Rūpa (Material Form) – Table

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Rūpa (Material Form) – Table

Revised April 22, 2020; August 16, 2020; September 5, 2022

We discuss the 28 types of rūpa (material form) in Buddha Dhamma. For discussions on rūpa, see, “What are Rūpa? (Relation to Nibbāna)” and “Rūpa (Material Form).

Concretely Produced (Nipphanna)

Abstract (Anipphanna) Rūpa

I. Great Elements (Mahā Bhūta)

VII. Limiting Phenomenon

1. Pathavi (Extension/Hardness)

19. Ākasa dhātu (space element)

2. Āpo (Cohesion/Fluidity)

IX. Communicating (Viññati) Rūpa

3. Tejo (Heat/Hotness)

20. Kāya Viññati

4. Vāyo (Motion/Pushing & Supporting)

21. Vacī Viññati

II. Internal (Pasāda) Rūpa

X. Mutable (Vikāra) Rūpa

5. Cakkhu (eye element)

22. Lahutā (lightness)

6. Sota (ear element)

23. Mudutā (Elasticity)

7. Ghana (nose element)

24. Kammaññatā (weildiness)

8. Jivhā (tongue element)

XI. Material Qualities (Lakkhaṇa Rūpa)

9. Kāya (body element)

25. Upacaya (production)

III. Gocara (Objective) Rūpa

26. Santati (continuity)

10. Vaṇṇa (visible)

27. Jaratā (Decay)

11. Sadda (Sound)

28. Aniccatā (Dissolving)

12. Gandha (Smell)

 

13. Rasa (Taste)

 

* Phoṭṭhabba (Tangibility, warmth, and movement) comes from 3 mahā bhūta of pathavi, tejo, vāyo

 

IV. Bhāva (Faculties of sex) Rūpa

 

14. Itthi (Feminine)

 

15. Purisa (Masculine)

 

V. Hadaya (Mind Base)

 

16. Hadaya Vatthu (seat of the mind)

 

VI. Life

 

17. Jīvitindriya (Life faculty)

 

VII. Nutritional

 

18. Oja (Nutriment)

 

Types of Rupā

The four great elements (#1 through #4), three gocara rūpa (#10, #12, #13), and nutriment (#18), ALWAYS appear together. They can NEVER be detected by themselves. They come together as suddhaṭṭhaka (meaning the smallest collection of those eight types of rūpa.) See “The Origin of Matter – Suddhaṭṭhaka.”

There are nine rūpā created ONLY by kammic energy at the paṭisandhi moment. Those are the five pasāda rūpa (#5 through #9), and four other rūpa (#14 through #17), including the seat of the mind (hadaya vatthu).

The 16 rūpa that are highlighted in blue are fine (sukuma) rūpa. The other 12 are coarse (oḷārika) rūpa.

Nipphanna rūpa are caused by kamma, citta, utu (tejo), and āhāra (oja). The other 10 (anipphanna rūpa) are not caused or conditioned by kamma, citta, utu (tejo), and āhāra (oja).

The ten types of anipphanna rūpa (on the right side of the Table) are abstract rūpa.

Types of Rūpā Present in Different Realms

All 28 rūpā arise in the kāma-realms. Eight rūpā comprising sadda, five viññatti/vikāra-rūpā, jaratā-rūpa, and aniccatā-rūpa, do not arise at the moment of birth (paṭisandhi.) During life time, they can arise.

In the 15 rūpa realms, except for Asañña-realm, 23 rūpā arise (ghāṇa-pasāda, jivhā-pasāda, kāya-pasāda, itthi-bhava and purisa-bhava being excluded).

Only 17 rūpā arise in the Asañña realm. They are the eight avinibbhoga (four mahā bhūta and vaṇṇa, gandha, rasa, oja), jivita rūpa, ākāsa dhātu, three lahutadi, and four lakkhana- rūpā;

No rūpa above the suddhaṭṭhaka level arises (except for hadaya vatthu) in the arūpa-realms. Thus, only that trace of “matter” is present anywhere in the 31 realms. Ancient yogis, who attained all eight anāriya jhānā, could not see any rūpa in the arūpa loka and deduced that was Nibbāna. Only a Buddha can see a hadaya vatthu, i.e., a suddhaṭṭhaka. Thus, linkage to mater has not been severed in arūpa loka.

Definitions from Dhammasaṅgaṇī

The following are quoted from the “WebLink: suttacentral: Rūpavibhatti DS 2.2.3” section of Dhammasaṅgaṇī of the Tipiṭaka.

Katamaṁ taṁ rūpaṁ itthindriyaṁ? Yaṁ itthiyā itthiliṅgaṁ itthinimittaṁ itthikuttaṁ itthākappo itthattaṁ itthibhāvo—idaṁ taṁ rūpaṁ itthindriyaṁ.

Katamaṁ taṁ rūpaṁ purisindriyaṁ? Yaṁ purisassa purisaliṅgaṁ purisanimittaṁ purisakuttaṁ purisākappo purisattaṁ purisabhāvo—idaṁ taṁ rūpaṁ purisindriyaṁ.

Katamaṁ taṁ rūpaṁ jīvitindriyaṁ? Yo tesaṁ rūpīnaṁ dhammānaṁ āyu ṭhiti yapanā yāpanā iriyanā vattanā pālanā jīvitaṁ jīvitindriyaṁ—idaṁ taṁ rūpaṁ jīvitindriyaṁ.

Katamaṁ taṁ rūpaṁ kāyaviññatti? Yā kusalacittassa vā akusalacittassa vā abyākatacittassa vā abhikkamantassa vā paṭikkamantassa vā ālokentassa vā vilokentassa vā samiñjentassa vā pasārentassa vā kāyassa thambhanā santhambhanā santhambhitattaṁ viññatti viññāpanā viññāpitattaṁ—idaṁ taṁ rūpaṁ kāyaviññatti.

Katamaṁ taṁ rūpaṁ vacīviññatti? Yā kusalacittassa vā akusalacittassa vā abyākatacittassa vā vācā girā byappatho udīraṇaṁ ghoso ghosakammaṁ vācā vacībhedo—ayaṁ vuccati vācā. Yā tāya vācāya viññatti viññāpanā viññāpitattaṁ—idaṁ taṁ rūpaṁ vacīviññatti.

Katamaṁ taṁ rūpaṁ ākāsadhātu? Yo ākāso ākāsagataṁ aghaṁ aghagataṁ vivaro vivaragataṁ asamphuṭṭhaṁ catūhi mahābhūtehi—idaṁ taṁ rūpaṁ ākāsadhātu.

Katamaṁ taṁ rūpaṁ rūpassa lahutā? Yā rūpassa lahutā lahupariṇāmatā adandhanatā avitthanatā—idaṁ taṁ rūpaṁ rūpassa lahutā.

Katamaṁ taṁ rūpaṁ rūpassa mudutā? Yā rūpassa mudutā maddavatā akakkhaḷatā akathinatā—idaṁ taṁ rūpaṁ rūpassa mudutā.

Katamaṁ taṁ rūpaṁ rūpassa kammaññatā? Yā rūpassa kammaññatā kammaññattaṁ kammaññabhāvo—idaṁ taṁ rūpaṁ rūpassa kammaññatā.

Katamaṁ taṁ rūpaṁ rūpassa upacayo? Yo āyatanānaṁ ācayo, so rūpassa upacayo— idaṁ taṁ rūpaṁ rūpassa upacayo.

Katamaṁ taṁ rūpaṁ rūpassa santati? Yo rūpassa upacayo, sā rūpassa santati— idaṁ taṁ rūpaṁ rūpassa santati.

Katamaṁ taṁ rūpaṁ rūpassa jaratā? Yā rūpassa jarā jīraṇatā khaṇḍiccaṁ pāliccaṁ valittacatā āyuno saṁhāni indriyānaṁ paripāko—idaṁ taṁ rūpaṁ rūpassa jaratā.

Katamaṁ taṁ rūpaṁ rūpassa aniccatā? Yo rūpassa khayo vayo bhedo paribhedo aniccatā antaradhānaṁ—idaṁ taṁ rūpaṁ rūpassa aniccatā.

Katamaṁ taṁ rūpaṁ kabaḷīkāro āhāro? Odano kummāso sattu maccho maṁsaṁ khīraṁ dadhi sappi navanītaṁ telaṁ madhu phāṇitaṁ, yaṁ vā panaññampi atthi rūpaṁ yamhi yamhi janapade tesaṁ tesaṁ sattānaṁ mukhāsiyaṁ dantavikhādanaṁ galajjhoharaṇīyaṁ kucchivitthambhanaṁ, yāya ojāya sattā yāpenti—idaṁ taṁ rūpaṁ kabaḷīkāro āhāro.