[Tobias G]

Where in the Tipitaka is Suddhāṭṭhaka mentioned/explained? Can you give a reference?
I see only 1 result in Snp 4.4: Suddhaṭṭhakasutta. That is not about the pure element.

 

 

[Lal]

Yes. This is something I thought about before. It is understandable why “suddhāṭṭhaka” does not appear in the Sutta Pitaka or the Vinaya Pitaka. I do not understand why it does not appear in the Abhidhamma Pitaka.

• But, of course, it is described in the Commentaries to the Abhidhamma. 
• See, for example, Bhikkhu_Bodhi-Comprehensive_Manual_of_Abhidhamma,” by Bhikkhu Bodhi (2000). A pdf file can be downloaded (click the link to open the pdf).

Abhidhamma Pitaka was completed well after the Parinibbana of the Buddha. The Buddha described the critical concepts to Ven. Sariputta and it took several hundred years for the bhikkhus of the lineage of Ven. Sariputta to finalize the details. See “Abhidhamma – Introduction.”

[Tobias G]

Then understanding about Suddhāṭṭhaka is not that important for progress on the path, right?
The higher entity is bhūta. The manual from Bhikkhu Bodhi starts with bhūta. I do not find the word suddhāṭṭhaka (the search function does not properly work in the pdf). I guess the bhūta element is in the Tipitaka?

[Tobias G]

When i search at Suttacentral, does it also search in pali abhidhamma pitaka? There are many results for bhūta in sutta pitaka.

[Tobias G]

Ok, “bhuta” is there in abhidhamma, e.g. Vb1.

Do you have a reference to “suddhāṭṭhaka” in the commentary?

 

[Lal]

Suddhāṭṭhaka discussed in Chapter VI of Bhikku Bodhi’s book referenced above. It is translated as “pure octad” (“suddhāṭṭhaka). Both words appear, for example, on p. 246 of the book (could be different in the pdf).

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Tobias G

[Tobias G]

Thanks Lal! Bhikkhu Bodhi says a pure octad is a kalāpa.

Also in §9 same page he mentions 4 modes of origin of rupa: kamma, citta, utu, ahara. Can you explain those modes? How can the link to javana citta be understood?

[Lal]

1. A kalāpa means a group. All rupa are made of fundamental groups of matter ( rupa kalāpa.) 

• The smallest is a suddhāṭṭhaka (meaning a pure octad with eight constituents). All other rupa kalāpa assemble by adding to suddhāṭṭhaka.
• The higher ones are navaka (with one more added to a suddhāṭṭhaka), a dasaka (with two more added), and eka dasaka (with three more added.) 
• The hadaya vatthu and the five pasada rupa are all dasaka. 
• See “Rupa Kalāpa (Grouping of Matter).”

2. All those fundamental groups (rupa kalāpa) make up every rupa in the world. A rupa kalāpa is unimaginably tiny. We cannot see even an electron or a photon, but they are made of trillions of rupa kalāpa.

• There are 4 modes of origin of rupa: kamma, citta, utu, ahara.
• All those arise based on the mind. Specifically, they have their origins in javana citta. 
• Cittaja rupa (Cittaja comes from citta + ja, meaning “due to citta) are those produced by cittas as they arise. Part of the energy in javana cittas is “stored” in the “vinnana plane” to bring kamma vipaka later. Those rupa that arise later by that mechanism are kammaja rupa. 
• Utuja rupa and aharaja rupa are a bit more complex. They are also discussed in the above post.

 

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Tobias G, Jittananto

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