cetasika
Mental factor
[ che-TA-si-ka ]
Seeing it in life
Cetasikas are concomitants of consciousness: 7 universals, 6 occasionals, 14 unwholesome, and 25 beautiful. They share the object, base, and arising-falling of the citta they accompany.
In short
52 factors that arise and pass away together with citta.
The analysis
Fifty-two mental factors that arise, exist, and cease together with citta, sharing its object and base. Grouped into four: 7 universals (present in every citta — phassa, vedanā, saññā among them), 6 occasionals, 14 unwholesome, and 25 beautiful. No cetasika arises alone; every moment of consciousness is a specific combination — which is why a named emotion is usually several cetasikas arising together, not one.
Where it sits
Cetasika is the second paramattha, and the one this dictionary spends the most time in — vedanā, phassa, and taṇhā are all cetasikas rather than citta itself. Citta is often described as bare knowing; cetasikas are what colour that knowing, moment to moment.
The Mind Deck's 52 cards are these 52 factors — not a metaphor, the literal enumerated list. What a moment 'feels like' is which of the 52 are currently co-arising: some universal and unnoticed, some occasional and specific to what's happening.
Commonly mistaken for
Personality traits. Cetasikas arise and pass with each citta; they are not stable dispositions, even when repeated patterns look like a trait from outside.
Emotions themselves. A named emotion is typically several cetasikas arising together — 'anxiety' isn't in the list of 52 because it's a compound, not a unit.
Abhidhammattha Saṅgaha II; Bhikkhu Bodhi, A Comprehensive Manual of Abhidhamma, ch. II.
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