>Marcocapelle at 08:31, 17 April 2021

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The early Buddhist thinkers emphasised the unitary nature of the mind. The ''[[Sarvastivada|Sarvastivadins]]'' in order to explain the unity of the mind described the mind as a ground or base which they called '''Cittabhumi'''. They rejected the realm of unconsciousness, ''alaya-vijnana'', postulated by the ''[[Yogacara|Yogacarins]]'' of [[Mahayana]] [[Buddhism]] who believed that from the realm of unconsciousness arose the conscious mind and the objects. But the ''Sarvastivadins'' recognised five types of ''Cittabhumi'' from which psychological phenomenon arose.<ref>{{cite book|title=The History of Early Buddhism|author=Akira Hirakawa|publisher=Motilal Banarsidass|page=163|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XjjwjC7rcOYC&q=cittabhumi&pg=PA163|isbn=9788120809550|year=1993}}</ref>

[[Citta]] i.e. the mind, that alongside [[Manas (early Buddhism)|Manas]], [[Buddhi]] and [[Ahamkara]] is an internal organ, whose function is recollection, constituted by three [[Gunas]] viz [[Sattva]], [[Rajas]] and [[Tamas (philosophy)|Tamas]], reflects the self in accordance with any one of its modified states, ''[[vritti]]'', which are ''[[Pramāṇa]]'' with its three kinds of cognition – perception, inference and verbal testimony, ''[[Vikalpa]]'' which is mere verbal idea caused by meaningless words, ''[[Viparyaya]]'' which is knowledge of things as they are not, ''Nidra'' or dreamless sleep and ''[[Smrti]]'' or memory. These reflections result in the self being afflicted by ''Klesas'' – [[Avidya (Hinduism)|Avidya]] (wrong or false knowledge), ''Asmita'' (false notion or perception), ''[[Raga (Buddhism)|Raga]]'' (attachment), ''Dvea'' (aversion), and ''Abhnivesha'' (fear of death). Thus, the mind may remain in five different levels which mental levels or functions or stages, five in number, are known as Cittabhumi <ref>{{cite book|title=Companion Encyclopaedia of Hindu philosophy|author=Subodh Kapoor|publisher=Genesis Publishing (P) Ltd.|page=35|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JZWdEymxyp4C&q=cittabhumi&pg=PA35|isbn=9788177552034|year=2002}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=The Systems of Indian Philosophy|date=December 2004|publisher=Genesis Publishing (P) Ltd.|page=593|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8oEpPOKtrbkC&q=cittabhumi&pg=PA593|isbn=9788177558876}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=The Bhagavada Gita and Jivana Yoga|author=R.N.Vyas|publisher=Abhinav Publications|page=11|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4GHl4X1wKpAC&q=cittabhumi&pg=PA11|isbn=9788170172031|year=1985}}</ref> These five stages of the mind, as defined by Vyasa, are:-

:• ''Ksipta'' or distracted. The distracted mind being overpowered by ''Rajas'' is extremely unsteady unable to concentrate or decide, and is the source of pleasure or pain.
:• ''Mudha'' or infatuated. The infatuated mind being overpowered by ''Tamas'' succumbs to commit unrighteous acts influenced by violent emotions.
:• ''Viksipta'' or occasionally steady. The occasionally steady mind, unsteady for most part, influenced by ''Sattva'' is able to withdraw itself from painful objects and become fixed on pleasurable objects.
:• ''Ekagra'' or one-pointed. The one-pointed mind influenced by pure ''Sattva'' is able to withdraw from all objects i.e. totally introverted, to remain focussed on one object.
:• ''Niruddha'' or restrained. The restrained mind also influenced by pure ''Sattva'' arrests all mental functions i.e. there is complete suspension of all mental modes and sub-conscious dispositions.

The first three afore-mentioned stages of mind are unfit for concentration for they are attended by mental modes. [[Yoga]] is not possible in these conditions. Ordinary people live on the level of ''Ksipta'' or ''Mudha''.

The last two mentioned stages are conducive to yoga and for [[Samadhi]]. ''Ekagra'' stage is also called ''Sampramata yoga'' in which the mind assumes the form of the object itself. ''Niruddha'' stage is known as ''Samprajnata yoga'' or ''[[Samadhi]]'' in which nothing is known or thought of by the mind. In the Yoga system ''Buddhi'' ([[intellect]]), ''Ahamkara'' ([[Ego (religion)|ego]]) and ''Indriyas'' ([[senses]]) are often called ''Citta''.

==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{Indian philosophy|state=collapsed}}

[[Category:Buddhist philosophical concepts]]
[[Category:Philosophy of mind]]
[[Category:Indian philosophy]]

Cittabhumi - Revision history

>Marcocapelle at 08:31, 17 April 2021