The Foundations of Buddhism

214 The Abhidharma

enjoyable sensations are neither wholesome or unwholesome,

but considered to be the results of previous unwholesome or

wholesome karma respectively. Mental displeasure only occurs

in unwholesome consciousness rooted in aversion. In fact it is

the distinctive characteristic of these types of consciousness;

Thus, if there is mental displeasure, then we know that there is

unwholesome consciousness. Mental pleasure and neutral feel-

ing are more subtle. They can accompany both consciousness

rooted in greed and consciousness rooted in non-attachment,

friendliness, and wisdom. Accordingly mental pleasure may be

a characteristic of both unwholesome and wholesome conscious-

ness. That wholesome consciousness is, on the Buddhist view,

associated with pleasant states of mind is in line with the Bud-

dhist goal of finding a complete cessation of suffering. Thus

Buddhist thought would resist any suggestion that, in teaching

that the world is dukkha or 'suffering,' it presents a bleak and

depressing outlook on the world. What Abhidharma analysis

makes clear is that wholesome states of mind-those that con-

duce to relinquishing of attachments, those that possess the seeds

of understanding and wisdom, those that resemble most closely

the states of mind of one who is awakened-are precisely not un-

pleasant states of mind. This is not to say that one who attempts

to put Buddhist teaching into practice immediately leaves behind

all unpleasant and unwholesome states of mind-certainly the

mind may experience much pain and suffering before it finally

relinquishes its attachments. Yet it is not necessarily so.

According to another Abhidharma classification there are

those whose practice is unpleasant and who take a long time

to come to understanding; there are those whose practice is

unpleasant but who come to understanding quickly; on the other

hand there are those whose practice is pleasant who come to under-
standing slowly; and there are those whose practice is pleasant
and who also come to understanding quickly.^10 The point I am
making here by way of reference to the Abhidharma is essen-
tially the same point as was made by Bronkhorst on the basis of
historical arguments about the nature of Buddhist meditation which

we met at the end of the last chapter. The Buddhist path aims