Explain word “citta” with according to Abhidhamma pitakaCitta is a generic term in Buddhist Psychology, ethics, epistemology and

metaphysics denoting the active element in mind and the conscious element in ultimate reality. It occurs in all strata of Buddhist literature ranging from the earliest Pali texts down to the latest Tantric works on Buddhist Mysticism. Scholars, both modern and medieval, have rendered it variously to mean mind, thought, heart, conception, consciousness, mood, emotion, spirit, idea and attitude. Citta is basically referred to the center and focus of man’s emotional nature as well as to the organ of thought in its active, dynamic aspect.

The term citta, however, has been by the Buddha equated to two other cognate terms namely mano and vibbana. Although citta, mano and vibbana are here considered to be equivalent in meaning, actual usage in specific contexts tends to confirm the view that these terms convey 3 distinct aspects of mentation.

Citta also described as a part of vibbanakkhandha and it is accompanied by the other mental aggregates namely:-

1. Vedanakkhandha 2. Sabbakkhandha 3. SajkharakkhandhaThe Abhidhammikas recognize citta as a psychic order in the five-fold cosmic

order, namely:-1. the germinal (bija-niyama)2. the caloric (utu-niyama)3. the moral (kamma-niyama)4. the psychic (citta-niyama)5. the natural-phenomenal (dhamma-niyama)

Buddhaghosa explains the psychic order as such: when an object strikes the sentient organism, each according to its own nature, this related psychic functioning starts to work such as

- seeing - receiving - examining (or investigating)- determining - cognizing etc.

The Abhidhammikas who sought to formulate an all-encompassing theory of citta divided it under 4 broad classes which correspond to the 4 spheres

1. sensuous (kamavacara) 2. form (rupavacara) 3. formless (arupavacara) 4. transcendental (lokuttara)

The Theravada Abhiddhamma contains a comprehensive classification of citta based on the above considerations. This may be given in the brief and systemaic form in the Abhidhammatthasvgaha. There are 54 distinct types of citta in the sensuous sphere, 15 in the form sphere, 12 in the formless, and 8 in the transcendental.

In later period, Abhidhammikas introduce a new theory called as ‘Theory of moment’ (Khanavada). A thought-process is said to consist of several thought moments, each of which is again said to consist of 3 point-instants, namely:-

Nascence (uppada) Persistence (thiti) Cessation (bhavga)

The duration of a thought moment is so brief, and the rapidity of succession of such thought moments is so great, that they cannot be imagined, let alone described. But the rate of change in thought has been determined specifically relative to the rate of change in matter for it is claimed, that there is as many as 16 thought-moments arise and perish during the period that matter endures.