Glossary (English translations of Pali terms)
rupa: body; physical phenomenon; sense datum. The basic meaning of this word is "appearance" or "form." It is used, however, in a number of different contexts, taking on different shades of meaning in each. In lists of the objects of the senses, it is given as the object of the sense of sight. As one of the khandha, it refers to physical phenomena or sensations (visible appearance or form being the defining characteristics of what is physical). This is also the meaning it carries when opposed to nama, or mental phenomena.
Dr. Mehm Tin Mon writes in "The Essence of Buddha Abhidhamma" (pp. 244-245):
The six cittaja-kalapas are formed by grouping the 14 cittaja-rupas (excluding pariccheda-rupa) together as may be required.
1. cittaja-suddhatthaka (pure octad) = 8 avinibbhoga-rupas produced by citta
2. kayaviññatti-navaka (bodily nitimation nonad) = 9 avinibbhoga-rupas + kayaviññatti
3. vaciviññatti-sadda-dasaka (vocal nitimation decad) = 8 avinibbhoga + vaciviññatti + sadda (sound)
4. lahutadi-ekadasaka (un-decad of mutability) = 8 avinibbhogas + lahuta + muduta + kammaññata
5. kayaviññatti-lahutadi dvadasaka (do-decad of mutability) = 8 avinibbhogas + kayaviññatti +3 lahutadi-rupas
6. vaciviññatti-sadda-lahutadi-terasaka (tri-decad of mutability) = 8 avinibbhogas + vaciviññatti + 3 lahutadi-rupas + sadda
The following texts are from the Samyutta Nikaya, translated from the Pali by the Venerable Thanissaro Bhikkhu. These texts are for free distribution only.
Samyutta Nikaya XXVII.2
1. Rupa Sutta
2. Forms
At Savatthi. "Monks, any desire and passion with regard to forms is a defilement of the mind. Any desire and passion with regard to sounds... aromas... flavors... tactile sensations... ideas is a defilement of the mind. When, with regard to these six bases, the defilements of awareness are abandoned, then the mind is inclined to renunciation. The mind fostered by renunciation feels malleable for the direct knowing of those qualities worth realizing."
Samyutta Nikaya XXVII, Upakkilesa Samyutta
"And what is form? The four great existents [the earth property, the liquid property, the fire property, and the wind property] and the form derived from them: this is called form. From the origination of nutriment comes the origination of form. From the cessation of nutriment comes the cessation of form. And just this noble eightfold path is the path of practice leading to the cessation of form, i.e., right view, right resolve, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration. The fact that pleasure and happiness arise in dependence on form: that is the allure of form. The fact that form is inconstant, stressful, subject to change: that is the drawback of form. The subduing of desire and passion for form, the abandoning of desire and passion for form: that is the escape from form.
Samyutta Nikaya XXII.90
3. Channa Sutta
4. To Channa
Translator's Note: Passages in the Vinaya show that Ven. Channa -- apparently, Prince Siddhattha's horseman on the night of his Great Renunciation -- was proud and obdurate. After becoming a monk, he was unwilling to accept instruction from any of the other monks. (See the origin stories to Sanghadisesa 12 and Pacittiya 12.) DN 16 tells of how the Buddha, on the night of his parinibbana, imposed the brahma-punishment on him: he was to be left to his own ways without anyone to teach or correct him. According to Cv.XI, news of this punishment so shocked Ven. Channa that he fainted. He then went off into seclusion and practiced diligently to the point of attaining arahantship. As Ven. Ananda later told him, his attainment nullified the punishment. This sutta tells a different version of Channa's change of heart.
On one occasion many elder monks were staying near Varanasi in the Deer Park at Isipatana. Then in the late afternoon Ven. Channa left his seclusion and, taking his key, went from dwelling to dwelling, saying to the elder monks, "May the venerable elders exhort me, may the venerable elders teach me, may the venerable elders give me a Dhamma talk so that I might see the Dhamma."
When this was said, the elder monks said to Ven. Channa, "Form, friend Channa, is inconstant. Feeling is inconstant. Perception is inconstant. Fabrications are inconstant. Consciousness is inconstant. Form is not-self. Feeling is not-self. Perception is not-self. Fabrications are not-self. Consciousness is not-self. All fabrications are inconstant. All phenomena are not-self."
Then the thought occurred to Ven. Channa, "I, too, think that form is inconstant, feeling is inconstant, perception is inconstant, fabrications are inconstant, consciousness is inconstant; form is not-self, feeling is not-self, perception is not-self, fabrications are not-self, consciousness is not-self; all fabrications are inconstant; all phenomena are not-self. But still my mind does not leap up, grow confident, steadfast, and released (alternate reading: firm) in the resolution of all fabrications, the relinquishing of all acquisitions, the ending of craving, dispassion, cessation, Unbinding. Instead, agitation and clinging arise, and my intellect pulls back, thinking, 'But who, then, is my self?' But this thought doesn't occur to one who sees the Dhamma. So who might teach me the Dhamma so that I might see the Dhamma?"
Then the thought occurred to Ven. Channa, "This Ven. Ananda is staying at Kosambi in Ghosita's Park. He has been praised by the Teacher and is esteemed by his knowledgeable fellows in the holy life. He is capable of teaching me the Dhamma so that I might see the Dhamma, and I have sudden trust in him. Why don't I go to Ven. Ananda?"
So, setting his lodgings in order and carrying his robes and bowl, Ven. Channa went to Kosambi to where Ven. Ananda was staying in Ghosita's Park. On arrival, he exchanged courteous greetings with them Ven. Ananda After an exchange of friendly greetings and courtesies, he sat to one side. As he was sitting there, he [told Ven. Ananda what had happened and added], May Ven. Ananda exhort me, may Ven. Ananda teach me, may Ven. Ananda give me a Dhamma talk so that I might see the Dhamma."
"Even this much makes me feel gratified and satisfied with Ven. Channa, that he opens up and breaks down his stubbornness. So lend ear, friend Channa. You are capable of understanding the Dhamma."
Then a sudden great rapture and joy welled up in Ven. Channa at the thought, "So I am capable of understanding the Dhamma!"
"Face-to-face with the Blessed One have I heard this, friend Channa. Face-to-face with him have I learned the exhortation he gave to the bhikkhu Kaccayanagotta [SN XII.15]: 'By and large, Kaccayana, this world is supported by (takes as its object) a polarity, that of existence and non-existence. But when one sees the origination of the world as it actually is with right discernment, "non-existence" with reference to the world does not occur to one. When one sees the cessation of the world as it actually is with right discernment, "existence" with reference to the world does not occur to one.
"'By and large, Kaccayana, this world is in bondage to attachments, clingings (sustenances), and biases. But one such as this does not get involved with or cling to these attachments, clingings, fixations of awareness, biases, or obsessions; nor is he resolved on "my self." He has no uncertainty or doubt that, when there is arising, only stress is arising; and that when there is passing away, only stress is passing away. In this, one's knowledge is independent of others. It is to this extent, Kaccayana, that there is right view.
"Everything exists": That is one extreme. "Everything doesn't exist": That is a second extreme. Avoiding these two extremes, the Tathagata teaches the Dhamma via the middle: From ignorance as a requisite condition come fabrications. From fabrications as a requisite condition comes consciousness. From consciousness as a requisite condition comes name-and-form. From name-and-form as a requisite condition come the six sense media. From the six sense media as a requisite condition comes contact. From contact as a requisite condition comes feeling. From feeling as a requisite condition comes craving. From craving as a requisite condition comes clinging/sustenance. From clinging/sustenance as a requisite condition comes becoming. From becoming as a requisite condition comes birth. From birth as a requisite condition, then aging and death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, and despair come into play. Such is the origination of this entire mass of stress and suffering.
"'Now from the remainderless fading and cessation of that very ignorance comes the cessation of fabrications. From the cessation of fabrications comes the cessation of consciousness. From the cessation of consciousness comes the cessation of name-and-form. From the cessation of name-and-form comes the cessation of the six sense media. From the cessation of the six sense media comes the cessation of contact. From the cessation of contact comes the cessation of feeling. From the cessation of feeling comes the cessation of craving. From the cessation of craving comes the cessation of clinging/sustenance. From the cessation of clinging/sustenance comes the cessation of becoming. From the cessation of becoming comes the cessation of birth. From the cessation of birth, then aging and death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, and despair all cease. Such is the cessation of this entire mass of stress and suffering.'
"That's how it is, friend Ananda, for those who has friends in the holy life like Ven. Ananda -- sympathetic, helpful, exhorting, and teaching. Just now, for me, listening to Ven. Ananda's Dhamma-teaching, has the Dhamma been penetrated."
In our next Abhidhamma classes we will study utuja-kalapas (3) and aharaja-kalapas (2).
References
Dr. Mehm Tin Mon, 1995, "The Essence of Buddha Abhidhamma", publisher Mehm Tay Zar Mon, Yangon
A Glossary of Pali and Buddhist terms, Available at URL http://www.accesstoinsight.org/glossary.html, accessed 29 December 2003
Samyutta Nikaya XXVII, Upakkilesa Samyutta, Translated from the Pali by Thanissaro Bhikkhu. For free distribution only. Available at URL http://www.accesstoinsight.org/canon/sutta/samyutta/sn27.html, accessed on 29 December 2003
Samyutta Nikaya XXII.57, Sattatthana Sutta, Seven Bases, Translated from the Pali by Thanissaro Bhikkhu, For free distribution only, available at URL http://www.accesstoinsight.org/canon/sutta/samyutta/sn22-057.html accessed 29 December 2003
Samyutta Nikaya XXII.90, Channa Sutta, revised: Sunday 19 October 2003, http://www.accesstoinsight.org/canon/sutta/samyutta/sn22-090.html, accessed 29 December 2003
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