In this book Nina van Gorkum gives an extensive explanation of the cetasika, mental factors, as they are described in the Abhidhamma.
As always, Nina van Gorkum writes in a clear style, and her overview of the Abhidhamma comes to the fore.
About the Editors
Since 2017 our Editors have been working hard to give everyone the opportunity to get acquainted with samatha meditation on buddho, a meditation system that has brought so much good to our lives. In addition to propagating this meditation system, we hope to make a valuable contribution to the knowledge of Buddhism and Buddhist meditation, emphasizing clarity, quality and depth in our publications.While you are here …
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16 Recommended Books on Buddhism and Meditation
the EditorsYou started meditating, for whatever reason. Maybe it’s a way to relax a bit more, to let go of stress, or to make suffering that you have experienced more bearable. Maybe the meditation is driven by the feeling that there is more we can access, or it is part of an investigation of reality. It […]
Ultimate Reality and Ethical Quality in the Abhidhamma
the EditorsThe second paragraph in the first chapter of the Abhidhammattha Sangaha by Acariya Anuruddha reads: “In the ultimate sense, the Abhidhamma speaks of four categories: mind (citta’s), mental factors (cetasikas), matter (rūpa) and Nirvana (Nibbāna).” The Four Ultimate Realities in the Abhidhamma Let’s take a closer look at these four categories. We begin with the […]
The Cognitive Process According to the Abhidhamma
the EditorsWords like citta (consciousness) or cetasika (mental factor) can be quite abstract (see also Ultimate Reality and Ethical Quality in the Abhidhamma). Your own experience is (I suppose) not a bunch of independent citta’s but the dynamic character of the cognitive process. Citta and cetasika come more to life when you look at the process […]
The Five Hindrances to Concentration
the EditorsThe Buddha taught with great regularity that concentration (samādhi) is a cornerstone of the path to liberation from suffering. On this path, sooner or later, you will encounter the five hindrances (pañca nīvaraṇāni) that prevent the development of concentration: Sensory desire (kāmacchanda) Aversion (vyāpāda) Sloth and torpor (thīna-middha) Restlessness and Remorse (uddhacca-kukkucca) Doubt (vicikicchā) These […]
A Buddhist Perspective on the Problems in the World
the EditorsIn the West, we live in a time of unparalleled material prosperity, rellative world peace (never before has there been as little war as today), security, freedom of speech, freedom of choice with regard to religion, spirituality, sexuality, and access to education and health care, to name but a few things. And yet… Look into […]
Arahants, Bodhisattvas, and Buddhas
Bhikkhu BodhiThe arahant ideal and the bodhisattva ideal are often considered the respective guiding ideals of Theravāda Buddhism and Mahāyāna Buddhism. This assumption is not entirely correct, for the Theravāda tradition has absorbed the bodhisattva ideal into its framework and thus recognizes the validity of both arahantship and Buddhahood as objects of aspiration. It would therefore […]
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