The Citta and cestasikas

In Abhidhamma psychology, consciousness (citta) is never a solitary occurrence. It always arises accompanied by a cluster of mental factors known as cetasikas. These mental factors condition and flavour the experience of each moment of awareness, giving it its particular character.

The citta may be thought of as the bare awareness — the fact of knowing — while the cetasikas constitute the contents, qualities, and tendencies present in that moment. For example, a moment of anger is not simply a citta of knowing, but one accompanied by unwholesome cetasikas such as ill-will, agitation, or delusion. Conversely, moments of generosity or wisdom are accompanied by wholesome cetasikas such as mindfulness, non-greed, and non-hatred.

There are fifty-two cetasikas described in classical Abhidhamma, each with distinct functions. Some are universal — present in every moment of consciousness — such as contact (phassa), feeling (vedanā), perception (saññā), and volition (cetanā). Others are occasional, arising only under certain conditions, and are further classified as wholesome, unwholesome, or ethically variable depending on the state of mind.

This model highlights the dynamic and composite nature of experience. No moment of consciousness is a pure, isolated event. Each arises from complex conditions, shaped by habits, karmic tendencies, and immediate circumstances. The interplay of citta and cetasikas accounts for the extraordinary diversity of mental states, from the highest meditative absorptions to the coarsest states of suffering.

By observing the arising of these factors in one’s own mind, the practitioner can cultivate insight into the conditioned nature of all mental events. This, in turn, weakens identification with passing moods and thoughts, loosening the grip of clinging and aversion. The ultimate goal is not to analyse endlessly, but to see directly the impermanence, non-self, and unsatisfactory nature of these compounded phenomena — leading to release.

“Whatever is felt is included within suffering.”
— Samyutta Nikaya 36.11