Distorted Perception – According to the Suttās

Our sensory experiences do not reflect the ‘actual reality,’ and we have ‘distorted perception’ or ‘viparīta saññā.’ No colorful, tasty things or enticing music exist in the world. The Buddha discovered this over two thousand years ago, and it has recently been confirmed by modern science. We discuss a few suttās where the Buddha explained that fact.

July 10, 2026

Critical Role of ‘Mind-Made Rūpa‘ in Contamination of the Mind

1. Any Paṭicca Samuppāda or pañcupādānakkhandha process starts with a sensory input, i.e., a ‘rūpa‘ coming to the mind via one of the six senses. 

  • The whole process of mind contamination has its origins in one key aspect: The ‘rūpa‘ the mind experiences is NOT the ‘rūpa‘ that exists in the external world. That ‘rūpa‘ can be a sight, a sound, a taste, a smell, a touch, or a memory. 
  • At the very instance of ‘making contact with the sensory input’ (i.e., ‘kāma dhātu‘ stage), the mind itself introduces a ‘distorted saññā‘ to that ‘external rūpa,’ transforming it to a ‘vastly different rūpa‘ to be experienced. As we have discussed, no external object has color, taste, smell, or other qualities. All those ‘enticing features’ are added via the ‘distorted saññā.‘
  • This amazing fact has been confirmed in recent years by modern science (see, for example, “Distorted Perception – The World We Experience Doesn’t Exist“), which makes it easier to understand why the Buddha taught that ‘sensory experiences’ are illusions or mirages. 
  • On the other hand, life would be impossible to live without the ‘distorted saññā‘ either. See “Human Life is Unlivable in a ‘Colorless’ World.“
  • The Paṭicca Samuppāda process sustains not only living beings but also their environment by generating the ‘distorted saññā‘ in us; see “Paṭicca Samuppāda Creates the External World, Too!” We will discuss that more in the future.
Pañcupādānakkhandha Is Based on an Illusion

2. Once the process starts with an illusion or at least a ‘falsehood,’ all other entities based on that are untruths, and thus, can only lead to more false entities arising in the mind.

  • Based on the ‘mind-enhanced rūpa,’ a slight liking (manāpa) first arises in the mind; it is a mixture of vedanā and saññā. That is enough to trigger the arising of saṅkappa (weak form of saṅkhāra) in a puthujjana, and the mind enters ‘kāma bhava‘ with a ‘bahiddha viññāṇa.’
  • Then, in a series of many steps, the mind becomes increasingly contaminated. See “Purāna and Nava Kamma – Sequence of Kamma Generation.”
  • In that process, vedanā, saññā, saṅkhāra, and viññāṇa will arise; all of them are based on that ‘false/distorted rūpa.’ This happens in a split second without us even noticing. The critical point is that all those entities are ‘mind-enhanced,’ and belong to the corresponding upādānakkhandha.
  • Thus, when the suttās mention rūpa, vedanā, saññā, saṅkhāra, and viññāṇa, they almost always refer to the corresponding upādānakkhandha. See “Rūpa, Vedanā, Saññā, Saṅkhāra, Viññāṇa – Mostly Misunderstood.”
‘Feeling of Joy’ Increases With Mind Contamination

3. In the above, we observed that the mind becomes increasingly contaminated in a series of steps; at each step, the attachment to that ‘mind-made rūpa‘ can become stronger if it is enticing enough. This happens in a split second without us even realizing it.

  • Thus, we feel the ‘intense joy’ that only appears in the ‘nava kamma‘ stage. But that started as just a slight liking (‘manāpa‘) in the ‘kāma dhātu‘ stage.
  •  Therefore, not only are we fooled by the ‘mind-made rūpa,’ but a critical result of that is the generation of an ‘artificial joy’ in the mind (via diṭṭhi, taṇhā, and māna) without our even realizing it!
  • When one attains the Sotāpanna and Anāgāmi stages, the ‘artificial amplification of joy’ due to diṭṭhi and taṇhā drops out. At the Arahant stage, māna is also eliminated and the ‘intense joy’ drops down to ‘manāpa‘ or a ‘trace of liking.’ See “Kāma Assāda and Pain Are Mostly Mind-Made.”
  • The above is a critical point. This is why it is hard to overcome the ‘kāma saññā,’ and a Sotāpanna must cultivate Satipaṭṭhāna to overcome it. It is ingrained in our minds that ‘sensory pleasures are real,’ and it takes a real effort by a Sotāpanna to overcome the deeply embedded ‘kāma saññā.’
  • Now, let us discuss a few relevant suttās.
Pañcupādānakkhandha Is Not Yours

4. “Natumha Sutta (SN 12.37)“: ‘Bhikkhus, this kāya doesn’t belong to you. It doesn’t belong to anyone else either.’

  • As I have pointed out, the meaning of ‘kāya‘ must be taken in the context; see “Kāya Is Pañcupādānakkhandha Kāya in Most Suttās.”
  • In this sutta, kāya could be taken as one’s physical body OR the ‘pañcupādānakkhandha kāya.’ The point is that the physical body arises due to the existence of ‘pañcupādānakkhandha kāya,‘ which arises when ANY puthujjana‘s mind AUTOMATICALLY attaches to the ‘kāma saññā‘ generated AUTOMATICALLY.
  • That explanation is in the remaining verses. 
  • It is explained succinctly in the verse @1.3: “Purāṇamidaṁ, bhikkhave, kammaṁ abhisaṅkhataṁ abhisañcetayitaṁ vedaniyaṁ daṭṭhabbaṁ” OR “Both types of kāya have their origins in the ‘purāna kamma‘ stage. Note that the English translation in the link is incorrect. The ‘purāna kamma‘ stage refers to the ‘initial kamma formation’ and NOT to ‘old kamma.’ 
  • Then, it is further explained by the verses from @2.1 through @2.6. The ‘purāna kamma‘ stage starts with ‘avijjā paccayā saṅkhārā.’ However, that avijjā arises due to the ‘kāma saññā,’ and that is implied in the verse @2.2: ‘iti imasmiṁ sati idaṁ hoti, imassuppādā idaṁ uppajjati,‘ which refers to the arising of avijjā via the mind of a puthujjana automatically attaching to the ‘kāma saññā.’ However, that step will not occur for an Arahant for whom the verse ‘imasmiṁ asati idaṁ na hoti, imassa nirodhā idaṁ nirujjhati‘ (@2.3) applies.
Give Up What Is Not Yours

5. “Natumhāka Sutta (SN 22.33)” also states, ‘Bhikkhus, give up what’s not yours.’

  • Then it states, ‘Rūpaṁ, bhikkhave, na tumhākaṁ, taṁ pajahatha‘ OR ‘Any rūpa is not yours, give it up.’ That is because any rūpa that we experience is not real.
  • That is the critical point to start with. As I have emphasized, rūpa does not refer to an external rūpa (like an apple without color or taste that truly exists in the world), but to the ‘mind-made rūpa’ (an apple with color and taste that we experience). We need to let go of attachment to that ‘mind-made rūpa.’
  • As pointed out in the previous post (“Distorted Perception – The World We Experience Doesn’t Exist“), modern science has confirmed that an apple in the external world does not have color ot taste.
  • All subsequent steps in Paṭicca Samuppāda or pañcupādānakkhandha generation are based on that first step of the mind attaching to that ‘mind-made rūpa.’ There, vedanā means ‘samphassa-jā-vedanā,’ saññā means the ‘distorted perception.’ Based on that attachment, the mind generates various types of (abhi)saṅkhāra, leading to the defiled viññāṇa. (Note that the sequence in Paṭicca Samuppāda can be explained the same way.)

6. @marker 2.1, the Buddha provides an analogy. He asks the bhikkhus, “Suppose a person was to carry off the grass, sticks, branches, and leaves in this Jetavanārāmaya (where the Buddha resided in), or burn them, or do what they want with them. Would you think:‘This person is carrying our precious things off, burning them, or doing what they want with them’?’

The bhikkhus answer, ‘Those grass, sticks, branches, and leaves are useless; they are not ours.’

Pheṇapiṇḍūpama Sutta – Analogies for the Five Upādānakkhandha

7. “Pheṇapiṇḍūpama Sutta (SN 22.95)” provides a detailed description of the five entities (rupaupādānakkhandha through viññāṇupādānakkhandha) in the pañcupādānakkhandha. Note that it is always the pañcupādānakkhandha that arises in response to sensory input, never the pañcakkhandha. Also, note that the five entities rūpa, vedanā, saññā, saṅkhāra, and viññāṇa in the suttās almost always refer to the respective upādānakkhandha. See “Rūpa, Vedanā, Saññā, Saṅkhāra, Viññāṇa – Mostly Misunderstood.”

  • In what follows, I will go through the whole sutta, providing only the ideas expressed without translating it word-by-word.
  • I will address only the types of rūpa that evoke a ‘sukha vedanā‘ in the mind.
  • However, those that invoke a ‘dukkha vedanā‘ or ‘neutral vedanā‘ can also be analyzed the same way. I plan to discuss this in the next post.

8. Rūpa are like foam: Think about the foam you can see in a river or a stream. One can see foam even in a glass of somewhat dirty water when the water is agitated. Anyone can see that there is nothing useful there; they are formed and burst in a short time.

  • In the same way, there is nothing substantial in any kind of ‘mind-made rūpa.‘ Those do not represent the actual rūpa in the external world.
  • Then the Buddha explains that the above statement holds for any rūpa that has even arisen, belonging to eleven types: atītā, anāgata, paccuppanna, ajjhatta, bahiddha, oḷārika, sukhuma, hīna, paṇīta, dūre, and santike.  Here, the categories of atītā, anāgata, and paccuppanna refer to those that arose in the past, will arise in the future, and are present at the ‘present moment’.  I have discussed the meaning of ajjhatta and bahiddha as entities that arise early in the mind (in the ‘purāna kamma‘ stage) upon receiving a sensory input. To explain briefly: oḷārika and sukhuma refer to dense rūpa in the kāma loka and fine ones in all three lokas; dūre and santike refer to whether a mind is far from or close to the Satipaṭṭhāna Bhūmi, which is free of the ‘distorted saññā.‘ 
  • All types of rūpa are of no value, because attachment to any of them will only prolong the suffering-filled rebirth process! 

9. Vedanā is like water bubbles: When it rains heavily, bubbles on the water form and pop right away. Anyone can see that those are completely vacuous, hollow, and insubstantial. What value could be in a water bubble that would burst in a few seconds?

  • In the same way, a bhikkhu sees that any kind of feeling of joy (sukha vedanā) arising in the mind due to such ‘mind-made rūpa‘ are temporary; furthermore, those feelings are also mind-made, as we discussed in #3 above. And it appears to them as completely vacuous, hollow, and insubstantial. For what substance could there be in a sukha vedanā that is mind-made, not long-lasting, and could lead to immoral actions that bring future suffering?

Saññā is a mirage: Suppose that in the last month of summer, at noon, a shimmering mirage appears. And a person with clear eyes would see it and contemplate it, examining it rationally. And it would appear to them as completely vacuous, hollow, and insubstantial. For what substance could there be in a mirage?

  • As we have discussed in depth, the ‘mind-made rūpa‘ mentioned above are generated through ‘distorted perception’ or ‘kāma saññā‘ in the kāma loka. Rather than being of any real value, ‘kāma saññā‘ is the trigger for initial attachment!
  • Furthermore, ‘kāma saññā‘ continues to trigger further attachment in subsequent steps when other sensory faculties get involved.

10. Saṅkhāra are like banana trunks: Suppose there was a person in need of solid, long-lasting wood for making furniture (the dark-colored innermost area of a tree is called heartwood, and the lighter-colored outer area is called sapwood). Wandering in search of wood, they’d take a sharp axe and enter a forest. There they’d see a big banana trunk, straight and young. They’d cut it down at the base, cut off the top, and peel away the trunk layer by layer. But they wouldn’t even find sapwood, much less heartwood.  What substance could there be in a banana trunk? 

  • In the same way, a bhikkhu sees and contemplates all types of saṅkhāra involved in a Paṭicca Samuppāda process (saṅkappa, sara saṅkappa, and abhisaṅkhāra). They all help defile the mind.
  • Even though saṅkappa and sara saṅkappa are weak forms of saṅkhāra, they play critical roles in getting the mind defiled in the ‘purāna‘ or ‘initial’ kamma generation stage.
  • Then, abhisaṅkhāra, arising in the ‘nava kamma‘ stage, generates potent kammic energies that sustain the rebirth process.

11. Viññāṇa is a magician: Suppose a magician was to demonstrate a magic show. Anyone can see that there is no substance in a magic show even though it brings a temporary sense of joy.

  • In the same way, a bhikkhu sees and contemplates any kind of viññāṇa at all—atītā, anāgata, paccuppanna, ajjhatta, bahiddha, oḷārika, sukhuma, hīna, paṇīta, dūre, and santike—examining it rationally. They see them as completely vacuous, hollow, and insubstantial. What substance could there be in viññāṇa that often leads to suffering and would only help sustain the rebirth process?
  • Realizing the ‘unfruitful and dangerous outcomes of attaching to a ‘magic show’ filled with illusions, one becomes a Noble Person (Ariya Sāvaka) at the Sotāpanna stage by eliminating the three diṭṭhi saṁyojana.
  • Then, they would cultivate Satipaṭṭhāna to overcome the ‘kāma saññā‘ and attain the Anāgāmi stage; after that, they would further cultivate Satipaṭṭhāna to overcome the ‘rūpa loka saññā‘ and ‘arupa loka saññā‘ and attain the Arahant stage. Then they are freed from any type of future suffering (Note that any suffering until the death of the physical body is entirely due to that physical body they were born with). They understand: ‘there is nothing further to do.’
  • Then, the Buddha summarized the above in a few verses at the end of the sutta. 
Connection to Anicca Nature of Attachment to Worldly ‘Pleasures’

12. As I have discussed, the Saṁyutta Nikāya of the Tipiṭaka, starting with the second book, has suttās ordered in a systematic way leading to the Sotāpanna stage. See “Paṭicca Samuppāda – Starting Point to Sotāpanna Stage.”

  • Right after discussing the Paṭicca Samuppāda and the pañcupādānakkhandha processes in Books 2 and 3 of the Saṁyutta Nikāya, Book 3 begins to discuss the concept of anicca without making any connection to them, as I pointed out previously; see #12 of “Yoniso Manasikāra – Connection to Saññā.”
  • As I explained there, the concept of anicca is attached to the fact that ‘mind-made rūpa‘ does not reflect the ‘true nature of the world’ and thus always leads us away from Nibbāna, the state free of even a trace of suffering.
  • After the series of suttās starting with “Cakkhu Sutta (SN 18.1),” another series of suttās starting with the “Anicca Sutta (SN 22.12),” the Buddha emphasizes that all five components of the pañcupādānakkhandha, starting with the rūpupādānakkhandha (based on ‘mind-made rūpa‘), are of anicca, dukkha, anatta nature.
  • Next, the relationships among anicca, dukkha, and anatta are stated in three suttās starting with the “Yadanicca Sutta (SN 22.15).”
  • Finally, three more suttās starting with the “Sahetuanicca Sutta (SN 22.18)” explain that the anicca nature of the preparation of the ‘mind-made rūpa‘ (via Paṭicca Samuppāda) makes it impossible for it to be of ‘nicca nature.’ Then, that follows for the other four components of the pañcupādānakkhandha.
  • There are many ways one can interpret the ‘anicca nature’; see “Anicca, Dukkha, Anatta.” However, all of them are based on the above critical concept, i.e., the fact that any ‘mind-made rūpa‘ does not reflect the ‘true nature of the world.’
Paṭicca Samuppāda Explains the Origin of ‘Mind-Made Rūpa’

13. To fully comprehend the anicca nature, one must not only understand that the ‘rūpa we experience’ are vastly different from the ‘rūpa that exists in the world,’ but also understand how those mind-made rūpa are generated via Paṭicca Samuppāda. I discussed that briefly in “Paṭicca Samuppāda Creates the External World, Too!” I will discuss more in upcoming posts.

  • Neuroscientists and philosophers these days understand that the ‘rūpa we experience’ are vastly different from the ‘rūpa that exists in the world,’ but they are trying to explain it via the evolution of species. Thus, they will never realize the ‘anicca nature’ (nor will they ever prove their theory). Furthermore, the theory of evolution is based on the assumption that thoughts are generated in the brain, and there is emerging evidence against that assumption: “Near-Death Experiences (NDE): Brain Is Not the Mind.”
  • In the last sutta in that section, “Ānanda Sutta (SN 22.21),” the Buddha explains to Ven. Ānanda what is meant by ‘rūpa nirodha‘ (translated in the English version in the link as ‘cessation’).
  • There, ‘cessation of rūpa‘ does not refer to the destruction of existing external rūpa. It means an Arahant can stop the arising of such  ‘mind-made rūpa‘ (by entering the Satipaṭṭhāna Bhūmi). Furthermore, even though an Arahant would also experience them in daily life, their minds will never be fooled by them.

14. The “Samudayadhamma Sutta (SN 22.126)” explains that avijjā is not comprehending how any rūpa arises (remember that almost always rūpa refers to the ‘mind-made rūpa‘ or rūpupādānakkhandha).

  • The English translation in the link would read better as ” bhikkhu, it’s when an unlearned ordinary person (puthujjana) doesn’t truly understand rūpa, how it originates in the mind, or its real nature (yathābhūtaṁ).”
  • As we know, Paṭicca Samuppāda processes start with avijjā. 
  • Thus, to eliminate avijjā, a puthujjana must comprehend how mind-made rūpa arises via the ‘kāma saññā.’ It is a cyclic process: Paṭicca Samuppāda is triggered by the ‘distorted saññā.’ Then, Paṭicca Samuppāda leads to more existences with built-in ‘distorted saññā.’ It is a never-ending process until one learns the teachings of the Buddha to break that cycle!
Overcoming Attachment to ‘Mind-Made Rūpa‘ Happens in Two Stages

14. When a puthujjana comprehends the above and realizes the unfruitfulness and dangers of attaching to ‘mind-made rūpa,’ they attain the Sotāpanna stage of Nibbāna. In other words, one attains the Sotāpanna stage of Nibbāna by comprehending/grasping the Buddha’s worldview (āna) and discarding all mundane worldviews (āpāna). See “Ānāpāna – Adopting Buddha’s Worldview and Discarding ‘Mundane Views’.” 

  • However, that is not enough to overcome the ‘distorted saññā‘ built into us. It is not easy to overcome the perception that, for example, an apple has neither red color nor a sweet taste. We have lived countless lives with that perception. That is why a Sotāpanna must cultivate Satipaṭṭhāna to overcome that ‘viparīta saññā‘ and to break the ‘kāma rāga saṁyojana‘ that binds one to the kāma loka.
  • Also see #13 of “Ānāpāna – Adopting Buddha’s Worldview and Discarding ‘Mundane Views’.” 
  • In the same way that humans are fooled by the ‘mind-made sensual pleasures’ in the kāma loka, Brahmās in the rūpa and arupa loka are fooled by the ‘mind-made jhānic and arupa samāpatti pleasures.’ An Anāgāmi must further cultivate Satipaṭṭhāna to overcome the ‘rūpa rāga saṁyojana‘ and the ‘arupa rāga saṁyojana‘ to attain the Arahant stage. See “Ānāpānasati – Mindfulness (Sati) Based on Buddha’s Worldview” and “Ānāpānasati Sutta – Complete Overview.”
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