Cakkhu viññāṇa or any of the six types of “vipāka viññāṇa” is not free of rāga, dosa, or moha. Furthermore, “rupa” does not refer to external entities, and “cakkhu” does not refer to the physical eyes. A puthujjana (average human) always attaches to pañcupādānakkhandha and not to pañcakkhandha.
January 31, 2025; Revised (#7 through #9) February 1, 2025
Cakkhu Viññāṇa Is Not in Pañcakkhandha
1. Let us consider the verse “cakkhuñca paṭicca rūpe ca uppajjati cakkhu viññāṇaṃ” in the “Chachakka Sutta (MN 148).” It describes “a seeing event.” The English translation in the above link is “Eye consciousness arises dependent on the eye and sights.”
- Thus, “cakkhu,” “rupa,” and “cakkhu viññāṇa” are translated respectively as the “eye,” “sight,” and “eye-consciousness.”
- It is a common misunderstanding that the process “cakkhuñca paṭicca rūpe ca uppajjati cakkhu viññāṇaṃ” takes place first in purely a “seeing event.” It is often INCORRECTLY called “vipāka viññāṇa” without defilements. I also used to think that several years ago. Still, there are old posts on the website that need revision.
- All those translations are 100% wrong. The translation implies that we actually see the “external object as is” with our “physical eyes.”
- However, the Buddha taught that an average person (puthujjana) ALWAYS sees a “distorted version of the external object” (rupa āyataṇa) and that cakkhu indriya is ALWAYS defiled and acts as “cakkhu āyataṇa.” Thus, cakkhu viññāṇa is more than just “eye-consciousness,” i.e., it is not “just seeing.”
- The only humans who see “external objects as they are” (“‘diṭṭhe diṭṭhamattaṁ bhavissati”) are Arahants.
2. As we discussed in the previous post, a puthujjana‘s mind (with the ten types of saṁyojana intact) will ALWAYS instantaneously attach to any sensory input. See “Kāma Saññā – How to Bypass to Cultivate Satipaṭṭhāna.”
- Therefore, it is incorrect to say that a vipāka viññāṇa is in pañcakkhandha and pañcupādānakkhandha arises only when one attaches to that vipāka viññāṇa. This is a critical point to understand!
- Thus, “cakkhu” means “defiled eye facility” or “cakkhu āyataṇa” and “rupa” means “mind-made version of external rupa” (rupa āyataṇa.) Furthermore, cakkhu viññāṇa refers to “defiled eye-consciousness.”
- All three (cakkhu, rupa, and cakkhu viññāṇa) stop arising after attaining Arahanthood.
- An Arahant‘s mind does not go through “cakkhuñca paṭicca rūpe ca uppajjati cakkhu viññāṇaṃ.” Seeing by an Arahant is not referred to as cakkhu viññāṇa but as “diṭṭhe diṭṭhamattaṁ bhavissati.” See #7 of “A Sensory Input Triggers (Distorted) Saññā and Pañcupādānakkhandha.”
- When that is accomplished at the Arahant stage, one will still have one’s physical eyes, there will still be sights in the world, and Arahant will still have “eye-consciousness” or the sense of sight.
Rupa Is a “Mental Construct” – It Is Rupa Āyatana
3. To understand the meaning of those terms, we must realize that in a “seeing event,” the mind goes through many steps within a split second.
- The progression of “mind contamination” based on the six types of rupa is discussed in many suttās in SN 14. Some key steps are succinctly stated in the “Saññānānatta Sutta (SN 14.7).” I have discussed these steps in “Purāna and Nava Kamma – Sequence of Kamma Generation” and several other posts. The Buddha described these processes in several different ways (for example, with Idappaccayatā Paṭicca Samuppāda), and I will refer to such different versions below.
- A general outline of the “mind contamination process” for all realms in kāma, rupa, and arupa loka was discussed in the chart at the top of the previous post, “Kāma Saññā – How to Bypass to Cultivate Satipaṭṭhāna.” I have modified it to show the major steps (for kāma loka) in the following chart.
Download/Print: “Distorted Sanna in Kama Loka“
Main Features of the Chart
4. Upon receiving a sense input, the mind of anyone born a human will fall on the “kāma dhātu” with (distorted) “kāma saññā.” For example, upon tasting a bit of honey, a sweetness is experienced automatically. This is the “kāma dhātu” stage indicated in the chart. The mind of an Arahant (or Anagami) who has removed the five saṁyojana associated with kāma loka will stay in this kāma dhātu state.
- All others’ minds will automatically get to the “bahiddha viññāṇa” and “ajjhatta viññāṇa” stages.
- By the end of those two steps, cakkhu indriya has been converted to “cakkhu āyataṇa,“ where that sensory faculty is now being used to keep looking at the object with rāga, dosa, or moha in mind (i.e., with sankappa generation). The image of the external rupa has become a mind-made “rupa āyataṇa,“ i.e., that rupa is a focus of attention with rāga, dosa, or moha in mind. This is indicated in the chart.
- Furthermore, the mind has gone beyond “eye-consciousness” (being aware of the sight) to cakkhu viññāṇa (with an expectation associated with that sight.)
- These “bahiddha viññāṇa” and “ajjhatta viññāṇa” stages have corresponding “bahiddha rupa“/”ajjhatta rupa,” “bahiddha vedanā“/”ajjhatta vedanā,” “bahiddha saññā“/”ajjhatta saññā,” “bahiddha saṅkhāra“/”ajjhatta saṅkhāra.” These two types are included in the 11 categories of rupa, vedanā, saññā, saṅkhāra, and viññāṇa. See #1 of “Five Aggregates – Introduction.” Of course, an average human (puthujjana) never experiences pañcakkhandha, but ALWAYS pañcupādānakkhandha; see “A Sensory Input Triggers (Distorted) Saññā and Pañcupādānakkhandha.”
5. Idappaccayatā Paṭicca Samuppāda (PS) (“Idappaccayātā Paṭicca Samuppāda – Bhava and Jāti Within a Lifetime“) also describes the evolution of the mind upon receiving a sense input. I will make connections to that process, too.
- A sensory input initiates the PS process with “avijjā paccayā saṅkhāra; saṅkhāra paccayā viññāna.” This is the same as “cakkhuñca paṭicca rūpe ca uppajjati cakkhu viññāṇaṃ” in the “Chachakka Sutta (MN 148)” as discussed above.
- The next step in the Chachakka Sutta is “tiṇṇaṁ saṅgati phasso.” In the above chart, that step corresponds to “samphassa with rāga, dosa, or moha” occurring with kāma guna arising in mind. The PS steps, “viññāna paccayā nāmarūpa, nāmarūpa paccayā salāyatana, salāyatana paccayā phassō” are included in here.
- Next, “phassapaccayā vedanā” in the Chachakka Sutta (and in PS) is “samphassa-jā-vedanā.” It is followed by “vedanā paccayā taṇhā” in the Chachakka Sutta (and in PS) and also in the chart above. Of course, this “vedanā” is “samphassa-jā-vedanā.”
- Those steps occur unconsciously (without us being aware) and are in the “purāṇa kamma” stage in the above chart.
6. Strong kamma accumulation starts with the “taṇhā paccayā upādāna” step and falls in the “nava kamma” (new kamma) stage in the above chart. Mind progression description in the Chachakka Sutta stops at this step.
- In PS, the step “upādāna paccayā bhavō” is the start of the “nava kamma” stage. It represents conscious kamma accumulation via the mind, speech, and bodily actions (kāya, vaci, mano kamma.)
- In the above chart, this is broken into several steps per many suttās in SN 14 and several other suttās, including the “Madhupiṇḍika Sutta (MN 18).” Descriptions in various suttās can vary in the number of steps, but they are all self-consistent.
- As an example, let us look at the “Saññānānatta Sutta (SN 14.7).”
Mind Progression Upon Receiving a Visual Input (for a Human)
7. The progression of “mind contamination” based on the six types of rupa is discussed in many suttās in SN 14. It is succinctly stated for a visual event in the “Saññānānatta Sutta (SN 14.7).”
It says: “Rūpa dhātuṁ, bhikkhave, paṭicca uppajjati rūpa saññā, rūpa saññaṁ paṭicca uppajjati rūpa saṅkappo, rūpa saṅkappaṁ paṭicca uppajjati rūpacchando, rūpacchandaṁ paṭicca uppajjati rūpapariḷāho, rūpapariḷāhaṁ paṭicca uppajjati rūpapariyesanā” OR “Rūpa dhātu gives rise to a (distorted) perception of that sight (rūpa saññā.) That perception gives rise to thoughts about it (rūpa saṅkappa.) Thoughts give rise to the desire for such sights (rūpacchanda.) The desire for sights gives rise to the passion for sights (rūpa pariḷāha.) The passion for sights gives rise to pursuing/investigating sights (rūpa pariyesanā.) In the last one, “pariyesanā” means “investigations;” when one becomes interested in something, one investigates how to use it optimally.
- Then the verse is repeated for all SIX senses ending with “dhamma dhātuṁ paṭicca uppajjati dhamma saññā, dhamma saññaṁ paṭicca uppajjati dhamma saṅkappo, dhamma saṅkappaṁ paṭicca uppajjati dhammacchando, dhammacchandaṁ paṭicca uppajjati dhamma pariḷāho, dhammapariḷāhaṁ paṭicca uppajjati dhamma pariyesanā.”
- For example, when hearing a sound, sadda dhātu comes into play: “Sadda dhātu gives rise to a (distorted) perception of that sound (sadda saññā.) That perception gives rise to thoughts about that sound (sadda saṅkappa.) Thinking about it gives rise to a desire for such sounds (saddacchanda.) The desire for sounds gives rise to the passion for sights (sadda pariḷāha), or a “sense of urgency to act on it.” The passion for such sounds gives rise to pursuing/investigating such sounds (sadda pariyesanā.)
8. Once the mind reaches the pariyesanā stage, the kamma generation starts: “Kāmapariyesanaṁ, bhikkhave, pariyesamāno assutavā puthujjano tīhi ṭhānehi micchā paṭipajjati—kāyena, vācāya, manasā” OR “An unlearned ordinary person on a search for sensual pleasures generates kamma in three ways: by body, speech, and mind. See, for example, “Sanidāna Sutta (SN 14.12).”
- All that can happen in a short time. For example, the decision to lie, steal, sexually misbehave, or even kill can occur in a split second. In other cases, depending on the “level of planning” involved, it can take minutes to hours to days.
- However, not all sense inputs reach the “taṇhā paccayā upādāna” step. During the day, we strongly attach to only a few sensory inputs to engage in kāya and vaci kamma. However, “thinking to oneself” (engaging in vitakka/vicāra) is included in vaci kamma. See “Correct Meaning of Vaci Saṅkhāra.”
Cakkhu is a “Mental Construct” – It Is Cakkhu Āyatana
9. “Kammanirodha Sutta (SN 35.146)“: “Cakkhu, bhikkhave, purāṇa kammaṁ abhisaṅkhataṁ abhisañcetayitaṁ vedaniyaṁ daṭṭhabbaṁ..
Translated: “Cakkhu arises via purāṇa kamma (meaning at the initial stage of a sensory event, where kamma accumulation occurs). It is to be understood (daṭṭhabbaṁ) to lead to abhisaṅkhāra (abhisaṅkhataṁ) and can lead to abhisañcetanā (abhisañcetayitaṁ) and leads to (mind-made) vedanā (vedaniyaṁ.)
- When seeing an object, “Cakkhu viññāṇa arises based on cakkhu and rūpa” OR “Cakkhuñca paṭicca rūpe ca uppajjati cakkhu viññāṇaṁ.” At this step, cakkhu viññāṇa is already at the “ajjhatta viññāṇa” stage (However, for an Arahant or Anāgāmi, it remains at the kāma dhātu stage.)
- Here, “cakkhu” does not mean “eyes;” it means defiled “cakkhu āyatana” (versus undefiled “cakkhu indriya” for an Arahant/Anāgāmi.) That is precisely what the above verse says: It has already been defiled when the mind got contaminated by the “distorted saññā” when it moved from the “kāma dhātu” stage to the “kāma bhava.”
- Some people interpret “Cakkhu arises via purāṇa kamma” to mean “physical eyes arise due to past kamma” by interpreting “purāṇa kamma” to be results of “past kamma.” Indeed, that is the translation in the above link: “The eye is old deeds.” However, both translations are wrong. As we can see, the “Pahāna Sutta (SN 35.24)” says cakkhu “should be eliminated” to attain Arahanthood. An Arahant does not lose the physical eyes!
Cakkhu, Rupa, Cakkhu Viññāṇa Can be Stopped from Arising In This Life
10. The “Pahāna Sutta (SN 35.24)” states, “Cakkhuṁ, bhikkhave, pahātabbaṁ, rūpā pahātabbā, cakkhuviññāṇaṁ pahātabbaṁ..” which is translated there as “The eye should be given up. Sights should be given up. Eye consciousness should be given up..” First, “pahātabbaṁ” means “should be eliminated” in the context of the sutta. That translation says the physical eyes, external objects, and eye-consciousness must be eliminated.
- The correct translation is: “The cakkhu should be eliminated. rupa should be eliminated. Cakkhu viññāṇa should be eliminated..,” where “cakkhu” is “cakkhāyatana” (cakkhu āyataṇa), rupa is rupāyatana (rupa āyataṇa), and cakkhu viññāṇa has expectations to enjoy rupa in addition to seeing them.”
- To attain Arahanthood, we don’t need to get rid of our eyes, external objects, or our ability to see those external objects. After attaining Arahanthood, Arahant does not lose eyesight; the external world will remain the same, and Arahant will be able to see anything in the external world just like any other person.
- What will be eliminated at the Arahant phala moment is cakkhu āyataṇa, rupa āyataṇa, and cakkhu viññāṇa. Regarding the latter, seeing by an Arahant is not referred to as cakkhu viññāṇa but as “diṭṭhe diṭṭhamattaṁ bhavissati.” See #7 of “A Sensory Input Triggers (Distorted) Saññā and Pañcupādānakkhandha.”
