Dispositions of consciousness (Buddhism)

In Hinayana Buddhism, consciousness is considered as anything that is perceived as being consciousness, whether past, present or future, internal or external, subjective or objective, gross or refined, superior or inferior, far or near.

Taken together, everything which has the characteristic of cognizing comprises the consciousness aggregate. This is consciousness in the sense of bare cognition, apart from feeling, perception or formation (mental activity).

States of consciousness are disposed according to karma in a threefold manner - profitable (moral) associated with wholesome karma; unprofitable (immoral), associated with unwholesome karma; indeterminate (karmically neutral). There are four worlds or spheres (lokas) of conscious existence experienced by human beings. In the sensual desire sphere (the lowest) there are 54 dispositions of consciousness of which 8 are karmically wholesome and 12 are contaminated by greed, hate and delusion. A further 34 are indeterminate dispositions, karmically neutral. Of these, 23 are resultant and 11 functional or inoperative. In the three higher spheres unwholesome karma is not generated. The two middle spheres - fine-material and immaterial or form and formless (rupaloka and arupaloka) - are the worlds which meditation pierces. In the fine-material sphere, 5 dispositions arise as profitable or moral, producing wholesome karma, and 10 are karmically neutral or indeterminate, 5 of which are resultant and 5 functional or inoperative. There are 4 trances or absorptions classed as profitable in the immaterial sphere (arupaloka) and 8 karmically neutral or indeterminate, 4 of which are resultant and 4 functional or inoperative. Above these in the highest sphere - supramundane or transcendental (lokuttara) - there may be counted 4 conditions classed as profitable in the consciousness-group (vinnana khanda) of conscious existence, and 4 karmically neutral, resultant. These are 4 dispositions said to be peculiar to noble paths (profitable) and 4 to fruition moment in the noble paths (indeterminate resultant) in the supramundane sphere. Therefore there are 21 profitable and 12 unprofitable dispositions. Karmically neutral results or independent functions of consciousness (kiriya-citta) account for 56 of the 89 dispositions. All but two of the 20 indeterminate functional dispositions refer to ariya or arahants only.

In Hinayana Buddhism, 89 consciousnesses are enumerated in aggregate (khanda). Of these, 21 are profitable or moral, associated with good or wholesome karma; 12 are unprofitable or immoral, associated with bad or unwholesome karma; and 56 are indeterminate (resultant or functional), karmically neutral. The unprofitable all arise in the sphere of sense and desire, whereas profitable and indeterminate consciousnesses arise in sense, fine-material, immaterial and supramundane spheres.