➥ manosañcetanāhāro:

• for manosañcetanāhāro:
  • the existential nourishment of mental intentional effort

Existential nourishment

There are these four kinds of existential nourishment for the maintenance of beings that have been brought into existence and for the assistance of those about to arise [into new existence]

Cattāro… āhārā bhūtānaṁ vā sattānaṁ ṭhitiyā sambhavesīnaṁ vā anuggahāya.

1) physical food, gross or subtle

kabaliṅkāro āhāro oḷāriko vā sukhumo vā

2) secondly, sensation;

phasso dutiyo

3) thirdly, mental intentional effort;

manosañcetanā tatiyā

4) fourthly, the stream of consciousness

viññāṇaṁ catutthaṁ. (MN i 48)

Comment:

Norman views sambhavesīnaṁ as the future active participle in -esin (Elders Verses I, n.527), to be translated with the words ‘about to.’

Manosañcetanāhāro: red-hot charcoal pit simile

The scriptures hardly clarify the meaning of manosañcetanāhāro. For example, the Puttamaṁsa Sutta says it can be compared to a man being dragged reluctantly towards a red-hot charcoal pit, but it is not clear which aspect of the simile is illustrative of manosañcetanāhāro. We therefore look elsewhere for an explanation.

Sañcetanā: classification systems

Sañcetanā is classified according to either objects or means, as follows:

1) intentional effort in relation to visible objects, audible objects, smellable objects, tasteable objects, tangible objects, and mentally known objects

rūpasañcetanā saddasañcetanā gandhasañcetanā rasasañcetanā phoṭṭhabbasañcetanā dhammasañcetanā. (DN ii 309)

2) intentional effort by way of body, speech, and mind

kāyasañcetanā, vacīsañcetanā manosañcetanā. (SN ii 40)

The latter classification occurs in the following passage:

• When there is the body, then on account of bodily intentional effort, pleasure and pain arise for oneself;

Kāye vā hānanda sati kāyasañcetanāhetu uppajjati ajjhattaṁ sukhadukkhaṁ

• When there is speech, then on account of verbal intentional effort, pleasure and pain arise for oneself;

vācāya vā hānanda sati vacīsañcetanāhetu uppajjati ajjhattaṁ sukhadukkhaṁ

• When there is the mind, then on account of mental intentional effort, pleasure and pain arise for oneself―and with uninsightfulness into reality as the necessary condition.

mane vā hānanda sati manosañcetanāhetu uppajjati ajjhattaṁ sukhadukkhaṁ avijjāpaccayā ca. (SN ii 40)

Manosañcetanāhāro and taṇhā

The Puttamaṁsa Sutta links mental intentional effort to taṇhā, saying that:

• When the existential nourishment of mental intentional effort is profoundly understood, the three kinds of craving are profoundly understood.

manosañcetanāya bhikkhave āhāre pariññāte tisso taṇhā pariññātā honti. (SN ii 100)

Thus manosañcetanā is somehow associated with taṇhā.

Mental intentional effort within taṇhā

Taṇhā is practically an existential nourishment, because ‘when a being has laid down this [wretched human] body but is not yet possessed of another body, I declare that it is fuelled by taṇhā.’ The full quotation is given below in the Illustrations.

That taṇhā implies mental intentional effort is seen in the Taṇhājālinī Sutta (AN ii 212-3) which says that thoughts of ‘I am’ are ‘imbued with taṇhā’ (taṇhāvicaritāni), for example, the thoughts “I am here,” “I am this way” “I am otherwise.” The sutta also lists thoughts which clearly involve mental intentional effort, namely:

• May I be
• May I be here
• May I be this way
• May I be otherwise.

Mental intentional effort: Mahakaccānabhaddekaratta Sutta

Examples of mental intentional effort are common in the scriptures. For example, the Mahakaccānabhaddekaratta Sutta says:

• How does one long for the future?

Kathañcāvuso anāgataṁ paṭikaṅkhati

• One directs one’s mind to acquire what has not yet been acquired, thinking, ‘May the visual sense and visible objects be thus in the future.’

iti me cakkhuṁ siyā anāgatamaddhānaṁ iti rūpāti appaṭiladdhassa paṭilābhāya cittaṁ paṇidahati. (MN iii 196)

Mental intentional effort and rebirth: the Cetanā Sutta

The four existential nourishments are ‘for the assistance of those about to arise [into new existence],’ and are therefore the basis of rebirth. The Cetanā Sutta illustrates the link between mental intentional effort and rebirth as follows:

• Whatever one is intent upon, conceives of, and identifies with, this becomes the basis for the establishment of one’s stream of consciousness.

yañca bhikkhave ceteti yañca pakappeti yañca anuseti ārammaṇametaṁ hoti viññāṇassa ṭhitiyā

• When there is the basis, there is the establishment of one’s stream of consciousness.

Yañca ārammaṇe sati patiṭṭhā viññāṇassa hoti.

• When one’s stream of consciousness is established and has [egoistically] matured, renewed states of individual existence and rebirth occur in the future.

Tasmiṁ patiṭṭhite viññāṇe virūḷhe āyatiṁ punabbhavābhinibbatti hoti. (SN ii 65)

The sutta says that in ending intentness, conceiving, and identifying, one ends individual existence and rebirth in the future:

• If one is not intent upon, and does not conceive or identify with… there are no renewed states of individual existence and rebirth in the future

Yato ca kho bhikkhave no ceva ceteti no ca pakappeti no ca anuseti… āyatiṁ punabbhavābhinibbatti na hoti. (SN ii 65)

Mental intentional effort and rebirth: the Saṅkhāruppatti Sutta

The Saṅkhāruppatti Sutta says:

• In this regard a bhikkhu possesses faith [in the perfection of the Perfect One’s enlightenment], virtue, learning, generosity, and wisdom. He thinks, ‘Oh, that at the demise of the body at death, I might be reborn in the company of wealthy khattiyas.’ He fixes his mind on that idea, concentrates on it, and develops it. These aspirations and musings of his, when developed and cultivated, lead to his rebirth there.

So taṁ cittaṁ dahati taṁ cittaṁ adhiṭṭhāti taṁ cittaṁ bhāveti. Tassa te saṅkhārā ca viharā ca evaṁ bhāvitā evaṁbahulīkatā tatrūpapattiyā saṁvattanti. (MN iii 99, AN iv 239)

The scriptures therefore show how mental intentional effort ‘maintains beings that have been brought into existence and assists those about to arise [into new existence].’ Therefore mental intentional effort is one of the four nourishments, and is likely the meaning of manosañcetanāhāro.

Illustration: manosañcetanāhāro, existential nourishment of mental intentional effort

And how should the existential nourishment of mental intentional effort (manosañcetanāhāro) be seen?

Kathañca bhikkhave manosañcetanāhāro daṭṭhabbo?

Suppose there is a [red-hot] charcoal pit deeper than a man’s height, filled with glowing coals without flame or smoke. A man would come along wanting to live, not die, yearning for pleasure and loathing pain. Then two strong men would grab him by both arms and drag him towards the [red-hot] charcoal pit.

Seyyathā pi bhikkhave aṅgārakāsu sādhikaporisā puṇṇā aṅgārānaṁ vītaccikānaṁ vītadhūmānaṁ. Atha puriso āgaccheyya jīvitukāmo amaritukāmo sukhakāmo dukkhapaṭikkūlo. Tamenaṁ dve balavanto purisā nānābāhāsu gahetvā taṁ aṅgārakāsuṁ upakaḍḍheyyuṁ.

The man’s

• intention (cetanā) would be to get away,
• his desire (patthanā) would be to get away,
• his resolve (paṇidhi) would be to get away [from the red-hot charcoal pit]

Atha kho bhikkhave tassa purisassa ārakāvassa cetanā ārakā patthanā ārakā paṇidhi

For what reason? Because he knows: ‘I will fall into this [red-hot] charcoal pit and on that account I will meet with death or deadly pain.’

imañcāhaṁ aṅgārakāsuṁ papatissāmi tatonidānaṁ maraṇaṁ vā nigacchāmi maraṇamattaṁ vā dukkhan ti. Evameva khvāhaṁ bhikkhave manosañcetanāhāro daṭṭhabbo ti vadāmi. (SN ii 99-100)

Illustration: manosañcetanāhāro, existential nourishment of mental intentional effort

If there is attachment to the existential nourishment of mental intentional effort, if there is spiritually fettering delight, if there is craving, the stream of consciousness is established there and [egoistically] matures.

manosañcetanāya ce bhikkhave āhāre atthi rāgo atthi nandi atthi taṇhā patiṭṭhitaṁ tattha viññāṇaṁ virūḷhaṁ.

Wherever the stream of consciousness is established and has [egoistically] matured, there is the appearance of immaterial-factors-and-bodily-form.

Yattha patiṭṭhitaṁ viññāṇaṁ virūḷhaṁ atthi tattha nāmarūpassa avakkanti.

Where there is the appearance of immaterial-factors-and-bodily-form, there is the growth of karmically consequential deeds.

Yattha atthi nāmarūpassa avakkanti atthi tattha saṅkhārānaṁ vuddhi.

Where there is the growth of karmically consequential deeds, renewed states of individual existence and rebirth occur in the future.

Yattha atthi saṅkhārānaṁ vuddhi atthi tattha āyatiṁ punabbhavābhinibbatti. (SN ii 101)

Illustration: manosañcetanāhāro, existential nourishment of mental intentional effort

If there is no attachment to the existential nourishment of mental intentional effort, if there is no spiritually fettering delight, if there is no craving, the stream of consciousness is not established there and does not grow.

Manosañcetanāya ce bhikkhave āhāre natthi rāgo natthi nandi natthi taṇhā. Appatiṭṭhitaṁ tattha viññāṇaṁ avirūḷhaṁ

Where the stream of consciousness is not established and does not grow, there is the non-appearance of immaterial-factors-and-bodily-form.

yattha appatiṭṭhitaṁ viññāṇaṁ avirūḷhaṁ natthi tattha nāmarūpassa avakkanti. (SN ii 101)

Illustration: ‘May I be reborn!’

• ’Bhante, what is the cause and reason for some person here, with the demise of the body at death, being reborn in the company of egg-born magical serpents?”

• ’In this regard, bhikkhu, someone acts ambivalently by way of body, speech, and mind.

kāyena dvayakārī hoti vācāya dvayakāri manasā dvayakāri

‘He has heard: ‘Egg-born magical serpents are long-lived, beautiful, and abound in happiness.’

He thinks: ‘Oh, with the demise of the body at death, may I be reborn in the company of egg-born magical serpents!’

tassa evaṁ hoti: aho vatāhaṁ kāyassa bhedā parammaraṇā aṇḍajānaṁ nāgānaṁ sahavyataṁ upapajjeyyan ti.

‘Then, with the demise of the body at death, he is reborn in the company of egg-born magical serpents.

‘This is the cause and reason for some person here, with the demise of the body at death, being reborn in the company of egg-born magical serpents.” (SN iii 242)

Illustration: ‘May I be reborn!’

• ’Bhante, what is the cause and reason for some person here, with the demise of the body at death, being reborn in the company of the devas of the heavenly musician order (gandhabbakāyikā devā)?”

• ’In this regard, bhikkhu, some person practises good conduct of body, speech, and mind. He has heard: ‘The devas of the heavenly musician order are long-lived, beautiful, and abound in happiness.’ He thinks: ‘Oh, with the demise of the body at death, may I be reborn in the company of the devas of the heavenly musician order!’ Then, with the demise of the body at death, he is reborn in the company of the devas of the heavenly musician order.

‘This is the cause and reason for some person here, with the demise of the body at death, being reborn in the company of the devas of the heavenly musician order’. (SN iii 250)

Illustration: fuelled by craving

• Master Gotama, when a flame is flung by the wind and goes some distance, what does Master Gotama declare to be its fuel on that occasion?

• When, Vaccha, a flame is flung by the wind and goes some distance, I declare that it is fuelled by the wind. For on that occasion the wind is its fuel.

• And, Master Gotama, when a being has laid down this [wretched human] body but is not yet possessed of another body, what does Master Gotama declare to be [the being’s] fuel on that occasion?

• When, Vaccha, a being has laid down this [wretched human] body but is not yet possessed of another body, I declare that [the being] is fuelled by craving. For on that occasion craving is [the being’s] fuel.

Yasmiṁ kho vaccha samaye imañca kāyaṁ nikkhipati satto ca aññataraṁ kāyaṁ anuppanno hoti tamahaṁ taṇhūpādānaṁ vadāmi. Taṇhāhissa vaccha tasmiṁ samaye upādānaṁ hotī ti. (SN iv 399)

➥ sañcetanā: (main article see: manosañcetanāhāro)

Illustration: sañcetanā, intentional effort

Four ways of acquiring a [particular] state of individuality.

Cattārome bhikkhave attabhāvapaṭilābhā. Katame cattāro?

There is the acquiring of a [particular] state of individuality in which one’s own intentional effort has effect, not another’s; another’s intentional effort has effect, not one’s own; both; neither.

atthāvuso attabhāvapaṭilābho yasmiṁ attabhāvapaṭilābhe
attasañcetanā yeva kamati no parasañcetanā.
parasañcetanā yeva kamati no attasañcetanā.
attasañcetanā ceva kamati parasañcetanā ca.
neva attasañcetanā kamati no parasañcetanā. (DN iii 231)

Comment:

Venerable Sāriputta said this meant that where there is the acquiring of a [particular] state of individuality in which one’s own intentional effort has effect, not another person’s, there is a passing away of beings from that group on account of their own intentional effort (attasañcetanāhetu tesaṁ sattānaṁ tamhā kāyā cuti hoti). And corresponding statements for the other groups (AN ii 159).