Glossary
pathavi = the element of extension
apo = the element of cohesion
tejo = the element of heat or heat energy
vajo = the element of motion or kinetic energy
dhatu = element, that which carries its own characteristic marks or attributes
ahara = nutriment
arammana = object
bhuta-rupa = essentials
khana = instant
nama = mind
rupa = matter, corporeality, material, body, form, set of four great elements
upadaya-rupa = derivatives
utu = heat
vatthu = physical base
In our previous Abhidhamma classes, we have seen 89 or 121 types of consciousness (citta), 52 mental factors (cetasika), association of these factors with citta, the dependence of nama (mind) on sense objects (arammana) as well as on physical bases (vatthus).
We have said that Abhidhamma is to be remembered as ji, je, roo, ni, the four ultimate realities. Today we will study rupa (roo).
Dr Mehm Tin Mon writes in "The Essence of Buddha Abhidhamma" (pp. 224-228):
Rupa has been translated as matter, corporeality, material, body, form, etc., but none is exact. To judge from the various aspects of rupa, 'matter' is the nearest equivalent. But rupa comprises the characteristics of matter as well as those of energy. Living things with bodies are rupas.
Rupa may change state, form and colour on account of heat and cold just as matter does. Although form, shape and mass become apparent when a lot of rupa has accumulated, in the ultimate sense rupa is formless, shapeless and massless just as energy is. Scientists now know that matter and energy are interconvertible and identical in the ultimate sense. Some say there is a fifth element (space).
We find in Abhidhamma that rupa arises and perishes incessantly at very short intervals measured by small instants called small khana. Rupa is incessantly produced from four main sources – namely, kamma, citta, utu (heat) and ahara (nutriment).
All things depend on nutriment. Rupa is very short lived – it endures only for 17 conscious moments. What is formed is almost instantly gone.
Enumeration of rupa
First rupa is twofold – namely,
bhuta-rupa = essentials, and
upadaya-rupa = derivatives.
The bhuta-rupa is more prominent than the upadaya-rupa. Great masses like the earth and the sun are formed when a lot of bhuta-rupa has accumulated. There are sun gods and earth goddesses. Consequently bhuta-rupa is also called mahabhuta (great essentials).
Four great Essentials
(Four mahabhutas)
1. Pathavi = the element of extension with the characteristics of hardness and softness.
Extension means occupation in space. Tri-dimensional extension gives rise to the idea of a solid body. As not two bodies can occupy the same space at the same time, Buddhists derive the idea of hardness from pathavi. The dual characteristics of hardness and softness imply relativity. For example, a rock may be said to be 'hard' if compared with clay, but 'soft' if compared with iron. Pathavi serves as a support or nucleus for the other co-existing rupas.
2. Apo = the element of cohesion with the characteristics of cohesiveness and fluidity.
It is the apo element that makes different particles of matter cohere and hold them together. It is like the force of attraction between the positive charge and the negative charge of electricity. Many analogies can be found.
3. Tejo = the element of heat or heat energy with the characteristics of hotness and coldness.
Vivacity (liveliness), maturity, hotness and coldness are due to tejo. Both heat and cold are the properties of tejo or heat-energy. When heat flows into our body we feel hot or in pain; when heat flows out of our body to the surroundings, we feel cold and die.
4. Vayo = the element of motion or kinetic energy with the characteristics of pushing and supporting.
When we blow air into a balloon, the air pushes the walls of the balloon outwards, and if there is no balancing force exerted by the walls of the balloon, the balloon will bust. Remember that there is action and reaction at every point. Motion, vibration, oscillation, rotation and pressure are caused by vayo.
Note: The four great essentials are also known as the four great elements.
Dhatu in pali means that which carries its own characteristic marks or attributes. Element is the closest equivalent for dhatu.
Now pathavi-dhatu literally means the earth-element, apo-dhatu the water-element, tejo-dhatu the heat-element, and vayo-dhatu the wind-element. But pathavi is not the earth, neither is apo water nor vayo the wind.
The four great essentials are the fundamental material elements which exist together and which are inseparable. Every material substance, whether earth, water, fire or wind, ranging from the minutest particles to the most massive object, is made up of these four elements which possess specific characteristics as described above.
From this, one can easily see that Buddhists are not dealing with Thales' water, Anaximenes' air, Herakleitus' fire, or the Peripatetics' matter, of Greek philosophy.
Pathavi, apo, tejo and vayo are formless and massless in the ultimate sense. In insight meditation, we meditate only on their characteristics in the body, e.g. hardness and softness, cohesion and fluidity, hot and cold, pushing and balancing.
The Venerable Acharn Sujin stressed many times that there are three levels of the understanding of the Dhamma: the level of study, pariyatti, the level of practice, patipatti and the level of direct realization of the truth, pativedha. Pariyatti is the firm foundation knowledge that can be a condition for patipatti, the practice or development of direct understanding. Mistakes arise by not understanding.
If we only think about it that citta, cetasika and rupa are impermanent and that they arise and fall away, it is theoretical understanding that stems from listening to the teachings. Through the development of satipatthana, which is the practice, can the truth of what the Buddha taught be directly realised. The aim of the study of the teachings should be direct understanding of the dhammas appearing at this moment. The sati is a property of mind.
In the Jeta Grove the Venerable Acharn Sujin taught the Dhamma to Monks and to the lay followers who visited him daily. Venerable Acharn Sujin said:
“Dhamma is what is real, it has no owner. There are two kinds of dhammas: nama and rupa. Hearing and sound arise and fall away very rapidly, can we slow them down? Sati can arise and be aware of them. In the beginning there cannot be awareness of all realities that can be experienced through the six doors, because understanding has to be developed.
Sati can arise and panna can begin to understand realities, there is no other way. Thinking arises in between moments of awareness and there is bound to be doubt about realities, because doubt has not been eradicated. When sati arises, panna must arise together with it.
We should have understanding of the characteristics of realities and of satipatthana and this can condition the arising of sati and panna that directly understands nama and rupa. This is not intellectual understanding, but it is panna of another level that penetrates thoroughly the characteristics of realities, that realizes them as only elements, dhatus.”
How do we experience the body? We think of our whole body but what we take for our body consists of different groups of rupas. The rupas that are the four Great Elements arise in each group of rupas no matter whether they are of the body or rupas outside, and these are: the Element of Earth or solidity, the Element of Water or cohesion, the Element of Fire or heat and the Element of Wind or motion.
Hardness or heat are characteristics of rupa, and these cannot be changed, no matter how we name them. We can experience the characteristics that appear without the need to think of them. In this way we can begin to consider in our own life what the Abhidhamma teaches. The Abhidhamma is not a dry subject that concerns theoretical knowledge, it deals with our life. We learn about nama and rupa through the study of the Abhidhamma, but this relates to daily life.
Do characteristics of rupa such as hardness, softness, heat or cold not appear all the time whenever we touch things? The purpose of the enumeration of different namas and rupas is not merely to memorize them or to think of them, but to realize their true nature by the development of satipatthana.
(http://www.abhidhamma.org/India4.html,
Chapter 4 : A Long Way to Go).
In the Sammaditthi Sutta, (the Discourse on Right View and its Commentary), the following is said about mentality-materiality (translated from the pali by Bhikkhu Nanamoli, edited and revised by Bhikkhu Bodhi):
Sloke 52. Saying, "Good, friend," the bhikkhus delighted and rejoiced in the Venerable Sariputta's words. Then they asked him a further question: "But, friend, might there be another way in which a noble disciple is one of right view ... and has arrived at this true Dhamma?" -- "There might be, friends.
Sloke 53. "When, friends, a noble disciple understands mentality-materiality, the origin of mentality-materiality, the cessation of mentality-materiality, and the way leading to the cessation of mentality-materiality, in that way he is one of right view ... and has arrived at this true Dhamma.
Sloke 54. "And what is mentality-materiality, what is the origin of mentality-materiality, what is the cessation of mentality-materiality, what is the way leading to the cessation of mentality-materiality? Feeling, perception, volition, contact and attention -- these are called mentality. The four great elements and the material form derived from the four great elements -- these are called materiality. So this mentality and this materiality are what is called mentality-materiality. With the arising of consciousness there is the arising of mentality-materiality. With the cessation of consciousness there is the cessation of mentality-materiality. The way leading to the cessation of mentality-materiality is just this Noble Eightfold Path; that is, right view ... right concentration.
Sloke 55. "When a noble disciple has thus understood mentality-materiality, the origin of mentality-materiality, the cessation of mentality-materiality, and the way leading to the cessation of mentality-materiality ... he here and now makes an end of suffering. In that way too a noble disciple is one of right view ... and has arrived at this true Dhamma."
References:
Dr. Mehm Tin Mon, “The Essence of Buddha Abhidhamma”, publisher Mehm Tay Zar Mon, Yangon, 1995, pp. 225-228
THE DISCOURSE ON RIGHT VIEW, The Sammaditthi Sutta and its Commentary, Translated from the Pali by Bhikkhu Nanamoli, Edited and Revised by Bhikkhu Bodhi, The Wheel Publication No. 377/379 ISBN 955-24-0079-1, Published in 1991, BUDDHIST PUBLICATION SOCIETY KANDY SRI LANKA, Copyright 1991 Buddhist Publication Society, DharmaNet Edition 1994. http://web.mit.edu/stclair/www/sammaditthi.html, accessed 27 October 2003
Venerable Acharn Sujin, Chapter 4: A Long Way to Go, http://www.abhidhamma.org/India4.html, accessed 27 October 2003
Our Reference: LAN2 I:abhi72.rtf