October 17, 2017; revised September 15, 2020; December 22, 2023; January 11, 2024; July 14, 2026
1. The original post had the title “Avyākata Paṭicca Samuppāda for Vipāka Viññāṇa,” originally written on October 17, 2017.
i.However, I recently realized that such a Paṭicca Samuppāda process is incompatible with the Buddha’s teachings.
ii.Furthermore, sensory inputs do not come to us only via kamma vipāka, which are responsible for only a minute fraction of our sensory experiences.
▪I will discuss both those issues below. Since I don’t have time to write the full post, I will outline the main points below.
2. Avyākata Paṭicca Samuppāda is in the Tipiṭaka, and only the Pāli version is available at: “WebLink: suttacentral: Paṭicca Samuppāda Vibhaṅga (Abhidhamma Vb 6)” (Section 2.11 on Abyākata Niddesa).
▪However, there is no mention of it in the Sutta Piṭaka, which describes only one version, the Idappaccayātā Paṭicca Samuppāda; see “Idappaccayātā Paṭicca Samuppāda – Bhava and Jāti Within a Lifetime.”
▪Furthermore, ‘avyākata’ or ‘abyākata’ means ‘undeclared.’ See “WebLink: suttacentral: Abyākata Sutta (AN 7.54).” As explained in that sutta, the Buddha refused to answer ten questions that ‘did not make sense’ or ‘questions that cannot be answered.’
3. Regarding ‘kamma vipāka as the cause for sensory experience’:
▪The human body can encounter sensory input from its environment. For example, if an earthquake occurs where one lives, one will face the same inconveniences as anyone else living there. It is not that each sensory event in triggered by a specific kamma (unless it is an ānantarika kamma). See “WebLink: suttacentral: Girimānanda Sutta (AN 10.60).” As stated there, “kammavipākajā ābādhā” is only one of many possible causes.
4. An incorrect version of the following chart was in the original post, “Avyākata Paṭicca Samuppāda for Vipāka Viññāṇa.”
▪I have revised that chart as follows.
Avyākata Paṭicca Samuppāda
Further explanation:
Citta Vithi |
Purāna/Nava Kamma |
|---|---|
Pañcadvārāvajjana |
Kāma dhātu |
Cakkhu viññāṇa |
bahiddha followed by ajjhatta viññāṇa (with kāma saṅkappa) |
Sampaṭiccana |
‘cakkhu viññeyya rūpa’ to ‘kāma guṇa’ to ‘samphassa-jā-vedanā’ |
Santīraṇa |
‘samphassa-jā-vedanā paccaya taṇhā’ |
Votthapana |
‘taṇhā paccayā upādāna’ |
Javana citta (7) |
‘upādāna paccayā bhavo’: Nava kamma |
|
(One is ‘born’ in a ‘temporary jāti’ and accumulates kammic energy) |
Tadārammaṇa (2) |
That ‘temporary jāti’ generates a ‘temporary bhavaṅga’ (BT) and fuels the next citta vīthi |
A new citta vīthi starts with BT as the ‘bhavaṅga.’ Thus, the javana cittās in the new citta vīthi will be stronger. That process with billions of citta vīthi can proceed if the ārammaṇa is strong enough. It will eventually die out when BT becomes weak and merges into the ‘natural bhavaṅga.’ That ‘temporary jāti’ will come to an end. But the accumulated kammic energy can bring future vipāka. |
|
5. I will complete this post in the future. I just wanted to explain why the original post is being removed from the website.