Vitakka
Encyclopedia
Vitakka or vitarka (Sanskrit
; Devanagari
: ), both in Hinduist yoga
and Buddhist meditation
, means the action of taking care of any object. It has been translated generally as "reflection" and "thinking"; in the context of meditation, as "initial application."
It refers to attention in a different way than cognitive neuroscience
, implying a very strong leading of attention
, as it leads to more concentrated mental processes: vicāra
, pīti
, sukha
, upekkha
and ekaggatā
.
Vitakka is the first element to appear in meditation's process, still present in the first Jhana, but absent of any further Jhana. In the Abhidhamma it refers to "the mental factor that mounts or directs the mind onto the object. Just as a king's favorite might conduct a villager to the palace, even so vitakka directs the mind onto the object. In the practice for attaining jhana, vitakka has the special task of inhibiting the hindrance
of sloth and torpor."
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
; Devanagari
Devanagari
Devanagari |deva]]" and "nāgarī" ), also called Nagari , is an abugida alphabet of India and Nepal...
: ), both in Hinduist yoga
Yoga
Yoga is a physical, mental, and spiritual discipline, originating in ancient India. The goal of yoga, or of the person practicing yoga, is the attainment of a state of perfect spiritual insight and tranquility while meditating on Supersoul...
and Buddhist meditation
Meditation
Meditation is any form of a family of practices in which practitioners train their minds or self-induce a mode of consciousness to realize some benefit....
, means the action of taking care of any object. It has been translated generally as "reflection" and "thinking"; in the context of meditation, as "initial application."
It refers to attention in a different way than cognitive neuroscience
Cognitive neuroscience
Cognitive neuroscience is an academic field concerned with the scientific study of biological substrates underlying cognition, with a specific focus on the neural substrates of mental processes. It addresses the questions of how psychological/cognitive functions are produced by the brain...
, implying a very strong leading of attention
Attention
Attention is the cognitive process of paying attention to one aspect of the environment while ignoring others. Attention is one of the most intensely studied topics within psychology and cognitive neuroscience....
, as it leads to more concentrated mental processes: vicāra
Vicara
Vicara means the way mind maintains attention toward any object. It first referred to pre-Hindu yoga, later in Buddhist meditation. It has been translated as "consideration," "deliberation," "examination," and "investigation."-In Buddhism:...
, pīti
Piti
Pīti in Pali is a mental factor associated with the concentrative absorption of Buddhist meditation. Piti is a very specific joy associated with a state of deep tranquillity...
, sukha
Sukha
Sukha is a Sanskrit and Pāli word that is often translated as “happiness" or "ease" or "pleasure" or "bliss." In Buddhism's Pali literature, the term is used in the context of describing laic pursuits, meditative absorptions and intra-psychic phenomena....
, upekkha
Upekkha
Upekkhā , is the Buddhist concept of equanimity. As one of the Brahma Vihara , it is a pure mental state cultivated on the Buddhist path to nirvāna.-Pali literary contexts:...
and ekaggatā
Ekaggata
Ekaggatā is translated as either "one-pointedness" or "unification". This mental factor is one of the components in the jhānas.-See also:* Arupajhana* Buddhist meditation* Five Hindrances* Jhana* Samadhi...
.
Vitakka is the first element to appear in meditation's process, still present in the first Jhana, but absent of any further Jhana. In the Abhidhamma it refers to "the mental factor that mounts or directs the mind onto the object. Just as a king's favorite might conduct a villager to the palace, even so vitakka directs the mind onto the object. In the practice for attaining jhana, vitakka has the special task of inhibiting the hindrance
Five hindrances
In Buddhism, the five hindrances are negative mental states that impede success with meditation and lead away from enlightenment...
of sloth and torpor."
Sources
- Apte, V.S. (1890; rev. ed. 1957-59), The practical Sanskrit-English dictionary. (Poona: Prasad Prakashan).
- Bodhi, BhikkhuBhikkhu BodhiBhikkhu Bodhi , born Jeffrey Block, is an American Theravada Buddhist monk, ordained in Sri Lanka and currently teaching in the New York/New Jersey area...
(ed.) (1993), A Comprehensive Manual of Abhidhamma: The Abhidhammattha Sangaha of Acariya Anuruddha. (Kandy: Buddhist Publication SocietyBuddhist Publication SocietyThe Buddhist Publication Society is a charity whose goal is to explain and spread the doctrine of the Buddha. It was founded in Sri Lanka in 1958 by two Sri Lankan Buddhist laymen, A.S. Karunaratna and Richard Abeyasekera, and a European-born Buddhist monk, Nyanaponika Thera...
). Pali text originally edited and translated by Mahathera Narada.
- Rhys Davids, T.W. & William Stede (eds.) (1921-25), The Pali Text Society’s Pali–English dictionary. (Chipstead: Pali Text Society).