[dosakkhayo]

Ānāpānasati Sutta – Complete Overview

‘Kāya Saṅkhāra’ = All Saṅkhāra Associated With Pañcupādānakkhandha Kāya<br />
9. Note that ‘kāya‘ in ‘kāya saṅkhāra’ in anywhere in both suttās does not refer to the physical body, but to the ‘pañcupādānakkhandha kāya.’

Therefore, ‘kāya saṅkhāra’ here does NOT refer to kamma done with the physical body, but any type of saṅkhāra arising in the ‘pañcupādānakkhandha kāya.’

Q. Then, kaya sankhara does only refer to any type of sankhara? Or can it have other meanings in different contexts? To be more specific, in other suttas, can kaya sankhara refer to sankhara related to bodily kamma?

[dosakkhayo]

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[Lal]

Dosakkhaya’s question: “Q. Then, kāya saṅkhāra does only refer to any type of saṅkhāra? Or can it have other meanings in different contexts? To be more specific, in other suttas, can kāya saṅkhāra refer to saṅkhāra related to bodily kamma?”

• I was also not sure about this for a while. But I believe ‘kāya saṅkhāra‘ always refers to those saṅkhāra associated with the ‘pañcupādānakkhandha kāya.’ In some cases, ‘kāya‘ refers not to the ‘whole pañcupādānakkhandha kāya’, but only to the ‘purāna kamma stage’ of the pañcupādānakkhandha kāya.’ In the early ‘purāna kamma’ stage, ‘kāya saṅkhāra’are mostly a weak version of saṅkhāra called saṅkappa. I think it is better not to get into this detail right now, because it may confuse some.
• Kamma are three types: mano, vaci, and kāya kamma. Mano kamma are those that arise automatically. Then we begin thinking (vitakka/vicāra) about speaking or taking physical action. Thus, both vaci and kāya kamma are performed through vaci saṅkhāra.
• The three types of saṅkhāra are defined in the “Dutiyakāmabhū Sutta (SN 41.6).” There, the English translation incorrectly translates “kāya” as “physical body.” I will write a post on these issues later.

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