The verse ‘rūpaṁ attato samanupassati‘ means to believe that any rūpa that we experience really exists in the external world. A Sotāpanna has ‘seen with wisdom’ that this is not the case. Modern science has recently verified this critical fact. For example, while most people believe colorful things exist in the world, nothing in the world has intrinsic ‘color.’
October 20, 2023; rewritten September 5, 2026
‘rūpaṁ attato samanupassati‘ – Standard Translations
1. In the “Pālileyya Sutta (SN 22.81),” the Buddha states: “Idha bhikkhave, assutavā puthujjano ariyānaṁ adassāvī ariyadhammassa akovido ariyadhamme avinīto, sappurisānaṁ adassāvī sappurisadhammassa akovido sappurisadhamme avinīto rūpaṁ attato samanupassati.”
- The verse, ‘rūpaṁ attato samanupassati,’ is translated mostly as either ‘They regard form as self‘ (Sutta Central translation in the link above) or ‘They regard rūpa as beneficial.’ The latter is better than the first, and I have also translated it that way in the past.
- At first glance, the latter translation seems to be fine. However, even that translation does not convey the correct meaning. Let us look into that.
- The point is that a puthujjana also attaches to sensory inputs that generate a dukkha vedanā, i.e., ones they dislike.
A Puthujjana Attaches to Disliked Rūpa, Too!
2. No one would consider every sight, sound, etc., as ‘self’ or ‘me’ or ‘mine’ or anything like that. So, obviously, the first translation in #1 above is way off.
- Regarding the second translation (‘They regard rūpa as beneficial‘), does a puthujjana consider all rūpa they experience to be ‘beneficial’? No. That happens only if they like that sensory input and attach to it with joyful feeling (‘sukha vedanā‘). In this case, they automatically generate ‘kāma saṅkappa‘ (subconsciously), and their minds enter the ‘purāna kamma‘ stage. The attachment is induced by a ‘sukha vedanā‘ in this case.
- Sometimes, a puthujjana also attaches to disliked sensory inputs (those generating ‘dukkha vedanā‘). When they see a person whom they dislike or ‘have a grudge against,’ they start generating angry thoughts. In this case, they automatically (subconsciously) generate ‘byāpāda saṅkappa‘ (sometimes written as ‘vyāpāda saṅkappa‘), and their minds enter the ‘purāna kamma‘ stage. As we know, the ‘purāna kamma‘ stage is the initial weak kamma generation stage.
3. In that latter situation, one would not think that seeing an ‘enemy’ is beneficial. Yet the mind would start a (Idappaccayatā) Paṭicca Samuppāda process, beginning with ‘vyāpāda saṅkappa.‘ The attachment is induced by a ‘dukkha vedanā‘ in this case.
- This is why it is also incorrect to translate ‘rūpaṁ attato samanupassati‘ as ‘to regard rūpa as beneficial.’
- Now we understand why both of the standard translations of the verse ‘rūpaṁ attato samanupassati‘ in #1 above are incorrect.
- To understand the meaning of that verse, we need to get a good idea of the origin of sukha, dukkha, and adukkhamasukha (adukkha asukha is pronounced ‘adukkhamasukha’) vedanā.
Sanidāna Sutta – ‘Nidāna‘ or ‘Origin’ of a ‘Mind-Made Rūpa‘
4. The Sanidāna Sutta (SN 14.12) provides insights to figure out the correct translation of that verse by looking at the origins of those three types of vedanā.
- ‘Nidāna‘ means ‘origin,’ and ‘sanidāna‘ (‘sa’ ‘nidāna‘) means ‘with an origin.’
- The Sanidāna Sutta (SN 14.12) systematically analyzes six types of saññā as the origins of various types of mind-made rūpa. Those ‘mind-made rūpa‘ then generate the three types of vedanā, to all three of which the mind attaches, as we see below.
5. Here, the analysis points to six starting stages or ‘dhātu‘ stages associated with the ‘kāma loka.’ In this analysis, the Buddha pointed out that a mind starting in one of three dhātu states (kāma dhātu, byāpāda dhātu, and vihiṁsā dhātu) will eventually lead to rebirths in the apāyās because they cultivate ‘immoral gati‘ (dugati).
- In this analysis, kāma dhātu, byāpāda dhātu, and vihiṁsā dhātu refer to the ‘starting points’ of enticing, disliked, and cruel sensory inputs.
- Here, ‘kāma‘ refers to ‘liked’, and ‘byāpāda’ to ‘disliked’.
- Some people enjoy the suffering of other people or animals; a good example is the habit of some kids to torture cats or dogs, and another is ‘cock fights’ where two roosters are placed in a ring or enclosure to fight each other. This is vihiṁsā.
- Let us first examine the verses describing sensory inputs starting at the kāma dhātu stage.
Sensory Inputs Starting at Kāma Dhātu (Leading to Sensory Pleasure)
6. The “Sanidāna Sutta (SN 14.12)” states: “Kāma dhātuṁ, bhikkhave, paṭicca uppajjati kāma saññā, kāma saññaṁ paṭicca uppajjati kāma saṅkappo, kāma saṅkappaṁ paṭicca uppajjati kāmacchando, kāmacchandaṁ paṭicca uppajjati kāma pariḷāho, kāma pariḷāhaṁ paṭicca uppajjati kāma pariyesanā.”
- The process for an ‘attractive rūpa‘ starts at the ‘kāma dhātu‘ stage, the moment an appealing sensory input is received. At that very first moment, the mind automatically generates a ‘mind-made rūpa‘ with added attractions of color, taste, etc.
- That is accomplished with the kāma saññā arising at the initial kāma dhātu stage: “Kāma dhātuṁ, bhikkhave, paṭicca uppajjati kāma saññā.”
- If the ‘kāma rāga saṁyojana‘ is intact, the mind attaches to that ‘mind-made rūpa‘ and generates a weak form of saṅkhāra (saṅkappa): “kāma saññaṁ paṭicca uppajjati kāma saṅkappo.”
- That moves the mind to the ‘kāma loka.’ Now, the mind is already defiled. If the sensory input is strong enough, the mind reaches the ‘kāmacchandaṁ paṭicca uppajjati kāma pariḷāho‘ step (the ‘taṇhā paccayā upādāna‘ step in Paṭicca Samuppāda is before the kāma pariḷāho‘ step), then it enters the ‘nava kamma‘ stage and starts consciously accumulating strong kamma. We have discussed that in “Purāna and Nava Kamma – Sequence of Kamma Generation.”
- The key point is that kāma saññā arising automatically at the initial kāma dhātu stage initiates a chain of events that leads to strong kamma accumulation in the ‘nava kamma‘ stage.
7. Note that the first two steps (kāma dhātuṁ paṭicca uppajjati kāma saññā, kāma saññaṁ paṭicca uppajjati kāma saṅkappo) will invariably take place for a puthujjana.
- Those two steps will not occur if the ‘kāma rāga saṁyojana‘ has been eliminated, i.e., for Anāgāmis and Arahants.
- They fully understand that ‘mind-made’ colorful, tasty… rūpa is not the colorless, tasteless… rūpa in reality.
Sensory Inputs Starting at Byāpāda Dhātu (Leading to Anger and Dukkha Vedanā)
8. At marker 3.1, the Sanidāna Sutta (SN 14.12) explains that byāpāda saññā leads to generating byāpāda saṅkappa: “Byāpāda dhātuṁ, bhikkhave, paṭicca uppajjati byāpāda saññā, byāpāda saññaṁ paṭicca uppajjati byāpāda saṅkappo …pe… byāpādacchando … byāpāda pariḷāho … byāpāda pariyesanā …”
- That is based on an ārammaṇa triggering the byāpāda dhātu. Examples are the sight of a disliked person or a bad taste/smell.
- The steps up to the byāpāda saṅkappa happen without exception, unless the paṭigha saṁyojana has been eliminated from the mind.
- Note that different suttās have somewhat different steps after the saṅkappa arises. However, they describe the same process. The key point is that if the mind stays on that ārammaṇa after it gets to the saṅkappa stage, it is likely to reach the ‘taṇhā paccayā upādāna‘ step in Paṭicca Samuppāda and enter the ‘nava kamma‘ stage.
- Those intermediate steps after saṅkappa arise depend on the situation at that time. For example, after seeing a disliked person, one may just move on without any further escalation. However, if they get into an argument, things can escalate and get to the ‘nava kamma‘ stage.
- All immoral deeds based on anger have that origin. It can grow into the anger that we experience in the ‘nava kamma‘ stage.
Vihiṁsā Saññā Usually Leads to a Sukha Vedanā
9. At marker 4.1, the sutta points out that vihiṁsā saññā leads to cruel deeds (like hurting animals for fun). Note the difference from the kāma saññā and the byāpāda saññā.
- Those three are the main types of saññā that lead to apuñña abhisaṅkhāra in the ‘nava kamma‘ stage, leading to rebirths in the apāyās (duggati) as pointed out at marker 5.3.
- Now, let us examine the other three types of saññā discussed in the Sanidāna Sutta (SN 14.12).
Three ‘Better Types of saññā‘ in Kāma Loka
10. Even though most people are engaged in deeds, speech, and thoughts based on those three types of saññā discussed above, relatively few people attempt to overcome their ‘bad effects’ by cultivating the opposite types of saññā: nekkhamma saññā, abyāpāda saññā, and avihiṁsā saññā.
- Those descriptions start, respectively, at markers 7.1, 8.1, and 9.1.
- Here, ‘nekkhamma‘ means to “abstain from kāma or sensual pleasures.’ That is why nekkhamma saññā is the opposite of kāma saññā.
- Similarly, abyāpāda saññā and avihiṁsā saññā are the opposites of byāpāda saññā and vihiṁsā saññā.
11. It is not easy to cultivate the first two (nekkhamma saññā and abyāpāda saññā) while living a normal ‘householder life.’ That is why ancient yogis went deep into jungles to avoid sensory inputs that can trigger kāma saññā and the byāpāda saññā.
- However, as noted at markers 7.7, 8.6, and 9.6 in the sutta, a Noble Person (‘sutavā ariyasāvako‘) can cultivate all three of nekkhamma saññā, abyāpāda saññā, and avihiṁsā saññā.
- Avihiṁsā saññā is a special case. Here, one does not intend to hurt anyone else, but they hurt themselves through ignorance of the fact that it is these six types of saññā that induce one to attach to all sensory inputs in the kāma loka. Understanding that requires contemplation. That avihiṁsā saññā is fully cultivated only at the Arahant stage, when one becomes free of avijjā completely.
- The last three types of saññā (nekkhamma saññā, abyāpāda saññā and avihiṁsā saññā) lead to rebirths in the ‘good realms’ at or above the human realm (sugati), as pointed out at marker 10.3.
Avihiṁsā Saññā Is a Special Case
12. Even though a puthujjana tends to attach via the first three types of saññā (kāma saññā, byāpāda saññā, and vihiṁsā saññā), they may also attach via the latter three types of nekkhamma saññā, abyāpāda saññā, and avihiṁsā saññā.
- The avihiṁsā saññā triggers attachment to all neutral sensory inputs through avijjā. That holds true for all puthujjana and also for Noble Persons below the Arahant stage. This is where (weak) attachment (that propels a mind to the ‘purāna kamma‘ stage) happens even with sensory inputs that generate only a ‘neutral’ or ‘adukkhamasukha vedanā‘. This is discussed in #13 below.
- It is only with the complete cessation of avijjā (at the Arahant stage) that one fully comprehends that all sensory experiences are mind-made. That is when one fully comprehends the ‘anatta‘ nature.
- For example, the five ascetics attained the Sotapanna stage when the Buddha described the “Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta (SN 56.11)” in detail over several days. However, they attained the Arahant stage by listening to the Buddha’s explanation of ‘anatta nature’ in the “Anattalakkhaṇa Sutta (SN 22.59).”
A Mind Automatically Attaches to ‘Neutral Vedanā‘, Too!
13. The Buddha taught that anyone below the Arahant stage could attach to ANY sensory input, including those that do not generate a sukha or dukkha vedanā. Those are the ‘neutral’ or ‘adukkhamasukha vedanā’. In other suttās, the Buddha pointed out that even ‘neutral’ (those generating a ‘neutral’ or ‘adukkhamasukha vedanā‘) sensory inputs are also mind-made; see #14 below.
- A puthujjana would not think that they attach to ‘neutral vedanā.’ But they do attach with avijjā, and they are not even aware of it. Their minds generate ‘avihiṁsā saṅkappa‘ (they don’t intend to hurt anyone, but unintentionally hurt themselves in this situation through their avijjā).
- Those who are at or above the Sotāpanna Anugāmi stage are aware of it, but it is only at the Arahant stage that such attachments completely stop.
- This is the ‘previously unheard teachings’ (‘pubbe ananussutesu dhammesu‘) of a Buddha. The difference in the worldviews is shown in the chart below.
- Note that the worldview of a puthujjana is the same as that which is generally accepted, i.e., it is the ‘mundane worldview’ of almost all people, except for those with a magga phala (i.e., a Noble Person).
Download/Print: “Attachment to ‘neutral vedanā’“
Salla Sutta – A Puthujjana Attaches to All Three Types of Vedanā
14. When describing a puthujjana (‘assutavā puthujjano‘), the “Salla Sutta (SN 36.6)” states: “Tassa tāsaṁ vedanānaṁ samudayañca atthaṅgamañca assādañca ādīnavañca nissaraṇañca yathābhūtaṁ appajānato, yo adukkhamasukhāya vedanāya avijjānusayo, so anuseti.”
- It essentially means that a puthujjana attaches to an adukkhamasukha vedanā due to avijjā.
- I will discuss that in detail in the next post.
- However, we can get the basic idea from the fact that objects in the world do not have colors. Let us discuss that now.
Nothing in the World Has ‘Color’ – ‘Color’ Is Mind-Made
15. All Puthujjana (that includes everyone without a magga phala, i.e., essentially 99+% of people in the world) believe that they experience the ‘actual rūpa‘ that exists in the external world. Our experience of external stimuli (sights, sounds, tastes, smells, and touch) does not reflect their true characteristics.
- We can focus on sights because they are easiest to explain. For example, a puthujjana believes a rainbow has many colors, the sky is blue, or grass is green. We experience colorful objects, such as flowers, and attractively dressed people.
- Our perception that ‘colors are out there in the world’ has taken root because of one of the following or both:
- Many perceive that a given object inherently ‘has color,’ i.e., the ‘redness of a rose in the rose petals.’ However, nothing in the world has intrinsic ‘color.’
- We have also learned in school that ‘white light’ from the Sun can be split into seven primary colors. That may give the impression that sunlight has ‘colors.’ However, sunlight is a tiny part of the electromagnetic spectrum, which includes microwave radiation in microwave ovens and X-rays used in imaging. All electromagnetic waves (including sunlight) are ‘colorless.’
- The Buddha taught that those ‘colors’ are mind-made. See #6 of “Mahāvedalla Sutta – Sañjānātī, Vijānāti, Pajānāti.”
- Because a puthujjana believes objects in the world have colors, their minds attach, with avijja, even to sights that generate only a neutral or adukkhmasukha vedanā, such as seeing the blue sky or green grass. That occurs with avihiṁsā saññā, as pointed out in #12 and #13 above.
Conclusion: ‘rūpaṁ attato samanupassati‘ = ‘To Believe Any Rūpa Is Real’
16. Note that ‘rūpa‘ in the suttās refers to the ‘mind-made rūpa‘ and NOT those that exist in the world. See #3 of “Rūpa Samudaya – A ‘Colorful World’ Is Created by the Mind.”
- Because of that, even sensory inputs we generally take for granted as ‘real’ (even without attaching to them with a like or dislike) are not actually real; i.e., such rūpa do not exist!
- For example, when seeing green grass or the blue sky, we don’t think twice about it because we assume that is the way they actually are. However, as discussed above, grass does not have a ‘green color,’ and the sky is not really blue. Those colors are entirely mind-made.
- Thus, a puthujjana (and any Noble Person below the Arahant stage) attaches to such sights (that generate only neutral vedanā) via avijjā.
- The only difference is that any Noble Person below the Arahant stage does not have the wrong view that those sights are real. However, they have not yet overcome the automatic attachment to the avihiṁsā saññā as discussed above.
