(always appears along with depression, ignorance, laziness, shamelessness and lack of faith)
It is a very subjective tendency which becomes involved with craving and running after what has previously been seen as pleasurable experience. Regarding this, the Ratnamala states,What is ebullience? It is restlessness of mind which is associated with passion-lust that gets involved with things considered to be enjoyable. Its function is to obstruct quietness.-Abhidharmasamuccaya
Ebullience is an utter restlessness in body and mind.The Pancaskandhaprakarana says,
What is ebullience? It is the unsettled mind.The lam-rim elaborates this by stating,
Its objective reference is a pleasant and enjoyable object. Its observable quality is a restlessness of mind and a move towards its object. And since passion-lust predominates, ebullience proceeds in the observable quality of craving. Its function is to hinder the mind from settling on its reference.It is not proper to think that every instance of the mind going out towards something is a case of ebullience. This ebullience is a preponderance of cupidity-attachment and there are many instances when the mind goes out towards its object by way of other emotions which are not passion-lust. Since a mind can go out towards its objective reference without there being any emotions involved, every going out towards its object is not a case of ebullience.