Before we start accumulating potent kamma in the ‘nava kamma‘ stage, the mind is defiled in two steps in the ‘purāna kamma‘ stage. The first is to generate a subtle, weak level of attachment called ‘rāga‘ via automatic attachment to the ‘distorted saññā.’
December 13, 2025
Introduction
1. It is essential tounderstand the following: (i) Our perception (saññā) about the external world is not correct, i.e., the external world does not have colorful objects, tasty or smelly things; see “The Illusion of Perception (Saññā) – It Is Scientific Consensus.” (ii) On the other hand, we cannot live in this world if we try to disregard some of those perceptions.
- It is a ‘balancing act.’ We must live this life by paying attention to many saññā (for example, pain from an injury alerts us to care for the injury), but at the same time, ‘seeing with wisdom’ that it is the saññā that keeps us bound to the rebirth process. This is why the Buddha said comprehending his Dhamma is like grasping a venomous snake. Unless you catch the snake by its head (and not by the tail), you can get into trouble. See #10 of “Attachment Is to Saññā, Not to Pañcakkhandha.”
- This can be achieved by understanding how Paṭicca Samuppāda processes are initiated (‘udaya‘) and how they can be terminated (‘vaya‘ or ‘nirodha‘).
- The ‘vaya‘ or ‘nirodha‘ of Paṭicca Samuppāda cannot be achieved until one understands how it is initiated, i.e., the ‘udaya‘ or ‘samudaya‘ of Paṭicca Samuppāda. Saññā plays a key role in triggering/initiating Paṭicca Samuppāda processes.
‘Vēdanā Paccayā Taṇhā’ Comes Later
2. As we know, a Paṭicca Samuppāda process is stated in the ‘uddesa‘ (utterance) version as: “avijjā paccayā saṅkhāra; saṅkhāra paccayā viññāna; viññāna paccayā nāmarūpa, nāmarūpa paccayā salāyatana, salāyatana paccayā phassō, phassa paccayā vēdanā, vēdanā paccayā taṇhā, taṇhā paccayā upādāna, upādāna paccayā bhavō, bhava paccayā jāti, jāti paccayā jarā, marana, soka-paridēva-dukkha-dōmanassupāyasā sambhavan’ti”
- Note that the ‘vēdanā paccayā taṇhā‘ step comes in later in a Paṭicca Samuppāda process. This ‘vēdanā‘ that triggers taṇhā and upādāna is a special type of ‘vēdanā‘ that arises AFTER the mind has firmly attached to the sensory input.
- We can see that when looking at the ‘niddesa‘ (brief description) version: “avijjā paccayā saṅkhāra; saṅkhāra paccayā viññāna; viññāna paccayā nāmarūpa, nāmarūpa paccayā salāyatana, salāyatana paccayā samphassō, samphassa paccayā samphassa-jā-vēdanā, samphassa-jā-vēdanā paccayā taṇhā, taṇhā paccayā upādāna, upādāna paccayā bhavō, bhava paccayā jāti, jāti paccayā jarā, marana, soka-paridēva-dukkha-dōmanassupāyasā sambhavan’ti”
- This is discussed in “Difference between Phassa and Samphassa.” Also see “Sutta Interpretation – Uddēsa, Niddēsa, Paṭiniddēsa.”
- The first step in a Paṭicca Samuppāda process (‘avijjā paccayā saṅkhāra‘) is triggered by saññā (which is ‘a weak attachment with saṅkappa‘; see #8 below), as pointed out in the post “What Does ‘Paccayā’ Mean in Paṭicca Samuppāda?” In this post, we will describe that in more detail.
- Firm attachment (taṇhā) for the sensory input does not arise until the contamination of the mind expands to the samphassa stage.
Initial Steps in Paṭicca Samuppāda in the ‘Purāna Kamma‘ Stage
3. As shown in the chart below, all the steps in a Paṭicca Samuppāda process up to the ‘taṇhā paccayā upādāna‘ step occur while the mind is in the ‘purāna kamma‘ stage.
- We begin to accumulate potent kamma (that can bring about rebirths) through akusala kamma committed with the mind (abhijjā, vyāpāda, micchā diṭṭhi), speech (lying, slandering, harsh speech, frivolous talk), and the physical body (killing, stealing, sexual misconduct) only if the mind gets to the ‘nava kamma‘ stage.
- However, most sensory events stop in the ‘purāna kamma‘ stage. For example, during the day, we encounter numerous stimuli (especially sights and sounds), but we ignore most of them.
- However, a mind would initially attach to all of them and get to the ‘purāna kamma‘ stage. It is hard to believe, but the mind is the fastest entity in the world. We are not consciously aware of most of those events that are cut off in the ‘purāna kamma‘ stage. For example, even looking at the blue sky moves the mind to the ‘purāna kamma‘ stage, because the mind believes that the ‘blue color of sky’ is real! But events as those stop in the ‘purāna kamma‘ stage because the second critical step in the ‘purāna kamma‘ stage will not occur; see #12 below.
First (Weak) Attachment With Saṅkappa Triggered by Saññā
4. The first, weak, form of attachment to the sensory input occurs at the very beginning of the sensory event, i.e., simultaneously with the sensory input coming to the mind. That is the start of the ‘purāna kamma‘ stage.
- That ‘weak attachment’ is due to the ‘viparita saññā‘ or ‘distorted saññā.’ The Buddha called that ‘saññā‘ a mirage, because it presents to the mind a ‘distorted version of the sensory input’; see “Pheṇapiṇḍūpama Sutta (SN 22.95).” To quote the English translation there (correct): “Suppose that in the last month of summer, at noon, a shimmering mirage appears. And a person with clear eyes would see and contemplate it, examining it carefully. And it would appear to them as completely void, hollow, and insubstantial. For what substance could there be in a mirage?”
- Let us consider seeing a colorful flower bouquet. It may have flowers in various colors and green leaves. In reality, those flowers or the leaves are colorless. Modern science has now confirmed that: “The Illusion of Perception (Saññā) – It Is Scientific Consensus.”
- Different colors are assigned to different wavelengths being reflected by various flowers and leaves in the bouquet. The mind assigns different colors based on reflected wavelengths.
- I discussed that in detail in “Colors Are Mind-Made (Due to Kāma Saññā).” Don’t forget to read that after going through this post.
Many Steps Before Getting to the ‘Nava Kamma‘ Stage
5. Then the mind goes through many steps (within a split second) before reaching the ‘samphassa-jā-vēdanā‘ step. Furthermore, we become aware of the attachment to the sensory input only after the ‘taṇhā paccayā upādāna‘ step, when we start generating conscious thoughts about the sensory input in the ‘nava kamma‘ stage.
- The initial steps of the Paṭicca Samuppāda process up to the ‘taṇhā paccayā upādāna‘ step belong to the ‘purāna kamma stage‘ or ‘initial (weak) kamma accumulation stage.’
- The ‘strong kamma accumulation’ with javana cittas occurs when we consciously engage in generating mano and vaci kamma, thereby committing akusala kamma through mind, speech, and the physical body; see #3 above. This is the ‘nava kamma’ stage, in which we accumulate ‘new kamma‘ that can lead to rebirths or other potent kamma vipāka. That is depicted in the chart below, where a ‘wider cone’ (indicating rapid expansion of pañcupādānakkhandha) represents the ‘nava kamma’ stage.
- Also see “Purāna and Nava Kamma – Sequence of Kamma Generation.”
Paṭicca Samuppāda = Growth of Pañcupādānakkhandha
6. In many posts, we discussed the ‘purāna kamma’ stage and the ‘nava kamma’ stage as the initial (weak) and subsequent (strong) expansions of the ‘pañcupādānakkhandha kaya.’ The expansion/development of the ‘pañcupādānakkhandha kaya‘ is identical to the Paṭicca Samuppāda process.
- Furthermore, most processes do not advance to the ‘nava kamma’ stage. We ignore many sensory inputs in the ‘purāna kamma’ stage. Only if the mind gets to the ‘taṇhā paccayā upādāna’ stage, it will start accumulating ‘strong kamma‘ in the ‘nava kamma’ stage.
- Let us examine the many steps a mind would automatically go through in the ‘purāna kamma’ stage.
A Sensory Event Starts With a Rupa
7. A sensory event starts with one of the six types of rupa (sight, sound, taste, smell, touch, dhammā) sensed with the eyes, ears, tongue, nose, body, or the mind directly. Let us consider a sight or a ‘rupa rupa‘ (commonly called a ‘rupa‘), and, specifically, a colorful flower bouquet mentioned in #4 above.
- The mind receives a ‘processed image’ of the sight from the brain. That ‘image’ only encompasses the size and shape of the object and the wavelengths reflected by various flowers and leaves of the flower bouquet. There are no ‘colors’ in that processed image. This is called ‘rupa dhātu‘ or the ‘initial image from the brain.’
- The mind immediately assigns colors to various parts of the image based on the wavelengths associated with each part. This is stated in the “Saññānānatta Sutta (SN 14.7)” as ‘Rūpa dhātuṁ, bhikkhave, paṭicca uppajjati rūpa saññā‘ or ‘The rūpa dhātu gives rise to the perception of the sight (rūpa saññā).’
- The mind generates ‘rūpa saññā‘ (with possibly many colors). Scientists are trying to prove it happens in the brain (which will never happen). A brain cannot generate colors on its own.
- That step will occur even in an Arahant if that Arahant was born human; see #9 of “Sotapanna Stage and Distorted/Defiled Saññā.”
Attachment to Rupa Generates Saṅkappa
8. That ‘rūpa saññā‘ generates a “pleasing mindset’ which could be thought of as a ‘weak sukha vedanā.’ Thus, it is hard to distinguish the effects of saññā and vedanā, especially in this early stage.
- The ‘initial automatic attachment’ of a puthujjana is to that ‘weak sukha vedanā‘ with ‘weak sankhara‘ called ‘saṅkappa‘ arising. Thus, the next step in that verse in #7 above is, ‘rūpa saññaṁ paṭicca uppajjati rūpa saṅkappo,’ OR ‘That rūpa saññā gives rise to rūpa saṅkappa (subconcious thoughts).’
- These saṅkappa are the ‘saṅkhāra‘ generated in the ‘avijjā paccayā saṅkhāra‘ step in Paṭicca Samuppāda! They are a weak form of saṅkhāra. Here, ‘avijjā‘ is to believe that this ‘colorful bouquet’ actually depicts the colors in the bouquet. However, nothing in this world has its inherent colors: “The Illusion of Perception (Saññā) – It Is Scientific Consensus.”
- That is the trigger that initiates the Paṭicca Samuppāda sequence and also the growth of a new pañcupādānakkhandha. That latter is depicted in the chart below (from the post, “Purāna and Nava Kamma – Sequence of Kamma Generation“).
- As shown in the chart, it is this step that moves a mind from the ‘kāma dhātu‘ (with ‘kāma saññā‘) to the ‘kāma loka.’
Saṅkappa Generation Depends on the Unbroken Saṁyojana
9. Note that the mind of an Arahant or an Anāgāmi would stay in ‘kāma dhātu.‘ They will see the colorful bouquet as any other human would. They will also feel the ‘sweet taste of honey.’ Those saññās (triggering a ‘agreeable sensation’ and called ‘manāpa‘ in Pali) are like ‘sukha vedanā.’) They would also experience the opposite of ‘amanāpa‘ (disagreeable) when presented with a disgusting sight or a taste. See “Nibbānadhātu Sutta (Iti 44)“: “Their (Arahants‘) five sense faculties still remain. So long as their senses work, they continue to experience the agreeable and disagreeable (‘manāpāmanāpaṁ‘ or ‘manāpa‘ and ‘amanāpa’), to feel pleasure and pain (‘sukhadukkhaṁ‘).”
- However, their minds will not attach to them, i.e., their minds will not be fooled by that ‘illusion of color, taste, etc.’
- Automatic attachment to the ‘kāma saññā‘ associated with any sight, sound, taste, smell, touch, or a memory will not occur in a mind that has eliminated the five saṁyojana (bonds in the rebirth process) associated with the ‘kāma loka.’
- Even the minds of a Sotapanna or a Sakadāgāmi will move into the ‘kāma loka‘ since they have not eliminated the kāma rāga and paṭigha saṁyojana!
- Therefore, the initiation of the ‘purāna kamma stage’ depends only on whether or not all five saṁyojana have been eliminated (this holds only for sensory events in ‘kāma loka‘).
- This is what the Buddha explained to Bāhiya in the “Bāhiya Sutta (Ud 1.10)“. When one can avoid attachment to sensory inputs by breaking saṁyojana, one’s mind would stay in the ‘rupa dhātu‘ stage (see the chart above) where ‘seeing is experienced without attaching to it’ or ‘diṭṭhe diṭṭhamattaṁ bhavissati.’ See “‘Diṭṭhe Diṭṭhamattaṁ Bhavissati’ – Connection to Saññā.”
Rupa Paṭisaṁvedī and Ruparāga Paṭisaṁvedī
10. In the “Upavāṇasandiṭṭhika Sutta (SN 35.70),” bhikkhu Upavāṇa asked the Buddha, “People talk about Dhamma being sandiṭṭhiko. What does it mean?” The Buddha explained as follows. Instead of translating verse by verse, I will convey the basic idea.
- To be a “sandiṭṭhiko” (one who has understood or seen how the “san accumulation process starts”), one must know that it starts with the “purāna kamma” stage, where the critical rūparāgappaṭisaṁvedī step takes place without us being aware.
- The Buddha explains how a mind attaches to a sight via two steps: “Idha pana, upavāṇa, bhikkhu cakkhunā rūpaṁ disvā rūpappaṭisaṁvedī ca hoti rūparāgappaṭisaṁvedī ca.”
- “Upavāna, take a bhikkhu who sees a sight with their eyes (which comes with the “distorted saññā“). This step happens for even an Arahant, and is expressed by rūpappaṭisaṁvedī (rūpa paṭisaṁvedī) in the above verse; this happens in the “kāma dhātu” stage. Here, the “(mind-made) rupa“ is based on the “distorted saññā” built into our bodies at birth.
- The mind of an Arahant will go through the rūpa paṭisaṁvedī step (in ‘kāma dhātu‘), but will not go through the rūparāga paṭisaṁvedī step to enter the ‘purāna kamma’ stage.
- Further details in “Sandiṭṭhiko – What Does It Mean?“
Automatic Attachment Process in the ‘Purāna Kamma’ Stage
11. Even before the “purāna kamma” stage, a mind becomes aware of a rupa with enticing qualities in the “kāma dhātu” stage; see the chart above. This is the “rūpappaṭisaṁvedī” (rupa paṭisaṁvedī) in verse 2.1. Here, paṭisaṁvedī (paṭi saṁvedī) means to experience the sight with the “distorted” saññā. As we discussed, this occurs automatically in anyone born with a human body, including Arahants.
- Attachment happens in the second step ( rūparāgappaṭisaṁvedī) ONLY IF rāga arises in the mind automatically in a person with kāma rāga saṁyojana. That is the subsequent “rūpa rāga paṭisaṁvedī” step. With that attachment (with rāga), the mind moves to the “kāma loka” as indicated by the big blue arrow in the above chart.
- This automatic attachment is strongest when all ten saṁyojana are intact, i.e., in a puthujjana. The “attachment strength” is less in a Sotapanna because the three diṭṭhi saṁyojana have been removed.
- Since Sotapannās are attached with less saṁyojana, their attachments are weaker. Thus, even at the latter stages of attachment (in the “nava kamma” stage; see “Purāna and Nava Kamma – Sequence of Kamma Generation“), a Sotapanna would not generate potent kāya and vaci kamma that can lead to rebirths in the apāyās. Note that this does not require “willpower” since it happens automatically in the “purāna kamma” stage. However, one can use willpower in the “nava kamma” stage to learn Buddha’s teachings and break saṁyojanās. Also see, “Free Will in Buddhism – Connection to Sankhāra.”
Many More Steps in the ‘Purāna Kamma‘ Stage
12. The next part of the verse in #7 above from the “Saññānānatta Sutta (SN 14.7)“(which describes the steps in attachment to the rupa) is, ‘rūpasaṅkappaṁ paṭicca uppajjati rūpacchando.’ However, before the mind gets there, first the mind accepts that initial rupa as ‘valuable,’ and cakkhu indriya becomes cakkhu āyatana (cakkhāyatana), which goes simply as ‘cakkhu.’ That also leads to cakkhu viññāṇa.
- Now comes another critical development (while the mind is still in the ‘purāna kamma’ stage).
- Depending on the gati (or the mindset) at that moment, cakkhu viññāṇa prepares an even more ‘valuable’ version of the rupa if it is enticing. Many sensory events stop at this point in the ‘purāna kamma’ stage due to ‘lack of interest.’
- We will discuss this second critical step in the ‘purāna kamma’ stage in the next post.
- All these steps are discussed in other suttās in that series (SN 14.1-14.10) and in many other suttās, such as SN 14.12 (Sanidāna Sutta), MN 18 (Madhupiṇḍika Sutta), and Snp 3.12 (Dvayatānupassanā Sutta). I have discussed some others in other posts mentioned above. Although the entire sequence is not in a single sutta (which would be impossible), we can connect them to form a consistent, coherent picture.