Mindfulness, right mindfulness and attention in Abhidhamma

[Coemgenu]

@greenTara

My understanding is that there is not just one Theravadin Abhidhamma, so maybe Dr. Gethin is correct (that sati is always kusala) according to some source.

Yes, HHDL and his companions were comparing Dr. Gethin’s report with Abhidharmasamuccaya & Abhidharmakośa, I think.

It seems that they expected them to be mostly the same, but perhaps that only how I interpreted the dialogue.

@greenTara

According to this same source, right mindfulness is a subcategory of mindfulness where the object of consciousness is within the four foundations, e.g. body as body, etc. So this source does not support the assertion that Theravadan Abhidhamma classifes all mindfulness as right mindfulness, even though it is all sobhana.

So do you think that Dr. Gethin misspoke? Perhaps he mean to say that sati is exclusively sobhana?

I am not an Abhidhamma expert. I found this on the internet:

‘lofty’, beautiful, pure, are called, in Abh. S., all states of consciousness excepting the unwholesome and those without roots (ahetuka).

It’s from Wisdom Library. It is an unsourced quote from the Pāli Canon, I think. I’ll need to do more research before I can say more useful things to you, I apologize.

25 Lofty, pure (sobhana)
(a) primary (in every lofty consciousness)
Confidence (saddhā)
Mindfulness (sati)
Moral shame (hiri)
Moral dread (ottappa)
Generous (alobha)
Hatelessness (adosa)
Equanimity (tatramajjhattatā)
Tranquillity of mental factors (kāya-passaddhi)
Tranquillity of consciousness (citta-passaddhi)
Agility or lightness of mental factors (kāya-lahutā)
Agility or lightness of consciousness (citta-lahutā)
Elasticity of mental factors (kāya-mudutā)
Elasticity of consciousness (citta-mudutā)
Adaptability of mental factors (kāya-kammaññatā)
Adaptability of consciousness (citta-kammaññatā)
Proficiency of mental factors (kāya-pāguññatā)
Proficiency of consciousness (citta-pāguññatā)

These are the factors they are talking about? Yes?