In the kāma loka, the mind ‘starts’ in the kāma dhātu stage. ‘Kāma saññā‘ is automatically incorporated into the mind at that initial stage. That kāma saññā triggers avijjā, initiating a Paṭicca Samuppāda process in response to any sensory input.
June 12, 2026
Mind Starts in a Defilement-Free State
1. The Buddha stated that the mind has a ‘defilement-free’ pabhassara state. This process of contamination of a citta is what is stated in the “Pabhassara Sutta (AN 1.51).“ I discussed this in the beginning of the previous post, “Paṭicca Samuppāda – Starting Point to Sotāpanna Stage.”
- However, there is a ‘built-in trigger’ to defile that mind. For us in ‘kāma loka,’ it is the ‘kāma saññā.’
- As I pointed out in the previous post (“Paṭicca Samuppāda – Starting Point to Sotāpanna Stage“), the Saṁyutta Nikāya, book 2, contains many concepts necessary for reaching the Sotāpanna stage.
‘Kāma Dhātu‘ stage Is Defilement- Free
2. Any sensory experience in ‘kāma loka‘ starts at the ‘kāma dhātu‘ stage.
- In general, ‘dhātu‘ refers to the ‘beginning’ of an entity.
- A series of suttās in Saṁyutta Nikāya, book 2, from SN 14.1 through SN 14.10, discuss how that trigger operates. I will discuss only a couple of suttās to clarify the concept.
- These suttās point to ‘kāma saññā‘ as the trigger to generate avijjā in the mind. They also clarify that the mind is contaminated in a step-by-step process and becomes defiled in a split second, without us even being aware of it. Those steps occur early in the ‘purāna kamma‘ stage. We become conscious of the process only after the mind gets to the ‘nava kamma‘ stage. The general outline is in “Purāna and Nava Kamma – Sequence of Kamma Generation.”
- Before we discuss the role of the ‘kāma saññā,’ it is beneficial to learn a bit about the ‘bhavaṅga state’ of the mind. If you are unfamiliar with it, don’t worry. It is easy to grasp. Even if you don’t grasp it, that should not matter.
Bhavaṅga State of the Mind
3. When the mind is not focusing on a specific ārammaṇa, it is in the default ‘bhavaṅga state.’ The mind is inactive (i.e., no cittas arising), yet one is alive.
- When in deep sleep or while unconscious, the mind is in the ‘bhavaṅga state.’ This is analogous to a car in the neutral gear, where it is ‘alive’ but is not active, i.e., not moving.
- When the car is put in a gear, it starts moving. In the same way, the mind becomes active with an ārammaṇa (a sensory input), with a series of cittās rising.
- The mind is in the ‘bhavaṅga state’ before receiving the ārammaṇa.
- Thus, the mind moves from the ‘neutral bhavaṅga state’ to the ‘active initial state’ (‘dhātu stage’) with an ārammaṇa.
Transition from the ‘Bhavaṅga State’ to ‘Kāma Dhātu‘ State
4. The mind moves from the inactive ‘bhavaṅga state’ to the active ‘kāma dhātu‘ stage upon receiving sensory input or an ārammaṇa. This is stated in the first sutta (“Dhātunānatta Sutta (SN 14.1)“) of the Dhātu Saṁyutta in Book 2 of the Saṁyutta Nikāya of the Tipiṭaka.
- One of six types of rūpa (rūpa, sadda, gandha, rasa, phoṭṭhabba, dhamma) can come through the six senses (cakkhu, sota, ghāna, jivhā, kāya, mano) and generate the corresponding six types of viññāṇa. They are all in their dhātu state, which are defilement-free.
- This is called the ‘diversity of elements’ (dhātu nānattaṁ) per the translation in the link. Diversity refers to the fact that the sense inputs from the six sense faculties are different in nature. A sight is different from a sound or taste, etc.
- The translation in the link uses the word ‘element’ for ‘dhātu.’ We will keep calling it dhātu.
- The kāma dhātu represents the first citta. For example, when seeing an object, the mind starts with cakkhu dhātu, rūpa dhātu, and cakkhu viññāṇa dhātu.
‘Kāma Dhātu Stage’ is Still Undefiled, Even though With the ‘Distorted Kāma Saññā‘
5. Let us examine the initial dhātu state of the active mind.
- Let us consider a ‘seeing event’ which involves cakkhu, rūpa, and cakkhu viññāṇa (“Cakkhuñca paṭicca rūpe ca uppajjati cakkhu viññāṇaṁ“): a rūpa experienced by the cakkhu indriya gives rise to cakkhu viññāṇa.
- An ‘external rūpa‘ is processed by the eyes/brain, and that impression is passed on to the cakkhu indriya in the mental body/manomaya kāya/gandhabba.
- Thus, the cakkhu indriya (cakkhu dhātu) is activated; it receives the ‘impression of the external rūpa‘ (rūpa dhātu), and initial cakkhu viññāṇa (cakkhu viññāṇa dhātu) arises.
Rūpa Saññā is assigned to ‘Rūpa Dhātu‘ – Still in ‘Kāma Dhātu‘
6. Per the discussion in #5 above, the following are the ‘values’ associated with cakkhu, rūpa, and cakkhu viññāṇa at the initial ‘dhātu‘ stage: cakkhu dhātu (undefiled cakkhu indriya), rūpa dhātu (impression of the ‘impression of the external rūpa‘ received from the brain), and cakkhu viññāṇa dhātu (undefiled cakkhu viññāṇa).
- The “Saññānānatta Sutta (SN 14.7)” explains how the rūpa saññā is automatically assigned to the ‘rūpa dhātu stage.’ @marker 3.1: The ‘rūpa dhātu‘ corresponding to the sight automatically generates a ‘rūpa saññā‘: ‘Rūpadhātuṁ, bhikkhave, paṭicca uppajjati rūpa saññā.’
- However, the mind is still undefiled, because the ‘kāma saññā‘ is not a defilement, even though it distorts the nature of the rūpa (by assigning colors, for example). However, it lacks rāga, dosa, or moha.
- Thus, the values associated with the UNDEFILED dhātu stage are: cakkhu dhātu (undefiled cakkhu indriya), rūpa dhātu (‘mind-made rūpa‘ based on rūpa saññā), and cakkhu viññāṇa dhātu (undefiled cakkhu viññāṇa).
- It is critical to note that the mind has not yet been defiled; it is only deceived by the ‘rūpa saññā.’ That is why even an Arahant would see an apple with the ‘red color.’
- Now we can track the subsequent sequential contamination of the mind.
Mind Moves to ‘Kāma Loka‘ – Bahiddha Viññāṇa Arises
7. The mind of a puthujjana automatically attaches to that ‘mind-made rūpa.‘ This step depends only on the status of the ‘kāma rāga saṁyojana.’ See #12 below.
- This step is also @marker 3.1 in the “Saññānānatta Sutta (SN 14.7)“: ‘rūpa saññaṁ paṭicca uppajjati rūpa saṅkappo.’
- As stated in the “Nibbedhika Sutta (AN 6.63),” ‘saṅkappa rāgo purisassa kāmo,’ and thus one automatically enters the kāma loka with this step. Thus, it happens well before the ‘nava kamma‘ stage, and at the very beginning of the ‘purana kamma‘ stage. This is why yogis before the Buddha could never remove kāma rāga saṁyojana or kāma rāga anusaya from their minds!
- That leads to the ‘bahiddha kāya‘ of the pañcupādānakkhandha, which is the first defiled citta in the process of mind contamination.
- The viññāṇa is now in the contaminated ‘bahiddha viññāṇa‘ state. The ‘rūpa‘ here is the same ‘mind-made rūpa‘ based on rūpa saññā, but it is called ‘bahiddha rūpa‘ because it is associated with the ‘bahiddha stage.’ The cakkhu indriya still remains in the same undefiled state.
Next Step – Ajjhatta Viññāṇa Arises
8. Now that cakkhu indriya makes a defiled contact (samphassa) with the ‘mind-made rūpa‘ and becomes cakkhāyatana (cakkhu āyatana). This further contaminates viññāṇa from ‘bahiddha viññāṇa‘ to ‘ajjhatta viññāṇa.’
- This step is in the “Vedanānānatta Sutta (SN 14.4)“: ‘Cakkhu dhātuṁ, bhikkhave, paṭicca uppajjati cakkhu samphasso.’
- That leads to the next step of generating ‘cakkhusamphassa-jā-vedanā‘ as stated in that same verse: ‘cakkhu samphassaṁ paṭicca uppajjati cakkhusamphassajā vedanā.’
Above Steps Invariably Occur for Any Sensory Input
9. The above steps take place without exception for any sensory input, including even sights that do not lend to attachment via like or dislike. Even looking at a blade of grass can move the mind to kāma loka through avijjā. In that case, avijjā is not realizing that the ‘greenness’ of grass is not real; the color green is not in grass but is assigned by the mind (via rūpa saññā)! see “Rūpa Samudaya – A ‘Colorful World’ Is Created by the Mind.”
- Subsequent mind contamination will occur only if that ‘cakkhusamphassa-jā-vedanā‘ is strong enough to generate taṇhā.
- That would lead to the ‘vēdanā paccayā taṇhā‘ and ‘taṇhā paccayā upādāna‘ steps in Paṭicca Samuppāda and to the ‘nava kamma‘ stage.
- I will stop this analysis here, because my goal was to clarify the role of ‘kāma saññā‘ in initiating the Paṭicca Samuppāda process by triggering the ‘purāna kamma‘ stage. More steps are discussed in “Purāna and Nava Kamma – Sequence of Kamma Generation.” The following chart from that post could also be helpful.
Download/Print: “Purana and Nava Kamma -2-revision 4“
Critical Points
10. The following are critical points:
(i) All entities in the ‘dhātu stage’ are free of defilements. Only the ‘rūpa‘ is distorted relative to the ‘external rūpa.’ In our example of seeing an apple, the mind sees a ‘red apple’ even though the apple itself has no color.
- This is why even an Arahant sees the apple as a ‘red apple.’
(ii) The mind will become defiled only if it attaches to the relevant ‘kāma saññā.’ For example, in the case of seeing an object, the attachment occurs only if the mind attaches to the ‘rūpa saññā.’ In the case of a taste, it is the ‘rasa saññā‘ that triggers attachment.
- That is determined automatically based on the ‘kāma rāga saṁyojana.’ If that saṁyojana is present in the mind, then it will automatically attach.
- That is why only the minds of Arahants and Anāgāmis do not attach to any ārammaṇa in kāma loka. Their minds are not ‘fooled’ by any type of ‘kāma saññā.’
- If the ‘kāma rāga saṁyojana‘ is present, ‘kāma saññā‘ will trigger it, and the mind will automatically generate a weak form of saṅkhāra called ‘saṅkappa.’ That is enough to defile the mind and move it to ‘kāma bhava.’ Let us clarify that now.
Kāma Dhātu to Kāma Bhava Transition Requires a Kamma (Saṅkappa)
11. Generating “kāma saññā” at this initial “kāma dhātu stage” does not mean one is already in the “kāma bhava.” A kamma (with sañcetanā) must happen (i.e., must generate kāma saṅkappa) to get to the kāma bhava, as the Buddha explained in the “Paṭhamabhava Sutta (AN 3.76).”
- The “Paṭhamabhava Sutta (AN 3.76)” states, “Kāmadhātuvepakkañca, ānanda, kammaṁ nābhavissa, api nu kho kāmabhavo paññāyethā’ti?” OR “If no kamma took place (kammaṁ nābhavissa), would the transition from kāma dhātu to kāma bhava come about?” The answer was “no.”
- That kamma happens in the “kāma saññaṁ paṭicca uppajjati kāma saṅkappo” step in #7 above. As we know, kamma is done with (abhi)saṅkhāra, and “saṅkappa” means a ‘weak saṅkhāra.’
Importance of the Kāma Rāga Anusaya/Saṁyojana
12. That first step of mind contamination, ‘rūpa saññaṁ paṭicca uppajjati rūpa saṅkappo‘ (for a sight; the general verse is ‘kāma saññaṁ paṭicca uppajjati kāma saṅkappo‘), occurs only if the ‘kāma rāga saṁyojana‘ (or equivalently, ‘kāma rāga anusaya‘) is intact.
- For those who are below the Anāgāmi stage (and thus the ‘kāma rāga saṁyojana‘ remains unbroken), the mind will automatically attach to the ārammaṇa.
- For Arahants and Anāgāmis (who have eliminated the ‘kāma rāga saṁyojana‘), the mind will not attach to any ārammaṇa in the kāma loka.
Summary
13. The mind of anyone born in kāma loka starts with a built-in trigger of ‘kāma saññā.‘ That is why a mind with ‘kāma rāga saṁyojana‘ never starts in the pabhassara (defilement-free) state.
- Depending on the sensory input, a specific type of kāma saññā is activated. Based on it, the mind creates its own version of the ‘external rūpa.‘ That mind never experiences the rūpa that exists in the external world. For example, any sight we ‘see’ is not the corresponding object in the external world. There is a huge difference, and that difference is due to the kāma saññā.
- As we have discussed, no external rūpa has color. An apple does not have a ‘red color,’ and the sky is never ‘blue’ or does not have the rainbow colors at a sunset. Color itself is a ‘saññā‘ generated by the mind, even though it is hard to believe; see, for example, “Rūpa Samudaya – A ‘Colorful World’ Is Created by the Mind” and “Mahāvedalla Sutta – Sañjānātī, Vijānāti, Pajānāti.”
- In another example, an apple does not have an intrinsic ‘taste’ either. That ‘taste’ is a ‘rasa saññā‘ made up by the mind. The ‘kāma saññā‘ applies to all six sensory inputs: “The Illusion of Perception (Saññā) – It Is Scientific Consensus.”
- Recent relevant posts in the “Buddha Dhamma – Systematic” section.
