24. Votthapana = Vi + ava +
√
ñhà, to stand, to fix, to rest, lit., thorough settling down.It is at this moment that the nature of the object is fully determined. This is the gateway to a moral or im- moral thought-process. Discrimination, rightly or wrongly employed at this stage, determines the thought-process either for good or evil.
There is no special class of consciousness called vot- thapana. Manodvàràvajjana (mind-door consciousness) performs the function of determining.
Votthapana arises between i. investigation and javana, and ii. investigation and bhavaïga.
25. Javana derived from
√
ju, to run swiftly.This is another important technical term which should be clearly understood.
Ordinarily the term is employed in the sense of swift.
Javanahaüsa, for example, means swift swan; javana-
pa¤¤à means swift understanding. In the Abhidhamma it is used in a purely technical sense.
Here Javana means running. It is so called because in the course of a thought-process it runs consecutively for seven thought-moments or five, hanging on to an identical object. The mental states occurring in all these thought- moments are similar, but the potential force differs.
When the consciousness perceives a vivid object usu- ally seven moments of javana arise in the particular thought-process. In the case of death or when the Buddha performs the Twin Psychic Phenomenon (Yamaka Pàñihà- riya) only five thought-moments arise. In the Supramun- dane javana process the Path-consciousness arises only for one moment.
This javana stage is the most important from an eth- ical standpoint. It is at this psychological stage that good or evil is actually done. Irrespective of the desirability or the undesirability of the object presented to the mind, one can make the javana process good or bad. If, for instance, one meets an enemy, a thought of hatred will arise almost automatically. A wise and forbearing person might, on the contrary, harbour a thought of love towards him. This is the reason why the Buddha has stated in the Dhammapada (V. 165)—
“By self is evil done, By self is one defiled, By self is no evil done, By self is one purified.”
True indeed that circumstances, habitual tendencies, envi- ronment, etc., condition our thoughts. Then the freewill is subordinated to the mechanistic course of events. There is also the possibility to overcome those external forces and, exercising one’s own freewill, generate either good or bad thoughts.
A foreign element may be instrumental, but we our- selves are directly responsible for our own actions.
Of the normal seven javana thought-moments, the first is the weakest potentially as it lacks any previous sus- taining force. The Kammic effect of this thought-moment may operate in this present life itself. It is called the Diññhadhammavedaniya Kamma. If it does not operate, it becomes ineffective (ahosi). The last is the second weak- est, because the sustaining power is being spent. Its Kam- mic effect may operate in the immediately subsequent life (Upapajjavedaniya). If it does not, it also becomes ineffec- tive. The effects of the remaining five may operate at any time till one attains Parinibbàna (Aparàpariyavedaniya).
It should be understood that moral and immoral javanas (kusalàkusala) refer to the active side of life (kam- mabhava). They condition the future existence (upapatti- bhava). Apart from them there are the Phala90 and Kriyà Javanas. In the Kriyà Javanas, which are experienced only by Buddhas and Arahants, the respective Cetanàs lack Kamma creative power.
90. Note the term used is Phala (fruit), but not Vipàka. In the Lokuttara Javana process the Path-Consciousness is immediately followed by the Fruit-
Consciousness.
It is extremely difficult to suggest a suitable render- ing for Javana.
“Apperception” is suggested by some.
The Dictionary of Philosophy defines apperception as
“the introspective or reflective apprehension by the mind of its own inner states. Leibniz, who introduced the term, distinguished between perception (the inner state as rep- resenting outer things) and apperception (the inner state as reflectively aware of itself). In Kant, apperception de- notes the unity of self-consciousness pertaining to either the empirical ego (empirical apperception) or to the pure ego (transcendental apperception).” p. 15.
Commenting on Javana Mrs. Rhys Davids says:
“I have spent many hours over Javana, and am content to throw apperception overboard for a better term, or for Javana, untranslated and as easy to pronounce as our own
‘javelin’. It suffices to remember that it is the mental aspect or parallel of that moment in nerve-process, when central function is about to become efferent activity or ‘innervation’.
Teachers in Ceylon associate it with the word ‘dynamic’. And its dominant interest for European psychologists is the fusion of intellect and will in Buddhist Psychology “
(Compendium of Philosophy, p. 249).
Impulse is less satisfactory than even apperception.
As Mrs. Rhys Davids suggests it is wise to retain the Pàli term.
See Compendium of Philosophy, pp. 42–45, 249.
According to the Vibhàvini Tãkà Javana occurs between
(i) votthapana and tadàrammana, (ii) votthapana and bhavaïga, (iii) votthapana and cuti, (iv) mano- dvàràvajjana and bhavaïga, (v) manodvàràvajjaõa and cuti.
26. Tadàlambana or Tadàrammaõa, literally, means ‘that object’. Immediately after the Javana process two thought-moments or none at all, arise having for their object the same as that of the Javana. Hence they are called tadàlambana. After the tadàlambanas again the stream of consciousness lapses into bhavaïga.
Tadàlambana occurs between (i) javana and bha- vaïga and (ii) javana and cuti.
27. Cuti is derived from
√
cu, to depart, to be released.As pañisandhi is the initial thought-moment of life so is cuti the final thought-moment. They are the entrance and exit of a particular life. Cuti functions as a mere pass- ing away from life. Pañisandhi, bhavaïga and cuti of one particular life are similar in that they possess the same object and identical mental co-adjuncts.
Death occurs immediately after the cuti conscious- ness. Though, with death, the physical body disintegrates and the flow of consciousness temporarily ceases, yet the
lifestream is not annihilated as the Kammic force that pro- pels it remains. Death is only a prelude to birth.
Cuti occurs between (i) javana and pañisandhi, (ii) tadà rammaõa and pañisandhi, and (iii) bhavaïga and pañisandhi.
28. òhàna, lit., place, station, or occasion. Though there are fourteen functions yet, according to the function- ing place or occasion, they are tenfold. The pa¤cavi¤¤àõa or the five sense-impressions are collectively treated as one since their functions are identical.
29. One is akusala (immoral) and the other is kus- ala (moral).
Rebirth (pañisandhi) in the animal kingdom, and in peta and asura realms takes place with upekkhàsahagata santãraõa (akusala vipàka). Bhavaïga and cuti of that par- ticular life are identical with this pañisandhi citta.
Those human beings, who are congenitally blind, deaf, dumb, etc., have for their pañisandhi citta the kusala vipàka upekkhà-sahagata santãraõa. Though deformity is due to an evil Kamma, yet the birth as a human is due to a good Kamma.
30. Namely, the Kàmàvacara kusala vipàka. All human beings, who are not congenitally deformed, are born with one of these eight as their pañisandhi citta.
All these ten pertain to the Kàmaloka.
31. Namely, the five Råpàvacara vipàka and the four Aråpàvacara vipàka.
Lokuttara (supramundane) Phalas are not taken into consideration because they do not produce any rebirth.
Nineteen classes of consciousness, therefore, per- form the triple functions of pañisandhi, bhavaïga and cuti.
32. Namely, the manodvàràvajjana (mind-door cognition) and the pa¤cadvàràvajjana (sense-door cogni- tion), mentioned among the 18 ahetuka cittas. The former occurs when the mind perceives a mental object, and the latter when it perceives a physical object.
33. Namely, the ten types of moral and immoral resultant sense-impressions (kusala-akusala vipàka pa¤cavi¤¤àõa).
34. Namely, the two types of receiving conscious- ness, accompanied by indifference, mentioned among the ahetukas.
35. Namely, the two accompanied by indifference, and one accompanied by pleasure. It is the first two that function as pañisandhi, bhavaïga and cuti.
It should not be understood that at the moment of rebirth there is any investigation. One consciousness per- forms only one function at a particular time. This class of
consciousness only serves as a rebirth-consciousness con- necting the past and present births;
The investigating consciousness, accompanied by pleasure; occurs as a tadàlambana when the object pre- sented to the consciousness is desirable.
36. There is no special consciousness known as vot- thapana. It is the manodvàràvajjana that serves this func- tion in the five-door thought-process.
37. Namely, the manodvàràvajjana and the pa¤ca- dvàràvajjana, two of the Ahetuka Kriyà Cittas. As they do not enjoy the taste of the object they do not perform the function of Javana. The remaining Kriyà Citta, smiling consciousness, performs the function of Javana.
38. Namely, 12 immoral + (8 + 5 + 4 + 4) 21 morals + 4 Lokuttara Phalas (Fruits) + (1 + 8 + 5 + 4) 18 functionals = 55.
The term used is not Vipàka but Phala. The Vipàkas (resultants) of Kàma, Råpa and Aråpa lokas are not re- garded as Javanas. The Supramundane Paths and Fruits which occur in the Javana process are regarded as Javanas though they exist only for a moment.
39. These eleven are vipaka cittas (resultants).
When they perform ñhe function of retention (tadalam- bana), there is no investigating function.
The investigating consciousness, accompanied by pleas- ure, performs the dual functions of investigating and retention.