it. He then swallowed, appreciated taste & slept.
29 Sleeping is life-continuum. Mango falling sound striking ear is contact. Awakening by sound is arrest of life-continuum. Turning for sound is Adverting. Opening eyes is sense consciousness "seeing". Stretching out hand to take fruit is Receiving. Squeezing is Investigating. Smelling is Determining. Eating is Gnosis/experience. Appreciating taste is registration. Going back to sleep is subsidence to life-continuum! 😀
30 Process of mind door is different. Life-continuum is arrested by internal stimuli followed by Adverting, performed by Detecting citta. Subsequently there's directly 7 mind moments of Gnosis/javana/experience followed by 2 of registration performed by Investigating citta.
31 Since Determining, Investigating...etc cittas are group hence any appropriate specific citta comes in play. 5 sense door process uses few from 54 cittas & mind door uses from 41 cittas. Sense consciousness, Receiving...etc steps are omitted in mind process.
32 Mind factors (cetasika) act like cofactors with cittas. 7 universals are common to all consciousness & perform essential cognitive functions. 6 Occasionals (Intent, sustained application, decison, energy, zest, desire) give quality to cittas as determined by other concomitants.
33 14 Unwholesome & 25 Pleasant cetasika give morality to appropriate cittas. During step of Gnosis/experience for 7 mind moments same type of citta repeats in succession & in unison with respective cetasika. Here perception of right/wrong, moral/immoral is added to experience.
34 So this Cascade is functionally seen as 3 parts: 1. Apprehending 2. Apperception 3. Registering 2nd step of 7 mind moments gives rise to modifications in perception & adds to subjectivity. It still is automatic. It depends upon your inherent tendencies & likings (volition).
35 As per memory (archive), expectation & desires (samkharas) corresponding cetasika modifies the perception of internal thought or external stimuli. This perception is amplified as per further thinking on by mind & gives rise to subjective experience & subjective awareness.
36 This resultant subjective awareness sustains & is sustained by all factors contributing as above. So it's simply a dynamic flow (impermanent) which is both resultant (Quantum theory of consciousness) & causal (as modifier) to outside objective reality (Biocentrism).
37 Point to note here is that cognition & resultant awareness arising out of this automatic process is in objective domain. It's all (subtle) matter particles in flow. This flow or flux it creates is perceived as individual "I" with choice of liking/disliking. No God required!
38 And this individuality dissolves to give way to shine which is beyond & is actually subjective higher "I" common to all. Unless someone is trying for spiritual realization, there's no need of going deeper than this subjective awareness so created.
39 This is reason of no-soul (anatta) concept in Buddhism which is very similar to what modern science now believes. Sustained cognition flow & choice complexity as modifiers at quantum level can give rise to sense of awareness/ consciousness. Free will makes unique individuality.
40 To finish with cognition part... In mind door process if contact is clear then registry takes place & same concept as thought or feeling is strengthened. In mind door process If contact is obscure due to lacking attention, energy, feeling... then registry doesn't take place..
41 Motor function is similar to mind door process, starting with Intent. If supplemented by cofactors of energy, zeal etc then it arrests the life-continuum & Adverting occurs, followed by 7mind moments of Gnosis. Righteousness of action or ignore. Registry follows command to act.
42 In meditation, absorptive state occurs which is highly developed form of initial application of mind (vitaka) which thrusts associated cetasika so deeply into object that they become absorbed in it. Contact is always clear. Followed by mind door Adverting.
43 1 of 8 sense sphere javanas accompanied by knowledge arises & ceases 3-4 times, followed by 4-3 moments of subtle or supramundame javanas. There's no registry. Finally, there's subsidence into life continuum.
44 In beginner meditator, first 4 javanas perform different function. 1) Preparation: prepares mental continuum for attainment to follow. 2) Access: arises in proximity to attainment. 3) Conformity: arises in conformity with both the preceding moments & subsequent absorption 4) Change of lineage: in case of attainment of primary jnana it changes the lineage of javanas from sense sphere to sublime/supramundame javanas. It marks change of lineage from worldly sense consciousness to sublime/ supramundame consciousness.
45 In absorption cognitive process, javana cittas can be of different type, even of subtler planes, while in sense sphere process they are always same type (during 7 mind moment process of Gnosis) So in absorption process, consciousness moves towards finer planes of existence.
46 In more developed absorptive state, javana cittas change their type to more subtler & process of 7 mind moment requiring 7 repeats becomes less frequent. Last time returner & non returner can enter meditative attainment in which stream of consciousness is temporarily arrested.
47 To attain cessation, meditator enters into subtler javanas, contemplate with insight, reach the base of nothingness, emerge out. This javana cittas repeats only twice (not 7) & stream of consciousness is arrested. Advanced meditator can extend absorption duration to 7 days.
48 To wrap up: Life-continuum citta (bhavanga): Its function is to preserve continuity of individual from birth to death. It's in continuous repeat between 2 cognition events through life. It dissolves at death & is replaced by similar citta but different function- rebirth linking!
An article by GS
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