A Study and Analysis of the Explanation of Hasituppāda Citta in Theravāda Buddhist Scriptures

Abstract

This article aims to study the origin and context of Hasituppāda-citta, or “the consciousness that gives rise to a smile,” a concept found in the later Abhidhamma literature, particularly in the commentarial texts (Aṭṭhakathā). The objectives are: (1) to highlight the conceptual shift and terminological development concerning the act of smiling by arahants and the Buddha in Theravāda Buddhism; (2) to analyze the etymology and meaning of the term Hasituppāda-citta, both in its morphological form and canonical context; (3) to compare the idea of “the smile of arahants and the Buddha” as found in the Tipiṭaka with the explanations in the commentaries and the Nāṭyaśāstra; and (4) to illustrate the development of thought regarding untainted consciousness, particularly the Hasituppāda-citta, which is described as a rootless (ahetuka) consciousness of an arahant that produces a pure smile.

This study employs documentary research, examining the Pāli Tipiṭaka, commentarial literature, the Subodhalankāra, as well as Sanskrit texts such as Bharata’s Nāṭyaśāstra and later rhetorical literature. The research compares the usage of the terms sita and hasita in explaining the smile of the Buddha and arahants, and synthesizes academic assumptions regarding the background that may have influenced the conceptuali- zation of Hasituppāda-citta. This study reveals the dynamic development of Abhidhamma thought in the post-canonical era, the influence of Sanskrit literature on Pāli texts, and a more systematic interpretation of spiritual phenomena among arahants within the Abhidhamma tradition.