Preceding Mind and Subsequent Mind – The Light of Vipassana
Today, I, Dr. Soe Lwin, want to explain to you a very important Dhamma concept called "Preceding Mind and Subsequent Mind." This concept is the foundation for practicing Vipassana, and without understanding this, you will never find the path of Dhamma. The method I am teaching is not anyone's personal method—it is purely the Vipassana method of the Lord Buddha.
The Nature of Preceding Mind and Subsequent Mind
Preceding Mind refers to the minds that arise anew, taking their own nature, whenever a sense object and a sense door (eye, ear, nose, tongue, body) collide due to conditions. These minds are merely the effects (results) of past Kamma and have absolutely nothing to do with "you" (your control). Seeing consciousness, hearing consciousness, smelling consciousness, tasting consciousness, touching consciousness, and thinking consciousness are Resultant Aggregates (Vipaka Khandha). The Preceding Mind consists of the five effects (results): Consciousness, Mind & Matter, Six Sense Bases, Contact, and Feeling.
Subsequent Mind is the mind that arises at the mind door (Mano), taking the object left by the Preceding Mind as its condition. The Subsequent Mind consists of Ignorance, Craving, Clinging, Mental Formations, and Kamma. You are concerned only with these causes. After Preceding Minds have arisen and ceased, the Subsequent Mind—regarding the object it gets to know—generates wrong knowledge of it as a person or being (Ignorance), delight in that object (Craving), and attachment to that object as 'I' or 'Mine' (Clinging). This leads to exertion through physical, verbal, and mental formations, creating Wholesome and Unwholesome Kamma.
Understanding through Practical Examples
I will explain with practical examples. Seeing the clear color is the Preceding Mind, knowing it as water is the Subsequent Mind. The eye does not see water – it sees only the clear color. That seeing consciousness is the Preceding Mind arising at the eye, and the mind that knows it as "Water" in the Mano is the Subsequent Mind.
Seeing the whiteness is the Preceding Mind, knowing it as milk is the Subsequent Mind. Seeing the brightness is the Preceding Mind, knowing it as day is the Subsequent Mind. Seeing the darkness is the Preceding Mind, knowing it as night is the Subsequent Mind. Hearing the sound "dog" is the Preceding Mind, knowing it as "Dog" is the Subsequent Mind. Hearing the sound "One" is the Preceding Mind, knowing it as "One" is the Subsequent Mind.
The ear hears only the sound "dog." The concept "Dog" does not exist in the ear—it arises only in the Mind (Mano). The Preceding Mind is purely Ultimate Reality (Paramattha), while Concepts (Paññatti) arise only in the Subsequent Mind.
Preceding/Subsequent Mind and Defilements
A very important point is that there are no Defilements in the Preceding Minds. Defilements arise only in the Subsequent Mind (Mano). Seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, touching, and thinking minds are merely Anatta phenomena arising according to their own nature. Only after seeing can one like it—seeing at the eye is Preceding Mind; the Mind that likes it is Subsequent Mind.
Greed, Anger, and Delusion arise only in the Subsequent Mind. Pleasant Feeling is Preceding Mind; Craving (wanting) is Subsequent Mind. We say every being wants happiness, but we never distinguished that Feeling and Craving are Preceding Mind and Subsequent Mind. Painful Feeling is Preceding Mind; Fear/Anger is Subsequent Mind.
Regarding Delusion (Moha): Seeing is Dhamma, hearing is Dhamma—all Mind and Matter appearing in the Preceding Mind are Dhamma. We do not know that Preceding Minds are Dhamma. The Subsequent Mind not knowing that these arisen Preceding Minds are Dhamma is Delusion.
Preceding/Subsequent Mind and Vipassana
Observing the Preceding Mind with the Subsequent Mind is Vipassanā. This is called Cittānupassanā. The Preceding Mind is the object of observation as a mind-object, and the Subsequent Mind is the observing wisdom arising in the Mano. Minds arising from the collision of causes in seeing, hearing, smelling, eating, touching, and thinking exist as objects of observation. It is like they are calling out "Come and see."
Two minds cannot exist simultaneously in the Mind (Mano). Therefore, if the Path enters the Mind, the Origin (Clinging) ceases momentarily. Knowing the arising and passing of the Origin is the Path. Knowing Clinging as Clinging counts as the Path and is Vipassana. The Observing Wisdom is the Truth of the Path, and the Object of Observation is the Truth of the Origin.
How to Practice Vipassana
When practicing meditation and noting the in-breath and out-breath, wandering is the Preceding Mind, remembering the in-breath and out-breath again is the Subsequent Mind. If one knows the Preceding Mind and Subsequent Mind, wisdom arises. Before, when noting in-breath and out-breath, did everyone's mind not wander? – It wandered. Did it not come back to the in-breath and out-breath? – It came back. Did you know the Preceding Mind and Subsequent Mind? – How would one know? It is because one did not know how to practice with wisdom.
The mind will wander; it will return. Wandering is Preceding Mind; remembering and noticing the breath again is Subsequent Mind. Done—Preceding Mind, Subsequent Mind. Even the wandering is the Mind wandering.
You will hear a sound – since you are being mindful of the in-breath and out-breath here. At the in-breath and out-breath, the Kāyaviññāṇa is the Preceding Mind, and this Mano noticing it is the Subsequent Mind. As soon as sound is heard, it reaches Sotaviññāṇa. As soon as it reaches Sotaviññāṇa, just come back to the in-breath and out-breath. I want you to notice only the in-breath and out-breath. Although hearing sound, it will go to the other side. As soon as it gets there, pull it back to the in-breath and out-breath – hearing sound is the Preceding Mind, paying attention and noting the in-breath and out-breath again is the Subsequent Mind.
Pain will arise – if pain arises, [the mind] will go to where it hurts. Just come back to the in-breath and out-breath. Going to where it hurts is the Preceding Mind, coming back to the in-breath and out-breath is the Subsequent Mind.
Preceding/Subsequent Mind and Anicca
"Teacher, what is the benefit of Preceding Mind and Subsequent Mind?" – Since they are Preceding Mind and Subsequent Mind, one will eventually see that minds are not permanent. One will come to see Anicca. If one sees Preceding Mind and Subsequent Mind, will one fail to see Anicca?
Wandering happens at the in-breath and out-breath because there is no Viriya. So, be mindful of the object of in-breath and out-breath – know every time it enters, know every time it goes out. Entering and exiting is the Preceding Mind, noticing it is the Subsequent Mind. If touching, just one touch, just one knowing. Put in Viriya. Why does the mind wander? – Because there is no Viriya. Wander, come back – Viriya. If the mind goes to where it hurts, come back – Viriya. If the mind goes because of hearing sound, come back; pull it back up with this Viriya. Even this is just doing Preceding Mind and Subsequent Mind.
Preceding/Subsequent Mind and Kamma
Kusala is the Cetanā in the front. If there is Sati behind, the Cetanā ceases and disappears as soon as it is finished. Saying "Please drink some coffee", as soon as it is finished, it ceases and disappears. "I have offered coffee." When the teacher goes to his house, he complains "He didn't even offer coffee"; he is still clinging to the coffee Cetanā he offered. The Cetanā of offering coffee was finished as soon as saying "Teacher, please drink some coffee." It cannot be found anywhere anymore.
Try clapping hands; after hearing the sound, it cannot be found anywhere anymore. Similarly, just by placing Sati in the Subsequent Mind, this Cetanā arises and ceases and disappears. One cannot cling to it as "Mine" or "My property". One no longer clings to it as "My Kusala". Because of not clinging, this Kusala sends one to Nibbāna where all suffering ceases.
When eye and visible object collide, seeing is the Preceding Mind; taking that seeing as "I see" is taken by the Subsequent Mind. Seeing is seeing brightness; seeing brightness is the Preceding Mind. Taking brightness as "Day" is the Subsequent Mind. As soon as seeing with Upādāna, one clings to day and night. In English too, one is clinging to day & night. However, what is truly seen is only brightness; "Day" is not seen. If one understands Preceding Mind and Subsequent Mind and notices with Sati from behind, "Day" is just attaching a label. Truly, Day does not exist. Only brightness exists.
Preceding/Subsequent Mind and Nibbana
Subsequent Mind sends one to Nibbana; Subsequent Mind sends one to the Deva realm. It is only Subsequent Mind that sends one to the lower realms. Preceding Mind is an effect and does not concern you; only the Subsequent Mind, which is the cause, is primarily concerned with your attention (Manasikara). If the attention is right, effects arise according to right attention; if the attention is wrong, effects arise according to wrong attention.
If the Preceding Mind is seeing consciousness and the Subsequent Mind is a mind of reverence or faith, Wholesome Kamma is committed, leading to the realm of Devas (Sugati). However, if the Preceding Mind is seeing consciousness and the Subsequent Mind is a mind of anger, Unwholesome Kamma is committed, sending one to the lower realms (Duggati).
If the Path can enter in the Mind (Mano), because the Truth of the Origin (Craving) ceases, Cessation is reached. If one can contemplate in this way, one can see and know the Truth of the Path and the Truth of Cessation through Vipassana Wisdom. If so, since Craving ceases at the moment the Path arises, that Vipassana Path Wholesomeness is called Vivatta Kusala (Wholesomeness that turns away from the cycle), which leads to Nibbana and escapes from the Round of Rebirth.
Conclusion
Thus, if you can capture Preceding Mind and Subsequent Mind with Vipassana Wisdom, it will be of great help in practicing Dhamma. You come to know that Dhamma exists only in the place of Preceding and Subsequent Mind. It is not that Dhamma is not found because it is far away. It is because Preceding and Subsequent Mind are so close that Dhamma cannot be found.
Preceding Mind and Subsequent Mind are always happening to oneself. Since one does not know what the Preceding Mind has become, if we do not know how to learn Preceding Mind and Subsequent Mind, we simply do not know. If one does not know Preceding Mind and Subsequent Mind, Vipassanā does not happen anymore. It is just dwelling mostly with Moha.
If Mindfulness and Wisdom know how to enter for all of you, you can observe the Preceding Mind with the Subsequent Mind. This is the foundation of the Vipassana path, and we are only teaching this Preceding and Subsequent Mind. When we pay attention, we must pay attention only with this.
Dr. Soe Lwin (Mandalay)