Excellent, Taryal!
- I am happy that our community is becoming knowledgeable in the deeper aspects of Buddha’s teachings.
Taryal wrote: “Saññā (perception) is one of the mental aggregates and is a kamma vipaka, i.e. a result of past action (kamma). According to Tipitaka, the precise details of how a kammic energy can ripen into its corresponding vipaka is only discernible to a Sammasambuddha. What we can do is get the general idea. A sentient being can’t recognize anything without having perception. A human has “manussa saññā“, deva has “deva saññā”, dog has “dog saññā” and so on..”
- That summarizes a critical aspect of our world!
1. “Saññā” (loosely translated as “perception”) is a critical concept in Buddha’s teachings. It is one of the five aggregates (or, more correctly, pancupadanakkhandha) that summarizes our sensory experience and how we respond to those experiences.
- In fact, most of our decisions are based on saññā. Only bodily contacts directly lead to feelings (vedana) of pleasure or pain/distress. All other sensory experiences (sights, sounds, tastes, smells) only lead to saññā of like/dislike, tasty/bitter, etc.; they feel the same as vedana. That is clearly distinguished in Abhidhamma.
- As I have pointed out many times, the taste of honey or the smell of a rose is a saññā and not a vedana in a strict sense. However, that difference is not emphasized in the suttas because Abhidhamma was fully developed after the Buddha’s Parinibbana.
2. The critical role of saññā becomes clear when we compare the sensory experiences of humans (manussa) with those of animals.
- Humans and animals feel the pain and pleasure in physical contact in the same way. They all feel pain if hit with a stick or injured.
- However, “manussa saññā“ is different from “animal saññā.“ Furthermore, different animals generate different types of saññā. While humans and bears like the taste of honey (they seem to give a sukha vedana), cows get a sukha vedana from eating grass. Lions get a sukha vedana when they eat the flesh of other animals, etc.. All those are examples of saññā!
3. Saññā is built into the physical and mental bodies of humans and animals, so it arises automatically. Even after attaining magga phala or even the Arahant stage, those built-in saññās remain. Thus, an Arahant would also taste honey as sweet.
- The following short video is about migrating birds, which helps explain the concept of “built-in saññā.” There are many other examples, like how ants build “mega colonies” or how dogs can find their way home if released hundreds of miles away.
- Migrating birds have a built-in saññā to trigger them to start migrating and also to provide navigation! Their bodies have built-in mechanisms (via kammic energy/Paticca Samuppada) to provide navigation. I asked Grok AI about it and it gave the following description.
-
Magnetoreception: Many species of birds can detect the Earth’s magnetic field, which helps them navigate during migration. This ability is known as magnetoreception.
-
Cryptochrome Theory: One leading theory suggests that birds use proteins called cryptochromes, located in their eyes, which might be sensitive to magnetic fields. When these proteins absorb light, they could become involved in chemical reactions that are influenced by the Earth’s magnetic field, thus providing directional information.
-
Iron Particles: Another theory involves magnetite, a naturally magnetic form of iron oxide. Some studies have found tiny particles of magnetite in the beaks of homing pigeons and other birds. These particles might act like a microscopic compass needle, helping birds sense direction.
-
Other Navigation Tools: Besides magnetism, birds also use visual landmarks, the position of the sun, star patterns, and possibly even smell to navigate.
-
Therefore, migrating birds have biological systems that detect magnetic fields, aiding their remarkable navigational abilities during migration.
P.S. Another example is how ants build sophisticated “cities.” Watch the video in #10 of the post “How Character (Gati) Leads to Bhava and Jāti.” It is informative to read that post, too.