Rupas do not arise singly, they always arise collectively, in groups (kalapas). Where there is solidity, the Element of Earth, there have to be the other three great Elements, and also colour, flavour, odour and nutrition. These are the eight inseparable rupas. A group of rupas consisting of only the eight inseparable rupas is called a “pure octad”. Pure octads of the body are produced by citta, temperature or nutrition, and pure octads outside the body are produced only by temperature. 

The groups of rupa produced by kamma have to consist of at least nine rupas: the eight inseparable rupas and life faculty (jivitindriya), and such a group is called a “nonad”. Eyesense, earsense, smelling-sense, tasting-sense, bodysense, heart-base, femininity and masculinity are other kinds of rupa produced by kamma and these arise together with the eight inseparable rupas and life faculty, thus, they arise in groups of ten rupas, decads. All rupas of such a decad are produced by kamma. Thus, one speaks of eye-decad, ear-decad, nose-decad, tongue-decad, body-decad, heart-base-decad, femininity-decad and masculinity-decad. As to the body-decad, this arises and falls away at any place of the body where there can be sensitivity.

Kamma produces groups of rupa from the arising moment of the rebirth-consciousness (patisandhi-citta). In the case of human beings, kamma produces at that moment the three decads of bodysense, sex (femininity or masculinity) and heart-base, and it produces these decads throughout our life. The eye-decad and the decads of ear, nose and tongue are not produced at the first moment of life but later on. 

Citta does not produce rupa at the first moment of life. The citta which immediately succeeds the rebirth-consciousness, namely the life-continuum (bhavanga-citta) (The bhavanga-citta arises in between the processes of cittas; it does not experience objects which impinge on the six doors, but it experiences the same object as the rebirth-consciousness. It keeps the continuity in life.), produces rupa. One moment of citta can be divided into three extremely short phases: its arising moment, the moment of its presence and the moment of its falling away. Citta produces rupa at its arising moment, since citta is then strong. At the moment of its presence and the moment of its dissolution it is weak and therefore it does not produce rupa (Visuddhimagga XX, 32). When the citta succeeding the rebirth-consciousness, the life-continuum, arises, it produces a pure octad. Later on citta produces, apart from pure octads, also groups with bodily intimation, with speech intimation and with the three rupas of lightness, plasticity and wieldiness which always have to arise together. These three kinds of rupa also arise in a group together with bodily intimation and speech intimation. In the case of speech intimation also sound arises together with speech in one group. 

Throughout life citta produces rupa, but not all cittas can produce rupa. As we have seen, the rebirth-consciousness does not produce rupa. Among the cittas which do not produce rupa are also the sense-cognitions of seeing, hearing, etc. Seeing only sees, it has no other capacity. Some cittas can produce rupas but not bodily intimation and speech imtimation, and some cittas can produce the two kinds of intimation. Among the cittas which can produce the two kinds of intimation are the kusala cittas of the sense-sphere (thus not those which attain absorption or jhana and those which realize enlightenment), and the akusala cittas (For details see Visuddhimagga XX, 31, and Atthasalini II, Book II, Part I, Ch III, 325).

Temperature (heat-element) can produce groups of rupas of the body as well as groups of rupas of materiality outside. In the case of materiality outside it produces groups which are “pure octads” and also groups with sound (Sound can be produced by temperature or by citta.). Rupas which are not of the body are solely produced by temperature, they are not produced by kamma, citta or nutrition. When we see a rock or plant we may think that they last, but they consist of rupas originated by temperature, arising and falling away all the time. Rupas are being replaced time and again,but we do not realize that rupas which have fallen away never come back again.As regards groups of rupa of the body, temperature produces pure octads and also groups with lightness, plasticity and wieldiness (Temperature and nutrition, rupas which produce other rupas, do not do so at the moment of their arising, since they are then weak, but during the moments of presence, before they fall away. Citta, however, produces rupas at its arising moment since it is then strong).

The heat-element present in a group which is produced by temperature, no matter of materiality outside or of the body, can in its turn produce a pure octad and in this way several occurrences of octads can be linked up. The heat-element present in groups of rupa of the body, produced by kamma or citta can, in its turn, produce a pure octad, and the heat-element present in that octad can produce another octad, and so on. In this way several occurrences of octads are linked up (Atthasalini II, Book II, Part I, Ch III, 342, 343, and Visuddhimagga XX, 32-43). Temperature produced by nutrition can also, in its turn produce another octad.

Nutritive essence present in food which has been taken produces rupas and sustains the rupas of the body. It produces pure octads and also groups of rupa with lightness, plasticity and wieldiness. Nutrition, present in a group produced by nutrition, can produce another octad and thus link up many occurrences of octads. The “Visuddhimagga” (XX, 37) states that nutriment taken on one day can thus sustain the body for as long as seven days. Also nutriment smeared on the body originates materiality, according to the “Visuddhimagga” (Some creams, for example, nourish the skin.).

Thus we see that the groups of rupa produced by kamma, citta, temperature and nutrition are interrelated and support one another. If only kamma would produce rupas the body could not continue on. We read in the “Visuddhimagga” (XVII, 196):

Now although this kamma-born materiality is the first to find a footing in the several kinds of becoming, generation, destiny, station of consciousness, and abode of beings, it is nevertheless unable to carry on without being consolidated by materiality of triple origination (by citta, temperature and nutrition), nor can that of triple origination do so without being consolidated by the former. But when they thus give consolidating support to each other, they can stand up without falling, like sheaves of reeds propped up together on all four sides, even though battered by the wind, and like (boats with) broken floats that have found a support, even though battered by waves somewhere in mid-ocean, and they can last one year, two years,... a hundred years, until those beings’ life span or their merit is exhausted.

When the body set up by mind (citta) moves, does the body set up by the other three causes move or not? The latter moves likewise, goes with the former, and invariably follows it. Just as dry sticks, grass, etc., fallen in the flowing water go with the water or stop with it, so should the complete process be understood....

Not all types of rupa arise in the different planes of existence where living beings are born. There is not only the plane of human beings, there are also other planes of existence. Birth in an unhappy plane or a happy plane is the result of kamma. Birth in the human plane of existence is the result of kusala kamma, but during life there are conditions for the experience of pleasant objects as well as unpleasant objects through the senses. In the human plane the decads of eye, ear, nose, tongue and bodysense which are produced by kamma arise, so that the different sense objects can be experienced. Those who see the disadvantages of enslavement to sense impressions cultivate calm to the stage of absorption or jhana. The result of different stages of jhana is birth in higher planes of existence where there are less sense impressions or none at all. In some of the higher planes (The rupa-brahma planes. Birth in these planes is the result of rupa-jhana, fine-material jhana.) the decads of nose, tongue, bodysense and sex are lacking, but the decads of eye and ear, the decad of the heart-base and the nonad of life faculty (life faculty and the eight inseparable rupas) arise. The rupas produced by nutrition do not arise. In these planes one does not need food to stay alive.

There is one higher plane of existence where there is no nama, only rupa (The “perceptionless beings plane” (asanna-satta plane) which is one of the rupa-brahma planes. Those who are born here have seen the disadvantages of nama.). Here the decads of eye, ear and the other senses, sex and heart-base are lacking. Sound does not arise and neither do rupas produced by citta arise, since there is no nama. Kamma produces the nonad of life faculty at the first moment of life and after that also temperature produces rupas. 

In some of the higher planes there is only nama and thus rupas do not arise in such planes (The arupa-brahma planes. Birth in these planes is the result of arupa-jhana, “immaterial jhana”)

1. Can kamma produce groups of eight rupas, pure octads?
2. Which decads produced by kamma arise at the first moment of life in the case of human beings?
3. Can rebirth-consciousness produce rupa?
4. Can seeing-consciousness produce rupa?
5. Can citta rooted in attachment produce rupa?

28 January, 2002