SINCE THE MATERIAL body called kalala (clear fluid) accompany the arising of the first birth-consciousness (patisandhi citta) we should understand the course of arising and ceasing of the material body throughout one's life. Hence we propose to deal with what should be known of rupa (Matter) in this chapter.

Rupa literally means that which changes its nature. The causes of change are many; they include heat and cold. In very cold climate your skin cracks, and the pigment changes; you catch cold and fall ill. In the group of purgatories called Lokantarika, the sinners drop into very cold water and are crushed to death. In hot climate your skin get inflamed and redden; you get burns and scalds; you get sunstroke. Moreover you may be bitten by mosquitoes, pests, dogs or snake; some of these bites may be fatal. Hunger and thirst may also kill you. These are examples of the changing nature of rupa.

CLASSES OF RUPA

Although there are 28 classes of rupa in all, we shall mention only the important 19.

The Four Fundamental Elements

1. Pathavi dhatu (earth element) - the element of extension, solidity.
2. Apo dhatu (water element) - the element of fluidity, cohesion
3. Tejo dhatu (fire element) - the element of heat, cold
4. Vayo dhatu (air element) - the element of motion support

The Five Pasada Rupa (Sensitive Parts of the Five Organs)

5. Cakkhupasada (sensitive part of the eye)
6. Sotapasada (sensitive part of the ear)
7. Ghanapasada (sensitive part of the nose)
8. Jivhapasada (sensitive part of the tongue)
9. Kayapasada (sensitive part of the body)

The Five Arammana (Objects Grasped Through Sense-doors)

10. Ruparammana (visible form)
11. Saddarammana (sound)
12. Gandharammana (smell)
13. Rasarammana (taste)
14. Photthabbarammana (touch, tangible sense)

Note:

Photthabbarammana is just pathavi, tejo and vayo; they serve as objects of temporary touch only; so it is not numbered.

The Two Sexes

15.   (a) Itthi bahva rupa (femininity)
        (b) Purisa bhava rupa (masculinity)

Seat or Basis of Consciousness

16. Hadaya vatthu rupa

Vitality of Matter

17. Jivita rupa

Essence of Nutrition

18. Oja rupa or Ahara

Intra-atomic Space

19. Akasa dhatu
 

THE FOUR FUNDAMENTAL ELEMENTS

1. Pathavi Dhatu

The earth element is also called element of solidity. The earth as a foundation supports all other things. Due to its hardness, firmness and strength it is called pathavi. The earth, rocks, stones, masses of metals are all matter in which the pathavi dhatu is dominant.

2. Apo Dhatu

Just as water enhances the cohesion of dust or powdered materials so also apo dhatu, the element of cohension, makes aggregates of tiny particles. When apo dhatu is dominant, it can dissolve other elements and become fluid. Water, urine, mucus, sweat, saliva, tears, etc. are material dominated by apo dhatu.

3. Tejo Dhatu

Just as heat of the sun can dry wet things, so also the tejo element prevents excessive dampness and viscosity of aggregate matter and maintains optimum dryness. The body of a healthy person is usually cool in the summer. This coolness also tejo dhatu.

There are thus two types of tejo and sita tejo. Utu (climate) is another name for rejo. When the body and environs are cool, sita tejo pervades the entire atmosphere. When hot, unha tejo does the same. If this tejo dhatu is hot when it should be hot and cool when it is the time for cool season, we have healthy climate. In our bodies if tejo is moderate we are healthy; if not we are sick; if in excess we die.

Therefore those who cannot adapt to the changing tejo should live with care. They should avoid travelling in intense heat or extreme cold; they should avoid eating very hot or very cold food. Water and ice are aggregate matter with excess of site tejo where as the sun fire of unha tejo.

Pacaka tejo dhatu: this type of tejo serves to digest our food. It originates from beneath the stomach. Powerful pacaka tejo helps digest the food eaten, but if it is feeble you cannot digest properly and get stomach disorder. In order to be healthy you need to eat tender digestible food.

4. Vayo Dhatu

Vayo dhatu is the element of motion. It is seen in the wind blowing about and pushing against things. This dhatu pushes or moves other aggregate matter.

In our body there are six types of wind: -

i. Uddhangama

Wind that moves upward, causing bleaching, coughing, sneezing and related illness. When we speak this wind moves constantly upwards and cause bowel discomfort. One should not speak with an empty stomach.

ii. Adhogama

Wind that moves downward causing bowel movement and frequent motion.

iii. Kucchittha

Wind that moves about in the visceral cavity apart from the large and small intestines.

iv. Kotthasaya

Wind that moves about inside the large and small intestines, pushing digestible food from the stomach into the rectum.

v. Anggamanganusari

Wind that moves within the limbs. If this wind does not move freely illness results. In our bodies there are small veins along which this wind moves. Staying in one posture for a long time prevents this wind from moving freely causing blood to accumulate at one location without flowing freely leading to stiffness and pain. To prevent this ailment, we should avoid remaining in one posture for a long time; and take walking exercise.

vi. Assasapassasa

Wind inhaled and exhaled by us. It is also known as anapana.

Basic and Secondary Matter

The four fundamental elements pathavi, tejo, vayo and apo are basic matter while other associated matter are secondary. The four fundamental elements serve as foundation for the secondary matter. If the aggregate of the four dhatus are immense, we have big inorganic masses such s high mountains, big fires and immense living organisms such as big Devas, big fishes. The larger the aggregate of the four fundamental dhatus, the bigger the size of the living or non-living thing.

Other pasada rupa are secondary matter. They do not grow in size. Sense-objects such as sight, sound, smell, appearances are included in the class of secondary matter. For example if you add mare scent to a cake of soap, it does not reduced the scent in the cake of soap, the aroma diminishes but the size remains the same. So we must remember that only the four fundamental dhatu are basic matter.

THE FIVE SENSE ORGANS

Radios and televisions can receive audio as well as visual signals. In the same way in our body there are sensitive parts of the sense organs called pasada rupa, which can receive the corresponding arammana (sense-objects).

1. Cakkhupadasa (Sensitive Part of Eye)

The sensitive part which lies at the centre of the pupil and which enables one to see objects is cakkhu. It is made up of many kalapas or cells which can receive and comprehend various colours, lights, the ruparammana (sense-objects of sight). This cakkhupasada is the prima cause of eye-consciousness (cakkhu vinnana).

2. Sotapasada (Sensitive Part of Ear)

Inside your ear there is sensitive part called sota pasada, which is made up of many kalapas, sensitive to sound. It can receive and interpret sounds and cause sound-consciousness (sota vinnana).

3. Ghanapasada (Sensitive Part of Nose)

Inside your nose there is a special portion of many kalapas which resemble the hoof of a goat. It is sensitive to scent and can produce nose-consciousness (ghana vinnana).

4. Jivhapasada (Sensitive Part of Tongue)

In the middle of our tongue there are a collection of taste buds similar in shape to corolla of the water lily. It is sensitive to taste and can be produce tongue-consciousness (jivha vinnana).

5. Kayapasada (Organ of Touch)

Spread all over our body (expecting the dry areas) there are sense organs sensitive to touch. They are sensitive to touch and can produce body-consciousness (kaya vinnana).

THE FIVE ARAMMANAS

Therefore, we have these five pasada rupas (as discussed above) which are sensitive to the five drammanas. The Pali word arammana means the haunt of consciousness. Every consciousness arises only in association with a sense-object. Therefore sense-objects are the haunts of consciousness. Among them visual form is called ruparammana, which is matter. Sound is saddarammana, smell is ghandharammana, taste is rasarammana, and touch photabbhaammana. These five arammanas are the haunts, the habits of cittas (consciousness).

Dhammarammana consists not only of rupa but also citta, ceasika, Nibbana and all panatti (conventional elements).

Kamaguna

Pleasant sight, pleasant sound, pleasant smell, pleasant taste and pleasant touch are called the five kamaguna [kama = pleasure; guna = bondage]. In fact they are the five arammana we have just discussed. The physical, voice and scent of the female, the taste of food prepared by her, her bodily touch, are the favourite sensual pleasures for men. The converse is also true for the female.

THE TWO SEXES (BHAVA RUPA)

The sex of a living thing, pusira bhava (male) or itthi bhava (female) is determined at the very beginning of pregnancy. The determining factor is of course, one's past kamma. The female chromosome is called itthi bhava rupa; the male chromosome purisa bhava rupa. These bhava rupas, chromosomes, dispersed all over the body, determine the physique, organs, behaviour and characteristics in the male and female respectively.

THE HEART (HADAYA VATTHU RUPA)

The hadaya vatthu rupa is the heart situated in the middle of the thorax where blood circulation initiates. The majority of cittas (consciousness) have their origin in this rupa.

Note:

We translate hadaya as "heart" but it is not the cardiac organ defined in anatomy.

VITALITY OF MATTER (JIVITA RUPA)

Just as cittas (consciousness) have vital force citta jivita (a cetasika called Jivtindriya), so also rupa has material jivita (vital force). This vital force is not found in the rupa forms caused by citta, climate and nutrition, because it is the rupa caused by kamma only. All living beings continue to survive because of nama jivata (vitality of consciousness) and rupa jivita (vitality of matter). These two are the prime factors of survival. Without these, a being dies. Jivita keeps the body living and fresh. The absence of jivita in the rupa of a corpse makes it rot and decay. Juvita rupa is distributed evenly all over the body.

ESSENSE OF NUTRITION

In cooked rice there is oja (nutritious essence). In the same way we have oja (the nutritive essence) in our bodies. Tastes such as sweet, sour, bitter, salty, hot and so on are known as rasa rammana. Oja or ahara is the essence of these tastes. It pervades the whole body and sustains growth.

INTRA-ATOMIC SPACE (AKASA DHATU)

Akasa dhatu means space. Rupa (matter) cannot exist in single units. They generally exist as aggregate of eight or nine units. Such as aggregate is called a kalapa. Two adjacent fingers can be kept together; yet there is a space dividing them. Our bodies are filled with tiny kalapas, but still there is space in between them. This space is known as akasa dhatu. It is not discernible matter. It is a pannati (conventional) which becomes prominent only when two units of rupa are conduction.

HOW A KALAPA IS FORMED

A group of people association is called a club. In Pali kalapa also means a group. As said before rupa (matter) cannot exist in isolation. Appropriate units of matter combine to exist as a group or an aggregate. Such a group with common properties, existing together, disappearing together, is termed 'one kalapa'.

MATTER IN COMBINATION

The four fundamental elements - pathavi, tejo and apo - together with vanna (appearance), ghanda (scent), rasa (taste), oja (essence of nutrition) are the eight classes of matter found always in coexistence. A lump of soil is an aggregate of eight classes of matter too. It has a certain appearance and a specific smell and taste; it can be touched and felt. The same is true for water, wind, fire, heat, light etc. They are all aggregates of the eight classes of matter.

THE SIZE OF A KALAPA

Each kalapa is so minute that you cannot see it with your naked eye. Even the finest dust particle is an aggregate of a large number of kalapas. A bacteria which can only be seen with the most powerful microscope is composed of countless kalapas formed by kamma, citta, utu and chara. Therefore the minuteness of a kalapa is beyond description. (Reference may be made to text on Abhidhamma for classes of kalapas and their names).

THE FOUR CAUSES AND CONDITIONS

Let us delve further into the nature of the four dhatus and how rupa is caused by kamma, citta, utu and ahara. Let us think of an earthen doll. Dust or soil particles do not make a doll because the particles will not cohere but be blown away. So we add some water; still the doll does not take shape. The doll must then be baked in the sun. This is an example of how an earthen doll is moulded by a craftsman with the help of dust, water, wind and sun.

HOW KAMMA TAKES EFFECT

As in the above example, pathavi dhatu alone cannot cause the body to be formed. Apo dampens the pathavi and tejo dhatu removes the excess humidity; vayo presses and holds them together. The aggregate of four elements acquire physical properties such as appearance, smell, taste and nutritious essence. Then the systemmatic combination of the kalapas thus formed takes the form of human beings as directed by past kamma.

Kamma determines the sex and basic traits of the human being in conformity with the deeds done in the past. Some may become peta, animal, etc. for their evils. Kusala and akusala kamma manages to form beautiful or ugly beings correspondingly. Evil kamma makes one an animal but certain good kamma make the animal a lovely one. Conversely good kamma makes one a human but evil kamma makes him ugly and deplorable. In this way your life from foetus to death is managed by past and present actions good or bad. Rupa caused by kamma is called kammaja rupa.

HOW CITTA CONDITIONS RUPA

Citta (mind) plays a part in conditioning the rupa caused by kamma. The rupa (body) has to follow the will of the mind. Citta commands the body to sit, sleep, stand or move. When the will to moves arises, cittaja rupa pervades the entire body. Vayo dhatu is dominant in cittaja rupa i.e. it is more active than usual. So the body becomes alert.

The number of kalapas dominated by vayo dhatu increase gradually, causing the body to move according to the dictates of mind. Bodily movements are similar to those of the pictures in motion picture. One frame shows a man standing; the next shows the arising of one leg; then the putting down of that leg and so on. The quick movement of hundreds of frames is seen as a man walking.

In like manner, when a man takes a walk, the process beings with the volition of the mind. The vaya dhatu is the first rupa becomes alert. The second rupa comes into being not in the original position but somewhere closely adjacent. The next, and the next rupa appear and disappear in adjacent position in rapid succession. As millions of such processes happen within the wink of an eye this is seen as a man walking step after step.

There is a saying, "Young at heart, youthful looks". When one is in happy mood, the cittaja rupas are cheerful. When in amiable conversation, one's facial expression is that of gaiety. When one is despair the rupa becomes correspondingly downcast. When a quarrelsome conversation the facial expression portrays wrath.

When a house catches fire, the flames spread to the houses nearby. Similarly, when sittaja rupa is in agony, the rupas also suffer from equal agony, the rupas in conjunction namely kammaja, utaja and aharaja rupas also suffer from equal agony. So when a person is very dejected his features look very aged; when the anguish is extreme he dies broken-hearted. To sum up, the citta (mind) conditions your body from the very beginning of pregnancy.

EFFECT OF CLIMATE

Climate also effects rupa. Under pleasant climate conditions the inhabitants are cheerful and healthy. Wearing clean cloths and sleeping in clean bed cause clean utuja rupas to increase; hence the body becomes healthy and jovial. Therefore cleanliness is the key to good health. The converse is also true. Wearing dirty cloths, sleeping in dirty beds cause filth utuja rupas to increase, hence ill healthy. In rainy season, the favourable climate causes vegetation to thrive. In dry, hot weather, vegetation wilts and withers. In the same way utu conditions the body since pregnancy. Changes in vegetation are indicators of climatic conditions. We should be aware of how ujuta rupa changes with climatic conditions.

THE INFLUENCE OF NUTRITION

There is oja (nutritious essence) in all food you eat, even in water. If you take nutritious food and appropriate medicine you will lead a long, healthy life. Unsuitable food and medicine bring ill health. The correct choice of food and medicine is obviously conducive to good health.

In a mother's womb the foetus receives the food the mother eats. Thus it develops gradually into a body. Therefore every mother desirous of the infant's health must be avoid unsuitable food that will harm her pregnancy. The baby in the womb absorbs nutrition from the food eaten by the mother through the umbilical cord. Knowing this expecting mother must be careful with their diet.

This is some useful advice for the expectant mother. Eat nutritious food; avoid abrupt and awkward movements; check up the pregnancy with a doctor; eat and sleep regularly. Only with such care, a healthy mother can bear healthy children. It is the duty of every mother to be careful with her diet since her early days of pregnancy.

CONCLUSION

Here end the chapter on rupa. For the good deed of writing this chapter, may all readers perform good deeds conducive to good health and physical fitness in this life while on the way to Nibbana. May mu close friends be fit and healthy so that they may do meritorious needs and fulfil parami perfections until the day they attain Nibbana, the supreme bliss.
 

[HERE INDS THE EXPLAINATION OF RUPA]

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CHAPTER 11