The Tree of Enlightenment

Heedlessness is the source of death and of bondage in samsara,
while heedfulness is the source of the deathless, or nirvana. ose
who were formerly heedless and later become heedful, like Nanda
and Angulimala, are able to achieve the goal of freedom.
By analyzing and understanding how the objects of the
senses are perceived and assimilated by consciousness, we can
pave the way toward right understanding in terms of impermanence
and not-self, and toward control over the momentary
objects of the senses. Finally, we can achieve heedfulness, which
is the key to changing our existence from one dominated by the
afflictions to one that is purified and noble.
We can begin our analysis of thought-processes by examining
their place in our experience. Take the comparison of life
to a river, with a source and an outlet. Between birth and death,
between the source of the river and its mouth, there is a continuum
but not an identity. In Abhidharmic terms, birth or rebirth
is the ‘uniting’ or ‘connecting’ factor (patisandhi), the life continuum
is the ‘subconscious’ factor (bhavanga), and death is the
‘falling away’ factor (chuti). ese three factors have one thing in
common: their object is the last conscious factor of the preceding
life. is object determines them as wholesome or unwholesome
resultant factors of consciousness.
In this context, it is important to remember that bhavanga
runs concurrent with the reproductive karma that gives a particular
life its general characteristics and sustains it until it is either
interrupted or exhausted. us the past, present, and future of
an individual life are united not only consciously, by the continuum
of patisandhi, bhavanga, and chuti, but also subconsciously,
by bhavanga alone. is subconscious factor of life continuum
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