Overview
Every human being possesses a unique psychological disposition based on their past kamma. In Theravāda meditation, a skilled teacher (kalyāṇamitta) analyzes a student’s behavior, posture, and eating habits to determine their temperament (carita), and then prescribes a specific meditation subject to cure it.
The List
- Rāgacarita - The Lustful Temperament: Driven by attachment, desire for beauty, and pleasant sensory experiences. (Cured by meditating on the foulness of the body).
- Dosacarita - The Hating Temperament: Driven by anger, irritation, fault-finding, and impatience. (Cured by meditating on loving-kindness and color kasinas).
- Mohacarita - The Deluded Temperament: Driven by confusion, doubt, spaciness, and lack of clarity. (Cured by mindfulness of breathing and close supervision).
- Saddhācarita - The Faithful Temperament: The wholesome parallel to lust. Driven by natural devotion and trust. (Enhanced by recollecting the Buddha, Dhamma, and Saṅgha).
- Buddhicarita - The Intelligent Temperament: The wholesome parallel to hate. Driven by analytical thinking, inquiry, and a desire for truth. (Enhanced by mindfulness of death and element analysis).
- Vitakkacarita - The Speculative Temperament: The parallel to delusion. Driven by endless overthinking, restlessness, and theoretical wandering. (Cured by mindfulness of breathing).
Textual References
- Commentary: Visuddhimagga (Chapter III) – The definitive guide for identifying these temperaments based on how a person sweeps a floor, wears their robes, or eats their food.