Ven. Lal Sir,
Thank you so much for the explanations.
I am having problem in understanding the difference between a being in the Asanna brahma realm and an Arahant in Nirodha samapatti.
You said: “Another somewhat similar case applies to a being in the asanna realm. There is no gandhabba there, no citta. Just a fine body is maintained by the kammic energy…”
“…So, there can be rupakkhandha without the other four, like in nirodha samapatti or in the asanna realm.”
It seems that there is similarity between an Asanna brahma and an Arahant in Nirodha samapatti ?
In both the cases, the rupa-khandha is there, but the other 4 khandhas do not arise. And the body is maintained by kammic energy.
In both Asanna brahma and an Arahant in Nirodha samapatti, there is no chitta flowing, means no vedana, sanna, sankhara, vinnana.
But I think both the cases are different.
I think, one gets to Asanna brahma realm by deliberately suppressing the vedana, sanna, sankhara, vinnana. So in Asanna brahma realms, cittas do not arise. But the causes for them to re-arise are still there (not removed). So there is no Nibbana.
But an Arahant achieves nirodha samapatti by focusing on Nibbana.
So the cittas and chetasikas (vedana, sanna, sankhara, vinnana) ceases automatically because all the causes and conditions that lead cittas and chetasikas to arise are removed. So when all the causes and conditions are removed then the only thing left is Nibbana, because Nibbana is the uncaused and unconditioned.