On this topic, I would like to discuss in brief about The Five Khandho (category of (5) existence ) and Rupa (body) so that Dharma practitioners can appropriately apply them during their Dharma practice.
The word Five Khandho and Rupa, for Dharma practitioners who honestly and sincerely wish to be re-born in the Nibbana world, has the following characteristics:-
Rupa khandho its characteristics can be disintegrated because of human temperature either hot or cold;
Vedana khandho makes human beings’ Arrom (feeling) sad/happy or being suffered;
Sanyana khandho makes human beings’ Arrom (feeling) remembers which is in our body;
Sankhara khandho makes human beings’ Arrom love/hatred, content/discontent, satisfied/not satisfied;
Vinyana khandho makes human beings know the ‘Arrom’. It means ‘be able to understand a picture in minute detail including slight body movement including standing, walking, getting up, sitting down which must be relied on the Four Dhatu (Four Natural Elements) which are:-
Pathavi Dhatu (earth) maintaining strength or weakness
Apo Dhatu (water) maintaining humidity
Teso Dhatu (fire) maintaining heat in the body either hot/cold
Vayo Dhatu (air) maintaining the breathing and other movements
In Pali words, these Four Natural Elements are called Maha Bhuta Four or the Four Great Ghosts. In our body, the thickness of earth is measured to be 240,000 Yojana ( 1 Yojana=16 kilometers); Water is measured to be 480,000 Jojana; Fire is measured to be 960,000 Yojana.
The Four Great Ghosts! Why? Because they deceive all of us. They are full of tricks (maya). They make us believe that they are precious. Some times they make us believe that they are Gods or Goddesses depending on the situation. This is why we call them Maha Bhuta (Great Ghost). In actual fact, our body is the ghost as it has characters of being deceitful - not real. It is worth remembering that they are two kinds of ghosts - Inside Ghost and Outside Ghost. Inside Ghost is ours or whatever system is inside our body whereas the Outside Ghost is actual the physical form of our body. The Inside Ghost is similar to the Inside Master whom we have to look after and feed him three times per day. If the Inside Ghost is not being looked after properly, it will cause problems among family members. We are its slave days and nights. Whatever it requires we will try to please him no matter how difficult it may be. He is the Master of Rasa (favour element), Ghana (nose element), Jivha (tongue element), Sadda (sound element) and Photabba (tangible element). These are the Five Kamaguna (Five sensual pleasures). Because of them human beings suffer. That is why we can see that Rupa can be disintegrated because of its own creations/ conditions.
ABOUT KHANDHO OR ‘KONG’
The word Khandho and Kong has the same meaning. Literally ‘Kong’ means a ‘pile of’. However, in our discussion, it does not means pile of money, gold or silver.
RUPA KHANDHO HAS 11 ‘KONGS’
Rupa in the past
Rupa at present time
Rupa in future
Rupa beyond future and has not yet been seen
Outside Rupa
Bad Rupa
Fine Rupa
Unpleasant Rupa
Highest quality Rupa
Far away Rupa
Close by Rupa
These are the eleventh pile of Rupa which Dharma practitioners must attempt to understand so as to avoid being dragged into the trickery of Rupa hopelessly
The word ‘Vedana’ is the process of enjoying. The enjoyment of Arrom has five characteristics:-
Sukkha Vedana ( enjoy happiness/comfort )
Dukkha Vedana ( suffering )
Upekkha Vedana ( no suffering, no happiness )which has been categorised as Vedana Kandha and which consists of eleven groups of Sanya - perception which consists of hair, nail, teeth, skin all of which are in the 32 parts of our very own body. All materials in the world is called ‘Sanya’ which has eleven groups as mentioned earlier.
The word ‘Sankhara’ means all ‘Sabhava Dharma’ (conditional elements) which has been created to be a human being (God or Goddess), righteousness, unwholesomeness, good or bad and all of which has been created by the so called Sankhara and not by anybody else. This is very important for Dharma practitioners to understand before start practising Vipassana so as to avoid being stuck into what have been created by Sankhara or ‘ understanding before being born’.Loka (world) has 31 planes:-Anupha Bhumi has 41:-Human beings Heaven has 6 planes which have all been created by Sankhara
The word ‘Vinya Kandha’ is the perception of all the six Arrom or the breathing in/out of Arrom whether pleasant or unpleasant. Pleasant Arrom means satisfaction or beauty, whereas on the other hand unpleasant Arrom means not happy, not satisfied or pitiful and if adding together there are 11 groups (piles or Kongs). If we add all of them together, there will be 15 groups altogether. For the Five Kandha (Khan Ha) if we lower its level, there will be only 2 groups which are Rupa Dharma and Nama Dharma.
For the Rupa Khanda, when lowering its level to be Rupa Dharma as well as Sankhara and Vinya Dharma to be Nama Dharma and Rupa Dharma is the Sabhava which makes us understand. Nama Dharma is the Sabhava leading us to understand that all conditions of our body are full of Paramattha Dharma which is Rupa Nama. This is similar to the Five Ariyabhot, Citta is Sabhava Dharma which knows when being hungry, sleepy, or when to stand up, sit down and all of which is grouped as ‘Karmaguna’ and also as its causes. When actions are taken, that is, eat, sleep, sit down, stand up all of which are grouped as Nama Dharma and also as its effects.
Effects of Rupa Dharma and Nama Dharma is when the sense doors (Dvara) clashes with one another, for example, your eyes clashing with a picture is Rupa Dharma. Seeing is Nama Dharma which means Rupa Nama which occur in the six sense doors. When wishing to extinguish these clashing, they are all done at the six sense doors, and not anywhere else.
For example, when your eyes see a picture Nama Dharma rises. Rupa Nama rises by way of your eyes. When hearing with your ears, Rupa Dharma rises. Nama Dharma rises by way of your ears. When smelling with your nose, Nama Dharma rises by way of your nose. When tasting with your tongue, Rupa Dharma. Nama Dharma rises by way of your mind. When we understand Rupa Dharma and Nama Dharma which is Paramattha Dharma, it means we learn to understand Rupa Dharma and Nama Dharma which we have to use them as Arrom of Vipassana and keep practising.
Talking about practising Vipassana, it can be done anywhere or any place. It is not necessary to select a place because the most important factor is the Citta. When the opportunity arises, it should be started immediately and keep practising. However, before commencing, it is necessary to pray to Lord Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha and then start practising Vipassana Meditation. Limit your Citta to the Rupa Dharma and Nama Dharma which are Stand Up, Sit Down, Walking and Sleeping all of which we have to limit our Citta to realise that it is Rupa Dharma. It has no real body. It is not an animal or a person. It is not our body or their bodies.
We only focussing on movements of the body and nothing else. When the sense doors are clashing, we must focus our Sati (awareness) to the hearing, seeing, smelling, tasting, hot or cold, smooth or rough.
Our Sati must be maintained at all time. It is not I or you that hear or see. It is Rupa Dharma. It is Nama Dharma that is heard all of these. In conclusion, we must attempt to look within our very own body whether in the posture of sitting or standing of the Sankhara. The word ‘look’ means that we use our eyes to look into what is inside our body. We must train and practice our Citta until we can catch up with present wisdom and then we will be able to clearly see Rupa Dharma and Nama Dharma.
The present reality is that nothing is permanent. It is all Dukkha. It is Anatta (non-self/soulless). It is sick and tired of. When we see it according to its reality, the Citta is indifferent. The Citta is free and then it will fade away and will not rise again.
When talking about selecting Arrom of Tikka Dharma Sanganinan which is the training of the Citta, it has three characteristics:-
Sanya nang which means ‘Knowing’
Vijjan nang which means ‘ Clearly knowing’
Pajan nang which means ‘Knowing accurately’
Of these three characteristics, Sanya nang is ‘kiccaa - duty’ of remembering (Sanya) which means understanding Vijjan nang which, in turn, is the ‘kicca-duty’ of Vinya (knowing clearly) - Pajan nang is the ‘kicca - duty’ of wisdom. In conclusion, all of these simply means the Citta is doing two duties and each duty has three elements:-
Thinking
(a) Powerful thinking - contemplating vitakka
(b) Powerful thinking - knowing clearly with Vinyana
(c) Powerful thinking - knowing accurately with wisdom
Selecting Arrom (feeling)
(a) Knowing Sanyana
(b) Knowing clearly Vinyana
(c) Knowing accurately with wisdom
* This follows the way the Citta functions as per the ‘ AbhiDharmattha sangaho’ and at the outset readers should attempt to understand the Arrom of the Citta. According to the AbhiDharma, Arrom of the Citta has four characteristics:-
Ahi mahanta Arrom (Arrom most sought after)
Mahanta Arrom (Arrom frequently sought after)
Khana Citta
Pitta Arrom (Arrom sought after in brief) which has been grouped as per the Five Sense Doors (Dvara) as follows:-
Cakkhu Dvara - Eye sense door
Sota Dvara - Ear sense door
Khana Dvara - Nose sense door
Jivha Dvara - Tongue sense door
Kaya Dvara - Body sense door which has Photabba as Arrom
* Whereas Mano Dvara (mind sense door) has two Arrom which are:-
Aviphuta Arrom - Arrom that really sought afterTen Khana Citta
Aviphuta Arrom - Arrom that not very clearly sought after Eight Khana Citta
* All these are called ‘Dharma Arrom’ and when combining together it has Six characteristics of the Citta as per the Six sense doors (Six Dvara). As for the Sankhara and Nama, they possess three characteristics:-
Upatha Khana - at the moment of rising/happening
Dhiti Khana - at the moment of maintaining/staying
Phang Khana - at the moment of decaying ordestruction.