Human Development

Mundane resultant consciousness

Description:
The Path of Purification (Hinayana Buddhism) describes this consciousness as being of 32 kinds, 10 from the five senses (each being profitable karma resultant or unprofitable karma resultant) and 22 from mind consciousness. Each is the result of stored up karma. In the sense sphere, 16 arise with the sense sphere formation of merit as condition (profitable result) and 7 with sense sphere formation of demerit as condition (unprofitable result). In the fine-material sphere, 5 arise with fine-material sphere formation of merit as condition, leading to dwelling in the first to the fifth jhanas. In the immaterial sphere there are 4 kinds which are formed from good karma having been stored up in connection with the formless realm, leading to surmounting perception of material form, abiding in rapt meditation accompanied by perception of boundless space, boundless consciousness, nothingness and finally neither-perception-nor-non-perception.
Resultant consciousness arises during a particular existence or at rebirth-linking.
In the course of an existence, this depends on profitable or unprofitable result. The five sense consciousnesses, profitable or unprofitable depending upon whether the object is desirable, desirable-neutral, undesirable-neutral or undesirable, are followed by receiving, investigating and registering through profitable or unprofitable resultant mind-element and mind-consciousness elements. The mind-consciousness elements are also active in the function of life-continuum after rebirth linking and in death at the end of the course of existence. Consciousnesses in the fine-material and immaterial spheres accomplish the functions of life-continuum and death.