Cittas - 89 Types

Perfect — here’s the full Abhidhamma classification of cittas (consciousness moments) into 89 types.

This is a cornerstone of Theravāda Abhidhamma — it shows how many possible combinations of citta + cetasikas can occur.

🧠 The 89 Types of Citta

They are divided by plane (loka) and by ethical quality (kusala, akusala, vipāka, kiriya).

1️⃣ Kāmāvacara Cittas (Sense-Sphere Consciousness) – 54 Types

These are cittas that arise in ordinary life through the five senses or mind-door.

🔴 Akusala Cittas (Unwholesome) – 12

• Lobha-mūla (Rooted in Greed) – 8
  
  

  • 4 accompanied by wrong view (diṭṭhi), 4 without
    
    

  • Each pair: prompted/unprompted
    
    

• Dosa-mūla (Rooted in Hatred) – 2
  
  

  • With displeasure + ill-will (prompted/unprompted)
    
    

• Moha-mūla (Rooted in Delusion) – 2
  
  

  • Doubt, Restlessness
    
    

🟢 Kusala Cittas (Wholesome) – 8

• Wholesome cittas rooted in generosity, loving-kindness, wisdom
  
  

• Each of the 8 can be prompted or unprompted
  
  

⚪ Vipāka Cittas (Resultant) – 23

• Sense-consciousness cittas – 10
  
  

  • 5 wholesome-resultant (seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, touching)
    
    

  • 5 unwholesome-resultant
    
    

• Receiving consciousness – 2
  
  

  • Wholesome-resultant / unwholesome-resultant
    
    

• Investigating consciousness – 3
  
  

  • Pleasant, neutral, or equanimous
    
    

• Functional (kiriya) – 3
  
  

  • For arahants only — similar to above but produce no future kamma
    
    

• Sense-door adverting – 1
  
  

• Mind-door adverting – 1
  
  

• Smile-producing (hasituppāda) – 1 (only in arahants)
  
  

⚪ Kiriya Cittas (Functional, Arahant-only) – 8

• Wholesome-like cittas but not generating kamma
  
  

• Same pattern as the 8 kāmāvacara kusala cittas, but purely functional
  
  

2️⃣ Rūpāvacara Cittas (Fine-Material Jhāna Consciousness) – 15 Types

These are jhānic cittas with fine-material (form) meditation objects:

Jhāna Stage

Kusala

Vipāka

Kiriya

1st Jhāna

1

1

1

2nd Jhāna

1

1

1

3rd Jhāna

1

1

1

4th Jhāna

1

1

1

5th Jhāna

1

1

1

Total: 5×3 = 15

3️⃣ Arūpāvacara Cittas (Immaterial Jhāna Consciousness) – 12 Types

Meditations on formless objects (space, consciousness, nothingness, neither perception nor non-perception).

Arūpa Sphere

Kusala

Vipāka

Kiriya

Infinite Space

1

1

1

Infinite Consciousness

1

1

1

Nothingness

1

1

1

Neither-Perception-nor-Non-Perception

1

1

1

Total: 4×3 = 12

4️⃣ Lokuttara Cittas (Supramundane Consciousness) – 8 Types

These are magga (path) and phala (fruition) cittas for the four stages of enlightenment:

Stage

Magga (Path)

Phala (Fruition)

Sotāpanna (Stream-entry)

1

1

Sakadāgāmi (Once-return)

1

1

Anāgāmi (Non-return)

1

1

Arahant (Fully Awakened)

1

1

Total: 4×2 = 8

✅ Grand Total

54 (kāmāvacara) + 15 (rūpāvacara) + 12 (arūpāvacara) + 8 (lokuttara) = 89 cittas

🧩 Key Point

Each of these 89 cittas is:

• One citta-moment
  
  

• With its own cetasika combination
  
  

• Taking an object (ārammaṇa)
  
  

• Arising due to conditions (kamma, sense-base, object, etc.)
  
  

They differ by:

• Ethical quality (wholesome / unwholesome / neutral)
  
  

• Sphere (sense, fine-material, immaterial, supramundane)
  
  

• Function (producing kamma, giving vipāka result, or just functional for arahants)
  
  

Would you like me to make a chart/diagram grouping the 89 cittas (maybe color-coded: unwholesome, wholesome, resultant, functional) so you can visualize how they are distributed across the four planes?