2.2.8. Wholesome Karma

“The fragrance of virtue travels far, even against the wind. The scent of the virtuous spreads in all directions.”
— Dhammapada

There is something quietly reassuring about the idea of wholesome karma. Yet it is easy to become distracted by it — to treat good deeds as a strategy, as if accumulating merits could offset our vices. But this is not our path. We are not seeking to collect spiritual trophies or compensate for misdeeds with moral transactions. Our task is simpler, and far more challenging: to release greed, hatred, and delusion at their root. Still, it is useful to understand how wholesome consciousness arises — and what role it plays in shaping a life of clarity and peace.

There are twenty-four wholesome cittas in total, grouped into three sets of eight. Their structure is almost identical, differing only by karmic function:

• Eight Javana Cittas — arise during decision-making and generate wholesome karma.
• Eight Resultant Cittas — are passive, arising as the fruits of past wholesome actions.
• Eight Functional Cittas — found only in arahants. Though outwardly similar, they produce no karma, as the arahant holds no residual clinging or intention.

Just as the twelve unwholesome cittas generate painful but unstable results, wholesome cittas generally give rise to joy or equanimity — and because they arise with roots (hetu), they are more stable and enduring. Wholesome results often resurface later as quiet contentment, independent of external validation. By contrast, unwholesome results tend to fade, be denied, or suppressed.

The Eight Wholesome Javana Cittas (Sense-Sphere)

These are the only cittas that generate wholesome karma for ordinary beings. They follow a familiar structure:

• Four arise with joyful feeling (somanassa), four with neutral feeling (upekkhā).
• Four arise with wisdom (paññā), four without.
• Four arise spontaneously, four through prompting.

Citta 1 — Joyful Feeling + With Wisdom + Spontaneous

This is pure generosity: acting wisely, kindly, and joyfully without any external push. It is rare but deeply natural — like a spontaneous kindness grounded in understanding. Such acts produce the strongest wholesome karma.

Citta 2 — Joyful + With Wisdom + Prompted

Here we still act wisely and kindly, but it takes some reminder or encouragement. The intention is clear, yet not entirely self-generated.

Citta 3 — Joyful + Without Wisdom + Spontaneous

This is innocent goodness — helping or giving without understanding the deeper principles. The heart moves before the mind. It is beautiful, though not yet anchored in insight.

Citta 4 — Joyful + Without Wisdom + Prompted

We do what is kind because someone asks, or it simply feels right, though without much reflection. Over time, such habits can mature into natural virtue.

Citta 5 — Neutral + With Wisdom + Spontaneous

This arises when right action becomes routine. We act wisely and ethically without emotional charge. It is calm, like quietly returning a lost wallet.

Citta 6 — Neutral + With Wisdom + Prompted

We do the right thing, though with some inner persuasion. Wisdom is present but not flowing effortlessly.

Citta 7 — Neutral + Without Wisdom + Spontaneous

Another shade of innocent kindness — helping without deep contemplation, simply because it seems proper.

Citta 8 — Neutral + Without Wisdom + Prompted

This is the most modest wholesome citta. We are encouraged to act, perhaps with little understanding, but still choose to help. Even such simple acts create merit.

The Role of Resultant and Functional Cittas

These same eight patterns appear in the resultant cittas — the second group of eight — which passively arise when past wholesome acts bear fruit. For example, recalling a generous act and feeling uplifted is a resultant citta.

In the third group, arahants experience these same modes of consciousness as functional cittas. Since they no longer create karma, these states become purely cognitive — like clear mirrors reflecting reality without grasping.

From a karmic perspective, the twelve unwholesome cittas and these first eight wholesome javana cittas generate all the karma of beings in the sensuous realm. That is the entire mechanism. And again, we must keep our aim precise: we do not attempt to force wholesome cittas to arise. Instead, we remove what obstructs them. We clean the vessel. The beauty then emerges on its own.

This text is excerpted from the upcoming book Albedo: A Course in Modern Alchemy. The complete volume will include additional study guides, glossaries, and extended teachings. Learn more about the book here.