Pabhassara Citta?

Q & A
1

Is Arahattapala citta, means Pabhassara citta?
In the following video (Sinhalese language) Ven. Abhaya equates Pabhassara citta to Arahattapala citaa.
The way I understand Pabhassara citta is not Arahattaphala citta. Pabhssara Citta is the requirement for the development of mind.
The way I understand you experience luminous mind when you are in fourth Jhana (perhaps in the second Jhana). It is not necessarily the Nibbana.
How do you understand it?

Pabhassara Sutta

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/an/an01/an01.049.than.html

2

I understand pabhassara citta to mean the mind free from defilements (in an arahanth), in a meditative state.

Arahathphala citta refer to the state of nibbana ‘experienced’ by an arahanth, in a meditative state (with all the six senses shut down).

with metta

Mat

3

The way I understand this is Nirodha Samapatti.

4

Even Non-Buddhist practicing meditation can experience Pabhassara Citta.

5

No they wont be able to as the fine anusaya aasava wont be removed in those practices.

6

If you went to the 8th jhana and then went further, that would be nirodhasamapatti. If you simply entered into nibbana (in your meditation from a pre-jhanic state) that would be arahanth phalasamapatti, as I understand it.

7

Attachment and aversions are suppressed in normal Jhana (even if there is ignorance). So they still can experience Pabhassara Citta. Wisdom is not a requirement to experience Pabhassara Citta.

8

Yes, suppression is not removal- when attachment and aversion is suppressed they persist as anusaya and aasava (in a dormant state). Pabhassara citta is a term used only when defilements are fully removed- as in an arahanth’s mind.

with metta

9

Can you give me Sutta support for this?

10

I agree with you, non-Buddhists can experience all the Dhamas and the
Buddha even was quoted as saying this in some of the early Sutta.

11

I cannot find the term pabhassara citta in the suttas anywhere, can someone direct me to this?

12

never mind, I have realised this is not an EBT thing and comes from later commentarial material in the Theravadin tradition.

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13

It is in AN 1.49 and AN 1.50.

Radiant/bright, mendicants, is the mind.
“Pabhassaramidaṁ, bhikkhave, cittaṁ.

But it’s altered by incoming impurities.”
TaÃąca kho āgantukehi upakkilesehi upakkiliáš­áš­han”ti.

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14

Thanks @Joe.C , but I do not think that this is the same. It is one thing to say that the mind is radiant, another to say, as seems to be suggested by the usage above, something like “radiance-mind” and “arahant-mind”.

15

That is what B. Sujato translate. So depend on how you interpreted the Sutta.

For me, it is basically the mind is radiance when it has become completely pure (from senses, asava, kilesa). This is referring to mind that is in Jhana especially 4th jhana.

A non returner and an Arahant have access to this 4th jhana.

16

Pabhassara citta is mind of Arahant when make contact with anything related to senses, so Pabhassara citta is active all the time in Arahant, in others not so much especially if one is not on the Path

17

How do they see then? Wouldn’t they bump into things?

18

Pabhassara citta is citta without raga, dosa, moha. Arahant sees things but does not react via ignorance towards objects of senses which is Pabhassara citta. Arahant does not fear, desire, take delight in what is seen, heard, smelled etc. it has no relation to physical senses or bases but consciousness (vinnana) on the base of them which is no more there.