Almost 2 thousands of year ago, the Chinese bhikkhus translate the word rūpa with 色, generally we take it as colour. Surprisingly, the modern day’s application has developed colours into RGB hue that can be presented in a tesseract form.
- Hue Tesseract
- IMG_20210708_111742.jpg (12.44 KiB) Viewed 540 times
Mahābhūtā, the concept of formations has similarity to this modern days tesseract of hue, RGB+opacity.
In RGB, we have (Red, Green, Blue); each scaling from 0-255.
Google Wikipedia for familiarity.
Whereas, the Mahābhūtā:-
(S) Earth : Hardness (Solidity)
(F) Water : Watery (Fluidity)
(H) Fire : Heat Temperature (Hotness)
(E) Air : Motion (Energy)
For one that read the upādāyarūpa definition in plain, the representation in tesseract if, by replacing Red with Solidity, Green with Fluidity, Blue with Hotness, and Opacity with Energy, would be:
Earth (255,0,0;0), Water (0,255,0;0), Fire (0,0,255;0), Air (0,0,0;255)
But that create two aspect of rūpa. One group is solely 1 dhatu being present, the other 3 are absent. This turn Group 1 being each a metaphysical element. The second group is all 4 elements present simultaneously.
I have not Noitice sutta mentioning of, a 1 dhatu being present, the other 3 are absent situation, although one may claim that it does. We shall see about that. I have stated before, that the rūpa definition in nāmarūpaṁ on ‘ca’ and ‘upādāya’ does not allow for such position.
The four great formations and the materiality integral of the four great formations—these are called materiality.
In
SN56.14. Internal Sense Spheres“…
“And what, bhikkhus, is the noble truth of suffering? It should be said: the six
internal sense spheres. What six? The eye sphere … the mind sphere. This is called the noble truth of suffering.”
Here, the text in the sutta directs the attention to internal sense spheres, being the Noble Truth of Suffering. Since SA322 express clearly, internal sense spheres are integrals of pure materiality, and Form only applies to external eye sense sphere's visible object; for that reason, the person that compile the table omitted the word 色 in
the whole column on external sense spheres that refer to materiality.
To understand Mahābhūtā, upādāyarūpa in group 2 (for the time being, assuming there is seperation in groups) should be able to shade some light.
There are various integrals due to all 4 great formations being present simultaneously, that S, F, H and E all in diversity of “intensity”. As far as the matter, to the ancient, those are the basic “science”.
Ice has hardness, it is solid; there is solidity (S). One can stand on iceberg . Is iceberg, earth? Does crude oil that is a form of a string with diameter of say 0.5mm in north pole, being observed by the eye, different from hair? Is your TPU phone case an earth element? Soak it in xylene for days and see what happen. The interelation of 4 Mahābhūtā are more delicate than the meaning of those plain label of names.
To borrow the hue scale, within Mahābhūta, the range of each element’s scale is (1~255), since by SA322, all 4 are present simultaneously, then the indexes partial combinations are:
Earth: (255,1,1;1),
Water: (1,255,1;1),
Fire: (1,1,255;1) and
Air: (1,1,1;255).
For demonstration purpose on a whole combinations, number as scale's index, say saliva would be something like (10,200,5;5). Therefore, both the 4 great formations and the materiality integral of the 4 great formations, does not create 2 aspects of rūpa. There is no group seperation.
MN62
“whatever internal personal component that is experienced as hard or solid – such as head-hair, body-hair, nails, teeth, skin, muscle, tendons, bone, bone-marrow, kidney, heart, liver, membranes, spleen, lungs, colon, intestines, stomach, feces, or any other internal personal component that is experienced as hard(ness) or solid(ity) – this is called the ‘internal earth element.’ Whether earth element is internal or external, it is the same earth element.
While “nails, teeth, bone” are hard and solid, but “kidney, heart, liver, membranes, spleen, lungs, colon, intestines, stomach” has solidity. Here, we see diversity of hardness; solid, solidity. This diversity expend into different phase when the material appears in smaller segment such as “ bone-marrow”. In other words, “intensity” of solidity in metaphysical material range from “255” to “1”. Within this range, this earth element contains other element, the element that can be easily identified is water element as in “colon, intestines..”, they are bendable but not flow able, liquidity of water can be observed. However, here is one interesting item that is not flow able, in between solidity and fluidity, that is classified under water element - “fat”.
With thick viscous substance of phlegm, to even better flow of thick fluid of pus, appears to provide a segregation from earth to water element:
Solidity < -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Fluidity
(colon, intestines, membranes, bone-marrow) | (fat, phlegm, pus, blood, sweat)
that seems to be differentiated by when the part being press, is classified under water if fluid can be easily pressed out. However, bone-marrow is semi-solid tissue, which would have high density of fluid, is being classified under earth element.
These what I meant when I
said that
the "and" condition does not creates two aspect of rupa, only the phenomenon of permutation, ie. a combination of partial or whole of rupa's characteristics, in various formations.
Diversity of Liquidity means that Water element’s has the characteristic of flow, fluidity; functionality is cohesion.
what is the water element? The water element may be internal or external. what is the internal water element? Whatever internal personal component that is experienced as water or watery (fluidity) – such as bile, phlegm, pus, blood, sweat, fat, tears, oil, saliva, mucus, synovial fluid, urine, or any other internal personal component that is experienced as water or watery – this is called the ‘internal water element.’ Whether water element is internal or external, it is the same water element.
It seems that, the ancient would observes, when a component of parts that is being dried, leaves significant trace of solid substance, as a second criteria to classified a part as within earth element being dominant.
As for the Fire element, this description is particularly interesting, “such as what brings warmth, or
causes decay, or burns, or
causes what one has eaten, drunk, consumed, or swallowed to be completely digested”.
Here, the texts mention clearly about reaction. Today, we knows easily that these are acidic and alkaline chemical reaction. The ancient also may vomit out partially digested acidic food, and they would have experienced throat burning sensation as well.
As for Air element, I brought up earlier post on the relation of strength and motion with respect to bow.
The ancient understood vibration of string produces sound (such as string of archery bow). The strength of the archer determine the loudness of the sound. It seems to me, the ancient takes air as in motion characteristics to mean a kind of mysterious strength (energy for us).
What is the internal Air element? Whatever internal personal component that is experienced as Air or Airy (however gentle the motion may be) – such as up-going Air, down-going Air, Air in the belly, Air in the abdomen, Air moving along the limbs, inhalation, exhalation, or any other internal personal component that is experienced as Air or Airy
(Wind edited to Air)
‘Limbs’ may refers to the 2 primary branches of trachea, but since the description spread to other parts of the body, most probable that it refers to the limbs of hands and legs; and this Air element motion, is the energy
supporting function.
If one choke another’s neck for a period of time, that person’s hand will sags. Air is a direct experienced of vitality to life. To the ancient, it is a vital “energy” source for one to continue living. Symbolically, Air represent Energy; especially in the explanation of sound. Although the elements disappear is stages, but all 4 are interlocked into a whole when one is alive.
For a dead body, first the Air element, energy vitality is gone; follows by Fire element, all reaction and heat are cooled; Water element dries up, loose fluidity, become stiff; and lastly flesh and bone return to earth.
Hair, teeth, nail are complete solid, but these are items that grows in time, it changes within visible time frame. But not things like a piece of rock. Say a man just got his new born baby. If on that day, he place a piece of rock in a box. If he open up the box 20 years later, when his boy is already 5 feet tall; will the rock grow a single bit?
Mahābhūtā does not include rocks (255,0,0;0). Not the ocean; not the forest fire, and not the air within space. MN62 clearly differentiate air element of Mahābhūta from air in space. This is crucial to the analysis. Within the description of space element in MN62, there are plenty of air within space, but these are not Mahābhūta’s air element. The air element in Mahābhūta, involves vitality and energy.
MN62 stand as a foundation to relate internal and external sense spheres. The ‘and’ (ca) and ‘integral’ (upādāya) are not meant to create two aspect of rūpa, but a constraint on the definition of internal sense spheres rūpa; the Materiality integral of, and the Mahābhūtā, excluding the '0’ index.
The text in the sutta contain whole jungle of items, one may end up taking it to mean on it’s surface value. However, analyzing those items shows that the sutta meant to display a diversity of intensity within each element. Thus, Earth, Water, Fire, and Air are symbolic labels. ‘Derive’ is not a suitable words, and ‘Compose’ take those elements away from it’s abstract notion. Earth, Water, Fire, and Air; are constitutions for the diversity of integrals in Materiality.
Frankly speaking, I do find rendering rūpa as “hue”, attractive, since Mahābhūtā are symbolic labels. ‘Hue’, a candidate for rūpa as it is kind of “out of phase”, but might do miracle. After all, Earth, Water, Fire and Air are abstract in it’s notion, as a whole. The only problem is how to handle sutra like SA322.
And ‘Matter’ does not quite fit in for Water, Fire and Air element. And to stay on the safe side, I still choose B Bodhi’s materiality for rūpa, rather than form that allow one attribute of exterior sight object apart from colour and texture, to dictate internal sense spheres and other exterior sense objects.
Interpretation of rūpa as materiality, does not take rūpa into metaphysical matter. Sutra like SA322 pointing rūpa in the form of pure Materiality when one look at the earth element, fluidity of water element “dilute” that very earth element; therefore internally, Mahābhūtā does not present as an individual element. Earth element does not solely, take the center stage. Therefore, rūpa, materiality integral of Mahābhūtā is not simply matter, MN62 meant to assist in providing explanation basis for the working mechanism of the sense spheres.
MN62 mention
Whether earth element is internal or external, it is the same earth element.
In plain, these appears to say internal or external earth element are the same. Notice that head hair is regarded as internal. What does this sentence tries to say? Does it means internal is metaphysical matter, external metaphysical matter, thus they are the same?
In the description of Fire element, would one consider these
such as what brings warmth, or causes decay, or burns, or causes what one has eaten, drunk, consumed, or swallowed to be completely digested
to be ‘This is mine, I am this, this is my self.’? It appears to be, but not necessarily bad stiches.
By removing the portion of ‘This is not mine, I am not this, this is not my self.’ , then what would “internal or external, it is the same element” means?
In the practice of ‘peacefulness of earth, water, fire and air’ meditation, very much related to the internal 5 sensual sense spheres; given that SA322 specifically says within these internal sense spheres, it is the working phenomena of “pure (sensitive) materiality integral of the 4 great formations”; thus the practice is, to tranquilize these sensual sense spheres.
“Rāhula, the interior earth element is said to be anything hard, solid, and appropriated that’s internal, pertaining to an individual. This includes:“Yaṁ kiñci, rāhula, ajjhattaṁ paccattaṁ kakkhaḷaṁ kharigataṁ upādinnaṁ, seyyathidaṁ—
…
The interior earth element and the exterior earth element are just the earth element.
Yā ceva kho pana ajjhattikā pathavīdhātu yā ca bāhirā pathavīdhātu, pathavīdhāturevesā.
How is it possible that “head hair, body hair, nails, skin” being interior?
Does “revesā” means ‘the same’ or ‘just/simply’?; wouldn’t it be a Pali word such as “sama”. This very word appear within the sutta
Rāhula, meditate like the earth.
Pathavīsamaṁ, rāhula, bhāvanaṁ bhāvehi.
In Pali, ‘vesa’ means aspect, make up, guise.
Both, the internal earth element and the external earth element, are the guise of earth element.
As per MN62 alone, internal does not means interior, external also does not means exterior.
- SixSense_InternalExternal
For the eye sense sphere, both primary and secondary images are super-positioned. Primary “is” secondary, secondary “is” the primary. Once separated, they are not exactly the same. Primary image is the internal construct, projection of the physical external object, exteriorly. Secondary image is the additional mind construct, a purified internal object construction, similarly appear to be projected exteriorly. Both internal
ly internal and external
ly internal images are the guise of the 4 great elements.
In this sense, then “It should be accurately seen with right wisdom in this way: ‘This is not mine, I am not this, this is not my self’ ” has reasonable meaning.
With respect to internal-external sense spheres, there are portion of internal means internally/inwardly, and external means externally-internal (Dhamma).
In MN62, “head-hair, body-hair, nails” are exterior, the sutta defined it internal. So internal-external, is not that plain as it seems.