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Engaging the Abhidhamma - Tony Bernhard

The following talk was given by Tony Bernhard at The Sati Center in Redwood City, CA on January 14, 2024. Please visit the website www.audiodharma.org for more information.

Engaging the Abhidhamma

I'm going to talk today about the Abhidhamma. It's a huge hunk of the early texts that have generally been disregarded by the West because they're kind of intimidating in the context in which we usually learn the Dharma. I'm going to provide what I think of as a trailer for the Abhidhamma. It's not quite an exhaustive introduction, but a gesture towards the texts with an effort to see how we might use them in our practice.

One of the reasons it's so intimidating is that it is composed primarily of lists. There are no stories in the Abhidhamma. When we look at these texts, it just goes on and on with matrices of dyads and lists of mental states. It's been pretty intimidating for Western practitioners, but as you can see, it is set up almost like talking points. In fact, that's exactly what it was.

The History and Purpose of the Abhidhamma

When the Buddha died, there was a council that arose three months later. Traditionally, there were 500 arhats who met, and they spent probably seven or eight months reciting and trying to memorize the teachings the Buddha had left because there wasn't a written culture at the time. The teachings were divided into three Pitakas¹, a Pali word we translate as "baskets," but they are essentially collections.

The earliest collections included the discourses addressing the ways in which monastics should live (the Vinaya), and the Nikayas, which contained the suttas and stories about the Buddha. And then, there is the Abhidhamma. Some suggest that Sariputta started this collection, but if you look at the history of the Buddhist teachings, the earliest layers (like the Sutta Nipata) have very little systematization. By the time you look at the Nikayas, you start getting the Eightfold Path, the Four Noble Truths, and the 37 Wings of Awakening. There was an effort to try to organize the teachings to help remember them. A lot of these numerical lists were mnemonic devices to help the monks recollect the Dharma.

What you're going to get today is my interpretation of the Abhidhamma and some of the elements on these lists. My understanding is that this reflects how the texts were used over the past 2,500 years in monasteries. Not everybody memorized all the texts, but you could memorize lists. They were used as talking points and as tools by teachers to instruct students.

What we're looking at is a map of the subjective territory that we inhabit, and we are being asked to bring our attention mindfully to it. This is Fourth Foundation of Mindfulness material: paying attention to the dhammas² as dhammas.

The paradigm for learning that applies to the Abhidhamma is suta-maya, cinta-maya, and bhavana-maya³. Suta-maya refers to hearing the teachings from a teacher or reading them. Cinta-maya is the process of contemplating them, exploring them in our mind. And bhavana-maya is the process of cultivating the teachings in our life. These lists are to be understood as a meditation guide, not as a metaphysical description of the world. A teacher might say to a student, "Come back tomorrow and tell me the difference between reactivity and response." Notice what your mind does when given that task: it goes to your experience, tries to recall, and makes distinctions. This is the way the Abhidhamma was historically presented as a teaching device.

By the time of the Third Council, which was attempting to resolve doctrinal differences, there were traditionally 18 schools of Buddhism. The Theravada was one, and each of them had their own Abhidhamma. There are differences among them, reflecting differences as teaching devices, not differences as literal metaphysical realms.

The Four Realities

This meditation map for us consists of four dhammas. The word "dhamma" here just refers to things that can be perceived; these are considered the four realities. Asking whether they're metaphysically "real" is sort of beside the point. We can look at these four dhammas as subjective states and identify them in our experience.

1. Rupa: Form or physical phenomena. If you can see colors, that's rupa. If you can feel your body on the chair, that's rupa. Any sound present is rupa. The five physical senses are an experiential reality.
2. Citta: Consciousness. The Abhidhamma articulates consciousness into 89 (or by some counts, 121) different mind states. Some have to do with Jhāna states, some with formless spheres, and others are formed by karma or as a response to external stimuli. The idea would be that over a period of years, one would learn to recognize states of consciousness that are present. Consciousness in the Abhidhamma is always consciousness of something; the notion of pure or empty consciousness does not occur in these early texts.
3. Cetasikas: Mental factors. If consciousness is the knowing of something, the cetasikas are the ways in which the mind relates to the known object. There are 52 of these volitional impulses.
4. Nibbana: The unconditioned dhamma. It is a direct experience of the absence of greed, hatred, and delusion. Nibbana is described by Sariputta as the destruction of greed, hatred, and delusion so that they do not arise again. It is not a state, but rather an experience of constantly unbinding, or not being tricked into clinging.

For those familiar with the skandhas⁴, this matches up closely. Rupa is the physical senses. Vedana is the feeling tone of each moment. Sañña is perception or recognition (e.g., picking your own face out of a crowd on a screen). Sankharas are the volitional impulses (cetasikas), and viññana is consciousness itself.

To give you a sense of this granularity: Andy Olendzki describes the Abhidhamma as tracking how 28 physical phenomena (rupa) co-arise with 52 mental factors (cetasikas), manifesting as 89 types of consciousness (citta), which unfold in a series of 17 mind moments governed by 24 types of causal relations. This incredible granularity points to the intimate mechanics of dukkha⁵ formation in ourselves.

The Vedana-Meter

Let me suggest a way of accessing vedana, the feeling tone of each moment. When you go to the doctor and they ask, "On a scale of 0 to 10, how is your pain?", you are assessing an unpleasant condition. You can also use it for pleasantness. If I ask where you would place vanilla ice cream on a scale of 0 to 10, maybe it hovers around a six or a seven. A buttered baked yam might be a two or a three.

If you put the two scales together, from -10 (agony) to +10 (ecstasy), with zero being strictly neutral, you have a scale that measures the vedana of any given moment or any given object that you bring your attention to. You can actually track feeling tone dynamically. My wife noticed once that if she paid attention to physical discomfort, it might measure as a -2. But simply bringing her mindful attention to it changed the feeling tone. So vedana is a crucial object of consciousness.

The Ethically Neutral Mental Factors (Cetasikas)

At the heart of the Abhidhamma is the ethical dimension: skillful (kusala) and unskillful (akusala). By ethical, I don't mean right or wrong in a cosmic sense; the Buddha is concerned with the realm of dukkha. Acts that enhance unpleasantness and pain for ourselves and others are unskillful. Intentions and actions that lead to the cessation of dukkha are skillful.

Before we get to those, there are factors that are ethically neutral. We'll start by looking at the seven Universal Neutral Factors, which are present in every single mind moment:

1. Phassa (Contact): Contact between a sense organ and an object.
2. Vedana (Feeling Tone): The pleasant, unpleasant, or neutral quality of the moment.
3. Sañña (Perception): The mind making sense of things and recognizing objects.
4. Cetana (Volition): Intention. The mental struggle to figure out a sound, for example.
5. Ekaggata (One-pointedness / Focus): In any moment of consciousness, your attention is focused. The mind can flicker quickly like frames of a motion picture, but each moment has a singular focus.
6. Jivitindriya (Life Faculty): The feeling of being alive. The life force or energy you feel when you bring attention to your body.
7. Manasikara (Attention): Consideration. Attending to a particular object or aspect of experience.

Then there are the Occasional Neutral Factors. These arise in different constellations and combinations:

• Vitakka (Intentionally Directed Attention): Directing your attention to an object, such as bringing your attention back to the breath.
• Vicara (Sustained Attention): Keeping your attention on an object. A sniper keeps sustained attention, but it is not wholesome. A meditator keeps sustained attention on the Dhamma, which is wholesome. It is an investigative factor.
• Adhimokkha (Resolve / Decision): The intention to stick with something or keep it in mind.
• Viriya (Energy): The strength that arises with commitment or interest.
• Piti (Rapture / Zest): Delight or satisfaction. It is the "aha" moment that arises from discovering something new or accomplishing a task.
• Chanda (Desire): The intention or wish to act. Dhamma-chanda (desire for the Dharma) is skillful, while kama-chanda (desire for sensual pleasure) is unskillful.

The Unskillful (Akusala) Factors

These factors expand on the Second Noble Truth: the truth of craving and clinging. They are the impulses that add more dukkha into the mix.

There are four Universal Unskillful Factors present in every unwholesome mind moment:

1. Moha (Delusion): Confusion or ignorance. It flows from the distortions of perception (vipallasa)⁶. We see permanence where there is no permanence, or we believe obtaining an object will bring lasting satisfaction.
2. Ahirika (Shamelessness): The absence of hiri (conscience). This is the internal ethical dimension where we simply do not care about the harm we cause.
3. Anottappa (Fearlessness of Wrongdoing): The absence of ottappa (moral dread). This is the external ethical dimension where we lack consideration for how our actions affect others or violate social agreements.
4. Uddhacca (Restlessness): Not being settled or at peace. The mind is constantly looking for the next thing, scanning like radar for opportunities or threats.

Next are the Occasional Unskillful Factors, which arise depending on the situation:

• Lobha (Greed): A spectrum ranging from subtle preferences to longing, passion, and obsession. It is attachment and clinging.
• Ditthi (Speculative Views): Clinging to narratives and beliefs. Often, we fight over ideas about what is right and what is wrong. This storytelling is a massive source of dukkha.
• Mana (Conceit): A reflexive creation of self (e.g., "I am," "my car," "my ideas").
• Dosa (Hatred / Ill Will): The impulse to push away what is unpleasant. It is aversion, irritation, frustration, and anger. A complaint is an incredibly good marker for dosa because it is an explicit articulation of dissatisfaction.
• Issa (Envy): A spectrum covering mild wishing to deep jealousy. It is the feeling of, "Why should they have that? I deserve that."
• Macchariya (Stinginess / Avarice): Rooted in a fear of loss and hoarding. Not wanting to share.
• Kukkucca (Worry): Ruminating over the past and future.
• Thina & Middha (Sloth and Torpor): Laziness and mental fatigue. The mind lacks energy, but this energy often returns the moment an exciting object is introduced.
• Vicikiccha (Skeptical Doubt): Not knowing how to know. It is the paralyzing confusion of not knowing what to believe, like a donkey starving to death between two baskets of food because it cannot decide which one to eat.

The Skillful (Kusala / Beautiful) Factors

The Abhidhamma translates these as the "beautiful" factors. They are the intentions and actions that lead to the cessation of dukkha. It is said that when mindfulness (sati) is truly present, all the other universal beautiful factors fall into place.

Here are the Universal Beautiful Factors:

1. Sati (Mindfulness): Protective awareness. It is not just bare attention, but the active recognition of wholesome and unwholesome states.
2. Saddha (Faith / Confidence): The opposite of skeptical doubt. It is confidence in your direct experience.
3. Hiri (Conscience): The tender internal compass that cringes at causing harm.
4. Ottappa (Moral Consideration): Care and consideration for others and for the social fabric.
5. Alobha (Non-Greed): Generosity and letting go.
6. Adosa (Non-Hatred): The absence of aversion, serving as the stand-in for loving-kindness (metta).
7. Tatramajjhattata (Equanimity): Literally "to stand in the middle of all this." It is a dynamic balancing act that engages both the pleasant and unpleasant with neutrality and care, without jumping on the bandwagon of grasping or aversion.

Accompanying these are six pairs of factors that describe the Tranquility, Lightness, and Workability of both body and mind:

• Passaddhi (Tranquility of Body and Mind): The relaxation of physical and mental tension.
• Lahuta (Lightness of Body and Mind): Agility and the absence of lethargy; feeling unburdened.
• Muduta (Malleability / Softness of Body and Mind): Adaptability. Mindfulness is not rigid.
• Kammaññata (Workability of Body and Mind): Being ready to act skillfully.
• Paguññata (Proficiency of Body and Mind): Healthiness and alertness, unhindered by worry.
• Ujukata (Rectitude of Body and Mind): Uprightness. Being straightforward, honest, and recognizing deceit in ourselves.

Finally, we have the Occasional Beautiful Factors, which include the Abstinences and the Illimitables:

• Samma Vaca (Right Speech): Speech that does not cause anguish to ourselves or harm to others. It is timely, true, and kind.
• Samma Kammanta (Right Action): Appropriate action that attenuates suffering. Rather than rigid rules, these are guidelines for acting harmlessly.
• Samma Ajiva (Right Livelihood): Making a living in a way that aligns with the cessation of dukkha.
• Karuna (Compassion): The alternative, skillful response to pain and unpleasant experience. Instead of reacting to pain with anger (dosa), we react with care.
• Mudita (Appreciative Joy): Joy in the joy of others, as well as appreciating our own pleasant experiences without grasping at them.
• Pañña (Wisdom): Penetrating insight. It is an activity—a verb—arising synergistically when we clearly see impermanence, unsatisfactoriness, and insubstantiality.

Q&A and Reflections

During the session, several questions were raised to clarify these dense lists:

Dale asked for clarification on viññana (consciousness) and the sense organs: Tony clarified that the Buddha talks about consciousness as arising dependent on a sense organ. When there is contact at the eye, there is eye-consciousness. When there is contact at the mind-gate (involving sañña, vedana, or sankharas), there is mind-consciousness. Dale also asked about the historical sequence of the Abhidhamma. Tony noted that while the formal collection of the Abhidhamma developed over time (often attributed to Sariputta), the lists themselves would have been utilized early on as practical ways for monastics to keep track of the Dharma and teach students.

Joshua asked if the concept of restlessness functioning as a "radar" is similar to the autonomic nervous system: Tony agreed, noting that the Buddha's teachings often go "against the stream" of our evolutionary default responses. We are built to crave pleasantness and aggressively push away pain (via the amygdala). The path of practice is learning how to overcome that default mode so that we can respond to threats and pain with equanimity and compassion rather than aversion and anger.

Kate reflected that learning the Abhidhamma is a way to deepen our simple mindfulness practice: Tony affirmed this. The Abhidhamma is a map of our internal experience. It provides a "Buddha's-eye view." We don't study it to make metaphysical claims about reality, but to learn how to recognize these specific subjective experiences (like restlessness or stinginess) so we are not swept away by them when they arise.

David asked for reading recommendations for non-scholars: Tony recommended works by Andy Olendzki, Bhikkhu Bodhi's A Comprehensive Manual of Abhidhamma, and books by Beth Jacobs, who provides a more conversational and accessible approach to the material. He also highly recommended SuttaCentral as an invaluable resource for studying the texts.

Sharon asked how sati (mindfulness) is inherently wholesome, given that a sniper can have an exceedingly high state of mindfulness: Tony clarified the terminology. A sniper has extreme ekaggata (one-pointedness) and vicara (sustained attention), which are ethically neutral factors. However, true sati (mindfulness) always includes the beautiful ethical factors of hiri (conscience) and ottappa (moral consideration). Because a sniper is intending harm, their attention is unwholesome and lacks sati.

Rosemary asked about the difference between vicikiccha (doubt) and self-doubt or worry: Tony explained that self-doubt is often a manifestation of kukkucca (worry) or mana (conceit/self-making), which are rooted in restlessness and a rigid view of self. Vicikiccha, on the other hand, is a specific, paralyzing skeptical doubt. It is the inability to decide what is true or how to even know what is true.

Vanessa brought up the "neither painful nor pleasant" feeling tone: Tony suggested that "neither pleasant nor unpleasant" is a very narrow point on the vedana scale (essentially absolute zero). If you bring close, sustained attention to something you initially think is neutral—like a patch of sidewalk—you will usually find subtle textures of pleasantness or unpleasantness in your reaction to it. Recognizing this subtle reactivity is exactly what the Abhidhamma trains us to do.