Abhidhamma master manual The complete citta matrix · 89 kinds of consciousness · Pañcakkhandhā

"One who sees the world as foam, who sees it as a mirage — that one the King of Death does not see."

Dhammapada 170 (the Buddha)

The Abhidhamma, the third "basket" (piṭaka) of the Pāli canon, analyses reality not into things but into processes: dhammas that arise and pass away within a fraction of a second. At its centre stands the recognition that what we call "I" is nothing other than a constantly changing bundle of five groups, the pañcakkhandhā (the five aggregates of existence, or skandhas). This manual opens up the complete phenomenology of the mind: 89 cittas (moments of consciousness), systematically ordered by sphere, kind and quality.

I The five aggregates (pañcakkhandhā)

The Buddha analysed the "person" into five impersonal streams of process. None of them is a self; together they produce the appearance of a being who acts. Seeing through these five groups — their impermanence (anicca), their unsatisfactoriness (dukkha) and their selflessness (anattā) — is the central aim of vipassanā practice.

Rūpa

"Like a lump of foam" (SN 22.95)

Matter, materiality. It covers 28 material phenomena: the four great elements (mahābhūta) — earth (solidity), water (cohesion), fire (heat), wind (movement) — plus 24 derived forms: the sense organs (eye, ear, nose, tongue, body), sense objects, the life faculty, nutriment, space and others. Rūpa has no consciousness whatsoever; it is always object, never subject.

Vedanā

"Like a bubble on water"

Feeling tone, the quality of what is felt. Not "emotion", but the bare hedonic tone of every moment of consciousness: bodily pleasant (sukha), bodily painful (dukkha), mentally joyful (somanassa), mentally distressing (domanassa), neutral (upekkhā). Vedanā arises and passes with every citta; it is the soil in which craving and aversion grow.

Saññā

"Like a mirage"

Perception, recognition. Saññā grasps the characteristic marks (nimitta) of an object and stores them as a token for recognition: colour, shape, sound, smell, meaning — "fire", say, or "woman", or "friend". It categorises and compares sense experience, and in doing so regularly produces projections and misperceptions.

Saṅkhārā

"Like the trunk of a banana plant"

Mental formations, impulses of will. The 50 cetasikas (mental factors), everything apart from vedanā and saññā: intention (cetanā), attention, confidence, energy, mindfulness, concentration, wisdom — but also greed, hatred, delusion, conceit, envy. Cetanā (will) is kamma in the strict sense: it colours every moment of consciousness as wholesome or unwholesome.

Viññāṇa

"Like a magic trick"

Consciousness, awareness. The bare registering of an object — seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, touching, thinking. Viññāṇa never exists on its own; it always arises together with cetasikas. The Abhidhamma distinguishes 89 (or 121) cittas by sphere, root, quality and accompanying factors.

Types of citta: Akusala — 12 unwholesome cittas (greed, hatred, delusion) Ahetuka — 18 rootless cittas (no motive, pure reaction) Sobhana kāmāvacara — 24 beautiful sense-sphere cittas Rūpāvacara — 15 fine-material jhāna cittas Arūpāvacara — 12 immaterial jhāna cittas Lokuttara — 8 supramundane cittas (Nibbāna as object)

II An architecture of understanding, for beginners

1. What does the Abhidhamma analyse?

The Abhidhamma does not analyse persons but momentary events. A mind that appears continuous is understood as a sequence of discrete moments of consciousness. Continuity is a construction of perception, not the elementary level of description.

Elementary unit: citta Accompanying factors: cetasikas Reference to an object: always present

2. What is a citta?

A citta is a single, extremely brief impulse of consciousness. It always has an object and never occurs in isolation. A citta consists of consciousness itself plus a configuration of accompanying mental factors. The mental factors determine its structure, its colouring and its function.

Viññāṇa: consciousness as an event
Cetasikas: the factors that structure the event
Differences between cittas arise from different combinations of factors

3. The 7 universal mental factors

These seven cetasikas occur in every citta without exception — in wholesome, unwholesome, resultant and functional moments of consciousness alike. They are the minimal scaffolding of every event of consciousness.

Phassa: contact, the meeting of base, object and consciousness
Vedanā: feeling tone — pleasant, unpleasant or neutral
Saññā: the mark of perception, recognition, categorisation
Cetanā: intention, coordination, kammic steering
Ekaggatā: one-pointedness, the factor of concentration present in every citta
Jīvitindriya: the mental life faculty, which sustains the mental moment
Manasikāra: adverting, the turning towards the object

4. How do the 89 cittas come about?

The 89 cittas are a systematic matrix. They do not count contents but structural possibilities. A citta is classified along several axes which together fix its kind unambiguously.

Sphere: sense-sphere, fine-material, immaterial, supramundane
Root: with greed, hatred, delusion; or with non-greed, non-hatred, non-delusion; or rootless
Function: wholesome, resultant, functional
Structure: feeling tone, wisdom, manner of arising

5. The model of the spheres as a model of complexity

The four spheres are not places but degrees of refinement and simplification in the structure of consciousness. The higher the sphere, the more stable and the less stimulus-driven the citta configuration.

Kāmāvacara: the sense sphere — a great variety of stimuli, everyday processes
Rūpāvacara: fine-material — stabilisation based on jhāna
Arūpāvacara: immaterial — abstraction of the object, without material reference
Lokuttara: supramundane — Nibbāna as object

6. Jhāna as a structure of the citta

Jhāna is a particular citta configuration of high stability. What is decisive is not some mystical addition but the systematic reduction and ordering of mental factors. With each stage of jhāna certain factors drop away.

First jhāna: vitakka, vicāra, pīti, sukha, ekaggatā
Second jhāna: without vitakka
Third jhāna: without vicāra
Fourth jhāna: without pīti
Fifth jhāna: upekkhā and ekaggatā

7. Understanding lokuttara logically

Lokuttara cittas are single moments of breakthrough. They are not lasting states but arise as clearly defined events. The structural difference lies primarily in the object: Nibbāna as an unconditioned object, not in some new psychic substance.

Magga: path citta — arises once per stage, destroys fetters
Phala: fruition citta — follows immediately, and can be experienced again later
Four stages: stream-entry, once-return, non-return, arahantship

8. Why the matrix is barely readable without the process

The 89 cittas are not a vocabulary list but the building blocks of a sequence. A beginner only understands the tables once this is clear: every citta is a moment with an object and with factors, and the succession of these moments makes up the stream that is experienced.

The single moment: citta as an event
Inner structure: universal and variable factors
The system: classification by sphere, root, function and structure
The dynamics: the succession within the process of consciousness

III The matrix of the 89 cittas in detail

1. The sense sphere (kāmāvacara), 54 kinds of consciousness

The kāmāvacara cittas are the moments of consciousness of ordinary sensory life. They arise in the five sense fields (seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, touching) and in the mental field. They are classified by three qualities: akusala (unwholesome, kammically harmful), ahetuka (rootless, neither wholesome nor unwholesome, purely reactive) and sobhana (beautiful — wholesome, or their results and functional counterparts).

12 akusala unwholesome (kammically harmful)

All 12 unwholesome cittas arise from three roots: lobha (greed, craving), dosa (hatred, aversion) and moha (delusion). The first 8 are lobha-mūla (rooted in greed), numbers 9 to 10 are dosa-mūla (rooted in hatred), numbers 11 and 12 are moha-mūla (rooted in delusion). "Asaṅkhārika" means arisen spontaneously; "sasaṅkhārika" means prompted, by persuasion from outside or by one's own urging.

No.	Pāli designation	English
1	Somanassa·sahagataṃ diṭṭhigata·sampayuttaṃ asaṅkhārikaṃ	Greed, joy, wrong view, spontaneous
2	Somanassa·sahagataṃ diṭṭhigata·sampayuttaṃ sasaṅkhārikaṃ	Greed, joy, wrong view, prompted
3	Somanassa·sahagataṃ diṭṭhigata·vippayuttaṃ asaṅkhārikaṃ	Greed, joy, without view, spontaneous
4	Somanassa·sahagataṃ diṭṭhigata·vippayuttaṃ sasaṅkhārikaṃ	Greed, joy, without view, prompted
5	Upekkhā·sahagataṃ diṭṭhigata·sampayuttaṃ asaṅkhārikaṃ	Greed, equanimity, wrong view, spontaneous
6	Upekkhā·sahagataṃ diṭṭhigata·sampayuttaṃ sasaṅkhārikaṃ	Greed, equanimity, wrong view, prompted
7	Upekkhā·sahagataṃ diṭṭhigata·vippayuttaṃ asaṅkhārikaṃ	Greed, equanimity, without view, spontaneous
8	Upekkhā·sahagataṃ diṭṭhigata·vippayuttaṃ sasaṅkhārikaṃ	Greed, equanimity, without view, prompted
9	Domanassa·sahagataṃ paṭigha·sampayuttaṃ asaṅkhārikaṃ	Hatred, displeasure, resistance, spontaneous
10	Domanassa·sahagataṃ paṭigha·sampayuttaṃ sasaṅkhārikaṃ	Hatred, displeasure, resistance, prompted
11	Upekkhā·sahagataṃ vicikicchā·sampayuttaṃ	Delusion with doubt (vicikicchā)
12	Upekkhā·sahagataṃ uddhacca·sampayuttaṃ	Delusion with restlessness (uddhacca)

18 ahetuka rootless, no kammic intention

"Ahetuka" means without a causal root (neither lobha, dosa, moha nor alobha, adosa, amoha). These cittas arise automatically, as a bare reaction to sense stimuli or as functional switching elements within the process of consciousness. Seven are unwholesome results (numbers 13 to 19), eight are wholesome results (20 to 27), three are purely functional (28 to 30). Hasituppāda (number 30), the "smile-producing consciousness", belongs exclusively to fully awakened beings (arahants).

No.	Pāli designation	English
Unwholesome results (7)
13	Cakkhu·viññāṇa (upekkhā)	Eye-consciousness, neutral feeling
14	Sota·viññāṇa (upekkhā)	Ear-consciousness, neutral
15	Ghāna·viññāṇa (upekkhā)	Nose-consciousness, neutral
16	Jivhā·viññāṇa (upekkhā)	Tongue-consciousness, neutral
17	Kāya·viññāṇa (dukkha)	Body-consciousness, pain
18	Sampaṭicchana (upekkhā)	Receiving, unwholesome result
19	Santīraṇa (upekkhā)	Investigating, unwholesome result
Wholesome results (8)
20	Cakkhu·viññāṇa (upekkhā)	Eye-consciousness, wholesome result
21	Sota·viññāṇa (upekkhā)	Ear-consciousness, wholesome result
22	Ghāna·viññāṇa (upekkhā)	Nose-consciousness, wholesome result
23	Jivhā·viññāṇa (upekkhā)	Tongue-consciousness, wholesome result
24	Kāya·viññāṇa (sukha)	Body-consciousness, pleasant feeling
25	Sampaṭicchana (upekkhā)	Receiving, wholesome result
26	Santīraṇa (upekkhā)	Investigating, wholesome result
27	Santīraṇa (somanassa)	Investigating with joy, wholesome result
Functional (3)
28	Pañcadvārāvajjana	Five-door adverting (the switch of attention)
29	Manodvārāvajjana	Mind-door adverting and determining (votthapana)
30	Hasituppāda	Smile-producing consciousness (arahants only)

24 sobhana beautiful, sense sphere

The 24 beautiful kāmāvacara cittas arise from wholesome roots (alobha, adosa, amoha). They fall into three groups of eight: kusala (wholesome, kammically effective, numbers 31 to 38), vipāka (the results of those actions, 39 to 46) and kiriya (functional, for arahants, kammically neutral, 47 to 54). Each octet varies by feeling tone (joy or equanimity), by wisdom (with or without ñāṇa) and by manner of arising (spontaneous or prompted).

No.	Pāli designation	English
Kusala, wholesome (31 to 38)
31	Somanassa·sahagataṃ ñāṇa·sampayuttaṃ asaṅkhārikaṃ	Joy, with wisdom, spontaneous
32	Somanassa·sahagataṃ ñāṇa·sampayuttaṃ sasaṅkhārikaṃ	Joy, with wisdom, prompted
33	Somanassa·sahagataṃ ñāṇa·vippayuttaṃ asaṅkhārikaṃ	Joy, without wisdom, spontaneous
34	Somanassa·sahagataṃ ñāṇa·vippayuttaṃ sasaṅkhārikaṃ	Joy, without wisdom, prompted
35	Upekkhā·sahagataṃ ñāṇa·sampayuttaṃ asaṅkhārikaṃ	Equanimity, with wisdom, spontaneous
36	Upekkhā·sahagataṃ ñāṇa·sampayuttaṃ sasaṅkhārikaṃ	Equanimity, with wisdom, prompted
37	Upekkhā·sahagataṃ ñāṇa·vippayuttaṃ asaṅkhārikaṃ	Equanimity, without wisdom, spontaneous
38	Upekkhā·sahagataṃ ñāṇa·vippayuttaṃ sasaṅkhārikaṃ	Equanimity, without wisdom, prompted
Vipāka, wholesome results (39 to 46)
39	(corresponds to number 31) vipāka	Result: joy, wisdom, spontaneous
40	(corresponds to number 32) vipāka	Result: joy, wisdom, prompted
41	(corresponds to number 33) vipāka	Result: joy, without wisdom, spontaneous
42	(corresponds to number 34) vipāka	Result: joy, without wisdom, prompted
43	(corresponds to number 35) vipāka	Result: equanimity, wisdom, spontaneous
44	(corresponds to number 36) vipāka	Result: equanimity, wisdom, prompted
45	(corresponds to number 37) vipāka	Result: equanimity, without wisdom, spontaneous
46	(corresponds to number 38) vipāka	Result: equanimity, without wisdom, prompted
Kiriya, functional, for arahants (47 to 54)
47	(corresponds to number 31) kiriya	Functional: joy, wisdom, spontaneous
48	(corresponds to number 32) kiriya	Functional: joy, wisdom, prompted
49	(corresponds to number 33) kiriya	Functional: joy, without wisdom, spontaneous
50	(corresponds to number 34) kiriya	Functional: joy, without wisdom, prompted
51	(corresponds to number 35) kiriya	Functional: equanimity, wisdom, spontaneous
52	(corresponds to number 36) kiriya	Functional: equanimity, wisdom, prompted
53	(corresponds to number 37) kiriya	Functional: equanimity, without wisdom, spontaneous
54	(corresponds to number 38) kiriya	Functional: equanimity, without wisdom, prompted

2. The fine-material sphere (rūpāvacara), 15 jhāna cittas

15 rūpāvacara consciousness in absorption (five jhānas times three)

Rūpāvacara cittas arise in jhāna, in deep meditative absorption. The five stages of jhāna differ by the step-by-step relinquishing of jhāna factors: the first jhāna has applied thought (vitakka), sustained thought (vicāra), rapture (pīti), bliss (sukha) and one-pointedness (ekaggatā). With each higher stage of jhāna certain factors drop away. Every stage exists as kusala, as vipāka (effective at rebirth in the Brahmā worlds) and as kiriya (functional, for arahants).

No.	Pāli name	Jhāna factors, type
Kusala (55 to 59)
55	Paṭhamajjhāna kusala	First jhāna, wholesome (vitakka, vicāra, pīti, sukha, ekaggatā)
56	Dutiyajjhāna kusala	Second jhāna, wholesome (vicāra, pīti, sukha, ekaggatā)
57	Tatiyajjhāna kusala	Third jhāna, wholesome (pīti, sukha, ekaggatā)
58	Catutthajjhāna kusala	Fourth jhāna, wholesome (sukha, ekaggatā)
59	Pañcamajjhāna kusala	Fifth jhāna, wholesome (upekkhā, ekaggatā)
Vipāka (60 to 64)
60	Paṭhamajjhāna vipāka	First jhāna, result
61	Dutiyajjhāna vipāka	Second jhāna, result
62	Tatiyajjhāna vipāka	Third jhāna, result
63	Catutthajjhāna vipāka	Fourth jhāna, result
64	Pañcamajjhāna vipāka	Fifth jhāna, result
Kiriya, arahants only (65 to 69)
65	Paṭhamajjhāna kiriya	First jhāna, functional
66	Dutiyajjhāna kiriya	Second jhāna, functional
67	Tatiyajjhāna kiriya	Third jhāna, functional
68	Catutthajjhāna kiriya	Fourth jhāna, functional
69	Pañcamajjhāna kiriya	Fifth jhāna, functional

12 arūpāvacara immaterial (four stages times three)

The four arūpajhānas (formless absorptions) transcend all material objects completely. The meditator moves from the rūpajhāna to an infinitely extended, objectless space as the support of meditation. Each stage deepens the immateriality: from infinite space through infinite consciousness and nothingness to the subtlest limit, "neither perception nor non-perception" (nevasaññānāsaññāyatana). Here too the threefold division holds: kusala, vipāka, kiriya.

No.	Pāli name	Description
Kusala (70 to 73)
70	Ākāsānañcāyatana kusala	Infinite space, wholesome
71	Viññāṇañcāyatana kusala	Infinite consciousness, wholesome
72	Ākiñcaññāyatana kusala	Nothingness (akiñcañña), wholesome
73	Nevasaññānāsaññāyatana kusala	Neither perception nor non-perception, wholesome
Vipāka (74 to 77)
74	Ākāsānañcāyatana vipāka	Infinite space, result
75	Viññāṇañcāyatana vipāka	Infinite consciousness, result
76	Ākiñcaññāyatana vipāka	Nothingness, result
77	Nevasaññānāsaññāyatana vipāka	Neither perception nor non-perception, result
Kiriya, arahants only (78 to 81)
78	Ākāsānañcāyatana kiriya	Infinite space, functional
79	Viññāṇañcāyatana kiriya	Infinite consciousness, functional
80	Ākiñcaññāyatana kiriya	Nothingness, functional
81	Nevasaññānāsaññāyatana kiriya	Neither perception nor non-perception, functional

3. The supramundane sphere (lokuttara), 8 cittas (Nibbāna as object)

8 lokuttara four paths and four fruits, kammically liberating

Magga (path cittas, numbers 82 to 85) arise exactly once in a meditator's life, at the breaking through of the respective fetters (saṃyojana). They cannot be repeated. Within the same process the phala cittas follow immediately (fruition cittas, numbers 86 to 89), and these can be experienced again in later sittings (phala-samāpatti). Both take Nibbāna as object — something unconditioned in principle.

The four stages: (1) sotāpatti, stream-entry: destroys wrong view, doubt and attachment to rites. (2) sakadāgāmi, once-return: greatly weakens greed and hatred. (3) anāgāmi, non-return: destroys greed and hatred completely. (4) arahatta, complete liberation: destroys the last five fetters (desire for fine-material existence, desire for immaterial existence, conceit, restlessness, ignorance).

No.	Pāli name	Stage	Fetters destroyed
Magga, path (four path moments)
82	Sotāpatti magga	Path of stream-entry	Wrong view (sakkāyadiṭṭhi), doubt, attachment to rules and observances
83	Sakadāgāmi magga	Path of once-return	Coarse sensual desire and ill will (weakened)
84	Anāgāmi magga	Path of non-return	Sensual desire and ill will (completely)
85	Arahatta magga	Path of arahantship	Desire for the subtle worlds, conceit, restlessness, ignorance
Phala, fruition (four fruition cittas)
86	Sotāpatti phala	Fruit of stream-entry	Follows immediately on path 1, repeatable
87	Sakadāgāmi phala	Fruit of once-return	Follows immediately on path 2, repeatable
88	Anāgāmi phala	Fruit of non-return	Follows immediately on path 3, repeatable
89	Arahatta phala	Fruit of arahantship	Complete liberation, parinibbāna after death

Each of these 8 cittas can occur in combination with any of the five levels of jhāna; that is why the Abhidhamma sometimes speaks of 40 (or more) lokuttara cittas. In the simple system one counts 8.

IV The causal process of consciousness

The seventeen-moment process of consciousness (citta-vīthi)

At every sense stimulus, within a single instant of perception, the mind runs through a strictly ordered sequence of up to 17 moments of consciousness. This micro-process is too fast for ordinary observation; only deep samādhi practice and insight knowledge make it accessible. Kammically decisive are the 7 javanas alone; all other moments are neutral or purely reactive.

Bhavaṅga (three times)The subliminal life-continuum: vibration (calana), then interruption (upaccheda)

PañcadvārāvajjanaFive-door adverting, "what is that?" (number 28)

PañcaviññāṇaSense consciousness: seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, touching (numbers 13 to 17 or 20 to 24)

SampaṭicchanaReceiving — the object is "taken in" (number 18 or 25)

SantīraṇaInvestigating — the object is assessed (number 19, 26 or 27)

VotthapanaDetermining — it fixes the direction of the response (corresponds to number 29)

Javana (seven times)Here kamma arises. These seven rapid impulses are wholesome or unwholesome; their cumulative effect shapes character and habit.

Tadālambana (twice, optional)Registering, an after-echo, only with strong stimuli. After that, the return to the bhavaṅga.

Pāli terms in English

The 88 technical terms of this text, in alphabetical order — linked terms lead to a fuller term page.

abhidhamma: higher doctrine — The systematic analysis of mind and matter in the third basket of the canon.
abhidhammattha-saṅgaha: compendium of Abhidhamma topics — Anuruddha's manual (c. 11th c.), the standard textbook of Abhidhamma.
adosa: non-hatred — Wholesome root; in its wider sense loving-kindness.
ākāsānañcāyatana: base of infinite space — The first of the four formless attainments.
ākiñcaññāyatana: base of nothingness — The third of the four formless attainments.
akusala: unwholesome
alobha: non-greed — Wholesome root; non-attachment, in its wider sense generosity.
amoha: non-delusion — Wholesome root; synonymous with paññā, wisdom.
anāgāmī: non-returner — Third stage of awakening: sensual desire and ill will are finally abandoned.
anattā: not-self — without a lasting, controllable core.
anicca: impermanence — arising and passing away.
arahant: the accomplished one — Fourth and final stage of awakening; all fetters are undone.
arūpa-jhāna: formless absorption — (stages 5–8).
arūpāvacara: immaterial sphere — The class of consciousness belonging to the four formless attainments.
asaṅkhārika: unprompted — A consciousness that arises without prompting from outside or within.
bhavaṅga: life-continuum — bright but conditioned resultant consciousness.
brahmā: high deity — An inhabitant of the fine-material worlds — powerful, yet itself impermanent.
cakkhu: eye
cetanā: intention, volition — The intentional moment in every experience. 'It is intention that I call action,' says the Buddha — cetanā ties the analysis of experience to ethics.
cetasika: mental factor — The 52 factors that accompany and colour a consciousness.
citta: consciousness (moment) — A single moment of knowing, gone as soon as it has known.
citta-vīthi: cognitive process — The fixed order of moments from adverting to registration.
dhamma: teaching; phenomenon — Depending on context, the Buddha's teaching or the single experienceable phenomenon.
dhammasaṅgaṇī: Enumeration of Phenomena — The first book of the Abhidhamma basket.
diṭṭhigata: thicket of views — Hardened speculative views.
dosa: hatred — Unwholesome root; every form of aversion, from irritation to fear.
dukkha: suffering, unsatisfactoriness
ekaggatā: one-pointedness — concentration (jhāna factor).
ghāna: nose
javana: impulsion — The kammically active 'running' moments in the cognitive process.
jhāna: absorption — Meditative absorption (stage of concentration).
jivhā: tongue
jīvitindriya: life faculty — The factor that keeps co-arisen states alive.
kāmāvacara: sense sphere — The class of consciousness belonging to ordinary sensual existence.
kamma: intention and action — Action as intentional doing (kamma) with consequences: what is done out of greed, hatred or delusion bears different fruit from what is done in their absence. The canon means intention, deed and effect — not a ledger of fate.
kāya: body — (first satipaṭṭhāna).
khandha: aggregate — (rūpa, vedanā, saññā, saṅkhāra, viññāṇa).
kiriya: functional — Consciousness that neither creates kamma nor is its fruit.
kusala: wholesome — What comes from non-greed, non-hatred and non-delusion and leads to welfare.
lobha: greed — Unwholesome root; reaching for and holding on.
lokiya / lokuttara: mundane / supramundane
magga: path — (supramundane); the moment that cuts through the fetters.
mahābhūta: great element — Earth, water, fire, air — the four basic qualities of all matter.
manasikāra: attention — The factor that turns the mind towards an object — prior to any evaluation.
manodvārāvajjana: mind-door adverting — The moment that opens a purely mental process — and determines at the sense door.
moha: delusion — Unwholesome root; not seeing what is there.
ñāṇa: knowledge
nevasaññānāsaññāyatana: base of neither-perception-nor-non-perception — The fourth and subtlest of the formless attainments.
nibbāna: extinguishing — The going out of greed, hatred and delusion — the unconditioned, not a place and not a state of mind.
pāli: the canonical language of Theravāda — Literally 'text, line' — the language of the southern canon.
pañcadvārāvajjana: five-door adverting — The first active moment of a sense process.
parinibbāna: final extinguishing — The going out of the aggregates at the death of an accomplished one.
paṭigha: aversion — The fifth fetter; resistance to the unpleasant.
phala: fruition — (supramundane); the tasting of liberation after the path moment.
phala-samāpatti: attainment of fruition — The deliberate re-entering of fruition — Nibbāna as object, without a new path.
phassa: contact — The meeting of sense organ, object and consciousness. Every experience begins with contact — and with it what must be fully understood.
piṭaka: basket — One of the three divisions of the canon.
pīti: rapture — (jhāna factor).
rūpa: form, materiality — The first aggregate: bodily-material form, the four great elements and what derives from them.
rūpa-jhāna: fine-material absorption — (stages 1–4).
rūpāvacara: fine-material sphere — The class of consciousness belonging to the four absorptions.
sahagata: accompanied by
sakadāgāmī: once-returner — Second stage of awakening: greed and hatred are weakened.
sakkāya-diṭṭhi: personality view — it falls at stream-entry.
samādhi: concentration — One-pointed collectedness of mind.
samāpatti: attainment — Entering an absorption or cessation.
sampaṭicchana: receiving — The moment that receives the sense impression.
sampayutta: associated with
saṃyojana: fetter — (ten; cut through by the paths).
saṅkhāra: formation — conditioned shaping force (the fourth aggregate; the volitional, forming mental factors).
saññā: perception — The third aggregate: recognising and re-recognising marks.
santīraṇa: investigating — The moment that examines the impression received.
sasaṅkhārika: prompted — A consciousness that comes about only through prompting.
sotāpatti: stream-entry
sukha: happiness — (jhāna factor).
uddhacca: restlessness — The agitation of mind; with kukkucca the fourth hindrance.
upekkhā: equanimity — / neutral feeling.
vedanā: feeling — The second aggregate: the felt tone of every experience — pleasant, unpleasant, neutral.
vibhaṅga: Analysis — The second book of the Abhidhamma basket.
vicāra: sustained thought — Staying with the object after the initial turning towards it.
vicikicchā: doubt — The wavering that cannot decide; the fifth hindrance.
viññāṇa: consciousness — The fifth aggregate: the bare knowing of an object at one of the six sense doors.
viññāṇañcāyatana: base of infinite consciousness — (a formless attainment).
vipāka: result — The result of earlier volition — itself not new kamma.
vippayutta: dissociated from
vitakka: applied thought — The placing of the mind on the object.
vīthi: process — The ordered chain of moments of consciousness.
votthapana: determining — The moment that places the object and gives way to the impulsion moments.