Basic Abhidhamma: Understanding materiality (rūpa) #1

The majority of Buddhists, as well as those delving into the teachings of Buddhism, are familiar with the Buddha's assertion that there exists no self, no distinct beings—only materiality and mentality (body and mind). Nevertheless, not many possess an in-depth comprehension of the nature of materiality, the various types it encompasses, or the intricacies of mentality and its different forms.

Hence, through these series of blog posts, my objective is to provide knowledge that serves both practical purposes and a general understanding of materiality and mentality. This understanding can prove invaluable for those who wish to engage in advanced vipassanā meditation practices. For individuals aspiring to genuinely grasp the four noble truths within their lifetime, it is crucial to acquire at least a basic understanding of what materiality and mentality entail, even if not delving into the subject extensively.

The Abhidhamma is the third category (piṭaka) of the Tipiṭaka (Pāli Canon). The Pāli Canon comprises all that is necessary to elucidate the journey to Nibbāna. While the commentaries and sub-commentaries occasionally incorporate speculative content, they remain loyal to the Buddha's true doctrines and frequently provide highly enlightening examples.

Distinguishing itself from much of the Sutta Piṭaka, a prominent trait of the Abhidhamma Piṭaka is its departure from conventional truth (sammuti-sacca), focusing solely on fundamental truths or realities in their most profound form (paramattha-dhamma or paramattha-sacca).

In summary, the Abhidhamma deals with four ultimate truth or realities (paramattha-sacca or paramattha-dhamma): (1) citta (consciousness), (2) cetasika (mental factors), (3) rūpa (materiality), and (4) nibbāna. Out of the four ultimate realities, three are conditioned: citta, cetasika, and rūpa, which are characterised by impermanence (anicca), suffering (dukkha) and non-self (anatta). Nibbāna is the only unconditioned reality that is permanent (nicca), blissful (sukha) and most importantly, non-self (anatta).

The Abhidhamma extensively examines rūpa (materiality), emphasising that there exist 28 distinct forms of ultimate materiality (paramattha-rūpa). The term "rūpa" in Pāli reflects its inherent characteristic of perpetual deterioration and always changing for the worse. These 28 ultimate materialities are:

These 28 types of materialities can be categorised into two main distinct groups: concrete (real) materialities (nipphanna-rūpa) and unconcrete (unreal) materialities (anipphanna-rūpa). Concrete materialities can then be categorised again into two key groups: mahā-bhūta-rūpa (the four great essentials) and upādāya-rūpa (derived materialities).

In this blog post, I will mainly discuss about the two key groups of concrete materialities (nipphanna-rūpa), which are the four great essentials and derived materialities.

(a) Four Great Essentials: Mahā-bhūta-rūpa

The four great essentials are the four primary elements that make up the bases (the foundations) of all ultimate materialities. There are no materialities that do not possess these four elements as their base. They are:

(i) pathavī (or earth element): there are 6 characteristics of pathavī - hardness, roughness, heaviness, softness, smoothness and lightness,

(ii) āpo (or water element): there are 2 characteristics of āpo - flowing and cohesion,

(iii) tejo (or ire element): there are 2 characteristics of tejo - hotness and coldness, and

(iv) vāyo (or wind element): there are 2 characteristics of vāyo - pushing and supporting.

While all materialities have these four elements (twelve characteristics) as the foundation, the composition of these characteristics can vary. For instance, consider an 'eyeball': it might predominantly embody attributes of softness and smoothness in relation to pathavī, flowing in connection with āpo, and coldness concerning tejo (note that other elemental characteristics still exist, albeit in smaller proportions). Your 'breath' could be predominantly characterised by smoothness and lightness in terms of pathavī, hotness or coldness regarding tejo, flowing with respect to āpo, and pushing in relation to vāyo. Similarly, a non-living object such as a 'chair' might predominantly exhibit attributes of hardness and heaviness for pathavaī, cohesion for āpo, and supporting for vāyo.

However, it's crucial not to perceive pathavī as solely earth, āpo as just water, tejo as merely fire, and vāyo as only wind. These attributes are ultimate realities and must not correlate with tangible objects or physical states in a conventional perspective. They should be comprehended solely as characteristics within the perspective of ultimate reality, graspable through the insight of vipassanā knowledge (wisdom).

(b) Derived Materialities: Upādāya-rūpa

There are fourteen types of derived concrete materialities that arise dependent on the four great elements as their foundations. As you can see in the table above, the derived materialities can be categorised into six titles for clearer understanding.

(i) Translucency Materialities: Pasāda-rūpa

- Eye translucency (cakkhu-pasāda): translucent materiality capable of perceiving visible objects (rūpārammaṇa). This eye-translucency materiality operates akin to a mirror: just as your image is reflected on a mirror allowing you to see yourself, visible objects impact the eye-translucency materiality, enabling us to perceive the visible object.

- Ear translucency (sota-pasāda): translucent materiality that is receptive of sound (saddārammaṇa).

- Nose translucency (ghāna-pasāda): translucent materiality that is receptive of smell (gandhārammaṇa).

- Tongue translucency (jivhā-pasāda): translucent materiality that is receptive of taste (rasārammaṇa).

- Body translucency (kāya-pasāda): translucent materiality that is receptive of tangible object or touch (phoṭṭhabbārāmmaṇa).

(ii) Field Materialities: Gocara-rūpa

- Colour (vaṇṇa): all materialities that make up both living and non-living things have colours. Because of these colours, we are able to perceive objects distinctly. Vaṇna (colour) is also called visible object (rūparammaṇa) and is the object of eye-translucency materiality, meaning colour impinges on eye-translucency materiality for the 'seeing' consciousness to arise (so that we know we are looking at something).

- Sound (sadda): An essential aspect to understand about sound is that it isn't a concealed or latent form of materiality; rather, sound emerges under certain conditions when two or more materialities primarily characterised by pathavī element come into contact. For example, the sound of our breath arises when the ultimate materialities in the breath, predominantly composed of the pathavī element, collide, resulting in the emergence of sound. Sound (sadda) serves as the object of ear-translucency materiality.

- Odour (gandha): all materialities have their own distinctive smell that is repulsive (asubha). Odour (gandha) is the object of nose-translucency materiality.

- Flavour (rasa): all materialities have their own distinctive taste that is repulsive (asubha). Flavour (rasa) is the object of tongue-translucency materiality.

Here, phoṭṭhabba (touch) is not counted as one of the 28 types of materialities because we can only 'touch or feel' the materialities that are predominantly rich in pathavī, tejo and vāyo. As these three elements are already mentioned as three of the four great elements, they are not classified again as phoṭṭhabba (touch). Pathavī, tejo and vāyo are therefore the objects of body-translucency materiality. Āpo (flowing and cohesion) is not inclusive in phoṭṭhabba as āpo is exceedingly delicate to the extent that it doesn't generate any tactile sensation. Flowing and cohesion attributes can solely be perceived through the mind and are consequently grouped as mental objects (dhammārammaṇa) perceivable only by the mind, not as tangible objects (phoṭṭhabbārāmmaṇa) perceivable by body-translucency materiality.

(iii) Nutritive Essence: Ojā

Nutrient essence exists within all material substances to differing extents, yielding diverse outcomes. For instance, upon consuming an apple, we assimilate nutrients from it, owing to the presence of the nutritive essence within the materialities that constitute an apple. Conversely, ingesting poison introduces harmful deadly nutrients into our system, attributed to the existence of destructive nutritive essence within the materialities that constitute the poison.

(iv) Life-Faculty: Jīvitindriya

Life-faculty sustains the associated materialities that arise together with it. It is born of kamma, and is present in all kamma-born materialities (more on this later).

(v) Heart Materiality: Hādaya-vatthu

This materiality forms the base of all consciousness and mental factors: they arise with heart materiality as its base. Without heart materiality, consciousness and associated mental factors cannot arise, meaning there will no mentality as mentality and materiality are inter-dependent upon each other. The only exception where mind can arise without heart materiality as its base is in arūpa-realm (the realm of formless brahmas) where materiality does not exist and mind arises independently of materiality, and mind and matter are not inter-dependent upon each other.

(vi) Sex Materiality: Bhāva-rūpa

Men have male-sex materiality (purisa-bhāva-rūpa) and women have female-sex materiality (itthi-bhāva-rūpa). These materialities are born of kamma, and form one of the very first materialities to arise at the beginning of one's existence (rebirth).

So the questions of which types of materialities exist where may come up. Before I answer this, you must first understand how these materialities arise. You may have heard rūpa-kalāpa several times before, and so what is rūpa-kalāpa? Rūpa means materiality and kalāpa means group, and so rūpa-kalāpa means group or cluster of materialities. The four primary elements and their derived materialities do not exist in isolation with distinct forms; they are interconnected, emerging through mutual dependence on one another. There is no colour materiality arising alone, there is no eye-translucency element arising on its own, there is no pathavī element arising on its own. They all arise co-dependent upon each other. This shared (collective) nature leads to their manifestation (arising) as a collective unit termed "rūpa-kalāpa."

These rūpa-kalāpa are the basic building blocks of material form according to the Abhidhamma. One single rūpa-kalāpa consists of mainly two distinct types of material elements: the four primary elements and derived elements (color, smell, taste, nutritive essence), and other related qualities. These elements come together to form the physical aspects of our existence as well as non-living things.

Each rūpa-kalāpa is also different depending on what they are born (produced) from. Rūpa-kalāpa arise dependent upon four key conditions: kamma, mind, temperature and nutriment. Kamma-born materiality group (rūpa-kalāpa) are called kammaja-rūpa: materiality born from kamma. Mind-born are called cittaja-rūpa, temperature-born: utuja-rūpa, and nutriment-born: ahāraja-rūpa.

For better understanding, have a look at the illustration below:

Consider that the circle on the left side is one rūpa-kalāpa (group of materialities). One rūpa-kalāpa is composed of at least eight types of materialities, as you can see in the illustration above, which are the four great essentials (pathavī, āpo, tejo, vāyo) and the derived materialities (colour, smell, taste and nutritive essence). All mind-born, temperature-born and nutriment-born materiality groups (rūpa-kalāpa) are composed of eight types of materialities.

However, for some kamma-born materiality groups (rūpa-kalāpa): rūpa-kalapa may be composed of nine types of materialities (1 to 8 plus jinvitindriya), or ten types of materialities (1 to 8 plus jivitindriya and pasāda-rūpa: translucent materiality).

For instance, in our eye, there is kamma-born materiality group (rūpa-kalāpa) called the eye-decad kalāpa. It is composed of ten types of materialities: 1 to 8 plus jivitindriya and eye-translucency materiality. Because of this eye-translucency materiality in the eye-decad kalāpa, we are able to cognise visible object. Without it, we cannot see visible object (those who are born blind lack the eye-decad kalāpa, or due to the damaged eye-decad kalāpa, some became blind at a later age). It is a kamma-born materiality group, so for those who had accumulated unwholesome kamma in previous lives that can cause blindness in this life, one can be born blind. It may be the same for those who became blind at a later age (although other physical and environmental factors may also cause the materiality to become damaged).

So where do these materiality groups exist? They exist in their corresponding 'doors' (or bases). An eye-decad kalāpa cannot be present in the nose, and the nose-decad kalāpa likewise. You may look at the following table to understand which type of material groups are present in the eye:

Seven materiality groups are present in the eye as mentioned above. By examining this arrangement, one can appreciate the remarkable depth of the Buddha's wisdom, as he elucidated these intricacies to us in such thorough detail. Furthermore, the nature of anatta (non-self) becomes evident by thoroughly understanding and penetrating these materiality groups with one's wisdom. Even a mere observation reveals the absence of any self/soul – there's no specific point to identify as 'my eye,' 'my sight,' or 'this eye originates from a creator.' Instead, it's a synergy of ultimate materialities functioning in unison to perceive a visible object. This encapsulates the essence of anatta.

These seven materiality groups are also present in the four 'doors': ear, nose, tongue and mind. The only difference is that in the other four doors, the eye-decad kalāpa will be substituted with an ear-decad, nose-decad, tongue-decad, and heart-decad kalāpa respectively. In the body door, only six materiality groups: body-decad to nutriment-octad are present.

It is also important to note that in non-living objects (including plants) only one materiality group is present. It is temperature-born, and is called the temperature-octad kalāpa (utuja-rūpa-kalāpa). This temperature-octad kalāpa is composed of eight types of materialities. All other materialities produced by kamma, mind and nutriment are absent as these materialities are only present in living beings such as humans, animals, hell-beings, ghosts, devas. In rūpa-brahmas, however, nutriment-born materialities are absent as they do not consume food.

You may wonder how many of these minuscule rūpa-kalāpa are there in the eye? Only one of each type? Only two of each? The answer is an incredibly vast quantity that is beyond counting. Even when we apply vipassanā knowledge to discern, we can only perceive a minute fraction of the incessantly arising and ceasing kalāpa among the immeasurable multitude. This is the same for all types of kalāpa in both living and non-living.

You may ask why do we need to discern all these? Isn't just knowing materiality in the body as it is not enough for vipassanā?

Firstly, only by perceiving ultimate mentality-materiality (paramattha-nāma-rūpa) both internally and externally can the dilemma of a soul (or atta/self) be resolved. There is no existence of a soul to be found anywhere. Therefore, the disintegration of the compact nature (ghana) of mentality and materiality is necessary, leading to the realisation of ultimate mentality and materiality.

When the compactness is disassembled with wisdom into distinct types of materialities, the true nature of the non-self characteristic (anatta-lakkhaṇa) will emerge. The perception of a soul arises due to the perception of compactness. In the case of materiality, there are three types of compactness (ghana) that one must break down, in order to see anatta and to see ultimate materiality (paramattha-rūpa) (Vism.).

1. Continuity compactness (santati-ghana): This arises from the perception of materiality as a continuous whole, leading to the mistaken belief in the body's concrete existence. By understanding that the body consists of impermanent rūpa-kalāpa, this illusion (moha) is dispelled.

2. Synthesis compactness (samūha-ghana): This arises from the perception of materiality as a synthesised entity, fostering the belief that materiality as the self. Analysing each kalāpa by discerning the four great essentials and derived materialities helps one to wholly understand that there is no self, just materialities working co-dependently.

3. Function compactness (kicca-ghana): This arises from a lack of understanding about ultimate materiality, resulting in the misconception that all materialities rely on a 'self, similar to how plants depend on solid soil. Recognising the distinct characteristics, functions, 'manifestations, and proximate causes of each element dispels this misconception.

In essence, by discerning the ultimate nature of mentality-materiality and dismantling the notions of compactness, the illusion of a soul is dispelled, paving the way for a deeper understanding of the true realities of matter (body).

Secondly, it's important to note that vipassanā (insight) meditation is rooted in ultimate reality (paramattha-dhamma) rather than conventional truth. For instance, engaging in contemplation of the impermanence of the eye without penetrating the ultimate materialities that constitute the eye does not constitute genuine vipassanā. In such a case, one's wisdom remains partially engaged at the level of conventional truth, without fully penetrating the realm of ultimate materiality. Therefore, without comprehending and realising this ultimate reality and dismantling its compactness, the complete development of knowledge concerning ultimate reality, which is essential for initiating the initial vipassanā knowledge (analytical knowledge of mind and matter: nāma-rūpa-pariccheda-ñāṇa), remains unattainable. For those who haven't yet broken down this compactness (ghana), a thorough understanding of ultimate materiality cannot be achieved, thus rendering such understanding of materiality unfit as the foundation for vipassanā meditation.

If the first stage of vipassanā knowledge isn't comprehensively cultivated, the systematic development of advanced stages leading to path and fruition knowledge becomes impractical. Buddha mentioned in the Khadirapattasutta that without comprehending the four noble truths, one cannot escape suffering: the rounds of rebirth. What we're essentially doing by discerning the ultimate materialities is to understand the first half of the noble truth of suffering (dukkha-sacca). Dukkha sacca is essentially the nāma and rūpa because due to nāma-rūpa, the whole mass of suffering arises. Therefore, to truly penetrate this first noble truth, we must discern firstly ultimate materiality, and discern ultimate mentality afterwards (second half).

So, is vipassanā as straightforward and easy as some contemporary instructors suggest? No. Is it achievable in a brief ten-day retreat without adequate concentration or profound comprehension of ultimate reality? Certainly not. Can one genuinely attain enlightened states (sotāpanna, sakadāgami, etc.) without a strong foundation in vipassanā? The answer is also a resounding no. Thus, if you aspire to attain noble knowledge within your lifetime, exercising great caution when embarking on vipassanā meditation is essential.

The ultimate materialities discerned at this stage form the basis of vipassanā meditation. Only once the three aspects of compactness have been thoroughly dismantled can an individual be deemed to have acquired knowledge of ultimate reality (paramattha-ñāṇa). Subsequently, they can progress to contemplate the impermanent (anicca), suffering (dukkha), and non-self (anatta) attributes of materialities. At this juncture, the practitioner can witness materiality groups arising and passing away ceaselessly, both within themselves and in the external world.

If you are curious to learn how we can discern these, you may have a look at Beth Upton's videos for greater understanding. Rather than merely acquiring knowledge and comprehension, I strongly urge you to invest more effort and cultivate a heightened sense of urgency to engage in practice and personally grasp the understanding through your own wisdom. This way, you can experience without any uncertainty the profoundness of the dhamma, whether what Buddha said is true or not, expel misconceptions that Abhidhamma is not necessary for attainment or notions that Abhidhamma is not Buddha's teachings, and subsequently, utilise the acquired vipassanā knowledge to attain path and fruition knowledge within this lifetime.

May you realise the four noble truths swiftly, easily, comfortably and with great wisdom.