<p>It appears the term 'hasituppāda' or 'hasituppādacitta' is <a href="https://suttacentral.net/search?query=hasitupp%C4%81da" rel="nofollow noreferrer">not found in the Pāli Canon</a>. The Pali Canon, according to Wikipedia, is as follows:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>Vinaya Piṭaka (&quot;Discipline Basket&quot;), dealing with rules or discipline of the Sangha</p>
</li>
<li><p>Sutta Piṭaka , discourses and sermons of Buddha, some religious poetry and is the largest basket</p>
</li>
<li><p>Abhidhamma Piṭaka, treatises that elaborate Buddhist doctrines, particularly about mind, also called the &quot;systematic philosophy&quot; basket.</p>
</li>
</ul>
<p>It appears the The Abhidhammattha-Saṅgaha and Dhammapada Commentaries are not part of the Pali Canon.</p>
<p>The Suttas only refer to '<a href="https://suttacentral.net/search?query=hasita" rel="nofollow noreferrer">hasita</a>' as occurring to the minds of fools.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-07-19T13:42:49.800Z
2021-07-19T13:42:49.800Z
Dhamma Dhatu
<p>From the dictionary entry on &quot;<em><a href="https://dictionary.sutta.org/browse/h/hasitupp%C4%81da-citta/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">hasituppāda-citta</a>&quot;</em>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p><em>hasituppāda-citta</em>：This term is used in Abh．S．for the <em>citta</em>
，Tab．I，72．This type of consciousness （the Buddha's smile） is often
implied in the suttas.</p>
<p><em>hasituppāda-citta</em>：lit．'consciousness producing mirth' （smile），is found
in the <em>Abhidhammatthasaṅgaha</em> as a name for the joyful
mind-consciousness element （<em>manoviññāṇa-dhātu</em>，Tab．I．72） arising as
functional consciousness independent of <em>kamma</em> （<em>kiriya-citta</em>），only in
the <em>Arahat</em>．- （App.）.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>From the dictionary entry on &quot;<em><a href="https://dsal.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/app/pali_query.py?qs=hasita&amp;searchhws=yes" rel="nofollow noreferrer">hasita</a></em>&quot;:</p>
<blockquote>
<p><em>Hasita Hasita</em> [pp. of <em>hasati</em>, representing both Sk. <em>hasita</em> &amp; <em>hṛṣita</em>]
laughing, merry; (nt.) laughter, mirth <a href="https://suttacentral.net/an3.107/en/sujato" rel="nofollow noreferrer">A i.261</a>; Pv iii.35 (=<em>hasitavant</em>
<em>hasita-mukhin</em> C.); Miln 297; Bu i.28; J i.62 (? read <em>hesita</em>); iii.223;
Vism 20.<br />
-<em>uppāda</em> &quot;genesis of mirth,&quot; aesthetic faculty Tikp 276; see Cpd. 20 sq.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>From the dictionary entry on &quot;<em><a href="https://dsal.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/app/pali_query.py?qs=upp%C4%81da&amp;searchhws=yes" rel="nofollow noreferrer">uppāda</a></em>&quot;:</p>
<blockquote>
<p><em>Uppāda Uppāda2</em> [Sk. <em>utpāda</em>, <em>ud</em> + <em>pad</em>] coming into existence,
appearance, birth Vin i.185; D i.185; S iii.39 (+ <em>vaya</em>); iv.14; v.30;
A i.152 (+ <em>vaya</em>), 286, 296; ii.248 (<em>taṇh</em>˚); iii.123 (<em>citt</em>˚ state of
consciousness); iv.65 (id.); Dh 182, 194; J i.59, 107 (<em>sat</em>˚); Vbh 303
(<em>citt</em>˚), 375 (<em>taṇh</em>˚); PvA 10; ThA 282. — <em>anuppāda</em> either &quot;not coming
into existence&quot; D iii.270, M i.60; A i.286, 296; ii.214, 249: iii.84
sq.; Ps i.59, 66; Dhs 1367; or &quot;not ripe&quot; D i.12.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>So &quot;<em>hasituppāda-citta</em>&quot; refers to the mental state of an arahant that generates a smile. This term had apparently originated in the Abhidhamma.</p>
<p>Please see the questions &quot;<a href="https://buddhism.stackexchange.com/q/8093/471">Are there examples of the Buddha showing humour in the Pali Canon?</a>&quot; and &quot;<a href="https://buddhism.stackexchange.com/q/43929/471">The Buddha and the act of smiling</a>&quot;. Sutta or commentary examples of &quot;<em>hasituppāda-citta</em>&quot; can be found in the answers to these questions.</p>
<p>The explanation on <em>hasituppāda-citta</em> comes in <a href="https://buddhism.stackexchange.com/a/8119/471">this answer</a> by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yuttadhammo_Bhikkhu" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Ven. Yuttadhammo</a>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>You could say the Buddha and arahants had a peculiar form of
humour.... The <em>hasituppādacitta</em> (smiling-producing mind) is a <em>citta</em>
unique to enlightened beings. While they can also smile due to
beautiful-functional cittas, the <em>hasituppādacitta</em> is rootless,
containing none of the wholesome or unwholesome roots.</p>
<p>This means they would smile at things ordinary folk wouldn't, like
brahmas being born as pigs (<a href="https://www.tipitaka.net/tipitaka/dhp/verseload.php?verse=338" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Dhp-A 338</a>), or ghosts
being tortured for past misdeeds (<a href="https://www.tipitaka.net/tipitaka/dhp/verseload.php?verse=071" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Dhp-A 71</a>).</p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-07-18T15:38:48.087Z
A detailed explanation of the etymology of the word and its semantics. Thanks @ruben2020. So the enigmatic smile of the Buddha is this very hasituppādacitta. I think it stays enigmatic because why he smiles remains unknown, beyond the comprehension of puthujjana like us, rootless as it is.
Sushil Fotedar
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-07-19T13:34:46.830Z
i marked this answer down because it appeared to copy & paste blogs rather than was references from the Pāli Canon, as asked in the question. It appears Dhammapada & Abhidhamma commentaries are not part of the Pali Canon. Also, this answer appears to only include one sutta reference about  hasita from A i.261 (which i had to link), which is unrelated to Arahants but is about fools.
Dhamma Dhatu
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-07-18T14:57:31.877Z
2021-07-19T13:35:32.600Z
2021-07-19T13:35:32.600Z
ruben2020
<p>What is hasituppāda, the so-called rootless, mirth-producing, mind-consciousness element of an Arahant? What is its basis? What is its purpose, if any? Could someone provide me the details of the same with references from the Pāli Canon?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-10-13T16:03:08.710Z
I think it is helpful @Jade Empire. Thanks.
Sushil Fotedar
<consciousness><arahant>
The rootless, mirth-producing, mind-consciousness element
# The rootless, mirth-producing, mind-consciousness element

(Asked by: username_0 on 2021-07-18)

What is hasituppāda, the so-called rootless, mirth-producing, mind-consciousness element of an Arahant? What is its basis? What is its purpose, if any? Could someone provide me the details of the same with references from the Pāli Canon?

**Tags:** consciousness, arahant

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: I think it is helpful @Jade Empire. Thanks.  

---

## 2 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2021-07-18. Score: 2 | Accepted answer

From the dictionary entry on "*[hasituppāda-citta](https://dictionary.sutta.org/browse/h/hasitupp%C4%81da-citta/)"*:

> *hasituppāda-citta*：This term is used in Abh．S．for the *citta*
> ，Tab．I，72．This type of consciousness （the Buddha's smile） is often
> implied in the suttas.
>
> *hasituppāda-citta*：lit．'consciousness producing mirth' （smile），is found
> in the *Abhidhammatthasaṅgaha* as a name for the joyful
> mind-consciousness element （*manoviññāṇa-dhātu*，Tab．I．72） arising as
> functional consciousness independent of *kamma* （*kiriya-citta*），only in
> the *Arahat*．- （App.）.

From the dictionary entry on "*[hasita](https://dsal.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/app/pali_query.py?qs=hasita&searchhws=yes)*":

> *Hasita Hasita* [pp. of *hasati*, representing both Sk. *hasita* & *hṛṣita*]
> laughing, merry; (nt.) laughter, mirth [A i.261](https://suttacentral.net/an3.107/en/sujato); Pv iii.35 (=*hasitavant*
> *hasita-mukhin* C.); Miln 297; Bu i.28; J i.62 (? read *hesita*); iii.223;
> Vism 20.  
> -*uppāda* "genesis of mirth," aesthetic faculty Tikp 276; see Cpd. 20 sq.

From the dictionary entry on "*[uppāda](https://dsal.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/app/pali_query.py?qs=upp%C4%81da&searchhws=yes)*":

> *Uppāda Uppāda2* [Sk. *utpāda*, *ud* + *pad*] coming into existence,
> appearance, birth Vin i.185; D i.185; S iii.39 (+ *vaya*); iv.14; v.30;
> A i.152 (+ *vaya*), 286, 296; ii.248 (*taṇh*˚); iii.123 (*citt*˚ state of
> consciousness); iv.65 (id.); Dh 182, 194; J i.59, 107 (*sat*˚); Vbh 303
> (*citt*˚), 375 (*taṇh*˚); PvA 10; ThA 282. — *anuppāda* either "not coming
> into existence" D iii.270, M i.60; A i.286, 296; ii.214, 249: iii.84
> sq.; Ps i.59, 66; Dhs 1367; or "not ripe" D i.12.

So "*hasituppāda-citta*" refers to the mental state of an arahant that generates a smile. This term had apparently originated in the Abhidhamma.

Please see the questions "[Are there examples of the Buddha showing humour in the Pali Canon?](https://buddhism.stackexchange.com/q/8093/471)" and "[The Buddha and the act of smiling](https://buddhism.stackexchange.com/q/43929/471)". Sutta or commentary examples of "*hasituppāda-citta*" can be found in the answers to these questions.

The explanation on *hasituppāda-citta* comes in [this answer](https://buddhism.stackexchange.com/a/8119/471) by [Ven. Yuttadhammo](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yuttadhammo_Bhikkhu):

> You could say the Buddha and arahants had a peculiar form of
> humour.... The *hasituppādacitta* (smiling-producing mind) is a *citta*
> unique to enlightened beings. While they can also smile due to
> beautiful-functional cittas, the *hasituppādacitta* is rootless,
> containing none of the wholesome or unwholesome roots.
>
> This means they would smile at things ordinary folk wouldn't, like
> brahmas being born as pigs ([Dhp-A 338](https://www.tipitaka.net/tipitaka/dhp/verseload.php?verse=338)), or ghosts
> being tortured for past misdeeds ([Dhp-A 71](https://www.tipitaka.net/tipitaka/dhp/verseload.php?verse=071)).

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: A detailed explanation of the etymology of the word and its semantics. Thanks @username_2. So the enigmatic smile of the Buddha is this very hasituppādacitta. I think it stays enigmatic because why he smiles remains unknown, beyond the comprehension of puthujjana like us, rootless as it is.  
> **username_1**: i marked this answer down because it appeared to copy & paste blogs rather than was references from the Pāli Canon, as asked in the question. It appears Dhammapada & Abhidhamma commentaries are not part of the Pali Canon. Also, this answer appears to only include one sutta reference about  hasita from A i.261 (which i had to link), which is unrelated to Arahants but is about fools.  

---

### Answer by username_1 on 2021-07-19. Score: 0

It appears the term 'hasituppāda' or 'hasituppādacitta' is [not found in the Pāli Canon](https://suttacentral.net/search?query=hasitupp%C4%81da). The Pali Canon, according to Wikipedia, is as follows:

* Vinaya Piṭaka ("Discipline Basket"), dealing with rules or discipline of the Sangha
* Sutta Piṭaka , discourses and sermons of Buddha, some religious poetry and is the largest basket
* Abhidhamma Piṭaka, treatises that elaborate Buddhist doctrines, particularly about mind, also called the "systematic philosophy" basket.

It appears the The Abhidhammattha-Saṅgaha and Dhammapada Commentaries are not part of the Pali Canon.

The Suttas only refer to '[hasita](https://suttacentral.net/search?query=hasita)' as occurring to the minds of fools.


---

