Saṅkhāra are our response to sensory inputs. The initial response (in the purāna kamma stage) happens without us being aware and determined by the unbroken saṁyojana and gati at that moment; these saṅkhāra belong to the saṅkappa category. The conscious response occurs in the nava kamma stage, where vaci saṅkhāra plays a critical role. Abhisaṅkhāra generation plays a role in both stages.
February 25, 2017; rewritten April 19, 2025
Saṅkhāra Only Refers to Immoral Actions, Speech, and Thoughts
1. The word saṅkhāra comes from “san” + “khāra” or actions that involve “san“ (rāga, dosa, or moha); see “What is “San”? Meaning of Sansāra (or Samsāra)“. All saṅkhāra arise in the mind.
- Attachment to sensory experiences is the root cause of generating thoughts with rāga, dosa, or moha. Such thoughts also lead to immoral speech and actions, which bring their results (vipāka) in the future.
- Immoral thoughts could be mano saṅkhāra or vaci saṅkhāra. Vaci saṅkhāra are the more potent and cause immoral speech and actions.
- By the way, “kāya saṅkhāra“, in most cases, does not refer to kamma accumulation via bodily actions; here, “kāya” does not refer to the physical body. I may have stated so in old posts, but I will explain this in upcoming posts.
2. Only mano saṅkhāra arises automatically when a new sensory input occurs at the “purāna kamma” stage. That happens without us being aware of it, and will be automatic if the corresponding saṁyojana are intact. Those mano saṅkhāra have a special name, saṅkappa. For example, as long as kāma rāga saṁyojana is not broken, kāma saṅkappa will arise automatically. That is stated by “Saṅkappa rāgo purisassa kāmo” in the “Nibbedhika Sutta (AN 6.63).”
- The automatic arising of kāma saṅkappa cannot be avoided if the mind has not eliminated kāma rāga saṁyojana. That is not possible with sheer willpower; one must comprehend that the “distorted kāma saññā” is the root cause for kāma rāga. This is why ancient yogis like Alara Kalama and Uddaka Ramaputta could not eliminate kāma rāga.
- If the sensory input is strong, the mind advances to the “nava kamma” stage, where conscious thinking with vaci saṅkhāra occurs. Those conscious thoughts lead to new kamma accumulation via the mind, speech, and bodily actions. Ancient yogis like Alara Kalama were able to suppress the nava kamma stage by isolating themselves in deep jungles, but until the purāna kamma stage is stopped from arising, kāma rāga saṁyojana will never be broken.
- For details, see “Purāna and Nava Kamma – Sequence of Kamma Generation .”
Arahants Generate only “Pure Saṅkhāra”
3. Any living being without a magga phala is a satta (in Pāli, the singular is “satto“). As one attains higher magga phala, one’s mind will move away from the “satta state.” An Arahant has fully overcome the “satta state”.
- In the “Satta Sutta (SN 23.2)”: “Rādha, when there is desire (chanda), rāga, and a perception of high value (nandī) of material form (rūpa), there is clinging (satto), strong clinging (visatto) for form, and then an ignorant living-being (satto) is spoken of. Similarly, when there is desire (chanda), rāga, and a perception of high value (nandī) of vedanā … saññā … saṅkhāra … viññāṇa, then an ignorant living-being (satto) is spoken of.”
- In other words, as long as there is upādāna for pañcakkhandhā (i.e., as long as there is pañcupādānakkhandhā), there is an “ignorant living being” or a “satta.” That living being has not comprehended the “real nature of this world” or “yathābhūta ñāṇa.”
- See “Five Aggregates and Tilakkhaṇa – Introduction” for details.
4. However, since an Arahant also experiences sensory inputs with vedanā, saññā, etc., it may appear that an Arahant also generates saṅkhāra.
- An Arahant experiences citta saṅkhāra (devoid of rāga, dosa, moha, but with “distorted saññā“) in the “kāma dhātu” stage.
- However, the mind of an Arahant will not advance ot the “kāma bhava” where the mind attaches to that “distorted saññā” and citta saṅkhāra turn into mano saṅkhāra with rāga, dosa, moha. See the chart and discussion in #6 (and #4) of “Purāna and Nava Kamma – Sequence of Kamma Generation.”
- Such citta saṅkhāra that arises in an Arahant are also called “suddha (pure/undefiled) saṅkhāra“: “Vajirā Sutta (SN 5.10).” This is a short and succinct sutta. The English translation is incorrect, especially for the verse, “Suddha saṅkhāra puñjoyaṁ, nayidha sattupalabbhati,” which says, “(an Arahant) who generates suddha saṅkhāra is not a satta.”
- Thus, all saṅkhāra generated in an Arahant are kammically neutral. All others can generate saṅkhāra with kammic consequences. Buddha Dhamma is concerned with only those with kammic consequences.
Saṅkhāra Arise With Sañcetanā – Connection to Kammic Energy
5. In the “Nibbedhika Sutta (AN 6.61),” the Buddha declared, “Cetanāhaṁ, bhikkhave, kammaṁ vadāmi. Cetayitvā kammaṁ karoti—kāyena vācāya manasā” OR “It is defiled intention that I call kamma. After making a defiled intention, one engages in kamma generation with the body, speech, and mind.
- In almost all cases, “cetanā” in the suttās refers to “sañcetanā” or “defiled intention.”
- “Cetanā” means “to construct a citta” with cetasika. Certain cetasika called sobhana cetasika (beautiful mental factors) lead to “moral/good” cittas. On the other hand, asobhana cetasika (non-beautiful mental factors) lead to “immoral/bad” cittas.
- See “Cetasika (Mental Factors).”
- Which type of cetasika are incorporated into a citta depends on one’s unbroken saṁyojana and gati at that moment.
Sañcetanā Arise Due to “Distorted Saññā”
6. In the “Upādānaparipavatta Sutta (SN 22.56)“, the Buddha equated saṅkhāra to sañcetanā.
- There, the Buddha pointed out that saṅkhāra refers to the six types of “defiled intentions”: rūpa sañcetanā, sadda sañcetanā, gandha sañcetanā, rasa sañcetanā, phoṭṭhabba sañcetanā, dhamma sañcetanā.
- That is consistent with the fact that sañcetanā (defiled intentions) arise due to “distorted saññā“, as we have discussed in many posts (see, for example, “Fooled by Distorted Saññā (Sañjānāti) – Origin of Attachment (Taṇhā) .”)
- Six types of “distorted saññā” arise via the six types of sensory inputs, as stated in the “Rūpasaññā Sutta (SN 25.6)“: sadda saññā, gandha saññā, rasa saññā, phoṭṭhabba saññā, dhamma saññā. That is why they are all “aniccā vipariṇāmī aññathābhāvī,” which is explained in the post “Aniccaṁ Vipariṇāmi Aññathābhāvi – A Critical Verse.”
- I have systematically addressed how this “distorted saññā” is built into our bodies as well as to the external objects, and that is why even Arahants experience it with all six types of sensory inputs; but since they have comprehended how it arises via Paṭicca Samuppāda, their minds are not fooled by it: “Worldview of the Buddha.”
- It is critical to see all these “interconnections.” It is a good idea to keep notes where one can add/revise such interconnections while reading new posts. The more “interconnections” one can see, the better one understands.
Sañcetanā Lead to Three Types of Saṅkhāra
7. All our defiled thoughts (cittās) initially arise based on vedanā/saññā that occur automatically and without us even noticing. The mind is like an automated machine (“Mind Operates Like a Machine According to Nature’s Laws“) in this initial stage called the “purāna kamma” stage. Here, “purāna” means “initial” and “purāna kamma” means “base-level of kamma generation.”
- Such initial saṅkhāra (which arise without us even noticing) that arise in the “purāna kamma” stage have a special name of saṅkappa.
- If they are strong enough, we generate more potent vaci saṅkhāra consciously and willingly in the “nava kamma” stage. This is where javana cittās that can generate potent kammic energies arise. This is where we consciously generate kamma via mind, speech, and body (i.e., generate mano, vaci, and kāya kamma).
- See “Purāna and Nava Kamma – Sequence of Kamma Generation” for details.
- All types of saṅkhāra that arise in either the”purāna kamma” or the “nava kamma” stage are abhisaṅkhāra. Here, “abhi” does mean “strong” but “subtle and involving rāga, dosa, or moha. They do not arise in an Arahant. Let us briefly look into the definition of abhisaṅkhāra.
8. The “Khajjanīya Sutta (SN 22.79)” explain saṅkhāra in another (related) way.
- “Kiñca, bhikkhave, saṅkhāre vadetha?” means “bhikkhus, why do we call them saṅkhāra?” (as in many cases, the English translation of “saṅkhāra” as “choices” is wrong; as we discussed above, in the “purāna kamma” stage, we don’t have the ability to “choose.”)
- The answer is: “Saṅkhatamabhisaṅkharontīti kho, bhikkhave, tasmā ‘saṅkhārā’ti vuccati.” Most times, Pali words are lumped together. We can see the meaning once we separate words in “saṅkhatamabhisaṅkharontīti” as “saṅkhatam abhisaṅkharontī ti.” As we know, a “saṅkhata” is a “prepared” by the mind and belongs to the world; an Arahant does not make any “saṅkhata.”
- Here, what is being “prepared” is a “defiled citta.” Initial “defiled cittās” arise in the “purāna kamma” stage. They are further defiled in the “nava kamma” stage. In both cases, abhisaṅkhara generation (with rāga, dosa, or moha) is responsible, regardless of whether it happens automatically or consciously.
- Note that “suddha saṅkhāra” of an Arahant (discussed in #4 above) is NOT abhisaṅkhara.
Puññābhi, Apuññābhi, and Āneñjābhi Saṅkhāra
9. Everything in the world is a “saṅkhata,” “prepared” by the mind. The initial stage of that preparation happens in the mind with the generation of kammic energy in the javana citta. Then such kammic energies lead to rebirths in “good” and “bad” realms. That kammic energy creates not only the living beings, but also the environment that sustains them. That is the deeper aspect of Buddha’s teachings. See “Worldview of the Buddha.”
- The types of abhisaṅkhara can be divided into three categories based on that basis.
- Those abhisaṅkhara that lead to rebirths in the four lowest realms (apāyās) are apuñña abhisaṅkhara.
- Those that lead to rebirths in the human, Deva, and rupa loka Brahma realms are puñña abhisaṅkhara.
- Then there is a third category that leads to rebirths in the four arupa loka Brahma realms called āneñja abhisaṅkhāra (āneñjābhisaṅkhāra).
- See “Kamma are Done with Abhisaṅkhāra – Types of Abhisaṅkhāra” for details.
Why Do “Good Saṅkhāra” Also Arise With Avijjā?
10. “Paṭiccasamuppāda Vibhaṅga” explains the step “avijjā paccayā saṅkhāra” as, “Tattha katame avijjā paccayā saṅkhārā? Puññābhisaṅkhāro, apuññābhisaṅkhāro, āneñjābhisaṅkhāro.”
Translated: “What is meant by ‘avijjā paccayā saṅkhārā?’ It means Puññābhisaṅkhāra, apuññābhisaṅkhāra, āneñjābhisaṅkhāra.”
- So, how can puññābhisaṅkhāra and āneñjābhisaṅkhāra arise due to avijjā, if they are “good saṅkhāra?”
- This CRITICAL point differentiates “living a moral life” from “working towards Nibbāna.”
Avijjā Is Ignorance About the Four Noble Truths!
11. One can be engaged in “moral deeds” and cultivate anariya jhāna without comprehending the Four Noble Truths/Paṭicca samuppāda/Tilakkhana.
- That is why ANY living being living today has been born in the higher realms (as well as in suffering-filled lower realms) an uncountable number of times.
- Some of us are living in a good realm today, but we will not be released from future rebirths in the apāyās until we comprehend the Four Noble Truths/Paṭicca Samuppāda/Tilakkhana.
- That is the CRITICAL point to understand.
The Way to Purify the Mind
12. As we can see from the above discussion, the mind is not pure UNTIL the automatic generation of saṅkappa (initial mano saṅkhāra) is stopped from arising in the “purāna kamma” stage. Anusaya and “defiled gati” would have been removed from the mind when that is accomplished.
- That is achieved by being mindful at all times and following the three critical steps in meditation: (1) stopping bad vaci saṅkhāra, (2) cultivating good vaci saṅkhāra, and — most importantly — (iii) comprehending the Four Noble Truths/Paṭicca Samuppāda/Tilakkhana.
- Comprehending the Four Noble Truths/Paṭicca Samuppāda/Tilakkhana makes one understand the dangers in the rebirth process. With the understanding, one’s goal will change from “enjoying life” to “seeking Nibbāna.”
- For that to happen, one must “see” the hidden dangers in sensory pleasures. Then the “tendency to attach” will decrease.
- That is why Sammā Diṭṭhi (comprehending Buddha’s worldview) is the first step. The deeper aspects are discussed in “Worldview of the Buddha.”
13. The following “wise words” summarize the foundation for “cleansing the mind”:
- Watch your conscious thoughts (vaci saṅkhāra) – they become words.
- Watch your words – they become immoral deeds/actions.
- Watch your actions – they become habits (gati.)
- Watch your habits – they become your character (stronger gati.)
- Watch your character – it becomes your destiny via strengthening saṁyojana.
Once controlling conscious thoughts (vaci saṅkhāra) is attained to some extent, it becomes easier to comprehend the deeper aspects of Buddha’s teachings, attain Sammā Diṭṭhi, and become a Sotapanna.
