Buddha Abhidhamma - Ultimate Science - BuddhaNet

31
The principle of citta, cetasika and Nibbàna are yet to be discovered
by science. They are exactly specified and characterized
in Abhidhamma and can be verified by samatha-vipassanà bhàvanà,
i.e., tranquility and insight meditation.
The Four Paramatthas
i Citta—consciousness of the senses or awareness of an object.
Citta, ceta, cittuppàda, mana, mano, vi ¤¤àõa are used as synonymous
terms in Abhidhamma. In casual speaking, the mind
usually refers to citta or mano.
ii
Cetasika—mental factors or mental concomitants.
Cetasikas arise and perish together with citta. They depend
on citta for their arising and they have influence on citta. There
are 52 kinds of cetasikas. What we usually call ‘mind’ is actually
a combination of citta and cetasikas. Neither citta nor
cetasikas can arise independently.
iii Råpa—corporeality or material quality.
It may change form and colour on account of heat or cold.
There are 28 kinds of råpa.
iv Nibbàna—extinction of defilement and suffering; absolute
lasting peace.
The defilement of citta are greed, hatred, delusion, etc.; they
are the root cause of suffering and of the continuity of life.
Thus absolute extinction of defilement means absolute
deliverance from all future rebirth, old age, disease and death,
from all suffering and misery. There is absolute lasting peace
in Nibbàna. The Sanskrit word ‘Nirvàna’ literally means
‘freedom from craving’. “Extinction of greed, extinction of
hatred, extinction of delusion; this is called Nibbana.”
(Samyutta Nikaya 38.1)