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April 28, 2019; revised November 8, 2019

Vipāka Viññāṇa and Kamma Viññāṇa

1. Even though science has made significant progress in the understanding of the material world, science has advanced very little on the subject of mental phenomena.

▪The words viññāṇa and saṅkhāra have no corresponding words in English. It is absurd to translate viññāṇa as “consciousness.” There are two types of viññāṇa. Vipāka viññāṇa are only consciousness. However, kamma viññāṇa that arise via “saṅkhāra paccayā viññāṇa” are much more than just consciousness.

▪I looked up the definition of consciousness. It is usually defined as “the state of being awake and aware of one’s surroundings” or “the awareness or perception of something by a person.” That is not what is meant by viññāṇa.

2. Kamma viññāṇa arises only when one acts with avijjā: “avijjā paccayā saṅkhāra” and “saṅkhāra paccayā viññāṇa.” Thus, kamma viññāṇa can occur only if one acts with avijjā or ignorance.

▪The Buddha did not act with viññāṇa (i.e., did not generate kamma viññāṇa) after attaining the Buddhahood. But he had perfectly good consciousness.

▪Viññāṇa is a very complicated word. Even though I have simplified viññāṇa as “defiled consciousness,” that is also not adequate; see, “Viññāṇa – Consciousness Together With Future Expectations.”

Different Categorizations of Saṅkhāra

3. In WebLink: suttacentral: Paṭiccasamuppāda Vibhaṅga (Vb 6), the term “avijjā paccayā saṅkhārā” in Akusala-Mūla Paticca Samuppāda (that leads to suffering) is explained as follows: “Tattha katame avijjā paccayā saṅkhārā? Puññābhisaṅkhāro, apuññābhisaṅkhāro, āneñjābhisaṅkhāro, kāyasaṅkhāro, vacīsaṅkhāro, cittāsaṅkhāro.”

Translated: “What is avijjā paccayā saṅkhārā? Puññābhisaṅkhāra, apuññābhisaṅkhāra, āneñjābhisaṅkhāra, kāyasaṅkhāra, vacīsaṅkhāra, cittāsaṅkhāra.” (here, cittāsaṅkhāra is the same as manosaṅkhāra).

▪They are all abhisaṅkhāra, even though the verse has simplified as “avijjā paccayā saṅkhārā.”

▪There are two types of abhisaṅkhāra mentioned there: one kind refers to types of kamma accrued. The second categorization says whether it involves the body, speech, or just mind.

▪Therefore, saṅkhāra has a much deeper meaning than just “mental formations,” even though that is better than the translation for viññāṇa as consciousness.

▪Let us discuss those two types next.

Mano, vacī, and kāya Saṅkhāra

4. First, let us consider mano saṅkhāra, vacī saṅkhāra, and kāya saṅkhāra.

▪They all arise in the mind, but have differences: thoughts that appear automatically in the mind are called mano saṅkhāra.

▪When we consciously think about something, those are vacī saṅkhāra (speaking out is also included).

▪When we move the body with our thoughts, those thoughts are kāya saṅkhāra.

▪Of course, those saṅkhāra become abhisaṅkhāra when immoral or moral intentions play a role. Such abhisaṅkhāra lead to rebirth and future suffering (see #5 below).

4. In other words, saṅkhāra in “avijjā paccayā saṅkhāra” in Akusala-Mūla Paṭicca Samuppāda are abhisaṅkhāra that can lead to rebirth.

▪Even an Arahant will generate saṅkhāra (all three types of mano saṅkhāra, vacī saṅkhāra, and kāya saṅkhāra) to live in this world the physical body dies.

▪However, an Arahant will NOT generate any abhisaṅkhāra.

Apuñña, Puñña, and Āneñja abhisaṅkhāra

5. Abhisaṅkhāra falls into three categories of apuñña abhisaṅkhāra, puñña abhisaṅkhāra, and āneñja abhisaṅkhāra.

▪Apuñña abhisaṅkhāra are immoral actions leading to births in the apāyā.

▪Puñña abhisaṅkhāra are moral actions leading births in the “good” realms of human, deva, and rūpāvacara brahma realms (via cultivation of rūpāvacara jhāna).

▪Āneñja abhisaṅkhāra are involved in the cultivation of arūpāvacara jhāna leading to rebirth in arūpāvacara brahma realms.

▪Therefore, just translating saṅkhāra as “mental formations” is not very useful in describing what they are; see, “Saṅkhāra – What It Really Means.”

Current Scientific Knowledge of Consciousness

6. Modern science is far behind the Buddha in the understanding of mental phenomena. To understand the severity of this problem, let us examine a presentation by the philosopher John Searle, “Our Shared Condition – Consciousness.”

WebLink: youtube: John Searle: Our shared condition -- consciousness

7. In my opinion, John Searle is one of few philosophers who comes even close to understanding mind phenomena. Some philosophers/scientists do not even believe that consciousness is real. They say: “..Science is objective, consciousness is subjective. Therefore there cannot be a science of consciousness.” Whether there can be a “science of consciousness” or not, consciousness is real, as Searle points out.

▪Some others object, “..Maybe consciousness exists, but it can’t make any difference to the world. How could spirituality move anything?.” In response, Searle points out: “..I decide consciously to raise my arm, and the damn thing goes up.”

Consciousness Is Real

8. John Searle is also quite correct that consciousness is not an illusion. As he points out, only a conscious living being can decide to move a body part, say raise a hand.

▪But to be perfectly correct, consciousness is not what moves an arm. One needs to make a “conscious effort” to move the arm, i.e., one must decide to raise the hand. Those thoughts are kāya saṅkhāra: conscious thoughts that lead to moving body parts.

▪However, it is essential to realize that the energy to raise the hand does not come from the mind. The mind initiates the process, and the brain sends the necessary commands to the muscles to raise the hand; energy for such muscle movements comes from the food we eat.

▪Just like an on-board computer carries out the commands of the pilot flying a plane, the brain acts like a computer and carries out the commands given by the mind.

Breathing Involves Basic Kāya Saṅkhāra

9. The definition of kāya saṅkhāra is “assāsa passāsā kāya saṅkhāra” or “breathing in and out is kāya saṅkhāra.” We all do such kāya saṅkhāra through our lives, and that is the most basic kāya saṅkhāra.

▪Even though we do not realize it, breathing in and out involves “thinking at the lowest level” or with “atiparittārammaṇa citta vīthi.” Those citta vīthi do not have javana citta, and thus, we do not “feel them.”

▪In the fourth jhāna samāpatti, kāya saṅkhāra involved in breathing stop, i.e., breathing stops.

▪Kāya saṅkhāra lead to any bodily movement. Unless those bodily movements lead to kammic effects (good or bad), they do not become abhisaṅkhāra, which could lead to rebirth.

Vacī Abhisaṅkhāra and Kāya Abhisaṅkhāra Can Lead to Rebirth

10. Vacī saṅkhāra also can be just saṅkhāra (thinking to oneself/speaking about normal activities) or abhisaṅkhāra with kammic consequences. See, “Correct Meaning of Vacī Saṅkhāra.”

▪Both vacī and kāya abhisaṅkhāra can lead to rebirth.

▪Mano saṅkhāra — which arise automatically — do not lead to rebirths.

Some Pāli Words Should Not be Translated

11. Modern science cannot explain saṅkhāra (more correctly how a person moves body parts or speaks on his/her volition). The English language does not have an equivalent word for “saṅkhāra.” Furthermore, as explained above, “consciousness” should not be used as the English translation for “viññāṇa.”

▪We need to learn the Pāli words (saṅkhāra and viññāṇa) and then just use those words.

▪That is what has been the practice in the Sinhala language. The same words viññāṇa and saṅkhāra appear in the Sinhala translations of the Tipiṭaka. Just like in English, there are no Sinhala words assigned for viññāṇa and saṅkhāra.