Anicca nature of attaching to sensory pleasures can be easily understood by examining how the illusion of an ‘attractive world’ (loka) is generated in the mind via the built-in ‘kāma saññā.’
March 7, 2026
‘Manāpa‘ to ‘Assāda‘ to ‘Dancing With Joy’
1. The anicca nature of attaching to sensory pleasures can be easily understood by examining how the illusion of an ‘attractive world’ is generated in the mind, which generates a slight ‘manāpa‘, that can grow quickly to where one starts dancing with joy. That is a complex, multi-step process triggered by the built-in ‘kāma saññā.’ The ‘assāda stage’ occurs early in that process, i.e., in the ‘purāna kamma‘ stage.
- A trace of liking (manāpa) balloons to a state where one starts dancing with joy due to not understanding the ‘mind-made ballooning process.’ That ‘ballooning process’ cannot be stopped until one understands how that ‘joy’ arises via a barely perceptible ‘assāda‘ early in the ‘purāna kamma‘ stage.
- It is like a dam developing a small leak initially (‘assāda‘), which then leads to cracks in the dam and the collapse of the dam wall with the water gushing out (‘dancing with joy’).
‘Assāda‘ Can be Stopped Only by One With a Magga Phala
2. Even in the days of the Buddha, many people could not understand the difference between those yogis and Buddha. On the surface, both seem to point out the drawbacks of attaching to ‘sensual pleasures’ and the need to stay away from akusala kamma.
- Those yogis understood that abstaining from sensual pleasures and akusala kamma enabled them to attain jhānās. However, they had to forcefully do that by staying away from ‘sensory attractions.’ Even though they were able to attain jhāna, they would lose the ability to maintain it if the mind was exposed to ‘sensual attractions.’ There are accounts of yogis with ‘supernormal or iddhi powers’ who are travelling in the air, and then, upon seeing a beautiful woman, lose the jhāna and iddhi powers.
- Those yogis could not control ‘assada generation’ because they did not know about how the initial assada generation occurs in the ‘purana kamma‘ stage. They thought ‘sense pleasures’ are in external objects, such as attractive people and luxurious houses. All they could do was stay away from those, i.e., control the ‘nava kamma‘ stage by sheer willpower.
- They were able to bring that high level of ‘joy’ (experienced by average humans or puthujjjana) down to the ‘assāda‘ level, but did not know how to stop that initial ‘assāda‘ from arising.
3. In the “Mahādukkhakkhandha Sutta (MN 13),” the Buddha explained the difference between his teachings and those of other yogis of his day. As described in the sutta, one day, a number of bhikkhus visited the monastery of another such yogi. They told the bhikkhus that they also teach the drawbacks of sensual pleasures, and how is that different from the teachings of the Buddha?
- The bhikkhus themselves were not able to answer the question. They went back to the Buddha, who explained the difference. The explanation starts @marker 6.1. I will provide the basic ideas involved.
- @ 6.2: ‘You should ask them the following questions: What are the assāda, ādīnava, and nissaraṇa associated with sensual pleasures (kāma), rūpa, and the associated vedanā? They would not understand that rūpa are mind-made, and not the external rūpa. They do not know that those (exhilarating/joyful) vedanā arise based on such ‘false impressions of external rūpa.’
- @7.2: The Buddha describes how the mind keeps generating more and more ‘joyful vedanā’ (assāda) based on pañca kāmaguṇa that we discussed in #9 of “Assāda (Sense Pleasure) Experienced Is Mostly Mind-Made.” This sutta skips Step 1 there and focuses on Step 2.
- From markers @8.1 to @14.5, the Buddha describes the drawbacks of sensual pleasures (ādīnava) apparent in this very life. From markers @15.1 to @15.3, the Buddha describes the drawbacks of sensual pleasures (ādīnava) to materialize in future lives.
4. From marker @ 16.1, the Buddha describes how to escape from sensual pleasures (nissaraṇa) so that one does not have suffer such ādīnava. Since those other yogis (ascetics) do not know about the first two steps discussed in #9 of “Assāda (Sense Pleasure) Experienced Is Mostly Mind-Made,” they are unable to permanently overcome Steps 1 and 2, which occur automatically based on their saṁyojana and gati.
- From marker @ 18.1, the Buddha describes one version of seeing the assāda, ādīnava, and nissaraṇa associated with (mind-made) rūpa.
- The key point is the following: When one understands the whole process of how a slight ‘manāpa‘ snowballs to a full-pledged joy (‘dancing with joy’) only based on a ‘mirage’ (because any rūpa in the external world does not have colors, tastes, etc.), one’s mind is freed from any wrong views about it. That happens at the Sotapanna stage. However, a Sotapanna still tends to attach to the automatic ‘kāma saññā‘ because they still have ‘kāma rāga saṁyojana‘ intact. That is eliminated at the Anāgāmi stage.
It All Starts With the ‘Built-in Kāma Saññā‘
5. Any rūpa we experience is an ’embellished’ or an ‘exaggerated/made-up’ version of the corresponding rūpa in the external world. That ‘signal’ or ‘innate feeling’ is automatically provided to the mind upon any sensory experience. That is the ‘kāma saññā.’
- Then, the mind keeps attaching not only to the rūpa, but also to the vedanā, saññā, saṅkhāra, and viññāna generated; see Ref. 2 below. It is a ‘ballooning effect’ feeding on itself. This is why the Buddha stated, ‘saṅkhittena pañcupādānakkhandhā dukkhā‘ OR ‘in brief, the origin of suffering is the pancupādānakkhandha, i.e., suffering will be present as long as pancupādānakkhandha arises (via sensory inputs).’ See “Four Noble Truths: Connection to Anusotagāmi/Paṭisotagāmi.”
- As we have discussed, sense objects (rūpa) in the external world do not have colors, tastes, and other ‘appealing aspects.’ For the background material, see the series of posts in the new “Buddha Dhamma” section. There are many other related posts in the “New / Revised Posts” section since late 2023.
Why Craving Sensory Pleasures Is ‘Anicca‘
6. From the above discussion, we can see that any joy or intense happiness is totally mind-made.
- An initial ‘slight liking’ triggered by the ‘built-in’ kāma saññā can balloon to an intense feeling of joy, based on nothing substantial. Just think about the fact that we would not ‘see’ even Sunlight if it were not for the mind-made illusion of color. The external world does not have colors, tastes, etc. See “Human Life is Unlivable in a ‘Colorless’ World.”
- Thus, all our actions (including immoral deeds that can lead to suffering-filled rebirths) are based on ‘nothing of real value.’
- That is why such actions (based on saṅkhāra arising in the mind) are of anicca nature: ‘Sabbe saṅkhārā aniccā.’
Key Suttas on Assāda Generation via Saññā
7. Even Arahants (anyone born human) experience the initial stage of ‘manāpa‘ that triggers ‘assāda generation’ (in a puthujana) within a split second. The defilement of the mind with the generation of rāga, dosa, and moha goes hand-in-hand with the buildup of assāda in the mind.
- For example, upon seeing a half-naked woman in a magazine, a young man may get the urge to watch an adult movie, and then even to commit rape if the mind takes off in that direction. We can think of numerous such situations in which a series of developments can lead to actions driven by rāga, dosa, or moha.
- The ‘genesis’ (‘mūlapariyāya‘) of all those eventual actions is a ‘false/deceiving saññā.’ That is described in the “Mūlapariyāya Sutta – The Root of All Things,” but that sutta is a bit difficult to comprehend for most people; at the end of the sutta, it says that the bhikkhus who listened to the discourse did not comprehend it! However, recent scientific confirmation makes it easier to see that perceptions of color, taste, etc., are entirely mind-made; see “The Illusion of Perception (Saññā) – It Is Scientific Consensus.”
- The Buddha described “saññā” as a mirage and the viññāṇa as a magician in the “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?”
- Thus, even if that person is thirsty, he would not run toward the mirage hoping to find water. On the other hand, an animal is incapable of realizing that it is a mirage and, thus, will chase it and die of thirst due to exhaustion.
- However, even a human is unaware that “kāma saññā” is a mirage, i.e, any external rūpa does not have colors, tastes, etc. The key idea is succinctly stated in the short ‘Assāda Sutta (AN 6.112).’ Let us discuss that briefly.
Assāda Sutta – Assāda Ditthi and Anicca Saññā
8. The ‘Assāda Sutta (AN 6.112)‘ states, ‘Assāda diṭṭhiyā pahānāya anicca saññā bhāvetabbā‘ OR ‘to give up the wrong view that things are gratifying, one must cultivate anicca saññā.‘
- A puthujjana has the wrong view that sensory inputs from the world (i.e., external rūpa) can bring joy and happiness (assāda). That view is assāda diṭṭhi.
- However, as we have discussed, the rūpa generated by the mind does not reveal its true nature. Even though a strawberry is seen as red and tastes sweet, a strawberry does not have a red color or a sweet taste.
- Therefore, the joy of eating strawberries (or even the most expensive meal) is an illusion. That illusion is created by the mind itself. That applies not only to taste, but to sights, sounds, smells, and touches.
- This is a point for deep contemplation. People engage in akusala kamma to ‘enjoy illusory sense pleasures.’ That is why such actions (with saṅkhāra arising in the mind) are of ‘anicca nature.’ It is like a dog trying to enjoy a bone without any meat. Any satisfaction the dog feels is only mind-made! That is what the Buddha meant when he stated, ‘Sensual pleasures give little gratification and much suffering and distress, and they are all the more full of drawbacks.’ (‘Appassādā kāmā bahudukkhā bahupāyāsā, ādīnavo ettha bhiyyo’ti); see “Cūḷadukkhakkhandha Sutta (MN 14).”
- The uselessness and danger of attaching to ‘mind-made pleasures’ are stated in many suttās; see, for example, “Dutiyayodhājīva Sutta (AN 5.76).”
‘Manāpa/Amanāpa‘ and ‘Sukha/Dukha‘ Vedanā
9. In the above, we discussed only the situation where ‘manāpa‘ is triggered by ‘kāma saññā.’ The ‘kāma saññā‘ from some sensory inputs initiates a ‘trace of dislike‘ (amanāpa) in a puthujjana or an Arahant. An example is the taste of rotten food. It may lead to a strong ‘dukha vedanā‘ in a puthujjana, while an Arahant‘s mind remains at the amanāpa stage. In addition, some suttās assign the labels sukha/dukkha vedanā only to sensory inputs arising from the physical body. Sukha and dukkha mean “pleasure and pain” due to ‘body touches’ (e.g., comfort of a luxurious bed or an injury), which an Arahant feels too.
- Even Arahants experience “manāpa/amanāpa” or a sense of “like/dislike” or sukha/dukkha vedanā generated by the “distorted saññā.” See “Nibbānadhātu Sutta (Iti 44)“: “Tassa tiṭṭhanteva pañcindriyāni yesaṁ avighātattā manāpāmanāpaṁ (‘manāpa/amanāpa’) paccanubhoti, sukhadukkhaṁ paṭisaṁvedeti.” The English translation there is correct: “Their (Arahants‘) five sense faculties still remain. So long as their senses work, they continue to experience the agreeable and disagreeable, to feel pleasure and pain.”
- We focused on the ‘manāpa‘ aspect in the post “Assāda (Sense Pleasure) Experienced Is Mostly Mind-Made.”
- It is beneficial to discuss the above verse in some detail to understand how sensory inputs through the five physical senses give rise to ‘mind-made’ somanassa/domanassa, which in turn lead to kamma accumulation in various ways.
Dukkha Vedanā Triggered by Saññā Can Be Intense
10. A sensory input may give rise to three types of vedanā purely based on the ‘kāma saññā‘ (and, thus, also experienced by an Arahant). They are ‘manāpa/amanāpa,’ sukha/dukkha, or neutral vedanā.
- Sukha/dukkha vedanā arise via the physical body. Lying on a luxurious bed would provide a ‘sukha vedanā‘, and an injury would generate a dukkha vedanā. These are felt the same way by an Arahant or a puthujjana. Dukkha vedanā can be intense even for an Arahant. For example, when Ven. Moggallana was beaten to death; he must have felt excruciating pain!
- Manāpa/amanāpa vedanā are those that arise due to the other sensory inputs. Those are only a trace of like or dislike at this stage. These are felt the same way by an Arahant or a puthujjana.
- In all of those situations, those are the only vedanā experienced by a living Arahant. Furthermore, a living Arahant can also avoid those if they can enter the Arahant-phala samadhi or nirodha samāpatti; see Ref. 1.
- In contrast, a puthujjana‘s mind would generate more ‘mind-made’ somanassa/domanassa vedanā. In a puthujjana manāpa can snowball into ‘feeling ecstatic’ and amanāpa into ‘raging anger.’ Furthermore, an initial sukha or dukkha vedanā can multiply tremendously via more ‘mind-made’ somanassa and domanassa vedanā.
- In addition, a puthujjana may initiate unwise actions based on even neutral vedanā generated initially via the ‘kāma saññā.’ That is a subject for a future discussion. First, we need to fully clarify the other types, because those are easier to understand.
Stopping Assāda Generation Requires Comprehension of Anicca
11. Ancient yogis like Ālāra Kālāma thought they had removed ‘assāda.’ But they did not realize that there are finer levels of ‘assāda‘ in the ‘purāna kamma‘ stage. Thus, one cannot eliminate ‘assāda‘ (by breaking ‘mental bonds’ or saṁyojana) until one fully understands the ‘assāda growth process.’ Breaking saṁyojana can be done only by fully comprehending the Four Noble Truths/Paṭicca Samuppāda/Tilakkhana (all of which describe the same concepts).
- Once one can access the ‘Satipaṭṭhāna Bhūmi, ‘ one does not need to make any effort to stop ‘assāda‘ from arising automatically (even if they have not yet broken the ‘kāma rāga saṁyojana‘). As long as they (Sotapanna ro Sakadāgāmi) stay in the Satipaṭṭhāna Bhūmi, their minds are free of the ‘kāma saññā‘ that can trigger ‘assāda.’
- Furthermore, while in the Satipaṭṭhāna Bhūmi, they can engage in Vipassanā and eliminate the ‘kāma saññā‘ (i.e., break the ‘kāma rāga saṁyojana‘). Then, they will never again generate ‘assāda‘ via ‘kāma saññā.’ This is how an Anāgāmi becomes free of rebirths in the ‘kāma loka.’ Until the end of their lifetime with the human body, they will not generate any ‘kāma assāda‘ either.
Appa Assāda Leads to Bahu Dukkha
12. In the “Dutiyayodhājīva Sutta (AN 5.76)“: ‘Buddha says that sensual pleasures give little gratification and much suffering and distress, and they are all the more full of drawbacks’ OR ‘appassādā, āvuso, kāmā vuttā bhagavatā bahudukkhā bahupāyāsā, ādīnavo ettha bhiyyo.’
- That level of ‘little gratification’ (appassādā or ‘appa assāda’ where ‘appa’ means ‘little’) is not the magnified stage (‘dancing with joy’) seen by a puthujjana. That is the initial level of ‘assāda‘ in the early ‘purāna kamma‘ stage.
- That ‘appa assāda’ is the ‘initial manāpa‘ even experienced by an Arahant. That is only a trigger, leading to a ‘high-level of (mind-made) pleasure in a puthujjana prompting ‘dancing with joy’.
- Thus, a puthujjana sees a ‘much higher level of gratification’ due to the buildup of ‘assāda‘ via many steps and intensifying in the ‘nava kamma‘ stage. With that ‘high level of enjoyment’, a puthujjana engages in akusala kamma to acquire more of them. It is those akusala kamma that lead to ‘much suffering and distress’ (‘bahu dukkhā bahu upāyāsā’ where ‘bahu’ means ‘much’)
- For a puthujjana, any ādīnava is seen only when that mind-made ‘pleasure’ stops. But ‘ādīnava‘ for a Noble Person is to keep engaged in that ‘pleasure-building process’ because sooner or later it will lead to kamma accumulation. Still, that is not easy for a Sotapanna, who has not yet eliminated ‘kāma rāga saṁyojana.’ They can see that such an escalation leads to future suffering, but unless they make an effort to cultivate Satipaṭṭhāna, they are also trapped by the ‘kāma saññā.’ However, any kamma they engage in is done without wrong views, since they have eliminated the three ‘diṭṭhi saṁyojana‘; that makes any akusala kamma mild and below those that can lead to rebirths in the apāyās.
References
1. In the same “Nibbānadhātu Sutta (Iti 44)“ cited in #1 above, the following verse @marker 4.3 states, ‘Tassa idheva, bhikkhave, sabbavedayitāni anabhinanditāni sīti bhavissanti‘ OR ‘all types of vedanā cease.’
- That experience is limited to only Ubhatovimutti Arahants, who have cultivated all rūpa jhānās and arupa samāpattis. They would not feel even manāpa/amanāpa or sukha/dukkha as experienced by an Arahant in daily life.
- In nirodha samāpatti, citta flow stops, just as it does after Parinibbāna. They can stay in nirodha samāpatti for up to seven days.
- By the way, many people believe/think that ‘full Nibbāna‘ can be realized only after the death of an Arahant. That is not correct. A Ubhatovimutti Arahant can experience ‘full Nibbāna‘ continuously for up to seven days, as explained above.
- See “Nirōdha Samāpatti, Phala Samāpatti, Jhāna, and Jhāna Samāpatti” for details.
2. The “Assāda Sutta (SN 22.26)” is another sutta where the key concepts discussed above are summarized.
- From markers 1.9 -1.11, it explains why assāda for rūpa are of anicca nature, and how, by seeing that, one can lose cravings for rūpa.
- Then the same is repeated for vedanā, saññā, saṅkhāra, and viññāṇa, i.e., for the pancupādānakkhandha.
- Since our ‘loka‘ (world) arises based on attachment to pancupādānakkhandha (See “Loka Sutta (SN 12.44)” and “Loka and Nibbāna (Aloka) – Complete Overview“), the ‘whole world’ is of anicca nature!