Glossary
jivita-rupa = material quality of life; vitality of matter; physical life
jivitindriya = vitality of mind; psychic life
ahara-rupa = Material Quality of Nutrition; nutritive essence which sustains the body
pariccheda-rupa (akasa-dhatu) = Material Quality of Limitation
rupa-kalapas = material groups (very tiny particles)
utu = heat
ahara = nutriment
vinnatti-rupa = Material Qualities of Communication
vikara-rupa = Material Qualities of Mutability
rupassa-lahuta = physical lightness or buoyancy
rupassa-muduta = physical elasticity
rupassa-kammannata = physical adaptability
lakkhana-rupa = Material Qualities of Characteristics
lakkhana = sign; symbol
uppada = arising
thiti = existing
bhanga = dissolving
Last week we learned that there are 24 derivatives (24 upada-rupas) or secondary material properties dependent on the four great essentials. Dr Mehm Tin Mon explains in "The Essence of Buddha Abhidhamma" (pp. 228 - 233):
The 4 great essentials together with the 24 derivatives make up 28 kinds of rupa with different properties.
They may be counted as 11 kinds of material qualities as follows:
1. Essential material qualities – pathavi, apo, tejo, vayo.
2. Sensitive material qualities – eye, ear, nose, tongue and body.
3. Material qualities of sense-objects – visible form, sound, odour, taste and tangibility.
4. Material qualities of sex – femininity and masculinity.
5. Material quality of base – heart-base.
6. Material quality of life – vital force.
7. Material quality of nutrition – edible food.
8. Material quality of limitation – the element of space.
9. Material qualities of communication – bodily intimation and vocal intimation.
10. Material qualities of mutability – material lightness, pliancy, adaptability together with the two forms of intimation.
11. Material qualities of characteristics – material productivity, continuity, decay and impermanence.
Last week, we studied the first five kinds in detail. This week we study the next six kinds in detail. (Mon, 1995: pp. 230 - 233)
(e) Jivita-rupa
(Material Quality of life)
It is jivitindriya-rupa - the vital force of kammaja-rupa which spreads throughout the body.
It should be noted that there is vitality both in mind and matter. The vitality of the mind is "jivitindriya", which is one of the seven sabba-citta-sadharana cetasikas. The vitality of matter is jivita-rupa.
Jivitindriya may be regarded as psychic life and jivita-rupa as physical life.
(f) Ahara-rupa (oja)
(Material Quality of Nutrition)
The gross food which is taken in by making into morsels is called kabalikarahara. Here ahara-rupa means the nutritive essence (oja) which sustains the body.
(g) Pariccheda-rupa (Akasa-dhatu)
(Material Quality of Limitation)
Pariccheda-rupa is the inter-atomic or intra-atomic space that limits or separates material groups (rupa-kalapas). As there is space between the eggs in a basket, so there is space between the rupa-kalapas (very tiny particles) as they are produced by four causes - namely, kamma, citta, utu (heat) and ahara (nutriment). So pariccheda-rupa is also assumed to be produced by the same four causes.
Pariccheda-rupa is also called 'akasa-dhatu'. Akasa is space, which in itself is nothingness. Akasa is a dhatu in the sense of a non-entity (nijjiva), not as an existing element like the four great essential elements. As one of the 28 rupas, akasa-dhatu means not so much the outside space as the inter-atomic space or intra-atomic space that separates rupa-kalapas.
(h) Two Vinnatti-rupas
(Material Qualities of Communication)
Vinnatti-rupas are special behaviours of the body and the mouth which one uses to communicate one's ideas to another and by means of which one understands another's intentions.
1.kaya-vinnatti = action by hand, head, eye, leg, etc.
2.vaci-vinnatti = movement of the mouth to produce speech to let others understand one's intentions
Kaya-vinnatti and vaci-vinnatti are caused by the vayo-dhatu produced by the mind, and they last only for one conscious-moment.
(i)Five Vikara-rupas
(Material Qualities of Mutability)
Ledi Sayadaw explained 'vikara-rupa' as 'peculiar distinctive condition'. Reverend Narada took it as "changeability of rupa". So we may regard 'vikara-rupa' as special condition of rupa.
1.rupassa-lahuta = physical lightness or buoyancy; it suppresses the heaviness in the body.
2.rupassa-muduta = physical elasticity; it removes stiffness in the body and is comparable to a well-beaten hide.
3.rupassa-kammannata = physical adaptability; it is opposed to the stiffness of the body, and is comparable to a well-hammered gold.
These three rupas together with the two vinnatti-rupas make up five vikara-rupas.
(j) Four Lakkhana-rupas
(Material Qualities of Characteristics)
There are three common characteristics of rupa and nama: arising (uppada), existing (thiti) and dissolving (bhanga). The rupas that denote these instants in real rupas are called lakkhana-rupas. 'Lakkhana' literally means 'sign' or 'symbol'.
1. upacaya-rupa = arising of rupa at the moment of conception, and continued arising of rupa till the required rupas in life are completely formed.
2. santati-rupa = subsequent arising of rupas throughout the life-term.
3. jarata-rupa = rupa that denotes development and decay during the existing period of 15 conscious moments.
4. aniccata-rupa = rupa that denotes dissolution at the dissolving moment of real rupa.
Notes:
(1) Upacaya and santati are sometimes treated as jati (birth). Then the number of rupas amounts to 27 instead of 28.
(2) With the exception of the five rupas – to vinnattis, jati, jarata and aniccata, all the remaining rupas last for 17 conscious-moments.
(3) Strictly speaking there are only three lakkhana-rupas, namely: jati, jarata and aniccata. Jati refers to rupa at the arising instant, jarata refers to rupa at the existing period, and aniccata refers to rupa at the dissolving instant.
In the "Introduction to Dhammasangani" (1995), published by the Department for the Promotion and Propagation of the Sasana Ministry of Religious Affairs, Yangoon, Myanmar, it is written:
The Buddha expounded his teachings with only one object, mainly, the attainment of Nibbana. But the presentation varies according to varying occasions and circumstances. In Suttanta discourses the Buddha takes into consideration the intellectual level of his audience and teaches the dhamma in conventional terms, making reference to peoples and objects such as I, we, he, she, man, women, cow, tree, etc. But in Abhidhamma, the Buddha makes no such concessions; he treats the dhamma entirely in terms of ultimate realities. He analyses every phenomenon into its ultimate constituents. All relative concepts such as man, mountain etc., are reduced to their ultimate elements which are then precisely defined, classified, and systematically arranged.
Thus in Abhidhamma, compounded and conditioned things arc expressed in terms of khandhas, mental and physical aggregates, ayatanas, sense-bases; dhatus, elements; indriya, faculties; sacca, fundamental truths and so on. Things denoted by conventional terms such as man, woman, etc., are resolved into ultimate components of khandhas, ayatanas, etc., and viewed as impersonal mental and physical phenomena, which are conditioned by various factors and are impermanent (anicca), subject to suffering (dukkha), and without an entity (anatta).
Having resolved all phenomena into ultimate components analytically in Dhammasangani and Vibhanga, Abhidhamma defines the conditional relations between the various constituent factors in Patthana, the last of its seven treatises. Thus Abhidhamma forms a gigantic edifice of knowledge relating to the ultimate realities which, in its immensity of scope, grandeur, subtlety, and profundity can be properly expounded only by the Buddha.
(Vissuddhimagga, VII, 26):
He is fully enlightened (sammasambuddha) because he has discovered (buddha) all things rightly (samma) and by himself (samam).
In fact all things were discovered by him rightly by himself in that he discovered of the things to be directly-known that they must be directly known, [that is, learning about the Four Truths,] of the things to be fully understood that they must be fully understood, [that is, penetration of suffering,] of the things to be abandoned that they must be abandoned, [that is, penetration of the origin of suffering,], of the things to be realised that they must be realised, [that is, penetration of the cessation of suffering,] and of the things to be developed that they must be developed, [that is, penetration of the path.]
Hence it is said:
'What must be directly-known is directly-known,
'What has to be developed has been developed,
'What has to be abandoned has been abandoned;
'And that, brahman, is why I am enlightened (Sutta-nipata 558).
(Vissuddhimagga ,VII, 27):
Besides, he has discovered all things rightly by himself step by step thus: The eye is the Truth of Suffering; the Truth of Origin; the non-occurrence of both is the Truth of Cessation; the way that is the act of understanding the act of cessation is the Truth of the Path. And so too, in the case of the ear, the nose, the tongue, the body, and the mind.
(Vissuddhimagga ,VII, 28):
And the following things should be construed in the same way:
The six bases beginning with visible objects,
The six groups of consciousness beginning with eye consciousness,
The six kinds of contact beginning with eye contact,
The six kinds of feeling beginning with the eye-contact-born,
The six kinds of perception beginning with perception of visible objects,
The six kinds of volition beginning with volition about visible objects,
The six groups of craving beginning with craving for visible objects,
The six kinds of applied thought beginning with sustained thought about visible objects,
The six kinds of sustained thought beginning with sustained thought about visible objects,
The five aggregates beginning with the aggregate of matter,
The ten kasinas,
The ten recollections,
The ten perceptions beginning with perception of the bloated,
The thirty-two aspects [of the body] beginning with head hairs,
The twelve bases,
The eighteen elements,
The nine kinds of becoming beginning with sensual becoming
The four jhanas beginning with the first,
The four measureless states beginning with the development of lovingkindness,
The four immaterial attainments,
The factors of the dependent origination in reverse order beginning with ageing-and-death and in forward order beginning with ignorance.
(Vissuddhimagga ,VII, 29):
Herein, this is the construction of a single cause [of the dependent origination]: Ageing-and-death is the Truth of Suffering, birth is the Truth of Origin, the escape from both is the Truth of Cessation, the way that is the act of understanding cessation is the Truth of the Path.
In this way he has discovered, progressively discovered, completely discovered, all states rightly and by himself step by step. Hence it was said above: 'He is fully enlightened because he has discovered all things rightly and by himself'.
References
Bhadantacariya Buddhaghosa, (no date), “The Visuddhimagga”, translated from the Pali by Bhikkhu Nanamoli, Singapore Buddhist Meditation Centre, Singapore
Dr. Mehm Tin Mon, “The Essence of Buddha Abhidhamma”, publisher Mehm Tay Zar Mon, Yangon, 1995, pp. 228 – 233
Editorial Committee – Translation Section, Department for the Promotion and Propagation of the Sasana Ministry of Religious Affairs, Yangoon, Myanmar, 1995,
http://www.abhidhamma.org/dhammasangani.htm, accessed 11 November 2003
Our Reference: LAN2 I:abhi73.rtf