Mudutā

Part of a series on
52 Cetasikas
as in Theravāda Buddhism
7 universal (sabbacittasādhāraṇa) Phassa Vedanā Saññā Cetanā Ekaggatā Jīvitindriya Manasikāra
6 occasional (pakiṇṇaka) Vitakka Vicāra Adhimokkha Viriya Pīti Chanda
14 unwholesome (akusala) 4 universal unwholesome (akusalasādhāraṇa): Moha Ahirika Anottappa Uddhacca 3 greed-group (lobha): Lobha (Taṇhā) Diṭṭhi Māna 4 hatred-group (dosa): Dosa Issā Macchariya Kukkucca other unwholesome: Thīna Middha Vicikicchā
25 beautiful (sobhana) 19 universal beautiful (sobhanasādhāraṇa): Saddhā Sati Hiri Ottappa Alobha Adosa Tatramajjhattatā Kāyapassaddhi Cittapassaddhi Kāyalahutā Cittalahutā Kāyamudutā Cittamudutā Kāyakammaññatā Cittakammaññatā Kāyapāguññatā Cittapāguññatā Kāyujukatā Cittujukatā 3 abstinences (virati): Sammāvācā Sammākammanta Sammā-ājīva 2 immeasurables (appamañña): Karuṇā Mudita 1 faculty of wisdom (paññindriya): Paññā
Buddhism portal
v t e

Part of a series on
Buddhism
Glossary Index Outline
History Timeline The Buddha Pre-sectarian Buddhism Councils Silk Road transmission of Buddhism Decline in the Indian subcontinent Later Buddhists Buddhist modernism
Dharma Concepts Four Noble Truths Noble Eightfold Path Dharma wheel Five Aggregates Impermanence Suffering Not-self Dependent Origination Middle Way Emptiness Morality Karma Rebirth Saṃsāra Cosmology
Buddhist texts Buddhavacana Early Texts Tripiṭaka Mahayana Sutras Pāli Canon Sanskrit literature Tibetan canon Chinese canon Post-canon
Practices Three Jewels Buddhist Paths to liberation Five precepts Perfections Meditation Philosophical reasoning Devotional practices Merit making Recollections Mindfulness Wisdom Sublime abidings Aids to Enlightenment Monasticism Lay life Buddhist chant Pilgrimage Vegetarianism
Nirvāṇa Awakening Four Stages Arhat Pratyekabuddha Bodhisattva Buddha
Traditions Theravāda Pāli Mahāyāna Hinayana Chinese Vajrayāna Tibetan Navayana Newar
Buddhism by country Bhutan Brazil Cambodia China India Indonesia Japan Korea Laos Malaysia Mongolia Myanmar New Zealand Russia Singapore US Sri Lanka Taiwan Thailand Tibet Vietnam
Buddhism portal
v t e

Mudutā (Pali) is a Buddhist term translated as "malleability", and it is the basis for the following pair of mental factors within the Theravada Abhidharma teachings:

• Kāyamudutā - malleability of mental body (or pliancy of cetasika)
• Cittamudutā - malleability of consciousness (or pliancy of citta)

These two mental factors have the characteristic of the subsiding of rigidity (thambha) in the mental body and consciousness, respectively.

Bhikkhu Bodhi states:^[1]

The twofold malleability has the characteristic of the subsiding of rigidity (thambha) in the mental body and consciousness, respectively. Its function is to crush rigidity. It is manifested as non-resistance, and its proximate cause is the mental body and consciousness. It should be regarded as opposed to such defilements as wrong views and conceit, which create rigidity.

Nina van Gorkom explains:^[2]

According to the Dhammasangani (par 44, 45) this pair of cetasikas consist in suavity, smoothness and absence of rigidity.

The Atthasālinī (I, Book I, Part IV, Chapter I, 130) states:^[2]

They have the characteristic of suppressing the rigidity of mental factors and of consciousness; the function of crushing the same in both; the manifestation or effect of setting up no resistance; and have mental factors and consciousness as proximate cause. They are the opponents of the corruptions, such as opinionatedness (diṭṭhi) and conceit which cause mental rigidity.

• Mental factors (Buddhism)
• Samadhi (Buddhism)

• Bhikkhu Bodhi (2012), A Comprehensive Manual of Abhidhamma: The Abhidhammattha Sangaha (Vipassana Meditation and the Buddha's Teachings), Independent Publishers Group Kindle Edition
• van Gorkom, Nina (2010), Cetasikas, Zolag