[samantha]

If San is Raga, Dwesha, Moha, there cannot be Sankhara Paccaya Vinnana in Avyakata Paticca Samupada.

…vipākaṃ cakkhuviññāṇaṃ uppannaṃ hoti upekkhā­saha­gataṃ rūpārammaṇaṃ, tasmiṃ samaye saṅ­khā­ra­paccayā viññāṇaṃ, viññāṇa paccayā nāmaṃ, nāma paccayā chaṭṭhāyatanaṃ, chaṭṭhāyatana paccayā phasso, phassa paccayā vedanā, vedanā paccayā bhavo, bhava paccayā jāti, jāti paccayā jarāmaraṇaṃ. Evametassa kevalassa duk­khakkhandhassa samudayo hoti.

The Pāli saṃ- (Sanskrit: sam-) is a very old Indo‑Aryan prefix.
It carries the sense of:

• together, with
• fully, thoroughly
• completely, wholly
• accumulated, piled‑up
• intensified

So when saṃ- is added to a root word, it usually gives the sense of:

“This is not just X, but X in a complete, compounded, intensified, or collective way.”

It’s like the co‑, con‑, or com‑ in English:

• compare → pare (equal) → “together‑equal”
• compound → pound (place, put) → “put together”

khāra (to make) → saṅ‑khāra → “things made together, compounded, constructed”

But I am really greatful to this forum that helped me to get started in Dhamma path. Once you start seeing the reality of impermanence, suffering, and Anatta in your own experience, the words naturally fall away in importance.

[Lal]

1. I think you are under the impression that “Avyakata” implies “no defilements.” That is not correct.

• Even a “vipaka vinnana” that arises at the beginning of a sensory event is defiled.
• See “Is Cakkhu Viññāṇa Free of Defilements?“

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2. You wrote: “The Pāli saṃ- (Sanskrit: sam-) is a very old Indo‑Aryan prefix.”

• There is no root with “saṃ” in Pāli. It is only in Sanskrit.
• However, many words with the root “san” are sometimes pronounced as “saṃ” because they rhyme better that way. For example, “sammā,” which comes from “saṅ” + “mā,” which means “to become free of saṅ.”
• See “What is “San”? Meaning of Sansāra (or Saṃsāra).”

_____

3. You wrote: “khāra (to make) → saṅ‑khāra → “things made together, compounded, constructed”

• Not correct.
• See #5 through to the end in “What is “San”? Meaning of Sansāra (or Saṃsāra).” Many “san” words are discussed there.

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samantha

[samantha]

Thank you for your response and clarification. I understand that avyakata does not mean “free of defilements” in every context, but in the specific case of vipaka-vinnana, it is ethically neutral. When the Buddha explains “sankhara-paccaya vinnanam” in dependent origination, the vinnana that arises due to past sankhara is a vipaka, the result of previous kamma. This type of consciousness is neutral and does not itself generate new kamma. It arises simply as the seeing, hearing, or knowing of an object. Since it is the fruition of past actions, it is not accompanied by raga (craving), dosa (hatred), or moha (delusion), which are the three unwholesome roots. Those defilements can arise only if, after the vipaka-vinnana, there is further reaction like attachment or aversion to the experience. Therefore, the consciousness at this stage is not defiled by the unwholesome roots. That is why the Buddha could describe it as avyakata and also include it in the dependent origination as conditioned by sankhara without implying that it is accompanied by greed, hatred, or delusion. I appreciate your pointing me to further readings and will study them carefully.

[Lal]

I may not have discussed the following point in the above-referred post,  “Is Cakkhu Viññāṇa Free of Defilements?“

• The chart in #3 in that post shows kamma generation in two stages: “purāṇa kamma” (initial weak kamma) and “nava kamma” (new strong kamma).
• The beginning of the “purāṇa kamma” stage is where initial kamma generation takes place with “avijjā paccayā saṅkhāra; saṅkhāra paccayā viññāna.” These saṅkhāra are not potent, and they are called saṅkappa. This can be called the “vipāka viññāna” stage. That is why it is called “avyākata.”
• Potent kamma (that can bring vipaka in future lives) happens in the “nava kamma” stage with saṅkhāra. That happens after the “taṇhā paccayā upādāna” step (with strong kamma with speech and actions with the physical body: lying, stealing, etc.)
• More information in “Purāna and Nava Kamma – Sequence of Kamma Generation.”

[Author]

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