Ayatana means the conditions that give rise to the Citta and the Cetasika. There are two kinds, which are:-
1. Internal Ayatana : Eyes, Ears, Nose, Tongue, Body and Mind
2. External Ayatana: Rupa, Taste, Odour, Sound, Tangible Objects and DhammArrom
These 12 Ayatana - when classified as Rupa - Nama, they are as follows:-
Eyes, Ears, Tongue, Body, Form, Sound, Taste and Odour and whereas Podhabba is grouped as Rupa Dharma. Mind is grouped as Nama Dharma whereas the DhammArrom - 5 Pasada Rupa , 16 Sukum Rupa , 89 Citta , 52 Cetasika , Nibhana. These can be both real Rupa and Nama.
Five Khandha and Rupa-Nama is the present of the 12 Ayatana:-
Five Khandha or Rupa-Nama is present while the eyes is seeing ,
Five Khandha or Rupa-Nama is the present while the ears is hearing,
Five Khandha or Rupa-Nama is the present while the nose is smelling,
Five Khandha or Rupa-Nama is the present while the tongue is tasting,
Five Khandha or Rupa-Nama is the present while touching is occurring. All of these are at present.
Five Khandha or Rupa-Nama is the present while the mind is thinking and gives rise to other Khandha which has the characters of being disintegrated, Vedhana, happy or unhappy, satisfied or unsatisfied, to be successful, but not a failure, to be clever, but not ignorant, to be good, but not bad, to be greedy, to be angry, to gossip - all of which are created/ developed by the Sankhara.
Ayatana is Rupa-Nama which can be explained as follow:-
Eyes and Form - when they meet/catch one another, it is Rupa. Seeing is Nama and while realising the seeing is Sati (awareness);
Ears and Noise - when they meet/catch one another, it is Rupa. Hearing is Nama and while realising the hearing is Sati (awareness);
Nose and Odour - when they meet/catch one another, it is Rupa. Smelling is Nama and while realising the odour, it is Sati (awareness);
Tongue and Taste - when they meet/catch one another, it is Rupa. Tasting is Nama and while realising the tasting is Sati (awareness);
Body and Podhabba (tangible objects) - when they meet/catch one another, it is Rupa. Knowing the touching/meeting/ catching is Nama and while understanding in details the touching/meeting/catching, it is Sati (awareness).
Disintegration of Rupa-Nama can be explained as follow:-
Eyes and Rupa - when they meet/catch one another, it gives rise to Rupa Dharma . Knowing the seeing gives rise to Nama Dharma, it causes Rupa to disappear. When Rupa Dharma disappears and cannot be seen. Nama Dharma disintegrates.
Ears and Noise - when they meet/catch one another, it gives rise to Rupa Dharma. Knowing the hearing gives rise to Nama Dharma, it causes the noise to disappear, Rupa Dharma disappears, cannot be heard. Nama Dharma disintegrates.
Nose and Odour - when they meet/catch one another, it gives rise to Rupa Dharma. Knowing the odour gives rise to Nama Dharma, it causes the odour to disappear, Rupa Dharma disappears, cannot smell the odour. Nama Dharma disintegrates.
Tongue and Taste - when they meet/catch one another, it gives rise to Rupa Dharma. Knowing the taste gives rise to Nama Dharma, it causes the taste to disappear, Rupa Dharma disappears, cannot taste. Nama Dharma will disintegrates.
Body and Tangible objects - when they meet/catch one another, it gives rise to Rupa Dharma. Knowing the touching/ meeting/catching gives rise to Nama Dharma, it causes the touching/meeting/catching to disappear - Rupa Dharma disintegrates.
Mind and Dharma Arrom - when they meet/catch one another, it gives rise to Rupa Dharma. Knowing the catching/ meeting gives rise to Nama Dharma, it causes the meeting catching to disappear - Rupa Dharma disintegrates. The Mind gives an order for the Nama Dharma to vanish.
The 3 Kala ( Period of Time )
Past - What had happened
Future - What is going to happen
Present - What is happening right now
Selection of the Arrom within the Three Kala
Eyes: Currently seeing a picture - It is the present. Rupa and the seeing have vanished - It is the past. Rupa and the seeing have not yet occurred - It is the future
Ears: Currently hearing a sound - It is the present. Sound and the hearing have vanished - It is the past. Sound and the hearing have not yet occurred - It is the future
Nose: Currently smelling something - It is the present. Nose and the smelling have vanished - It is the past. Nose and the smelling have not yet occurred - It is the future
Tongue: Currently tasting something - It is the present. Tongue and the tasting have vanished - It is the past. Tongue and the tasting have not yet occurred - It is the future
Body : Currently knowing the touching - It is the present. Body and the touching have vanished - It is the past. Body and the touching have not yet occurred - It is the future
Mind: Currently knowing the Arrom - It is the present
Dharma Concepts and Paramattha
White, Yellow, Red Colours = Colour is Paramattha whereas White, Yellow and Red are Dharma Concepts
Sound of a male, Sound of a female, Sound of a song = Sound is Paramattha whereas Male, Female and Song are Dharma Concepts
Perfume smell, Bad smell = smell is Paramattha whereas perfume, bad are Dharma Concepts
Sweet taste, Bitter Taste = Taste is Paramattha whereas Sweet and Bitter are Dharma Concepts
Cold, Hot, Soft, Hard are Paramattha whereas Fire, Earth, Wind are Dharma Concepts.
Paramattha is something which is real whereas Dharma Concept is something that has been established by relying on a form (Rupa) as a base to be able to identify itself. For a example, a Cat, when it cries `Meow’ then we know it is a cat. Here, I would like all Dharma practitioners to have a clear understanding about Paramattha as in this world there are two types of reality which are:-
(1) Reality as per Paramattha = Rupa, Taste, Odour, Sound, Tangible Objects.
(2) Reality as per assumption = including Male, female, sweet, bitter, white and etc.
Therefore, when carefully examining the Five Khandha and the 12 Ayatana, there is only two Paramattha Dharma as demon strated in the Phra Dharma Sanghani as ` Dhukkamatika has two types which are:-
(1) Rupino Dharma = Rupa Dharma, and
(2) Arupino Dharma = Nama Dharma.
Apart from Rupa-Dharma there are assumed Dharma as reality. For example a human being. In Dharma practice, we have to take Paramattha as Arrom and use Sati (Awareness) to determine Rupa -Nama.
Rupa = Rise and Fall. It changes continuously as per its true nature, for example, a piece of wood
Nama = Rise and Fall. It changes as per its true nature, but it flows towards Arrom like a stream flowing downwards. In conclusion, `Loka' the world is the Sankhara (body formation) A body of a human being and of an animal has two reality which are:-
(1) Sabhava conveys the state of knowing which is Rupa- Dharma,
(2) Sabhava coveys the state of understanding which is Nama-Dharma
The Middle Way and a Traveller
Rupa-Nama = The Middle Way. Sati (Awareness) is the one who travels the Middle Way .Rupa-Nama = Vipassana. Sati (Awareness) is the one who does the Vipassana