The Tree of Enlightenment

disassociated with knowledge, or associated with wrong belief.
And within the volitional value category, the presence or absence
of doubt and decision determines whether a particular type of
consciousness is prompted or unprompted, non-spontaneous or
spontaneous.
us the four subjective classifications of consciousness clarify
just how the various types of consciousness are determined by
the presence of appropriate mental states – wholesome, unwholesome,
associated with knowledge, and so forth.
Finally, I would like to examine how the mental states operate
in counteracting each type of consciousness. is is interesting
because the Abhidharmic analysis of consciousness has
sometimes been likened to the Periodic Table’s analysis of elements
by their respective atomic values. One cannot help but be
struck by the almost chemical properties of the mental states:
just as, in chemistry, a base neutralizes an acid, and vice versa,
so in the analysis of consciousness, one mental state counteracts
certain other mental states, and vice versa.
For example, within the factors of absorption (see Chapter 34),
the five mental states counteract the five hindrances (initial application
counteracts sloth and torpor; sustained application counteracts
doubt; interest counteracts ill-will; happiness counteracts
restlessness and worry; and one-pointedness counteracts sensual
desire). Where there isn’t a one-to-one relationship, groups
of wholesome factors counteract a single unwholesome factor
or group of unwholesome factors (faith counteracts doubt and
delusion; mental balance and tranquillity counteract doubt
and worry; lightness, elasticity, adaptability, and proficiency of
the mind and the psychic elements counteract sloth and torpor;
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