Chapter VI
Compendium of Matter
(Rupasangahavibhāga)
Guide §1
The first five chapters of the Abhidammattha Sangaha form, in a way, a complete compendium dealing with various aspects of conscious experience – with the 89 or 121 types of consciousness, with the 52 mental factors and their permutations, with the occurrence of consciousness in cognitive processes and at rebirth, with the planes of existence and with the classification of kamma and its result… page 234
These first five chapters may be considered a detailed analysis of the first two ultimate realities – citta and cetasikas, consciousness and mental factors… page 234
Enumeration of Material Phenomena
(rūpasamuddesa)
§2 in Brief: Great Essentials and Derived Matter
Guide to §2
Matter is twofold: The Abhidamma enumerates twenty-eight types of material phenomena, which are briefly comprised in two general categories: the four great essentials and material phenomena derived from the four great essentials. The four great essentials (mahābhūta) are the primary material elements – earth, water, fire and air. These are the fundamental constituents of matter which are inseparable and which, in their various combinations, enter into the composition of all material phenomena derived from, or dependent upon, the four great essentials. These are twenty-four in number. The great essentials may be compared to the earth, the derivative phenomena to trees and shrub that grow in dependence on the earth… page 237
Table 6.1 – The 28 Material Phenomena At a Glance
§3 In detail: Concretely Produced Matter
Thus these eighteen kinds of material phenomena are grouped together as: mater possessing intrinsic nature, matter possessing real characteristics, concretely produced matter, material matter, and matter to be comprehended by insight… page 237
Guide to §3
(1) The earth element (pathavīdhātu): The great essentials are called elements (dhātu) in the sense that they bear their own intrinsic natures (attano sabhāvam dhārentī). The earth element is so called because, like the earth, it serves as a support or foundation for the coexisting material phenomena. The word (pathavī) comes from a root meaning to expand or spread out, and thus the earth element represents the principle of extension. The earth element has the characteristic of hardness, the function of acting as a foundation (for the other primary elements and derived matter), and manifestation as receiving. Its proximate cause is the other three great essentials. Both hardness and softness are modes in which the earth element is experienced by the sense of touch.
The water element (apodhātu): The water element, or fluidity, is the material factor that makes different particles of matter cohere, thereby preventing them from being scattered about. Its characteristics is trickling and oozing, its function is to intensify the coexisting material phenomena.
The fire element (tejodhātu): has the characteristic of heat, its function is to mature or ripen other material phenomena, and it is manifest as a continuous supply of softness. Both heat and cold are modes in which the fire element is experienced.
The air element (vāyodhātu): is the principle of motion and pressure. Its characteristic is distention (vitthambana)… page 238
(2) Sensitive Material Phenomena (pasādarūpa) are five types of matter located in each of the five dense organs. The sensitivity is to be distinguished from the gross sense organ which functions as its support.
What is conventionally called the eye is spoken of in the Abhidamma as the composite eye (sasambhāra-cakkhu). A compound of various material phenomena. Among these is eye-sensitivity (cakku-pasāda)
The sensitive substance in the retina that registers light and colour and serves as a physical base and door for eye consciousnesses.
Ear Sensitivity (sota-pasada) is to be found inside the ear-hole, “in the place shaped like a finger-stall and surrounded by fine brown hairs” it is the sensitive substance that registers sounds and serves as a physical base and door ear-consciousness.
Nose-sensitivity (ghāna-pasāda) is to be found inside the nasal orifice
Tounge sensitivity (jivhā-pasadā) is to be found diffused over the tounge, serving to register taste
Body sensitivity (kāya-pasāda) extends all over the organic body “like a liquid that soaks a layer of cotton,” and serves to register tactile sensations… page 238
The eye’s characteristic is sensitivity of the primary elements that is ready for the impact of visible data; or its characteristic is sensitivity of the primary elements springing from a desire to see. Its function is to pick up a visible datum, as object. It is manifested as the foundation of eye-consciousness. Its proximate cause is the primary elements born of kamma springing from a desire to see. Each of the other sensitive material phenomena – the ear, the nose, the tongue, and the body – should be similarly understood with appropriate substitutions… page 239
(3) Objective material phenomena (gocararūpa) – are the five sense fields which serve as the objective supports for the corresponding types of sense consciousness. It should be noted that the tangible object is constituted by three of the great essentials: the earth element, experienced as heat or cold; and the air element, experienced as pressure. The water element, being the principle of cohesion, is not according to the Abhidamma, included in the tangible datum. The other four sense objects – visible forms, etc. – are types of derived matter… page 239
(4) Material phenomena of sex (bhavarupa) are the two faculties of femininity and masculinity. These faculties have, respectively, the characteristic of the female a sex and of the male sex. The function is to show femininity and masculinity. They are manifested as the reason for the mark, sign, work and ways of the feminine and of the male: that is for the sexual structure of the body, for its feminine or masculine features, for the typical feminine or masculine occupations, and for the typical feminine… pg. 239
(5) Material phenomenon of the heart (hadayarūpa) On the heartbase. The heart-base has the characteristic of being the material support for the mind element and the mind-consciousness element. Its function is to uphold them. It it manifested as the carrying of these elements. It is to be found in dependence on on the blood inside the heart, and is assisted by the four great essentials and maintained by the life faculty… page 239
(6) The life faculty (jivitindriya) is the material counterpart of the mental life faculty, one of the seven universal cetasikas. Life, or vitality, is called a faculty because it has a dominating influence over its adjuncts. The life faculty has the characteristic of maintaining the co existent kinds of matter at the moment of their presence. Its function is to make them occur. It is manifested as the establishment of their presence. Its proximate cause is the four great essentials that are to be maintained… page 239
(7) Edible food (kabalīlārāhāra) has the characteristic of nutritive essence (ojā), that is, the nutritional substance contained in gross edible food. Its function is to sustain the physical body. It is manifested as the fortifying as the fortifying of the body. Its proximate cause is gross edible food, which is the base of nutritive essence… page 240
These eighteen kinds of material phenomena: The eighteen material phenomena just enumerated are intrinsic nature grouped together as matter possessing intrinsic nature (sabhāvarūpa) because each type has a distinct objective nature such as hardness in the case of the earth element, etc.; as matter possessing real characteristics (salakkhanarūpa) because they are marked by the three general characteristic of impermanence, suffering, and non-self; as concretely produced matter (nipphannarūpa). Because they are directly produced by conditions such as kamma, etc. ; as material matter (rūparūpa) because they are to be made the objects of insight contemplation by way of the three characteristics… page 240
§4 in Detail: Non-Concretely Produced Matter
Non-concretely produced matter: The types of matter in groups (8)-(11) are designated non-concretely produced matter (anipphannarūpa) because they do not arise directly from the four main causes of matter but exist as modalities or attributes of concretely produced matter. Thus they are not included among the ultimate realities (paramatha dhamma)… page 241
(8) The space element (āskāsahatu): Space, as understood in the Abhidamma, is not bare geometric extension but the void region that delimits and separates objects and groups of material phenomena, enabling them to be perceived as distinct. The space element has the characteristic of delimiting matter. Its function is to display boundaries of matter. It is manifested as the confines of matter, or as the state of gaps and aperture. Its proximate cause is the matter delimited… page 241
(9) Intimating material phenomena (vinnattirūpa): Vinnatti, intimation, is that by means of which one communicates one’s ideas, feeling, and attitudes to another. There are two means of intimation, bodily and vocal. The former is a special modification in the consciousness-originated air element which causes the body to move in ways that reveal one’s intention. The latter is a special modification in the consciousness-originated earth element which issues in speech by which one reveals ones intentions. Both have the function of displaying t intention. They are manifested, respectively, as a cause of bodily movement and of verbal expression. Their proximate causes are, respectively, the air element and the earth element born of consciousness… page 241
(10) Mutable material phenomena (vikārarūpa): This category comprises special modes or manifestation of concretely produced matter. It includes the two types of intimation and three other material phenomena: lightness, malleability and wieldiness.
Among these, lightness (lahutā) has the characteristic of no-sluggishness. Its function is to dispel heaviness in matter. It is manifested as light transformability. Its proximate cause is light matter.
Wieldiness (kammannata) has the characteristic of unwieldiness. It is manifested as non-weakness. Its proximate cause is widely matter… page 241
(11) Characteristics of material phenomena (lakkhanarupa): This category include four types of material phenomena. Of these, production (upacaya) and continuity (santati) are both terms for the genesis, arising, or birth (jati) of matter They differ in that production is the first arising of a material process, the initial launching or setting up of the process, whiles continuity is the repeated genesis of material phenomenon in the same material process. For example, the arising of the body, sex and heart groups at conception is production, while the subsequent arising of those same material groups throughout life is continuity… page 241
Production of matter has the characteristic of setting up. Its function is to make material instance emerge for the first time. It is manifested as launching or as the completed state Its proximate cause is the matter produced… page 241
Continuity of matter has the characteristic of occurrence. Its function is to anchor. It is manifested as non-interruption. Its proximate causes is matter to be anchored… page 242
Decay (jaratā) has the characteristic of the maturing or again of material phenomena. Its function is to lead them on towards their termination. It is manifested as loss of newness without loss of being. Its proximate cause is matter that is decaying… page 242
Impermanence (aniccatā) has the characteristic of the completely breaking up of material phenomena. Its function is to make them subside. It is manifested as destruction and falling away. Its proximate cause is matter that is completely breaking up… page 242
§5 Twenty-Eight Kinds of Matter
Thus the eleven kinds of material phenomena are treated as twenty-eight according to their specific properties. How (twenty-eight)? page 242
Essentials, sensory organs, objects, sex, heart, life, and nutriment – thus concrete matter is eighteen-fold. page 242
Limitation (space), intimation, mutability, and characteristics- thus are ten that are not concretely produced. In all there are twenty-eight. page 242
Classification of Matter (rūpavibhāga)
Now all this matter is singlefold in so far as it is all: rootless, with conditions, subject to taints, conditioned, mundane, pertaining to the sense-sphere, objectless, not to be abandoned. However, when conceived as internal and external, etc, matter becomes manifold. page 243
Guide to §6
All this matter is single fold: All matter is rootless because it doesn’t associate with either the wholesome, unwholesome, or indeterminate roots, association with roots being restricted to mental phenomena. All matter is with conditions because it arises dependent on the four causes. It is subject to taints (sasava) because it can be made an object of the four taints. It is all conditioned and mundane because there is no matter that transcends the world of the five clinging aggregates. All matter is of the sense sphere: though matter exists in the fine-material plane, it pertains by its nature to the sense sphere because it is the object of sensual craving. Matter is objectless because, unlike mental phenomena, it cannot know an object; and it is not to be abandoned because it cannot be abandoned, like the defilement, by the four supramundane paths… page 243
The five kinds of sensitive material phenomena are internal; the rest are external.
The six kinds, comprising the sensitive organs and the heart, are material phenomena that are bases; the rest are not bases.
The seven kinds, comprising the sensitive organs and (the two) media of intimation, are material phenomena that are doors; the rest are not doors.
Eye and ear, as not reaching (their object), and nose, tongue and body, as reaching (their object), are five kinds or material phenomena that take objects; the others are material phenomena that do not take objects.
Colour, odour, taste, nutritive essence, and the four essentials are the eight kinds of material phenomena that are inseparable; the rest are separable… page 243
Internal (ajjhattika): Here. term “internal” is used in relation to matter in technical sense applicable only to the five types of sensitive materiality which serve as the doors for mental phenomena. Although other types of material phenomena occur within the physical body, only these five sensitive factors are refereed to as internal… page 245
Bases (vatthu)
Doors (dvāra): The five sensitive material phenomena are doors of cognition, that is, media for consciousness and mental factors to encounter their objects. Bodily and vocal intimation are doors of action, that is, channels for bodily and verbal deeds… page 245
Facultites (indriya): The sensitivities are so called because they exercise a controlling power (indra) in their respective sphere. Each of these controls the coexistent material phenomena is excising its specific function, such as seeing, hearing, etc. The sex faculty controls the manifestation of masculine and feminine features and traits. The life faculty controls the coexistent types of matter, as a pilot controls a ship… page 245
Gross, proximate, and impinging material phenomena: These three terms are used here in a technical sense which should not be confused with their ordinary connotations. they are restricted in application to the material phenomena that are instrumental in the genesis of sense consciousness, and imply nothing about the relative size or nearness of the object, These phenomena are twelve fold – the five sensitive organs and the seven objective data – the tangible base being reckoned as threefold because it consists of three great essentials… page 245
Clung-to (upādinna): The eighteen kinds of matter born of kamma are known as “clung-to,” because they have been acquired as the fruits of kamma motivated by craving and wrong view. Matter produced by causes other than kamma motivated by kamma in known as “not clung-to.” Generally, however, in a less technical sense, all organic matter is spoken of as “not clung-to”. It should be noted that, unlike the other pairs of terms used for the purpose of classification, the pair ‘clung-ti’ and “not clung-to” does not establish a mutually exclusive dichotomy, for nine kinds of material phenomena born of kamma can also originate from other causes… page 245
Eye and ear, as not reaching (their object): According tot he Abhidamma, the eye and ear are regarded as sense organs that do not reach or touch (asampatta) their respective objects. For the eye or ear to serve as a base of conciousness, it objects must be non contiguous. In contrast, the other three sense organs, it is held, directly touch (sampatta) their objects… page 245
Material phenomenea that take objects: The Pali expression Gocaraggahika is used figuratively to indicate the five sense organ,s serve as the bases from the consciousness that arise with their support, but the sense organs, being matter, cannot literally apprehend objects. Rather, it is the sense consciousnesses based on them that actually cognize the objects… page 246
Material phenomena that are inseparable: The four great essentials are four derivatives – colors, smell, taste, and nutritive essence – are known as inseparable matter (avinibbhogargarūpa) because they are always bound together and are present in all material objects from the simplest to the most complex. The other types of material phenomena may be present or not, and are this regarded as separable. A material group (kalāpa)… page 246
§11 Consciousness as a Mode of Origin
The seventy-five types of consciousness, exuding the immaterial sphere resultants and the two sets of five fold sense consciousness, produce material phenomena originating from consciousness beginning with the first moment of the life continuum, but they do so only (at the moment of) arising… page 247
Therein, the javanas of absorption also uphold the bodily postures, but the determining consciousness, javanas of the sense sphere, and direct-knowledge consciousness produce also (bodily and vocal) intimation. Herein, the thirteen javanas accompanied by joy produce smiling too… page 247
Guide to §11
Material phenomena originating from consciousness (cittasamutthāna-rūpa): Material phenomena produced by consciousness spring up starting from the arising moment of the first bhavanga citta immediately after the rebirth consciousness. The rebirth consciousness does not produce consciousness-born matter, since at the moment of rebirth the matter that arises is born of kamma and because this consciousness lacks the power to produce matter, and the four immaterial resultants cannot do so since they arise only in the immaterial realms… page 248
Table 6.2: Consciousness as a Cause of Material Phenomena
§12 Temperature as a Mode of Origin
The fire element, which comprises both cold and heat, on reaching its stage of presence, produces according to circumstances, both internal and external material phenomena originating from temperature… page 250
Guide to §12
Material phenomena originating from temperature (utusam-utthānarūpa): Beginning from the stage of presence at the moment of re-birth linking the internal fire element found in the material groups born of kamma combines with the external fire element found in the material groups born if kamma combines with the external fire element and starts producing organic material phenomena originating from temperature. Thereafter the fire element in the material groups born of all four causes produces organic material phenomena born of temperature throughout the course of existence. Externally, temperature or the fire element also produces inorganic material phenomena, such as climatic and geological transformations… page 250
§13 Nutriment as a Mode of Origin
Material phenomena originating from nutriment (āhārasam-utusamutthānarūpa): The internal nutritive essence, supported by the external, produces material phenomena at the moment of presence starting from the time it is swallowed. The nutritive essence that has reached presence in the material groups originating from the nutriment produces a further pure octad… page 250
Guide to §13
Material phenomena originating from nutriment (āhārasam–utthānarūpa): The internal nutritive essence, supported by the external, produces material phenomena at the moment of presence starting from the tie it is swallowed. The nutritive essence that has reached presence in the material groups originating from nutriment produces a further pure octad, and the nutritive essence in that octad originates still a further octad; thus the occurrence of octads links up ten or twelve times. The nutriment taken by a pregnant mother, pervading the body of the embryo, originates materality in the child. Even nutriment smeared on the body is said to originate materiality… page 251
§14 Analysis by way Origins
Therein, the material phenomena of the heart and the (eight) faculties are born of kamma. the two media of intimation are born only of consciousness. Sound is born of consciousness and temperature. the triple qualities of lightness, (malleability, and wildness) arise from temperature, consciousness and nutriment. The inseparable material phenomena and the element of pace arise from four causes. Characteristic material phenomena do not arise from any cause… page 251
Guide to §14
Articulate sounds are caused by consciousness, inarticulate sounds by temperature. The triple qualities of lightness, malleability, and wieldiness arise from favorable climatic condition, a buoyant state of mind, and wholesome nutriment, while unfavorable climate, depressed states of mind, and unwholesome nutriment cause heaviness, rigidity, and unwieldiness in the physical body. The space element occurs as the interstices between the material groups born of the four causes and therefore it is regarded as being derivatively born of the for causes. The reason why the characteristics do not arise from any cause is explained in the section… page 251
Guide to §15
The eighteen that arise from kamma are: 8 inseparables + 8 faculties + heart-base + space.
The fifteen that arise from consciousness are: 8 inseperables + lightness triad + sound + space.
The tweleve that arise from nutriment are: * inseperables + lightness triad + space.
The twenty-eight material phenomena can be further classified according to their number or causes as follows:
one cause: * faculties + heart-base + 2 intimations = 11;
two causes: sound = 1;
three causes: lightness triad = 3;
four cause: * inseparables + space = 9
causeless: characteristics = 4
…page 252
The Grouping of Material Phenomena
(kalāpayojana)
§16 In Brief
There are twenty-one material groups inasmuch as they arise together, cease together, have a common basis, and occur together.
Guide to §16
Material phenomena do not occur singly, but in combination or groups known as (rῡpakalāpas), of which twenty-one are enumerated. Just as all the cetasikas possess four characteristic, so too do the material phenomena in a group. All the material phenomena in a group arise together and cease together. They have a common base, namely, the conascent great essentials, which are the proximate cause for the derivative phenomena as well as for each other. And the all occur together from their arising to their cessation… page 252
§17 Groups Originating from Kamma
Therein, life and the eight inseparable material phenomena together with the eye are called the eye decad. Similarly, (by joining the former nine) together with the ear and so forth, the ear decad, nose, decad, tongue, decad, body decad, female decad, male decad, heartbase decad, should respectively be formed. Inseparable material phenomena, together with life, are called the vital nonad. These nine groups originate from kamma… page 253
§18 Groups Originating from Consciousness
The inseparable material phenomena constitute the “pure octad.” They together with bodily intimation, constitutes the bodily intimation nonad; together with vocal intimation and sound, the vocal intimation decad; together with the material phenomena of the lightness triad, the un-decad of the lightness triad; the dodecad of bodily intimation and the lightness triad; and the tridecad of vocal intimation, sound, and the lightness triad. These six material groups originate from consciousness… page 253
§19 Groups Originating from Temperature
The pure octad, the sound nonad, the un-decad of the lightness triad; the dodecad of sound and the lightness triad – these for originate from temperature… page 254
§20 Groups Originating from Nutriment
The pure octad and the un-decad of lightness triad are the two material groups that originate from nutriment… page 254
§21 The Internal and the External
Of them, the two material groups produced by temperature – the pure octad and the sound nonad – are found externally too. All the rest are strictly internal… page 254
§22 Summary
There are twenty-one material groups – nine, six, four, and two – produced in due order from kamma, consciousness, temperature, and nutriment… page 254
As space demarcates, and the characteristic marks just indicate, the wise state that they are not constituents of material groups… page 254
Guide to §22
The nine groups produced by kamma are: 1) the eye decad; 2) the ear decad; 3) the nose decad; 4) the tougue decad; 5) the body decad; 6) the female decad; 7) the male decad 8) the heart-base decad 9) the vital nonad… page 255
The six groups produced b consciousness are 1) pure octad; 2) the odily intimation decad; 3) the vocal intimation decad; 4) the lightness triad un-decad; 5) the bodily intimation and lightness triad dodecad; 6) the vocal intimation, sound and lightness triad tridecad… page 255
The four groups produced by temperature are: 1) the pure octad; 2) the sound nonad 3) the lightness triad un decad; 4) the sound and lightness triad dodecad… page 255
The two groups produced by nutriment are: 1) the pure octad; 2) the lightness triad un-decad… page 255
The Occurrence of Material Phenomena
(rūpappavattikkama)
§23 In the Sensuous World
All these material phenomena are obtained with no deficiency, according to circumstances, during the course of existence in the sensuous world. But at rebirth-linking, to moisture-born being and to those of spontaneous birth, there arise at most the seven decads – the decads of eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, sex, and the heart base… pg. 255
Guide to §23
The present section deals with the manner in which these material groups come into being at the moment of conception, during the course of existence, and in different realms. According to Buddhism there are four kinds of birth, namely, egg-born being (andaja), womb-born being (jalābuja), moisture-born beings (samsedaja) and beings having spontaneous birth (opapātika). Moisture-born beings include certain lowly forms of animal life. Beings having a spontaneous birth are generally invisible to the physical eye. Petas and devas usually belong to this class. By the mention of “womb like creature” in the text, egg born beings are also implicitly included… page 255
§24 The Continuity of Occurrence
Thus the continuity of material groups produced in four ways – namely, kamma-born from the time of rebirth-linking, consciousness born from the second moment of consciousness, temperature-born from the time of the stage of presence, nutriment-born from the time of the diffusion of nutritive essence – uninterruptedly flow on in the sense sphere till the end of life, like the flame of a lamp or the stream of a river… page 256
§25 At the Time Death
But at the time of death, kamma-born material phenomena no longer arise starting with the stage of presence of the seventeenth consciousness preceding the death consciousness. Kamma-born material phenomena that arose earlier occur till the death-moment and ten cease. Following that, the consciousness-born and nutriment-born material phenomena come to cessation. Thereafter, a continuity of material qualities produced by temperature persists in the form of the corpse… page 256
§27 in the Fine-Material World
In the fine-material world, the decads of nose tongue, body, sex, and the material groups produced by nutriment are not found. Therefore, to those beings, at the time of rebirth-linking there arise four material groups produced by kamma – three decads of eye, ear, and heart-base, and the vital nonad. During the course of existence material phenomena produced by consciousness and by temperature are found… page 257
Guide to §27
The being in the fine-material realms, being asexual, lack the two decads of sex, and though they possess the physical forms of the nose, tongue and body, these organs are destitute of sense receptivity… page 257
§28 Among Non-Percipient Beings
Among the non-percipient beings, the eye, ear, heartbase, and sound are also not found. Similarly, no consciousness-born material phenomena are found. therefore, at the moment of their rebirth-linking only the vital nonad arises. During the course of existence, material phenomena produced by temperature, with the exception of sound, continue… page 258
§29 Summary
Thus in the there cases of the sensuous world, the fine-material world, and non-percipient beings, the occurrence of material phenomena should be understood as two fold, by was of rebirth-linking and the course of existence.
In the sense planes, twenty-eight material phenomena are found; in the fine-material planes, twenty-three; among the no-percipient, seventeen but none in the immaterial plane.
At the moment of conception,, sound mutability, decay and death are found. In the course of existence, there is nothing that is not obtained.
Herein, this the procedure regarding the occurrence of material phenomena… page 258
§30 Definition
Nibbāna is termed supramundane, and is to be realized by the knowledge of the four paths. It becomes an object to the paths and fruits, and is called Nibbāna because it is a departure from craving, which is an enlightenment.
Guide to §30
Nibbāna is termed supramundane: The concluding section of this chapter deals briefly with the fourth ultimate reality, Nibbāna. Etymologically, the word Nibbāna – the Pali form of the better known Sanskrit Nirvāna – is derived from a verb (nibbāti) meaning “to be blown out” or “to be extinguished.” It thus signifies the extinguishing of the worldly “fires” of greed, hatred, and delusion. But the Pali commentators prefer to treat it as the negation of, or “departure from” (nikkhantatta), the entanglement (vāna) of craving, the deprivation which is offered here. For as long as one is entangled bu craving one remains bound in (samsāra), the cycle of birth and death; but when all craving has been extirpated, one attains Nibbāna… pg 258
§31 Analysis
Though Nibbāna is onefold according to its intrinsic nature, by reference to a basis (for distinction), it is twofold, namely, the element of Nibbāna with the residue remaining, and the element of Nibbāna without the residue remaining. It is three fold according to its different aspects, namely void, signless and desireless… pg 259
Guide to §31
Though Nibbāna is onefold according to its intrinsic nature, etc. Nibbāna is a single undifferentiated ultimate reality. It is exclusively supramundane, and has one intrinsic nature (sabhāva), which is that of being the unconditioned deathless element totally transcendent to the conditioned world. Nevertheless, by reference to a basis for distinction, Nibbāna is said to be twofold. The basis for distinction is the presence or absence of the five aggregates. The elements of Nibbāna as experienced by Arahants is called Sa-upadisesa with the residue remaining. The elements of Nibbāna attained with the Arhant’s demise as experienced by Arahants is without residue remaining (anupādisesa)… page 259
It is threefold according to its different aspects: Nibbāna is called the void (suññata) because it is devoid of greed, hatred, and delusion, and because it is devoid of all that is conditioned. It is called signless (animitta) because it is free from the signs of greed etc. and free from the signs of all conditioned things. It is called desireless (appanihita) because it is free from the hankering of greed, etc., and because it is not desired by craving… page 260
Guide to §32 Summary
Great seers who are free from craving declare the Nibbāna is an objective state which is deathless, absolutely endless, unconditioned and unsurpassed.
thus as fourfold the Tathagatas reveal the ultimate realities – consciousness, mental factors, matter and Nibbāna… page 260
Table 6.3 – Comprehensive Chart on Matter
