Dhamma and Science > Origin of Life > Views on Life > Worldview of the Buddha > Sensory Inputs Initiate “Creation of the World” or “Loka Samudaya”

January 3, 2025

Attachment to sensory inputs initiates “creation of the world” or “loka samudaya.” Conversely, stopping attachment to sensory inputs stops “loka samudaya” and initiates “loka nirodha.”

Loka Samudaya and Loka Nirodha

1. When we think about “the world,” we usually think of the physical world (its mountains, oceans, and people). Other star systems with planets are also included.

▪None of us can get rid of that world. By “loka nirodha,” the Buddha meant ending one’s existence in that external world.

▪Furthermore, one person cannot control anything about the state of that external physical world.

Loka Samudaya – Relation to Gati and (Distorted) Saññā

2. However, we can determine how our current actions affect our future existence; each person’s “loka samudaya” is based on his/her (moral/immoral) actions. One’s actions are based on one’s gati, and it is essential to realize that. As we will see, “gati” is key in generating “distorted” saññā because each existence in the world has its characteristic gati and “distorted” saññā.

▪Buddha’s advice was to strive to stop rebirths in all existences since they are all mired in suffering.

▪The Buddha divided the world into three main categories: kāma loka, rūpa loka, and arūpa loka. We must strive to stop rebirths in the kāma loka because the apāyās with the highest suffering are in the kāma loka. That is accomplished at the Sotāpanna stage. Once the causes for rebirths in all three lokās are removed, one attains Arahanthood.

▪Therefore, by “loka samudaya” and “loka nirodha,” the Buddha meant the “mental world” of each person.

Rūpa Nirodha Does Not Mean Eliminating External Rūpa

3. The “WebLink: suttacentral: Nirodhadhamma Sutta (SN 23.22)” says, “Rūpaṁ kho, rādha, nirodhadhammo, vedanā nirodhadhammo, saññā nirodhadhammo, saṅkhārā nirodhadhammo, viññāṇaṁ nirodhadhammo”

Translation: “Rādha, rūpa, vedanā, saññā, saṅkhāra and viññāṇa are dhammās that can be stopped from arising.” However, it is better to say one can cultivate wisdom so that the mind will not attach to the rūpa in a sensory event.

▪Thus, it should be clear that “rūpa” does not refer to external objects, sounds, tastes, etc.

▪The other four entities also arise in the mind. Rūpa also refers to (“distorted”) mental versions of external entities formed by the mind due to “distorted” saññā.

▪Such (“distorted”) mental versions of external rūpās cannot be stopped from arising while one lives with the body that one is born with. As we have discussed, our bodies are “made” to provide that “distorted” saññā; see ““Mind-Pleasing Things” in the World Arise via Paṭicca Samuppāda.”

▪ It is more correct to say one can stop “being fooled” by those “distorted” mental versions of external rūpās. That is the true meaning of “rūpa nirodha.”

4. A living Arahant also receives such (“distorted”) mental versions of external rūpās because they were also born with a human body. However, their minds do not attach to them with rāga, dosa, or moha. Thus, they have accomplished “loka nirodha.” Since their physical body is a kamma vipāka, that physical body will live until its death, but they will not be reborn into this world again. The fact that they also experience (“distorted”) mental versions of external rūpās is discussed in #8 below.

▪These concepts are further clarified in the “WebLink: suttacentral: Nirodhadhamma Sutta (SN 23.34)” and “WebLink: suttacentral: Nirodhadhamma Sutta (SN 23.46).”

▪The first sutta emphasizes that one can attain Nibbāna by giving up cravings for the “mind-made rūpa” and the corresponding vedanā, saññā, saṅkhāra and viññāṇa, vedanā, i.e., samphassa-jā-vedanā, abhisaṅkhāra, and kamma viññāṇa.

▪One cannot remove the “distorted saññā” and can only comprehend the true nature of it (that is why even Arahants taste the sweetness of honey, for example.)

Saññā Nirodha Means Comprehending the Origin of (Distorted) Saññā

5. The “WebLink: suttacentral: Saññā Sutta (SN 26.6)” states (future) suffering is initiated by “distorted saññā” associated with sensory inputs coming through the eyes, ears,..mind: rūpa saññā, sadda saññā,..dhamma saññā. (Most suttās do not explicitly state that “saññā” means “distorted saññā”; it is to be understood.)

▪It also states the cessation of (the effect of) those saññās can end future suffering. (As we have discussed, those “distorted saññā” cannot be stopped from arising even in Arahants. The way to overcome them is to comprehend their origin, which leads to the breaking of the corresponding saṁyojana; that is how “saññā nirodha” happens.)

▪The “WebLink: suttacentral: Saññā Sutta (SN 27.6)” states that the mind becomes by attachment (chandarāga) to those six types of (distorted) saññā.

▪The “WebLink: suttacentral: Saññā Sutta (SN 18.6)” states that those six types of (distorted) saññās are of anicca nature and thus need to be overcome.

▪The “WebLink: suttacentral: Saññā Sutta (AN 9.16)” lists nine types of saññā to be cultivated to overcome/resist (distorted) saññā: Asubhasaññā, maraṇasaññā, āhāre paṭikūlasaññā, sabbaloke anabhiratasaññā, aniccasaññā, anicce dukkhasaññā, dukkhe anattasaññā, pahānasaññā, virāgasaññā.

Cultivation of Nirodha Saññā

6. “Loka nirodha” is accomplished by cultivating “nirodha saññā.” Here, it DOES NOT mean that saññā to be stopped from arising; if that happens, one will be in the asañña state (like those beings in the asañña realms who had practiced dangerous meditations on stopping saññā from arising. Some “Buddhists” who have misunderstood the meaning of “nirodha saññā” engage in this destructive practice. Instead of cultivating wisdom (paññā) to stop being fooled by the “distorted saññā” they try to stop thoughts from arising.

▪Instead, one must understand how that “distorted saññā” arises. Things in this world and our bodies are built via Paṭicca Samuppāda to provide that “distorted saññā,” as we discussed in the previous post, ““Mind-Pleasing Things” in the World Arise via Paṭicca Samuppāda.”

▪Once that mechanism is understood, one’s mind will see that it is the ultimate “magic trick” and will no longer be fooled by that trick. That happens in a step-by-step process via several stages of magga phala. Also see “Fooled by Distorted Saññā (Sañjānāti) – Origin of Attachment (Taṇhā).”

Cultivation of Nirodha Saññā with Satta Bojjhaṅga

7. The “WebLink: suttacentral: Nirodha Sutta (SN 46.76)” states one must cultivate “nirodha saññā” by cultivating satta bojjhaṅga; @marker 1.3-1.4 it says one must cultivate “nirodhasaññāsahagataṁ satisambojjhaṅgaṁ (sati sambojjhaṅga with nirodha saññā)” through “nirodhasaññāsahagataṁ upekkhāsambojjhaṅgaṁ (upekkhā sambojjhaṅga with nirodha saññā).” In those verses, “bhāveti” means “cultivate” and “sahagataṁ” means “with.” Thus, for example, “nirodhasaññāsahagataṁ satisambojjhaṅgaṁ bhāveti” means “cultivate sati sambojjhaṅga with nirodha saññā.” There are seven bojjhaṅga to be cultivated, and only two are listed with “..pe..” to indicate the other five factors of dhammavicaya, piti, viriya, passaddhi, and samādhi sambojjhaṅga.

▪In the above verses, “nirodha saññā” does not mean to “remove/eliminate saññā.” Instead, it means to “comprehend what Nibbāna means” by “comprehending how that “distorted saññā” arises.

▪@marker 2.7: “Evaṁ bhāvitāya kho, bhikkhave, nirodhasaññāya evaṁ bahulīkatāya dvinnaṁ phalānaṁ aññataraṁ phalaṁ pāṭikaṅkhaṁ—diṭṭheva dhamme aññā, sati vā upādisese anāgāmitāti” OR “When nirodha saññā is cultivated one will attain the Arahanthood or Anāgāmi stage of Nibbāna.”

▪Satta bojjhaṅga is a critical component of the “Two Versions of 37 Factors of Enlightenment” that help one get to Nibbāna.

▪Before cultivating satta bojjhaṅga, one must cultivate Satipaṭṭhāna, which comes first in the 37 Factors of Enlightenment.

Cessation of Saññā (Full Nibbāna) in Nirodha Samāpatti

8. As mentioned at the end of #2 above, “One cannot remove the “distorted saññā” and can only comprehend the true nature of it.” Since the causes of “distorted saññā” are built into the bodies we are born with, even an Arahant will experience it (for example, the “sweetness” of sugar or seeing a “beautiful” woman). However, as the “WebLink: suttacentral: Nirodhadhamma Sutta (SN 23.34)” states, they would not generate chandarāga (cravings) due to that “distorted saññā.”

▪Of course, the “distorted saññā” (or any saññā) will not arise after the death of the physical body of the Arahant, i.e., after Parinibbāna. Since no rebirth occurs, there is no more (suffering-filled) existence anywhere among the 31 realms.

▪Ubhatovimutti Arahants can experience that state of Parinibbāna (full Nibbāna) by entering “nirodha samāpatti,” where “full Nibbāna” can be experienced even during this lifetime. They can experience nirodha samāpatti for up to seven days at a time.

▪Ubhatovimutti Arahants can are “released both ways,” meaning they are Paññāvimutti and also Cetovimutti, i.e., they have proceeded through all Ariya jhānās and samāpatti.

Cessation of “Distorted Saññā” (Arahant-phala samādhi) or All Saññā (Nirodha Samāpatti)

9. The two types of Arahants are discussed in the “WebLink: suttacentral: Nibbānadhātu Sutta (KN Iti 44).”

▪The conventional belief is that Anupādisesa Nibbāna (full Nibbāna) is possible only with the death of the physical body of an Arahant. However, an Ubhatovimutti Arahant can experience Anupādisesa Nibbāna (full Nibbāna where the rising of cittās stops) even during life. That happens while in nirodha samāpatti; no saññā can arise there.

▪Another important point is emphasized for any Arahant who is not in “nirodha samāpatti” (i.e., saupādisesā nibbānadhātu) @marker 3.3: “Tassa tiṭṭhanteva pañcindriyāni yesaṁ avighātattā manāpāmanāpaṁ paccanubhoti, sukhadukkhaṁ paṭisaṁvedeti” OR “Their five sense faculties remain. So long as they live normal lives (i.e., while not in “nirodha samāpatti“) they continue to experience the agreeable and disagreeable, to feel pleasure and pain.” “Experiencing the agreeable and disagreeable” means that “distorted saññā” arises in them.

▪In contrast, @marker 4.1 anupādisesā nibbānadhātu is described as, “For them, everything that’s felt, being no longer relished, will become cool right here.” In other words, they can experience “complete cessation of the world” just as after Parinibbāna, where no saññā arises. Of course, that can be experienced only up to seven days at a time.

▪Furthermore, the “distorted saññā” is absent in the mind when the Arahant phala is realized and the pabhassara citta is experienced for the first time. Here, the mind has “pure saññā” (without any biases/distortions). Some Arahants (ubhatovimutti Arahants) can enter “Arahant-phala samādhi,” where that pabhassara citta can be experienced for a long time; here, one is only ware that one is alive, and no sensory inputs are experienced.

Root Cause of All Wrong Views – Not Knowing How (Distorted) Saññā Arises

10. The “WebLink: suttacentral: Saññāaññaṇa Sutta (SN 33.3)” states that the root cause of the two main wrong views (sassata and uccheda diṭṭhi) to arise is “not comprehending saññā, its origin, its cessation, and the practice that leads to its cessation.” Of course, saññā refers to the “distorted saññā.” All saññā experienced by a puthujjana is ALWAYS a “distorted saññā.” That holds for rūpa loka and arūpa Brahmās without magga phala (they are also puthujjanās.)

▪The “WebLink: suttacentral: Saññā Sutta (AN 7.27)” states that one must see the anicca, anatta, and asubha nature of (distorted) saññā and must strive to eliminate it (or more correctly, not be fooled by it). See “Fooled by Distorted Saññā (Sañjānāti) – Origin of Attachment (Taṇhā).”

Anāriya Meditations Focus on a Lokiya Saññā

11. In the critically important “WebLink: suttacentral: Saññā Sutta (AN 11.7),” Ven. Ānanda asks the Buddha whether it is possible to attain samādhi without taking a worldly object as the “focus of meditation,” i.e., without focusing the mind on that “worldly saññā.”

▪As I have discussed in many posts, mundane (anāriya) Ānāpānasati meditation takes the breath as the meditation subject, i.e., one focuses on one’s breath. That means to “taking in the vāyo saññā of air” (“vāyo saññī assa.”)

▪In mundane (anāriya) kasiṇa meditations, yogis use a kasiṇa object to focus the mind on. For example, a clay ball, a fire, or a water bowl is used in pathavi, tejo, or āpo kasiṇa meditations. Breath meditation is also a kasiṇa meditation, with the breath being used as the “vāyo kasiṇa.”

▪Once going through the rūpāvacara jhānās using those techniques, an anāriya yogi can focus the mind on “infinite space” to get into the first arūpāvacara samāpatti. From there, he can focus on “infinite viññāṇa” to get into the second arupāvacara samāpatti, etc., until reaching the fourth samāpatti of nevasaññānñāsaññā.

▪Thus, all the above rūpāvacara jhānās and arupāvacara samāpattis are attained via some form of an anāriya kasiṇa meditation.

12. Ven. Ānanda’s question to the Buddha was whether there is a meditation where one can attain samādhi without using the above techniques.

▪The Buddha answers (@marker 5.1) that an Ariya (Noble Person) must use the “Nibbāna saññā” to get to samādhi. That is to focus the mind on the “calmness of Nibbāna“: “‘etaṁ santaṁ etaṁ paṇītaṁ, yadidaṁ sabbasaṅkhārasamatho sabbūpadhipaṭinissaggo taṇhākkhayo virāgo nirodho nibbānan’ti.”

▪Of course, that can be done only by someone at or above the Sotāpanna stage who has experienced a glimpse of Nibbāna at the moment of attaining the Sotāpanna phala moment.

Suppression of Lokiya Saññā

13. “Distorted saññā” gives rise to three types of “defiled saññā” in the kāma loka. These “defiled saññā” are listed in the “WebLink: suttacentral: Saññā Sutta (AN 6.110)” as kāma saññā, byāpāda saññā, vihiṁsā saññā. Of course, those three types do not arise in an Arahant or an Anāgāmi (because they have removed kāma rāga and paṭigha saṁyojana).

▪As stated in the sutta, those three “defiled saññā” can be eliminated by cultivating nekkhamma saññā (the same as asubha bhāvanā), abyāpāda saññā (the same as mettā bhāvanā), and avihiṁsā saññā (the same as karuṇā bhāvanā).