Conceit, mana, is
another akusala cetasika. There is conceit or pride when we consider ourselves
important. Because of conceit we may compare ourselves with others. There
can be conceit when we think ourselves better, equal or less than someone
else. We may believe that there can be conceit only when we think ourselves
better than someone else, but this is not so. There can be a kind of upholding
of ourselves, of making ourselves important, while we compare ourselves
with someone else, no matter in what way, and that is conceit.
We read in the Dhammasangani (1116) :
What
is the Fetter of conceit?
Conceit at the thought "I am the better man" conceit at the thought "I
am as good (as they)"; conceit at the thought "I am lowly"- all such sort
of conceit, overweening conceitedness, loftiness, haughtiness, flaunting
a flag, assumption, desire of the heart for self-advertisement- this is
called conceit.
The three ways of comparing
oneself with other may occur in someone who is actually superior, in someone
who is actually equal and in someone who is actually inferior. Under this
aspect there are nine kinds of conceit (1 Book of Analysis 962 and
Atthasalini II, Book II, Part Il. Summary, Chapter II, 372.).
There is no need for comparing, no matter whether we are in fact superior,
equal or inferior. We accumulate more akusala whenever we make ourselves
important in comparing ourselves with others, no matter under what aspect.
Even when we do not compare ourselves with someone else we may find ourselves
important and then there is conceit. Conceit always goes together with
attachment, with clinging. It can arise with the four types of lobha-mula-citta
which are not accompanied
by wrong view. Conceit
and wrong view are different realities which do not arise at the same time.
When one takes a reality for permanent or for self there is wrong view
and there cannot be at the same time conceit, which is pride or self-assertion.
This does not mean that there is conceit every time lobha-mula-citta without
wrong view arises. Lobha-mula-citta without wrong view may sometimes be
accompanied by conceit, sometimes not.
The Atthasalini (II, Part IX, Chapter III, 256) gives the following
definition of conceit:
... Herein
conceit is fancying (deeming, vain imagining). It has haughtiness as characteristic,
self-praise as function, desire to (advertise self like) a banner as manifestation,
greed dissociated from opinionativeness as proximate cause, and should
be regarded as (a form of) lunacy.
Attachment is the proximate
cause of conceit, but it is attachment which is dissociated from wrong
view (ditthigata-vippayutta). As we have seen, conceit does not arise together
with wrong view; it arises with lobha-mula-citta which is dissociated from
wrong view.
The Visuddhimagga (XIV, 168) gives a similar definition, but it
mentions as manifestation of conceit "vaingloriousness" and it does not
mention the desire to advertise oneself like a banner (1 Compare also Dhammasangani
1116, and the explanation of it in the Atthasalini, Book II,
Summary, Chapter II, 372.)
In the definition of
the Atthasalini conceit as desire for self-advertisement is compared
to the desire for a banner. A banner is hoisted into the air so that everyone
can see it. We tend to find ourselves important, to uphold ourselves,
Conceit is like a lunacy or madness. Although there is no need for self-advertisement
or for comparing ourselves with others we still do so, because conceit
has been accumulated. The study of akusala dhammas is most helpful. If
we do not know what conceit is and in which cases it can arise, we will
accumulate more and more conceit without realizing it.
So long as conceit has not been eradicated there are many opportunities
for its arising, It arises more often than we would think. The Book of
Analysis (Vibhanga, Chapter 17, 832) gives a very revealing list of the
objects on account of which pride and
conceit can arise
(2 Pride is the translation of "mada", which literally means intoxication.
In 843, 844, the same list of objects is mentioned as being
objects for pride (mada) and
conceit. In 845 pride
is defined in the same way as conceit.):
Pride of birth;
pride of clan; pride of health: pride of youth; pride of life; pride of
gain; pride of being honoured; pride of being respected; pride of prominence;
pride of having adherents; pride of wealth; pride of appearance; pride
of erudition; pride of intelligence: pride of being a knowledgeable authority;
pride of being (a regular) alms collector; pride of being not despised;
pride of posture (bearing); pride of accomplishment; pride of popularity:
pride of being moral; pride of jhana; pride of dexterity: pride of being
tall; pride of (bodily) proportion; pride of form; pride of (bodily) perfection...
All these objects can
be a source of intoxication and conceit and we should consider them in
daily life, that is why they are enumerated. Conceit can arise on account
of each of the objects which are experienced through the senses. When we
experience a pleasant object through one of the senses we may have conceit
because of that; we may think ourselves superior in comparison with someone
else who did not receive such a pleasant object. At that moment we forget
that the experience of pleasant objects
through the senses
is only vipaka, conditioned by kamma. Thus, there is no reason to be proud
of a pleasant experience. But ignorance covers up the truth, it conditions
the arising of all sorts of akusala dhammas. Conceit can arise not only
on account of the
objects experienced
through the senses, but also on account of the senses themselves. When
we see someone who is blind there may be pride on account of our eyesense.
One may be proud because of one's birth, because of the family into which
one is born. Or conceit may arise on account of the race one belongs to,
on account of one's nationality or the colour of one's skin. Some people
may find the colour of their skin better that the colour of someone else's
skin. That is conceit. Conceit may also arise because of beauty, possessions,
rank or work. Or because of one's skills, knowledge, education or wisdom.
There may be the wish to "advertise" oneself because of these things. We
like to be honoured and praised and the worst thing which can happen to
us is to be forgotten, to be overlooked. We think of ourselves as "somebody"
and we do not want to be treated as "nobody". Our actions, speech and thoughts
are often motivated
by an idea of competition;
we may not want other people to be better than we are, even with regard
to kusala and right understanding.
The "Book of Analysis"
classifies conceit in many different ways in order to show different aspects.
We read, for example, about "self-disrespect conceit" (omana, 881). When
someone has self-disdain or self-contempt he still upholds himself and
finds himself important. Them is also "over-estimating conceit". Someone
may erroneously think that he has attained jhana or realized stages of
wisdom and have conceit about it. We read in the Book of Analysis
(Chapter 17, 882) about over-estimating conceit (adhimana):
Therein, what
is "over-estimating conceit'? In not having reached, there is perception
of having reached; in not having done, there is perception of having done;
in not having attained, there is perception of having attained; in not
having realized, there is perception of having realized; that which is
similar, conceit, being conceited, the state of being conceited, loftiness,
haughtiness, (flaunting) flag, assumption, desire of consciousness for
a banner. This is called over- estimating conceit.
There are many forms of
conceit, Conceit has been accumulated for so long and it is bound to arise
time and again, When we are dissatisfied with the way other people treat
us there are bound to be moments of aversion, but them may also be moments
of conceit. We find ourselves important and then we suffer again from desire
for self-advertisement; we want to be esteemed. We may be conceited about
erudition, about "being a knowledgeable authority", as the "Book of Analysis"
expressed it so accurately, We may want to prove our value to others in
the field of knowledge about Dhamma, Then we let the banner fly again.
We tend to have prejudices about certain people, even about our relatives,
we may look down on them. We should find out whether we have conceit when
we are together with other people. If we understand the disadvantage of
all akusala dhammas, also of conceit, there are conditions for the arising
of wholesome qualities such as loving kindness or compassion. We believe
that it is mostly our anger and aversion which are unpleasant for others,
but when there is conceit there is also lack of kindness and consideration
for other people, When there is loving kindness there is no opportunity
for conceit.
There are many moments of forgetfulness and then we do not notice when
there is conceit. A moment of conceit, of upholding ourselves, can arise
so easily, For example, when we hear about the salary someone else is earning,
there may be a moment of
comparing, of upholding
ourselves. Or, when one is driving the car and sees others waiting for
the bus, there may be a notion of "I have a car, I am lucky", a short moment
of comparing, instead of cultivating loving kindness and compassion. We
find such thoughts ugly and we do not like to admit that we have them,
but they arise because there are conditions for their arising; conceit
is a conditioned dhamma (sankhara dhamma). We should be sincere and investigate
the realities which arise, including akusala dhammas. This is the only
way to see that they ate non-self.
When one is young, one may compare oneself with someone who is old. When
we see someone who is sick or who is about to die, we may be glad that
we are healthy and alive and there may be conceit about our health. We
are subject to old age, sickness
and death at this
very moment. There is no need for comparing. Instead of conceit there could
be right understanding of the impermanence of all conditioned realities.
Conceit is like a "lunacy'', we are foolish when we have conceit. Conceit
is akusala dhamma, it is impure. When there is conceit there is also ignorance
which does not know the true nature of realities. There is shamelessness,
ahirika, which is not ashamed of akusala, there is recklessness, anottappa,
which does not see the danger of akusala, and there is restlessness, uddhacca,
-which is confused and prevents the citta from being stable in kusala.
Conceit is eradicated only when arahatship has been attained. The sotapanna
(who has attained the first stage of enlightenment), the sakadagami (who
has attained the second stage of enlightenment) and the anagami (who has
attained the third stage of enlightenment) still have conceit. Even those
who have eradicated the wrong view of self and who have realized that what
is called a "person" are only namas and rupas which arise and fall away,
may still cling to nama and rupa with conceit. Conceit has been accumulated
for so long. One may think "one's own" namas and rupas better, equal or
less than someone else's, even though one has realized that there is no
self.
All those who are not arahats, even the ariyans who have not attained arahatship,
have to develop satipatthana until all akusala dhammas have been eradicated.
This reminds us to be aware of what appears now, even if it is conceit.
The akusala dhammas which arise can remind us of the need to continue to
be mindful even though we do not see much progress. We should be grateful
to the Buddha who taught us all dhammas. If he had not taught about conceit
we would not have known that there are many opportunities for its arising.
It is beneficial to come to realize one's akusala dhammas.