The detailed description of all dhammas, that is, all cittas (consciousness), their accompanying cetasikas (mental factors) and all rupas (physical phenomena), is found in the Dhammasangani — the first book of the canonical Abhidhamma collection. Dhammasangani explains which cetasikas accompany which cittas as well as which rupas arise and how. On the other hand, Dhammasangani is not particularly concerned with the conditions for the arising of dhamma. The description of these conditions is to be found in the Patthana – the seventh and last book of the Abhidhamma collection.
All dhammas — except Nibbana — are conditioned. Patthana (also known by the title Conditional Relations) describes in detail all conditions for dhammas to arise and their relations. The exposition in the Patthana is structured around 24 conditions, listed below, and then describes the various ways in which these conditions connect the mental and material phenomena enumerated in the Dhammasangani.
No dhamma arises from a single cause, there will always be multiple conditions involved for dhamma to arise. In any relationship, the following three factors will be involved:
All that we perceive as reality are conditioned phenomena. Nothing that arises due to conditions is permanent. Each citta that arises and passes away is immediately followed by another arising citta. The processes take place so quickly that the ordinary mind cannot perceive their components. Patthana explains how the arising of wholesome or unwholesome cittas in the at any given time current micro-moment are conditions for the arising of wholesome or unwholesome cittas in the future. The continuous process then leads to wholesome and unwholesome mind-states of some extended duration are accumulated and perceived.
Coming up next season: Details of the 24 paccayas (conditions)
… to be continued Spring 2025 …