Realities and Concepts

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REALITIES AND CONCEPTSREALITIES AND CONCEPTSREALITIES AND CONCEPTSREALITIES AND CONCEPTSThe Buddhas explanation of the worldThe Buddhas explanation of the worldThe Buddhas explanation of the worldThe Buddhas explanation of the world

SujinSujinSujinSujin BoriharnwanaketBoriharnwanaketBoriharnwanaketBoriharnwanaketTranslated from the Thai by Nina vanTranslated from the Thai by Nina vanTranslated from the Thai by Nina vanTranslated from the Thai by Nina van GorkomGorkomGorkomGorkom

First published in Thailand in March 2000First published in Thailand in March 2000First published in Thailand in March 2000First published in Thailand in March 2000

Dhamma Study and SuDhamma Study and SuDhamma Study and SuDhamma Study and Suppppport Foundationport Foundationport Foundationport Foundation

ISBN 974-85777-6-7ISBN 974-85777-6-7ISBN 974-85777-6-7ISBN 974-85777-6-7


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The Buddhas Explanation of the World

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FOREWORDFOREWORDFOREWORDFOREWORD

What is real and what is only concept? Or is anything

real? We might think these perennial questions are theirrelevant musings of philosophers. In fact, as the fol-lowing pages make clear, they are pertinent to everymoment of our lives. More than 2500 years ago, Siddhat-tha Gotama, the Buddha, comprehended the answers tothem; and with unlimited patience and compassionexplained how to develop that same knowledge. We areextraordinarily fortunate to live in a period where hiscomplete teachings are still available.

There are now many books in English that give anoverview of Buddhism, but the deeper aspects thatpeople in Thailand receive on a daily basis, on the radioand in print, are seldom seen in the West. This book is,accordingly, a very welcome addition to this sparselysown area. However, for those not steeped in the Bud-

dhist scriptures, it is a difficult read. The subject isprofound and many words from Pli language are used.Nevertheless, it is not beyond the capacity of anyonewho perseveres. The Pli terms actually promote clarityas their meaning is precise; they are used because theEnglish equivalents are too approximate and havevarying connotations. It should also be understood that

the goal of the book is not to help readers gain mereintellectual comprehension. It aims, rather, to be asupport for experiential understanding of realities as theyarise at the six doors. If this practical purpose is kept inmind the apparent technicality of the text will bebrushed aside and the deep truths may be glimpsed.


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Wise readers will then hopefully pursue further knowl-edge and consult the Tipiaka (the collection of theBuddhas teachings) and commentaries; they may evenbe encouraged to begin to study realities directly, as theyappear at this moment. Realities and Conceptsis a section from a much largerbook, A Survey of Paramattha Dhammas, by SujinBoriharnwanaket. This comprehensive guide has beenreprinted many times in its original Thai version and hasnow been translated into English. Further sections willbe published in the future.

For those who would like background reading TheBuddhas Pathand Abhidhamma in Daily Life, both byNina van Gorkom, are recommended (Zolag, London).English translations of the Tipiaka and many of thecommentaries can be obtained from the Pali Text Soci-ety, Oxford.


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About the Author

Sujin Boriharnwanaket has been explaining Abhid-

hamma and the path of vipassan for forty years. Hertalks are broadcast daily on more than twenty radiostations throughout Thailand and are a source of guid-ance for monks, nuns and laypeople alike.


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Part 1

Paramattha dhammas1 are realities, they are notbeings, people, or self. The paramattha dhammas thatarise are only citta, cetasika, and rpa,2 which each hasits own characteristic, its own nature. They arise becauseof conditions and then they fall away again very rapidly.If one does not know the characteristics of citta, cetasika,

and rpa, paramattha dhammas, which arise and fallaway and succeed one another very rapidly, one knows just concepts. One takes rpa and nma,3 which ariseand fall away in succession, for things which are lasting.Thus, one lives in the world of conventional truth,sammutti sacca. When realities appear one clings toshape and form, to a whole, one takes fleeting realitiesfor things that exist. However, when one has studied

paramattha dhammas and knows how to develop pa(wisdom), there can be awareness of the characteristicsthat appear and pa can become keener. Then thestage of insight can be reached which is the clear under-

1

Paramattha dhammas: usually translated as ultimate, absolute,or fundamental realities.2 Citta, cetasika, and rpa: Citta is a moment of consciousness

which cognizes an object; seeing, for example cognizes colour.There is one citta at a time and it is accompanied by severalcetasikas, mental factors, which each perform their own func-tion. Rpa, physical phenomena (materiality, matter), does notknow anything.3 Nma : mental phenomena, that is citta and cetasika. Rpa:physical phenomena.


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standing of realities that arise and fall away at thismoment. One will clearly see that there is no being,person or self. One will know that there are onlyparamattha dhammas that appear one at a time. This isin accordance with the truth which the Buddha realizedat his enlightenment and which he taught to others.

Ignorance is deeply rooted and very persistent. Itconditions us to cling to conventional truth and to takerealities for things, beings, and people. From the momentof rebirth-consciousness there are nma and rpa which

are arising and falling away, succeeding one another allthe time. When we leave our mother's womb and enterthis world we experience the sense objects which appearthrough the six doors. We see, hear, smell, taste, andexperience cold and heat through the bodysense. We donot know that what appears through the eyes is only akind of reality that can be seen, visible object. Realitiesarise and fall away and succeed one another all the time,

but it seems as if they do not arise and fall away andthus they are taken for something. We cling to aconcept of things as a mass, a conglomeration or whole(gaa paatti). We may do this even when we dontknow yet the conventional terms of things. Even smallchildren, who cannot talk yet and do not know themeanings of things as expressed in language, and also

animals, know concepts of a whole. When a childgrows up it learns the correct meaning of the words usedin language which denote concepts. Thus, the childbecomes familiar with conventional truth.


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If we only know conventional truth, and do not de-velop right understanding of nma (mentality) and rpa(physical phenomena), realities appear as if they do notarise and fall away. It seems that we see things, beings,and people. We may touch a cup, a plate, a spoon orfork, but in reality it is just the element of earth4 orhardness that is touched. What do we see or touch indaily life? When we touch something we are not used torealizing that the reality of hardness can be touched. Wehave the feeling that we touch a spoon, a fork, a plate, acup. Since realities arise and fall away and succeed one

another very rapidly we cling to the shape and form ofthings, to a conglomeration or mass. It seems that thespoon is hard, the fork is hard, the cup is hard, the plateis hard. In reality, what is touched is only the rpa(physical phenomena) which is hardness, the element ofhardness. Since we remember the different shapes andforms of things we know that a cup is not a dish, a spoon

is not a fork. What is real in the absolute sense is rpadhamma, which has the characteristic of hardness, butwe remember only what is real in the conventionalsense. We remember that a dish is for serving rice, abowl for curry and a spoon for serving food.

One recognizes the conventional things, which are inreality different elements of hardness. When one sees,

for example, a radio or television one takes it for grantedthat they are composed of iron, plastic, and other mate-rials. However, in reality the component parts are only

4

The element of Earth denotes solidity appearing as hardness orsoftness. It can be experienced through touch.


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different rpa elements. One may be forgetful of thecharacteristics of nma dhammas and rpa dhammasthat appear one at a time and then fall away. Oneremembers the conventional terms of things after seeingwhat appears through the eyes. There are all the timemore and more conventional terms needed becauseevery day there are new inventions. When we know theshape and form of different things which appear as amass or a whole, we know concepts, thus, conventionaltruth, not absolute truth.

We know the concept of a whole or a mass (gaapaatti) because of the experience of visible object.Apart from this we know a concept of sound (saddapaatti), we know the meaning of sounds. All thisoccurs in daily life. We should know precisely what isabsolute truth and what is conventional truth. Conven-tional truth is not real in the absolute sense. We recog-nize the shape and form of things and they appear as a

cup, a dish, a spoon, a radio, a car, or television. Humanbeings can utter sounds that form up words; they useconventional terms with which they name the things thatappear. Thus we can understand which thing is referredto. Animals cannot, to the same extent as human beings,refer to things by means of language. Sound is a reality;different sounds constitute words or names. There could

not be words or names without sounds. When someonehas eyesight he can see different things, but he needsalso speech sounds which form up words and names inorder to refer to what he sees. When someone knows themeaning of the sounds that form up words, he can speak,he can name things and refer to different subjects. We all


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cling to names which are used in conventional language.We should also know absolute realities. We should knowthe characteristic of sound, a kind of reality that can beheard. The reality of sound is named differently indifferent languages. In English the word sound is usedto denote this reality. In Pli it is named sadda-rpa.No matter how one names it, it is a reality which has itsown characteristic: it is a rpa (physical phenomena)which appears through ears, it is not nma (mentality), areality which experiences.

The commentary to the Abhidhammattha Sangaha,5

the Abhidhammattha Vibhvan, (Book 8), gives anexplanation of paramattha dhammas (fundamental orultimate realities), sammutti dhammas (conventionalrealities) and paatti dhammas (concepts). This subjectpertains to daily life, it is deep in meaning and it shouldbe correctly understood. Names can be given becausethere is the reality of sound. Sounds form up names, in

Pli: nma. This word nma does not refer to nma-dhamma, the reality that experiences. A name bendstowards, conveys the meanings of things. Namati inPli means: to bend, incline towards. According to thesubcommentary there are two kinds of names: a namewhich is suitable to convey a meaning, and a namewhich is used because of preference. About what do we

speak in daily life? Why do we speak? We speak in order

5Abhidhammattha Sangaha: an encyclopedia of the Abhid-hamma, ascribed to Anuruddha and composed sometimebetween the 8 th and 12 th century A.D. It has been translated as aA Manual of Abhidhammaby Venerable Narada, Colombo, andas Compendium of Philosophyin a Pali Text Society edition.


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that someone else will understand the subject we referto. Thus, sadda-rpa (sound) functions then as name,nma, it bends towards, conveys the meaning of thedifferent subjects we want to make known. The fact thatsomeone else understands the meaning of what we sayand the subjects we speak about depends on the wordswe use to convey the meaning, it depends on the lan-guage we choose to express ourselves. The Abhidham-mattha Vibhvan deals with several other aspectsconcerning different kinds of names. It distinguishesbetween four kinds of names. There are names which are

generally agreed upon (smaa nma), such as sky,rain, wind, or rice. There are names denoting a specialquality (gua nma), such as Arahatta Sammsambud-dho.6 Someone who does not have the special qualitiesof a Buddha cannot have this name. Then there arenames denoting activity (kiriya nma) and names thatare given according to ones liking. The Dhamma is very

intricate and detailed. We should study all realities thatthe Buddha realized at his enlightenment and taught toothers. He wanted to help people to understand the truenature of the realities which appear. The Abhidhammat-tha Vibhvanstates:

Question: For which reason did the Buddha teach theDhamma in such an extensive way?Answer: Because he wished to help three groups of be-ings.There are beings who are slow in understanding nma(mentality), beings who are slow in understanding rpa(materiality, physical phenomena), and beings who are

6

The Fully Enlightened One. Epithet of the Buddha.


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slow in understanding both nma and rpa. They havedifferent faculties: some have keen faculties, some havefaculties of medium strength, and some have weak facul-ties. There are people who like short explanations, there

are people who like explanations of medium length, andthere are people who like detailed explanations. Thoseamong the different groups who are slow in understand-ing as regards nma can understand realities as explainedby way of five khandhas,7 because nma is classified byway of four khandhas, thus, in a more extensive way.Those who are slow in understanding as regards rpa canunderstand realities as explained by way of yatanas.8

The five senses and the five sense objects are ten kinds ofrpa which are yatanas. As to dhammyatana this com-prises both nma and rpa. Thus in this classificationrpa has been explained more extensively. Those who areslow in understanding as to both nma and rpa can un-derstand realities as explained by way of elements,dhtus,9because in this classification both nma and rpahave been explained in detail.

7 The five khandhas(aggregates) are rpa (matter), sa(perception, memory), vedan (feeling), sakhra (all othermental factors) and via (citta or consciousness).8 The twelve yatanas (bases) are eye base, visible object base,ear base, sound base, nose base, odour base, tongue base,flavour base, body base, tangible-data base (includes hardness,softness, heat , etc.), mind base, mental object base. Dham-

myatana, mental object base includes objects experiencedthrough the mind-door. Mind base, manyatana includes allcittas.9 The eighteen dhtus (elements) include three for each sense-door. For the eye-door these are: eye element, visible objectelement, seeing-consciousness element. The other five doors areear, nose, tongue, body, and mind. (See Visuddhimagga XV,17)


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We should consider whether we are people who areslow in understanding only as regards nma (mentality),only as regards rpa (materiality) or as regards bothnma and rpa. If we are of slow understanding asregards both nma and rpa we need to listen to theDhamma very often, and we need to study differentaspects of the teachings in detail. This is necessary inorder to have right understanding of realities and to beable to cultivate all kinds of kusala. In this way there willbe supporting conditions for satipahna to arise and beaware of the characteristics of realities, just as they

naturally appear in daily life.The Abhidhammattha Vibhvan(Book 8) distinguishes

between six kinds of concepts that are names, nma-paatti (see Visuddhimagga VIII, note 11).

1. Vijjamna paattis, concepts which make knownwhat is real, for example the words rpa, nma, vedan(feeling), or sa (perception)10.

2. Avijjamna paattis, concepts which make knownwhat is not real, such as the words Thai or foreigner.These concepts do not represent absolute realities, cittaand cetasika which are nma, and rpa. Thai or for-eigner are not real in the absolute sense, they are con-ventional realities, sammutti dhammas. Could akusalacitta11 (unwholesome consciousness) be Thai or foreign?Akusala citta is a paramattha dhamma (a reality), it is a

10 Vedan and sa are cetasikas which accompany each citta.11 Akusala citta includes mind states with greed, delusion, oraversion. Kusala citta includes all wholesome, or skillful mindstates.


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dhamma which has its own characteristic, it is not Thaior foreign.

3. Vijjamnena avijjamna paattis, concepts of the

non-existent based on the existent. There is the expres-sion the person with the six abhis.12 The six abhi-s are real but person is not real. Thus this conceptstands for what is real and for what is not real.

4. Avijjamnena vijjamna paattis, concepts of theexistent based on the non-existent. There is the expres-sion womans voice. The sound is real, but the woman

is not real.5. Vijjamnena vijjamna paattis, concepts of what isreal based on what is real. There is the term cakkhu-via (eye-consciousness). Cakkhu (eye) is a reality,namely the cakkhu-pasda-rpa (eyesense, a realitysensitive to colour or visible object), and via(consciousness) is also a reality, namely the reality whichexperiences.

6. Avija amnena avijjamna paattis, concepts of whatis not real based on what is not real. There is the expres-sion the kings son. Both king and son are not real,they are sammutti dhammas, conventional realities.

There are objects which are real and there are objectswhich are not real. Objects can be experienced through

six doors and they can be classified as sixfold:Visible object (rprammaa) can be known through theeye-door.

12 Abhis are supernatural powers.


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Sound (saddrammaa) can be known through the ear-door.Odour can be known through the nose-door.Flavour can be known through the tongue-door.Tangible object can be known through the body-door.Dhammrammaa (mental object) can be knownthrough the mind-door.

As to visible object, this is the reality that appearsthrough the eyes. It is the object of vthi-cittas13 that arisedepending on the eyesense, the cakkhu-pasda-rpa.

When visible object has fallen away there are manybhavanga-cittas14 arising and falling away, and thenvthi-cittas of the mind-door process experience thevisible object which has just fallen away. Thus, visibleobject can be experienced through two doors: throughthe eye-door, and, after there have been bhavanga-cittasin between, through the mind-door.

As to sound, this is the reality that appears throughears. It is the object of vthi-cittas which arise dependingon the earsense, the sota-pasda-rpa. It appears throughthe mind-door after there have been bhavanga-cittas inbetween. There have to be bhavanga-cittas after each

13 Cittas experiencing objects that impinge on the six doors arisein a process of cittas, they are vthi-cittas. Visible object is not

only experienced by seeing-consciousness, but also by othercittas arising within a process. See appendix.14 Bhavanga-cittas, translated as life continuum. Bhavanga-cittasarise in between the processes of cittas. They do not experiencethe objects which impinge on the five sense-doors and the mind-door. They experience the same object as the rebirth-consciousness, the first citta in life. See appendix.


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process of cittas. Thus, there must always be bhavanga-cittas in between a sense-door process and a mind-doorprocess. When we hear a sound and know the meaningof what is heard there are different processes. When oneknows the meaning of a word there are mind-doorprocesses of cittas which think of that word. These cittasare different from cittas of the ear-door process whichexperience the sound which has not fallen away yet.

As regards odour, this is the reality which appearsthrough the nose. It is the object of cittas which arise

depending on the rpa which is smelling-sense. Afterthere have been bhavanga-cittas in between, there arecittas of the mind-door process which experience odour.

As regards flavour, this is the reality which appearsthrough the tongue. It is the object of cittas whichdepend on the rpa which is tasting-sense. After therehave been bhavanga-cittas in between there are cittas of

the mind-door process which experience flavour.As regards tangible object, this is cold, heat, softness,

hardness, motion and pressure which appear through thebodysense. They are the objects of cittas which arisedepending on the bodysense. After there have beenbhavanga-cittas in between, there are cittas of the mind-door process which experience tangible object.

The five classes of sense objects, which have just beenmentioned, can appear through six doors. When thecittas of the eye-door process have arisen and experi-enced visible object through the eye-door there are, afterthere have been bhavanga-cittas in between, cittas of the


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mind-door process which experience visible objectthrough the mind-door. It is the same with the experi-ence of the other sense objects. These objects are experi-enced by the cittas of the corresponding sense-doorprocesses, and then, after there have been bhavanga-cittas, they are experienced through the mind-door. Thuseach of the five classes of sense objects are experiencedthrough their corresponding sense-door and through themind-door. They are experienced through the six doors:the eye-door, the ear-door, the nose-door, the tongue-door, the body-door, and the mind-door.

There is one other class of objects, namelydhammrammaa (mental object). This class of objectscan only be experienced through the mind-door. Thereare six kinds of dhammrammaa:the five pasda-rpas (senses),sixteen subtle rpas (sukhuma rpas),15

citta, cetasika, nibbna, and concepts (paattis). Five

classes of dhammrammaa, namely, the pasda-rpas,the subtle rpas, citta, cetasika, and nibbna areparamattha dhammas. One class, the paattis, are notparamattha dhammas.

The cittas of the eye-door process, namely the eye-dooradverting-consciousness, seeing-consciousness, receiving-consciousness, investigating-consciousness, determining-

15 There are 28 kinds of rpas. Twelve are gross and sixteen aresubtle. The gross rpas are the five sense-organs and the senseobjects which can be experienced through eyes, ears , nose, andtongue, and three rpas which can be experienced through thebodysense, namely, solidity, temperature, and motion. Subtlerpas include, for example, cohesion and nutritive essense.


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consciousness, the javana-cittas16and the tadlambana-cittas17(retention), experience visible object which hasnot fallen away yet. They do not have a concept asobject.

The cittas of the ear-door process experience soundwhich has not fallen away yet, they do not have a con-cept as object. It is the same with the cittas of the nose-door process, the tongue-door process and the body-doorprocess.

When the vthi-cittas of a sense-door process have

fallen away, there are many bhavanga-cittas in between,and then there are cittas of the mind-door process. Thefirst series of cittas of the mind-door process which ariseafter a sense-door process experience a sense objectwhich has only just fallen away, they do not have aconcept as object.

In each series of mind-door process cittas there are twoor three kinds of vthi-cittas, namely: one moment ofmind-door adverting-consciousness, seven moments of javana-cittas and two moments of tadlambana-cittas.When the first series of mind-door process cittas hasfallen away, there are many bhavanga-cittas in between,and then there is a another series of mind-door process

16 Javana literally means running through, impulsion; thejavana-cittas arise in the sense-door processes, and they runthrough the object. There are usually seven javana-cittas in aprocess of cittas, and these are kusala or akusala in the case ofnon-arahats. Arahats do not have kusala cittas or akusala cittas,they have kiriyacittas.17 Tadlambana: this is also called tadrammaa. See appendix.


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cittas, which can have as object a concept (such as shapeand form, or the image of something as a whole) onaccount of a sense object. When this series of mind-doorprocess cittas has fallen away there are bhavanga-cittasin between, and then there are more rounds of mind-door process cittas which follow. They know the mean-ing of something, they know words and names. Inbetween the different series there are bhavanga-cittas.When we know that we see people or different things,the citta experiences a concept, not a paramatthadhamma which is rpa. The object which is a paramattha

dhamma appearing through the eyes are only differentcolours. When the vthi-cittas of the mind-door processknow that there are beings, people and different things,then the cittas have paattis, concepts, as object. Theyknow what a particular thing is.

Paramattha dhammas are not paatti dhammas.Paramattha dhammas are realities which each have their

own characteristics which can be directly experienced,even if one does not use terms to name them. Paattidhammas, concepts, are not absolute realities. We maysee a painting of fruits, such as grapes, or mangos, andwe may see real grapes, and mangos. What is then aconcept? When we see a painting of mountains, of thesea, or trees, we know that it is a picture. When we see

real mountains or trees do we believe that these arerealities, not concepts? It is evident that names areconcepts, paattis, because they convey the characteris-tics or the meaning of phenomena. However, even if onedoes not name things yet or there is no name yet, onecan already think of a concept of a whole or a mass.


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There can be a concept or idea of something whichappears even though one does not know any language orwords to express its meaning. When we know what it isthat appears, even without naming it, we know apaatti (concept). When we see what is only a paintingof fruits and real fruits, both the painting and the realfruits are paattis. A paatti (concept) is not aparamattha dhamma (reality). As we have seen there aremany aspects with regard to paatti. It can be an ideaof a whole or a mass or it can be a name or term thatrefers to something, be it real or not real. What is the

difference between real fruits and a painting of fruits?What appears through the eyes while one sees are notbeings, people, or different things. No matter whetherone sees a painting of grapes or the real grapes, througheyes only colour appears. We may believe that only thepicture is a paatti and that the real grapes are not apaatti (concept). However, in reality the picture as

well as the real grapes that appear are objects which arepaatti experienced by mind-door process cittas. Thecittas of the eye-door process experience only colourwhich appears. The cittas of the mind-door process thatexperience a concept know the meaning of something,they know what something is. They know that there aregrapes. Thus, the cittas (moments of consciousness)which know that there are grapes, have a concept, a

paatti, as object, not a paramattha dhamma. When wesee somebody, we should know that this is in reality thesame as seeing a picture, thus, we know in both cases aconcept. It is difficult to separate concepts from realities,for example, when we notice that there is a chair. The


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object which is the paramattha dhamma appearingthrough the eyes and the object which is the paramatthadhamma appearing through the bodysense are notpaattis.

Question: I do not understand very well conventional

realities. I see at this moment a pen. You say that when

one sees that there is a pen it is evident that the sense-

door process has passed and that there is already a mind-

door process. I do not know how I should study or

practice so that I do not let the sense-door process pass

without knowing it.

Sujin: One should listen to the Dhamma so that one willreally understand when the object of citta (conscious-ness) is a concept and through which door citta knows aconcept. When citta has a paramattha dhamma (ultimatereality) as object, there are no beings, people or things,there is no self. At this moment realities arise and fall

away and succeed one another so rapidly that it seemsthat we see a thing, such as a fan. The fan rotates, and itseems that we can see rpas (matter) moving. In realitythere are many series of mind-door process cittas whichhave a paatti (concept) as object and thus the charac-teristics of the paramattha dhammas are hidden. Onedoes not know the characteristics of the paramattha

dhammas as they really are.Question: If this is so, how can we do away with con-

cepts?


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S.: That is not possible. However, one should understandcorrectly that, when one knows that there are beings,people, or things, there are at such moments mind-doorprocess cittas which have a concept as object.

Question: Are there then cittas which think of words?

S.: Even when we do not think of words we can know aconcept. When we know the shape and form of some-thing, when we have a concept of something as a wholeor know the meaning of something; that is, we knowwhat something is, then the object is a paatti (con-cept), not a paramattha dhamma (reality). The charac-teristics of realities should be known precisely so thattheir arising and falling away can be realized. Someonemay believe that he does not see that a chair falls away.When we cannot distinguish the different characteristicsof paramattha dhammas as they appear one at a time, wetake them all together as a whole. When we see a chair

we know a concept. How could a concept fall away? Asto the example of a picture of grapes and real grapes, isthere any difference when one touches them and there isthe experience of tangible object through the bodysense?Is the element of hardness not the same in both cases?The element of hardness originates from different factorsand this is the condition that there are different degreesof hardness and softness. Hardness is a reality whichappears through the bodysense, no matter whether thereis a picture of grapes or real grapes. However, the grapesin the picture do not have the flavour of real grapes. Realgrapes can be recognised because there are different


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types of rpas (physical phenomena) which arise to-gether. Flavour is one type of rpa, odour is another typeof rpa. Cold or heat, softness or hardness, motion orpressure, these are all different types of rpa which arisetogether and fall away very rapidly and are then suc-ceeded by other rpas. Thus we think of a concept of athing which does not seem to fall away. In reality therpas that constitute grapes such as cold or heat, hard-ness or softness, or flavour, fall away. Each rpa lastsonly as long as seventeen moments of citta, no matterwhich colour, sound, or other type of rpa it may be.

Pa (wisdom) should consider realities and knowthem one at a time, it should resolve the whole which isremembered by sa (mental factor of remembrance orperception) into different elements. Thus it can beknown that what one takes for a particular thing are inreality only different paramattha dhammas, each withtheir own characteristic, which arise and fall away

together. When we join them together and have animage of a whole there are mind-door process cittaswhich have a concept of a whole, gaa paatti, asobject.

Question: If it is known through the mind-door that

there is a pen, is that right or wrong?

S.: It is not wrong. The object at that moment is aconcept which is included in dhammrammaa (mind-door object). However, pa should realize the differ-ence between the mind-door process and the eye-doorprocess. When one does not develop pa one cannotdistinguish the sense-door process and the mind-door


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process from each other and then one believes that thereare beings, people and different things. To what are weattached in daily life? What does lobha (mental factor ofcraving) like? It likes everything, and what does thismean?

Questioner: All things which are desirable.

S.: Lobha likes everything, including concepts. The worldis full of concepts. We cannot stop liking paramatthadhammas as well as paattis. Whenever we likesomething we do not merely like a paramattha dhamma,we also like a concept. When we, for example, like aparticular belt we like the colour which appears throughthe eyes.

Q.: We like also its trademark.

S.: We like everything. When we say that we like colours,what are these colours? The colours of eyebrows, eyes,

nose, or mouth. If there were no colours appearing howcould there be eyebrows, eyes, nose, or mouth? Therecould not be. However, when we see colours such as red,green, grey, blue, or white we should know that colour isonly the reality which appears through the eyes. Never-theless, we like the colours of eyes, nose, and mouth,thus, we like concepts. Paramattha dhammas are real.However, when we like something we like both theparamattha dhamma which appears and the conceptwhich is formed up on account of that paramatthadhamma.


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Part II

The Atthaslin(II, Book II, Part II,400) explains aboutbeing unguarded as to the controlling faculties, theindriyas. Here the indriyas of eyes, ears, nose, tongue,bodysense and mind are referred to. We read: Graspsthe general appearance i.e., grasps by way of lustingdesire a sign such as is of the male, or female, pleasant,

etc., and which is the basis of corruption.When we cling to the general appearance of male or

female, it shows that the object is not a paramatthadhamma. When we know that we see a man or woman,we dont just know the reality which appears through theeyes, but we have an image (nimitta), a concept onaccount of what appears through the eyes. The image of

the general appearance of a man or woman is the foun-dation of defilements.18 Through the power of desire(chanda raga) we take that image for something attrac-tive. When we like a concept such as a belt, it shows thatthe belt is an attractive image. One is attached to it, oneis ruled by desire. If the belt is not beautiful, if it is notan attractive nimitta (image), one does not like it. Onaccount of colours which appear through the eyes, therecan be different nimittas, attractive or unattractive. Weread further on in the Atthaslin.

18 There are numerous defilements (unwholesome mentalfactors), such as lobha, greed, a ttachment, aversion, ignorance,and wrong view.


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Grasps the details (anuvyajana), i.e. takes the variousmodes of hands and feet, of smiling, laughing, speaking,looking straight ahead, looking askance, which have earnedthe name of details, they manifest, reveal the defilements.

The details are the condition that defilements appear.When someone likes a belt he likes the general appear-ance, the image, and the details. If all belts were thesame, if there were no variety of them, the details wouldnot be different. However, there are many kinds of beltsand they are different as to the details. The detailscondition the arising of different kinds of defilements.

Question: If we dont cling to concepts, I fear that we

dont know that this is a pen.

Sujin: That is not so. We should know realities in accor-dance with the truth. What appears through the eyesfalls away and then there are mind-door process cittas,which arise afterwards and know a concept. Pa

(wisdom) should know realities as they are. It shouldknow what is visible object, which appears through theeye-door. It should know that the experience of visibleobject is different from the moment that citta knows aconcept. Thus we can become detached from the ideathat visible object which appears are beings, people, orthings; we can become detached from that which is the

foundation of clinging. We should understand that whenit is known that there is a man, a woman, beings, ordifferent people, the object is an image or conceptknown through the mind-door. When we develop sa-tipahna we should know, in order to be able to realizethe arising and falling away of nma and rpa, the


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characteristics of the realities just as they naturallyappear. It should be known that paramattha dhammasare not concepts. One should continue to develop pawhen realities appear through eyes, ears, nose, tongue,bodysense, and mind-door.

Question: Did you say that a concept is a kind of dham-

mrammaa (mind-door object)?

S.: A concept is dhammrammaa. It is an object whichcan only be known through the mind-door.

Question: Are there also paramattha dhammas (ultimaterealities) which are dhammrammaa?

S. : There are six classes of dhammrammaa.19 Fiveclasses are paramattha dhammas and one class is notparamattha dhamma. We should know when the objectis a concept. When the object is not a paramatthadhamma the object is a concept.

When we think of concepts in daily life the characteris-tics of the paramattha dhammas which are experiencedthrough the six doors are hidden. Thus realities are notknown as they are. One does not know that what ap-pears through the eyes is not a being, person, or self. It isonly colour which appears when it impinges on theeyesense. When will pa become keener so that it willknow the truth when there is seeing?

19

The six classes are: the five sense-organs, the sixteen subtlerpas, citta, cetasika, nibbna, and concept.


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When the truth is known we will let go of the idea thatthere is a self, that there are beings or people. One willbe able to distinguish between the object which is aparamattha dhamma and the object which is a conceptand one will have right understanding of the realitieswhich appear through the six doors.

Question: Which object is experienced while we are

dreaming?

Everybody except an arahat is sure to dream. When wehave woken up we say that we in our dream saw arelative who has passed away already. Do we, while weare dreaming, see a concept or a paramattha dhamma? Ifwe do not consider this we will not know the truth. Itseems as if we can really see in our dreams. However, ifwe ask someone what he sees in his dream, he willanswer that he sees people, relatives and friends, that hesees different beings. Thus, when we dream we see

concepts. At such moments the eye-door process cittas donot arise since we are asleep. However, cittas arising inthe mind-door process are thinking, they see beingsand people. When we are dreaming we think of conceptswhich are conceived on account of what we formerlysaw, heard, or experienced through the other senses.Also, when we read about different subjects in thenewspaper and see pictures we only think of concepts.Then we dont know the characteristics of paramatthadhammas (realities) which appear, we dont know thedifference between concepts and paramattha dhammas.When we read or perform our tasks in daily life, there is


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seeing of what appears through the eyes, but we payattention only to concepts and keep on thinking of them.

Concepts are conceived on account of what was heard.

A small child often hears sounds but it does not knowwords yet, it does not understand conventional language.It sees, hears, smells, tastes, experiences tangible object,it experiences pain, it is angry, it has like and dislike, andit cries. However, it does not know words with which itcan explain its feelings, it cannot speak yet until it hasbecome older. Can anybody remember all that has

happened from the moment he was born? Seeing,hearing, and other sense-cognitions arose but we couldnot use words to express ourselves since we did notunderstand yet the meaning of the different words usedin speech. That is why the memory of the events of earlychildhood fades away. When we grow up we know themeaning of the different sounds which form up words incurrent speech which are used to express ourselves. We

take in more and more impressions through eyes andears and combine these experiences, and thus manykinds of events of our lives can be remembered. Theworld of conventional truth expands and there is no endto its development.

When one reads a story one also wants to see a movingpicture of it and hear the corresponding sounds. Weshould realize to what extent the world of conventionaltruth hides realities, paramattha dhammas. We shouldconsider what are concepts, not paramattha dhammas,when we, for example, watch television, when we watcha play and look at people talking. It seems that the


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people who play in a film in television are real people

but the story and the people who play in it are onlyconcepts. The paramattha dhammas that appear fall

away very rapidly and then they are succeeded by otherrealities. When we know that there is a particular personthe object of the citta is a concept.

The characteristics of paramattha dhammas are hiddenbecause of ignorance, avijj, which does not know thedifference between paramattha dhammas and concepts,paattis. Therefore one is not able to realize the reali-

ties which appear through eyes, ears, nose, tongue,bodysense and mind-door as not a being, a person, orself. If we study citta, cetasika (mental factors), and rpain more and more detail the intellectual understandingof the Dhamma will develop. This understanding isaccumulated and thus conditions are developed for thearising of sati (mindfulness) which can be directly aware

of the characteristics of paramattha dhammas. Thusthere can be more detachment from the outward appear-ance (nimitta) and the details (anuvyajana) which areforms of paatti.

Question: Can a concept be an object of satipahna?

S: It cannot.

Question: From what I heard just a moment ago it seems

that a concept can be the object of satipahna.

S.: Only paramattha dhammas can be the object ofsatipahna. When flavour impinges on the rpa which


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is tastingsense, there are conditions for the arising ofcittas which experience flavour through the tongue-door.First there is the five-door adverting-consciousness andthen there are tasting-consciousness, receiving-consciousness, investigating-consciouness, determining-consciousness, the javana-cittas and the tadlambana-cittas (registering or retention). Then the flavour fallsaway and thus there is no grape in the absolute sense.However, when one joins different realities together intoa whole, such as a grape, then the object is a concept.

Satipahana is developed when there is awareness ofthe characteristics of paramattha dhammas and they arerealized as not a being, a person or self. When sati doesnot arise the characteristics of paramattha dhammascannot be discerned, only concepts are known. Thenthere is all the time the idea of beings, people and self

Q: You said that concepts can be known through the

mind-door. Therefore I am inclined to think that if thereis awareness through the mind-door concepts can be the

object of satipahna.

S.: In order to have more understanding of satipahnawe should begin with this very moment. Is there aconcept while you hear sound now? Sound is a paramat-tha dhamma. When citta knows the meaning of the

sounds it knows a concept and it knows this through themind-door. Citta thinks about different words. Sati canfollow and be aware of that citta, so that it can berealized as just a type of citta which thinks of words.


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Question: Thus satipahna can know the reality which

is thinking, but it cannot know concepts. As far as I

understand, each of the sense-door processes has to be

followed by a mind-door process, it cannot be otherwise.

When there is seeing there is an eye-door process, and

after there have been bhavanga-cittas in between there is

a mind-door process of cittas which experience visible

object. Is that right?

S. The vthi-cittas of the mind-door process which followvthi-cittas of a sense-door process, have to experience

the same rpa. If the javana-cittas of the sense-doorprocess are lobha-mla-cittas20 (cittas rooted in attach-ment), the javana-cittas of the first mind-door processafter that sense-door process have to be the same typesof lobha-mla-citta. The mind-door process followsextremely rapidly upon the sense-door process. Withrespect to this there is a simile of a bird which perches ona branch. As soon as the bird perches on the branch itsshadow appears on the ground. Evenso, when the objecthas been experienced through the sense-door and therehave been many bhavanga-cittas in between, arising andfalling away very rapidly, it is immediately afterwardsexperienced through the mind-door. Since cittas succeedone another so rapidly one does not know that visibleobject which is experienced through the eyes is only a

paramattha dhamma that can appear because it hasimpinged on the eyesense.

20 Unwholesome cittas, akusala cittas, are cittas rooted inunwholesome roots, akusala hetus. They are lobha-mla cittas,dosa-mla cittas (cittas rooted in aversion or hate) or moha-mla cittas, cittas rooted in ignorance.


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Question: When there is seeing through the eyes and we

know that it is a pen, it shows that we know the word

pen through the mind-door. Is that right?

S.: Before we can think of the word pen we alreadyknow a concept. A paatti is not merely sadda paatti,a concept of sound, a word or name.

Question: After seeing I remember what was seen. Is the

object then already a concept?

S. The Pi term paatti means: it makes something

known (derived from papeti).

Question: Must each of the sense-door processes be

followed by a mind-door process so that the meaning of

things can be known?

S. The five sense objects which are visible object, sound,odour, flavour, and tangible object appear through two

doorways. Thus, visible object appears through the eye-door and then, after there have been bhavanga-cittas inbetween, it appears through the mind-door. In the sameway sound, odour, flavour, and tangible object appearthrough the corresponding sense-doors and then throughthe mind-door.

Question: When we taste a sour flavour and we notice

that it is sour, do we experience already a concept?

S.: What is sour?

Q.: For example, a sour orange.


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S.: The flavour is a paramattha dhamma, and when wethink of a sour orange the object is a concept. The wordssour orange are sadda paatti, concept of sound. Whenwe name something the object is a nma paatti, aconcept which is a name. If there are no sounds, nowords, and we do not think of the meaning of things, wedo not pay much attention to objects. When sound is theobject of cittas of the ear-door process and then of cittasof the mind-door process, sa (mental factor ofperception) which remembers the meaning of the differ-ent sounds conditions thinking about words and names.

Everything can be called by a name; such as a pen, apencil, a table or a chair, these are all names. There is nodhamma which cannot be called by a name. Sincedhammas have distinctive characteristics names areneeded to make these known. Thus, dhammas are thecause of name giving. The Atthaslin (Book II, Part II,Ch II, 391) describes the process of name giving. We

read:There is no being, no thing that may not be called by aname. Also the trees in the forest, the mountains are thebusiness of the country folk. For they, on being asked,What tree is this? say the name they know, as Cutch,Mango tree. Even of the tree the name of which theyknow not, they say, It is the nameless tree. And that alsostands as the established name of that tree...

If there were no names it would be most difficult forpeople to understand one another. Even paramatthadhammas need to be named. The Buddha used conceptsto classify dhammas according to their characteristics,such as the following names:


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the five khandhas,the twelve yatanas,the eighteen elements,the four Truths,21

the twenty two indriyas,22

the different groups of people (puggala) .

Thus the Dhamma the Buddha taught needs differentterms and names in order to be understood.

The Atthaslin uses different synonyms for nmapaatti, concepts which are names.23It is an interpreta-

tion, an expression which renders the meaning of some-thing in language (nirutti). A name is a distinctive signwhich shows the meaning of something (vyacana).There are sounds which people utter, letters combined aswords which express the meaning of something (ab-hilpa). These synonyms just explain the meaning ofnma paatti, a name or term. A term makes themeaning of something known. The idea or notion whichis made known can also be called concept. Thus, thereare generally speaking two kinds of paatti:1. That which is made known (papiyatta)2. That which makes known (papanato). The nameor term (sadda paatti) which makes known themeaning of things.

21The four noble truths are: dukkha(suffering), the origin of

dukkha, the cessation of dukkha, the way leading to the cessa-tion of dukkha.22 Indriya (faculties): see Visuddhimagga XVI, 123

See footnote Dhammasangai (translated as Buddhist Psy-chological Ethicsby P.T.S.) par.1306.


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If we remember these two classes of concepts it will beeasier to understand what a concept is. There are manykinds of concepts and they can be classified in differentways. One way of classifying them is the following (seeAbhidhammattha SangahaCh VIII, section 4, on paat-tis):

i)i)i)i)formal conceptformal conceptformal conceptformal concept (sahna paatti),corresponding tothe form of things, such as land, mountain or tree, whichare so designated on account of the mode of transition ofthe elements.ii)ii)ii)ii)collective conceptcollective conceptcollective conceptcollective concept (samha paatti), corresponding tomodes of construction of materials, to a collection ofthings, such as a vehicle or a chariot.

iii)iii)iii)iii)conventional conceptconventional conceptconventional conceptconventional concept (sammutti paatti), such asperson or individual, which is derived from the fivekhandhas.

iv)iv)iv)iv)local conceptlocal conceptlocal conceptlocal concept (dis paatti), a notion or idea derived

from the revolving of the moon, such as the directions ofEast or West.

v)v)v)v)concept of timeconcept of timeconcept of timeconcept of time (kla paatti ), such as morning,evening.

vi)vi)vi)vi)conceptconceptconceptconcept of seasonof seasonof seasonof season (msa paatti), notions corre-sponding to seasons and months. The months are desig-nated by names, such as Vesakha.

vii)vii)vii)vii)concept of spaceconcept of spaceconcept of spaceconcept of space (aksa), such as a well or a cave. Itis derived from space which is not contacted by the fourGreat Elements.


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viii)viii)viii)viii)nimittanimittanimittanimitta paattipaattipaattipaatti, the mental image which is acquiredthrough the development of samatha, such as the nimittaof a kasina.

We read in the Abhidhammattha Sangaha:All such different things, although they do not exist in theultimate sense, become objects of thought in the form ofshadows of ultimate things. They are called paatti be-cause they are thought of, reckoned, understood, expressed,and made known on account of, in consideration of, withrespect to, this or that mode. This kind of paatti is socalled because it is made known. As it makes known, it isdescribed as name concept, name, name-made.

Lobha-mla-citta (consciousness with attachment)arises time and again through eyes, ears, nose, tongue,bodysense and mind-door. Even when lobha-mla-citta iswithout wrong view (dihigata vippayutta), it is notmerely attached to paramattha dhammas (realities)which appear through the six doors, but it is also at-

tached to concepts. It is attached to the general appear-ance of things and to the details, it is attached to namesand to subjects of thought.

We should ask ourselves at this moment what kind ofobject we usually experience in our daily life. The objectsare mostly concepts and thus the characteristics ofparamattha dhammas are hidden, they are not known as

they are.Question: When we touch grapes or a picture of grapes,

softness and hardness24 are paramattha dhammas, the

24 Softness and hardness are tangible objects, rpas, which canbe experienced through the bodysense.


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flavour of grapes is a paramattha dhamma. Many reali-

ties which are joined together constitute a rea l grape and

this we call a concept. Thus I am inclined to think that a

concept is real.

Sujin: The rpa of flavour arises and then falls away, itcan only last as long as seventeen moments of citta 25.The rpa which is the colour of grapes arises and thenfalls away very rapidly since it only lasts as long asseventeen moments of citta. Can we then say that grapesexist?

Q.: They exist in our memory.

S.: There is a concept, a notion that there are grapes, butin reality there is only flavour which arises and then fallsaway, or hardness which arises and then falls away.

Q.: A concept is formed because many paramattha

dhammas are joined together into a mass or a whole.

S. : When one does not realize the arising and fallingaway of one reality at a time one takes what appears tobe a whole for a thing which exists.

Question: Is a concept not real? A concept is constituted

of many kinds of paramattha dhammas (realities):

softness, hardness, heat, colour, odour or flavour. They

are joined together, they are a whole, a thing which has

such or such colour, this or that shape. There is a concept

of this or that person with such outward appearance.

Thus a concept is constituted by paramattha dhammas.


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Sujin: One will know that concepts are not paramatthadhammas one if one learns to discern the characteristicsof the different paramattha dhammas which arise to-gether. One should be aware of one characteristic at atime as it appears through one doorway at a time. Inorder to know the truth we should realize the arising andfalling away of rpa, which appears through one door-way at a time.

Each rpa lasts only as long as seventeen moments ofcitta and then it falls away. Therefore rpa which arises

has no time to stand, walk, or do anything. During thetime one lifts ones hand already more than seventeenmoments of citta have passed. One sees people walkingor lifting their hands but in reality the rpas which arisefall away immediately and are succeeded by other rpas.The rpa which is visible object appears to cittas of theeye-door process and then, after there have been bha-vanga-cittas in between, there are many mind-door

processes of cittas. That is why one can see peoplewalking or lifting their hands. Seventeen moments ofcitta pass away extremely rapidly. Thus we shouldconsider what happens in reality. It should be knownthat the rpa which appears at this moment through theeyes only lasts seventeen moments of citta and that itmust fall away before sound can be experienced through

ears. It seems that there can be hearing and seeing at thesame time, but in between the moment of hearing and

the moment of seeing there is an interval of more thanseventeen moments of citta. The visible object, which

25

See appendix.


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appears through the eyes, and lasts seventeen momentsof citta must have fallen away before the citta whichhears arises. It seems that there can be hearing andseeing at the same time, but these are different momentsof citta experiencing different objects. Rpas arise andfall away and succeed one another.26 Visible objectappears through the eye-door and after there have beenbhavanga-cittas in between it appears through the mind-door. Then there are many mind-door processes of cittaswhich think of concepts. That is why people who walk,lift their hands or move can appear. When we see people

lifting their hands or walking there are all the timecountless nma dhammas and rpa dhammas arising andfalling away. So long as we dont realize the arising andfalling away of nma and rpa we cling to the idea thatwhat appears are people, women, men, or this or thatthing. We cling to the concept of somebody or some-thing.

When one studies paramattha dhammas one shouldremember that they are real, that they are not beings,people or self, that they are not women, men, or differ-ent things. The dhammas, which are true, can be veri-fied. One may have often heard the words that paramat-tha dhammas are real, that they are not beings, people orself, and one may have repeated these words oneself.

However, pa should be developed to the stage thatthe truth can be directly understood. Flavour and hard-

26

Rpas which fall away are immediately replaced by new rpasso long as there are conditions for them. Rpas of the body areproduced by four factors: kamma, citta, temperature, andnutrition .


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ness are realities which appear and then on account ofthese realities there is a concept of grapes. The rpaswhich arise and then fall away are real but there are, inthe absolute sense, no grapes, no beings, or people.There are only rpa dhammas and nma dhammaswhich arise and fall away, succeeding one another veryrapidly. Paramattha dhammas are real, they are notconcepts. From the beginning the practice of theDhamma should correspond to the theoret ical knowledgeacquired through listening and through study. Thepractice should be in accordance with the true charac-

teristics of realities. We have, for example, learnt thatparamattha dhammas are anatt (not-self), and thus weshould try to understand the meaning of this, even onthe theoretical level; we should consider it and developpa so that we can realize the truth in accordance withwhat we have learnt before.

Question: Someone asked before whether concepts are

real. There is, as you said, absolute truth (paramattha

sacca) and conventional truth (sammutti sacca). Could

one not say that concepts are real in the conventional

sense?

S: One can, but one should remember that concepts arenot paramattha dhammas. The idea of grape has noflavour at all. Flavour is a reality and when it has ap-peared we have a concept on account of it, we have aconcept of flavour of grapes and we call it the flavour ofgrapes.


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Part III

Lobha-mla-citta (consciousness with attachment)without wrong view,27 dihivippayutta, which arises inour daily life, is not only attached to visible object, sound, odour, flavour, tangible object and concepts, it is alsoattached to micch samdhi, wrong concentration.Someone may, for example, apply himself to yoga

exercises such as concentration on breath in order toimprove his bodily health. Then there is a kind ofsamdhi.

When the citta is not kusala at such moments there islobha-mla-citta with micch-samdhi, wrong concentra-tion. There may only be attachment to samdhi with theaim of improving ones bodily health. Someone may notnecessarily have the wrong view that he should applyhimself first to samdhi in order that he afterwards canconsider nma and rpa and have right understanding ofthem more quickly, and that this is the way to realize thenoble Truths. If he has such wrong understanding hedoes not know the characteristic of right mindfulness,samm-sati, he does not know that sati is not self, anatt.

It is not true that when someone applies himself first tomicch-samdhi it will help pa to know the charac-

27

Lobha-mla-cittas can be accompanied by wrong view or theycan be without wrong view. When they are accompanied bywrong view there is clinging to a distorted view of reality.


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teristics of nma and rpa. In order that sati is samm-sati, a factor of the Eightfold Path,28 it must accompanysamm-dihi, right understanding, which understandsthe characteristics of the realities that are appearing.These are the objects sati should consider in the rightway, it should be mindful of them so that right under-standing can become more and more refined. Rightunderstanding of nma and rpa is accumulated assakhrakkhandha29 and thus conditions are beingdeveloped for the arising of direct awareness of therealities which are appearing. When there is seeing one

should know when the object is a paatti, a concept,and when a paramattha dhamma. It is the same in thecase of hearing, smelling, tasting, the experience oftangible object and the experience of an object throughthe mind-door.

When we watch television, a football game or tennismatch, when we read a newspaper or look at pictures,

we should know when the object is a concept and whena paramattha dhamma. If we do not know this we maymistakenly think that only the story in television is a

28 The sobhana cetasikas, beautiful cetasikas, which are thefactors of the eightfold path are: right understanding, rightthinking, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort,right mindfulness, and right concentration. The development of

the eightfold path is actually the development of right under-standing of nma and rpa which appear a t the present moment29 This is the khandha or aggregate which includes all cetasikasexcept vedan, feeling, and sa, remembrance or perception.Pa and all sobhana cetasikas are included in sak-hrakkhanda and they are together the accumulated conditionfor the growth of pa, eventually leading to enlightenment.


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concept. In reality however, there are concepts when wewatch television and also when we do not watch televi-sion. Even the names of all of us here are nma-paattis, they are words of conventional languagewhich refer to citta, cetasika and rpa which arisetogether and thus we know that there is this or thatperson.

Micch-samdhi (wrong concentration) can be theobject of lobha-mla-citta without wrong view or withwrong view. In the latter case one believes that this kind

of samdhi is the way to realize the noble Truths. Thereis micch-samdhi all over the world. While peopleapply themselves to concentration with citta which is notkusala citta (wholesome consciousness) accompanied bypa , there is micch-samdhi. When they believe thatthis is a faster way to achieve mindfulness of the charac-teristics of nma and rpa there is wrong understanding.Samm-sati of the eightfold Path can be mindful in the

right way of the realities which are appearing if first thedifference between the characteristics of nma and rpais understood. Micch-samdhi cannot condition rightmindfulness.

Question: It is said that samdhi (concentration) is the

proximate cause for vipassan.

S.: What kind of samdhi is meant?

Q: It must be samm-samdhi (right concentration)

which is the proximate cause.


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S.: It must be samm-samdhi which arises together withsamm-sati, samm-dihi (right understanding), samm-sakappa (right thinking) and samm-vyma (righteffort).

Concepts are the object of citta in daily life, at themoments that it does not have paramattha dhammas asobject. We should find out ourselves how often we haveconcepts as object. There is seeing and then we think of astory about what appears through the eyes. There ishearing and then we think about what appears through

the ears. It is the same with regard to the other sense-doors. The cittas (moments of consciousness) that arisein a mind-door process experience visible object, sound,odour, flavour and tangible object, and they think inmany different ways about all these objects. Can there beother kinds of objects in our daily life? There can beeither paramattha dhammas or concepts as objects in thislife, in previous lives, or in future lives, in whatever

plane or world one is living. There cannot be other kindsof objects. There are only six classes of objects (theobjects which are experienced through the eye, ear, nose,tongue, body and mind) and in these classes paramatthadhammas as well as concepts are included.

We may wonder whether the Buddha experiencedobjects which were concepts. Let us first speak about thedaily life of ordinary people. When the cittas of an eye-door process have fallen away and there have beenbhavanga-cittas in between, there is one series of mind-door process cittas which have as object the sameparamattha dhamma as the eye-door process cittas which


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have just fallen away. After there have been againbhavanga-cittas in between there can be mind-doorprocess cittas which think of the shape and form of whatappeared. What appears through the eyes is a kind ofrpa, visible object, and this arises together with the fourGreat Elements of earth, water, fire and wind.30 Wecould not separate colour from these four Great Ele-ments. Wherever there are these four Great Elementsthere also have to be together with them in one group ofrpas, the rpas which are colour, odour, flavour andnutritive essence. These eight rpas cannot be separated

from each other.31 Thus, since we cannot take colouraway from the four Great Elements, there can, after wehave seen colour through the eyesense, be a concept onaccount of colour. We can have a concept of a whole, wecan know that there is this or that thing, this or thatperson. Seeing conditions thinking of concepts. If therewere no colour impinging on the eyesense and no seeing,

could we notice people, beings and different things?The Buddha certainly had concepts as objects. When

we listen to the Dhamma we should also consider whichcause leads to which effect. There are paramatthadhammas as well as concepts which can be the object ofcitta. At the moment a paramattha dhamma is not theobject, a concept must be the object. This has been

repeated time and again so that there are conditions for

30 The four great elements of earth, water, fire and wind areconventional terms which refer to characteristics of rpa such assolidity, cohesion, temperatu re, and motion or pressure.31 Rpas do not arise singly , they arise in groups consisting of atleast eight rpas.


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sati to be aware of the characteristics of realities whichappear. Thus it can be understood correctly that whatappears through the eyes are only different colours.Since colour arises together with the four Great Elementsand cannot be separated from them, different conceptsare conceived on account of the colour which was seen.If satipahna arises it can distinguish visible object, itcan consider it and be aware of it, so that it can becorrectly known that what appears are just different

colours. Colour can be realized as only a kind of reality

appearing through the eyes. It can be correctly under-stood that when one knows what different things arethere are mind-door process cittas which know concepts.

When we have studied the Dhamma and considered it,we shall see that the cittas of all beings which arise indaily life have sometimes a paramattha dhamma andsometimes a concept as object. There are not only cittasof the eye-door process which have colour as object.When the cittas of the eye-door process have fallen awayand there have been bhavanga-cittas in between, mind-door process cittas arise experiencing the colour whichwas just before experienced by the eye-door processcittas. When that series of mind-door process cittas hasfallen away and there have been bhavanga-cittas in

between, there can be another series of mind-doorprocess cittas which have a concept as object. If we didnot know concepts how could we lead our daily life? Ifone wouldnt know what the different things are, such asa table, a chair, food, a bowl, a plate or a spoon, one


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could not lead ones daily life. Also animals must haveconcepts as objects, otherwise they could not stay alive.They must know what is food and what is not food.

Is there a difference in the ways different peopleexperience concepts, namely in the ways the Buddha, thearahat, the angm, the sakadgm, the sotpanna32

and the ordinary person experience them? There is adifference between ariyans and non-ariyans as to theway they experience concepts. Ordinary people who donot know anything about paramattha dhammas take

concepts for things which are real. The ariyans who haverealized the Noble Truths know that all dhammas areanatt. The realities which arise and appear througheyes, ears, nose, tongue, bodysense, and mind-door areimpermanent, whereas concepts are not realities with thecharacteristics of impermanence and anatt. Conceptsare not realities but they are the means to make thingsknown. Concepts are the object of citta and cetasika

when we know the meaning of the things which appear,when we know what different things are. We shouldcarefully consider phenomena and the conditions fortheir appearing, we should consider which cause leads towhich effect. If there were no citta and cetasika couldthere be concepts? That would impossible. If there wouldonly be rpas but no nmas, no citta and cetasika, there

could not be concepts. Rpa is the reality which does not

32 The arahat is fully enlightened, he has extinguished a lldefilements. The sotpanna ( first stage of realisation) hasuprooted wrong view but still has other defilements. Thesakadgm and angm are at the second and th ird stage ofrealisation, respectively . All four are called ariyan, noble.


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know an object whereas citta and cetasika are therealities which know an object. Therefore, if citta andcetasika would not arise concepts could not be known.Ariyans as well as non-ariyans have concepts as object,but there is a difference. Non-ariyans take concepts forrealities whereas ariyans know when citta has a paramat-tha dhamma as object and when it has a concept asobject.

When citta has a concept as object is there wrong view,micch-dihi? It depends on the kind of citta which has a

concept as object. All ariyans have concepts as object butthey do not have wrong view, they have completelyeradicated the cetasika which is wrong view, micch-dihi. If we do not carefully consider realities we willnot know the difference between lobha-mla-citta withwrong view and lobha-mla-citta without wrong view.Lobha-mla-citta without wrong view is attached to allobjects. It is attached to what appears through the eyes

and to the concept conceived on account of it. It isattached to sound which appears through the ears, andto a concept on account of the sound. It is the same inthe case of the objects appearing through the otherdoorways. This is our ordinary daily life. Thus, lobha-mla-citta can be attached to all objects without wrongview about them.

The sotpanna and the sakadgm have lobha-mla-citta (consciousness with attachment) without wrongview, and this citta can be attached to all six classes ofobjects. The angm has lobha-mla-citta withoutwrong view which is attached to the class of objects


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which is dhammrammaa, objects which can only beexperienced through the mind-door. He has eradicatedattachment to the sense objects which are visible object,sound, odour, flavour and tangible object. The arahathas neither kusala dhammas nor akusala dhammas onaccount of the six classes of objects. He has completelyeradicated all defilements and akusala dhammas. Theperson who is not arahat may understand the character-istics of the objects as they are, he may know when theobject is a paramattha dhamma and when a concept.However, so long as one has not eradicated all defile-

ments there are conditions for their arising. There can behappiness or sadness, like or dislike on account of theobjects, be they paramattha dhammas or concepts. Towhat extent defilements arise for the non-arahat dependson the degree of understanding that has been developed,it depends on whether a person is a non-ariyan or anariyan who is a sotpanna, a sakadgm or an angm.

We should carefully consider when there is sakkya-dihi, personality belief. Although concepts are notrealities, paramattha dhammas, we may take them forthings that really exist, and then there is wrong view.When someone clings to the concept of self, being,person, or different things and really believes that theyexist, there is the wrong view of sakkya-dihi (person-

ality belief). So long as sakkya-dihi has not beeneradicated there are conditions for the arising of manyother kinds of wrong view as well. There may be thewrong view that there is no kamma, no result of kamma,there may be the belief in an a lmighty god, the creator ofthe world and of all beings and all people. When we do


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not know the conditions for the arising of all sakhradhammas, conditioned dhammas, there can be differentkinds of wrong view. However, not each time when cittahas a concept as object there is clinging to wrong view.

Can concepts be the object of akusala citta (unwhole-some consciousness)? They can, they are in fact usuallythe object of akusala citta. There can be lobha-mla-cittawhich is attached to a concept. Or there can be dosa-mla-citta which has aversion towards a concept. Whenone does not like this or that person does one realize

what the object is? At such moments a concept is theobject of citta. Thus we see that a concept can be theobject of any kind of akusala citta.

Can a concept be the object of kusala citta (wholesomeconsciousness)? It can be the object of kusala citta.Concepts belong to our daily life and thus they are theobject of all kinds of cittas arising in our daily life. If we

want to perform dna (giving) but we didnt knowconcepts, we wouldnt know what the gift is in conven-tional sense, thus there could not be kusala citta whichperforms dna. There could not be abstention (virati)from wrong deeds or speech if one did not know what isthere in conventional sense, if one did not know thatthere is a being or a person.

When someone develops samatha can concepts be theobject of citta? Someone may think that it is difficult toanswer this question when he has not studied in detailthe way of development of samatha and the subjects ofcalm. However, it is important to remember that when a


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dhamma (reality) is not the object of citta a concept mustbe the object. Thus also in samatha a concept can be theobject of citta. All cittas other than the cittas whichdevelop satipahna and the sense-door process cittascan have concepts as object. Only if we developsatipahna can we know whether a phenomenon is aparamattha dhamma. When satipahna does not arisethere is at such moments no awareness, no study andinvestigation of the characteristics of paramattha dham-mas. In our daily life the object of citta is sometimes aparamattha dhamma and sometimes a concept. The

development of satipahna is very intricate, because

pa must become very refined in order that it can see,as they are, all the rea lities which appear.

Question: Satipahna cannot have concepts as object

and therefore when we develop satipahna should we

try to stop citta having a concept as object?

S.: That is not right because then we could not lead ourordinary daily life. We cannot stop citta having conceptsas object. However, pa can be developed so that itcan be known that when a concept is the object, it iscitta, a type of nma, which knows that concept. Aconcept could not be the object at that moment if therewere no citta which knows it. When we developsatipahna we should not force ourselves not to thinkof concepts. We should not try not to know what thedifferent things are which we normally see and recognizein daily life. Then we would not be able to know thecharacteristic of nma dhamma, the reality which knows


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something. When a concept is the object one shouldrealize that citta and cetasika which are nma dhammashave arisen and that they know at that moment an objectwhich is a concept. Satipahna can study and considerrealities and be aware of them. Thus it can be knownthat when there is thinking it is nma which thinks, anelement, a reality which experiences, not a self, a beingor person. We should know that all dhammas are non-self, anatt, and that we cannot stop citta thinking ofdifferent things. Pa should penetrate the characteris-tics of the different nmas that experience different

objects through the six doors. Then doubt about thecharacteristics of nma dhammas can be eliminated.Nobody can prevent the arising of the phenomena of ourdaily life. It is because of ignorance that one tries not tothink or not to know the concepts of the things thatappear. If someone tries to avoid thinking of conceptspa cannot be developed.

We should consider our way of practice. One mayfollow a kind of practice which is not the development ofpa (wisdom) which studies, notices, and considersthe characteristics of the nma dhammas and rpadhammas. People dont lead their usual daily life whilethey try to follow a particular practice. Then theydevelop the wrong Path, micch-magga, which is: wrong

understanding, wrong thinking, wrong speech, wrongaction, wrong livelihood, wrong effort, wrong mindful-ness, wrong concentration. That is not the right Path, thedevelopment of satipahna, the development of vipas-san. If someone does not know as they are the charac-teristics of the realities which appear, and if he does not


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understand which cause leads to which effect, there willbe wrong understanding. He will cling to wrong view, hewill search for a way of practice which is the wrong Path.There will be ignorance while he sees different coloursand perceives different things.

We read in the Kindred Sayings(V, Mah-vagga, BookI,XLV, Kindred Sayings on the Way, Ch. I, par.4, theBrahmin):

Svatth was the occasion for this discourse Then thevenerable nanda, robing himself in the forenoon andtaking bowl and outer robe, entered Svatth on his

begging round.Now the venerable nanda saw Jnussoi, the brahmin,

driving out of Svatth in his car, drawn by pure whitemares. White were the steeds harnessed thereto andwhite the trappings, white the car. White were the fit-tings, white the reins, the goad, the canopy, his turban,his clothes and sandals, and by a white fan was hefanned. And when the people saw it they cried out: Ah!

There is the best of cars! There is the best of cars forbeauty!

Someone may just see white colour and then there canbe wrong understanding if he does not know realities,and if he does not know the way to realize the truth ofnot self. He may look for another way to know the truth.He may have the wrong understanding that the car

which has a white colour is the best of cars. We readfurther on that the venerable nanda, after going hisbegging round, came back, ate his meal and visited theExalted One. He told him that he had seen Jnussoi inhis white car and that the people had cried out that thatwas the best of cars. nanda asked the Buddha whether


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he could point out the best of cars in this Dhamma andDiscipline. The Buddha explained that the defilementscan be eradicated through the development of theeightfold Path, not by seeing a white carriage with whitetrappings. The best of carriages is the ariyan eightfoldPath. The Dhamma carriage is unsurpassed for its con-quest in the fight.33 The Buddha then said the followingverse:

Whoso has Confidence (saddh) and Wisdom, these twostates,Forever yoked together lead him on:Conscience (hiri) the pole, and Mind the yoke thereof,And heedfulness (sati) his watchful char ioteer.The car is furnished with Righteousness (sila) ,Rapture its axle, Energy its wheels,And Calm, yoke fellow of the balanced mind,Desirelessness the drapery thereof,Goodwill and Harmlessness his weapons are,Together with Detachment of the mind.Endurance is his leathern coat of mail:And to at tain the peace this car rolls on.

It is built by oneself, and thus it becomesThe best of cars, unconquerable in battle.Seated therein the sages leave the world,And verily they win the victory.

Thus we see that the white carriage and all the whiteparaphernalia have nothing to do with the ariyan wis-dom.

In the commentary to this sutta (in theSratthappaksini) it is said that when the brahminJnussoi would drive around town he had people

33

In Pli there is a word association of yana , car, and a,wisdom.


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announce his coming ahead of time. When people hadsomething to do outside town they would not go away,in order to see Jnussoi driving out. If people had goneout of town already, they would return in order to seehim. They believed it to be an auspicious sign to see thetreasures and wealth of someone like Jnussoi. Whenthe brahmin Jnussoi was going to drive around thewhole day the people in town swept the roads from earlymorning on. They made them smooth with sand andscattered white flowers all over. They were helping eachother to put up flags and banners and they caused the

whole town to be wafted with the smell of incense.Jnussoi rode through the town in a white carriagewith white paraphernalia, pulled by four white horses.The wheels and the fittings of the car were made ofsilver. Jnussoi had two cars: a battle car and a car forhis paraphernalia. The battle car was quadrilateral and itwas not so big, it could take two or three people. The car

for his paraphernalia was very big. There was room foreight or ten people who carried the canopy, the fan andpalmleaves. These people could stand or comfortably liedown. The horses which pulled the carriage were allwhite, their ornaments were made of silver. The carriagewas called white because its coverings were made ofsilver and it was decorated with ivory. The coverings ofthe other carriages were lion skins and tiger skins or

yellow cloths. It was different in the case of Jnussoiscarriage, this was covered by very precious cloths. Thereins and even the bridles were covered with silver. Thecanopy erected in the middle of the carriage was white.Jnussois turban was seven inches wide and made of


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silver. His clothes were white, of the colour of a lump offoam. His clothes and the coverings of his carriage wereall of very expensive material. His sandals, unlike thesandals of those who travel or go in the forest, weremeant to be worn when going on his carriage, and theywere ornamented with silver. His fan was white with ahandle of crystal. Jnussoi was the only person whoseparaphernalia were all white. He used white face powderand white flowers to adorn himself. His jewelry, includ-ing the rings on his ten fingers and in his ears, weremade of silver. His retinue consisted of ten thousand

people and these were dressed in white clothes andadorned with white flowers and white jewelry. Jnussoienjoyed his wealth and dignity from early morning,while he took his breakfast, applied perfumes anddressed himself in white. He went outside his palace andtook off on his carriage. The brahmins of his retinue whowere dressed in white, adorned with white cosmetics and

white flowers, surrounded him while they carried hiswhite canopy. Then coins were scattered about for thechildren, and the people of the town would gather andcheer, tossing pieces of cloth. Jnussoi went aroundtown to display his wealth. Thus he would give peoplewho wanted to have an auspicious sign and blessings forgood luck an opportunity to see him. People who werelucky entered the palace and went up to the first floor,

opened the windows

Realities and Concepts

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