Chapter 5 - Sankhara Causes Vinnana

Because of avijja there is sankhara which in turn causes vinnana. As a result of good or bad kammas in the previous life there arises the stream of consciousness beginning with rebirth consciousness in the new life. Evil deeds may, for example, lead to the four lower worlds. After that there arises the stream of vinnana called bhavanga citta which functions ceaselessly when the six kinds of vithi consciousness do not occur at the moment of seeing, hearing, smelling, eating, touching and thinking. In other words, bhavanga is the kind of subconsciousness that we have when we are asleep. We die with this subconsciousness and it is then called cuticitta. So the rebirth consciousness, the subconsciousness and the cuti or death consciousness represent the mind which results from the kamma of previous life.

The five kinds of consciousness associated with the five unpleasant sense objects such as unpleasant eye consciousness, ear consciousness, etc., are due to unwholesome kamma as are (1) the consciousness that is focused on these five sense objects and (2) the inquiring (santirana) consciousness. There are altogether seven types of consciousness that stem from bad kamma (apunnabhisankhara). As for anenjabhisankhara, because of the four arupakusala dhammas there arises the resulting arupa consciousness in the four immaterial worlds in the form of rebirth consciousness in the beginning, the bhavanga citta in the middle, and the cuticitta as the end of existence.

Similarly, because of the five rupakusala dhamma there arise five rupa vipakacittas in rupa brahma worlds. Then there are eight mahavipakacittas corresponding to eight good kammas in the sensual sphere. They form the rebirth, bhavanga and cuticittas in the human world and six deva worlds. They also register pleasant sense objects (tadarammana) after seven impulse moments (javana) that occur on seeing, hearing, etc. Also due to good consciousness associated with five pleasant sense objects, the registering consciousness, the joyful, inquiring consciousness and the nonchalant, inquiring consciousness. Hence, the resulting (vipaka) consciousness is of thirty two kinds, viz., four arupavipaka, five rupavipaka, seven akusala vipaka and sixteen kusala vipaka in sensual sphere. All these thirty two vipaka are resultants of sankhara.