The paramattha-dhamma are realities that truly exist but not entities, persons or the self.  The paramattha-dhamma are only citta, cetasika and rupa of distinct characteristics and signs that arise because of causes and conditions and fall rapidly away.  Whenever one does not know the characteristics of citta, cetasika and rupa as paramattha-dhamma that arise and fall away in very rapid sequence, then there is knowledge of pannatti (concept/signification/name) or taking signs of rupa and nama, which arise and fall away in very rapid continuation as something.  Therefore those who do not know the characteristics of paramattha-dhamma are in the world of sammati-sacca (conventional truth) because they take realities that appear by their signs and forms as something real.  Only when they have studied the paramattha-dhamma and know the way to develop panna to study the characteristics of realities that arise and appear until panna has grown to the level where it is able to realize the arising and falling away of realities that are actually doing so, would one fully realize that there are not entities, persons or the self, only paramattha-dhamma of different characteristics exactly as the Buddha had become omnisciently enlightened with and manifested.

The profundity and tenacity of avijja that makes us take sammati-sacca as objects, entities and persons begin with the arising of patisandhi-citta with concurrent nama-dhamma and rupa-dhamma and subsequent arising and falling away continually.  After we are delivered from our mother's womb, we would see the sights that appear, hear sound, smell smells, taste tastes that appear and know the cold and heat in contact with the bodysense.  But we did not know that what appears through the eyes was only a kind of reality so we take the signs of realities that arise and fall away all the time and which appear not to arise and fall away, as something.  At that moment there is ghana-pannatti (collective concept/signification/name) or attachment to the signs of collective realities without yet knowing what the convention terms for the object is.  Small children who do not have the knowledge or ability to speak, and animals, would know ghana-pannatti in similar ways until they grow older and are able to understand the meaning of sounds and know the sammati-sacca (conventional truth), which is sammati-pannatti (conventional concept/signification/name) given to distinct realities so that everyone might understand one another.  Therefore when a child has seen the signs of realities that appear as though they do not arise and fall away, as grown-ups they still see it that way, as that thing, for example as object, as animals, as persons.  In reality, hardness, whether that of a cup, plate, spoon or fork is only the element of hardness, the pathavidhatu (earth element).  But each day when we see or touch, we do not think that we are only touching a reality that is hard, but we feel that we are touching a spoon, fork, plate or cup, according to attachments we have formed in taking signs that arise and fall away very rapidly until they appear as different shapes and features.  Although when touched the spoon, fork, cup and plate are hard because the true characteristics are hardness but by remembering different shapes we know that cups are not plates, spoons are not forks.  Therefore though the reality is a rupa-dhamma characterized by hardness, we still remember the conventional aspects that are plates for food, bowls for soup, spoons for service.  We remember the conventional aspects of hard elements such as iron, material components of a radio, a television or other objects without realizing the characteristics of each nama-dhamma and rupa-dhamma that arise, appear and then fall away.

 This is memory of sammati-pannatti for things appearing through the eyes, which is ever increasing with daily new inventions.  The instant of knowing shapes, features and signs that appear together as diverse objects is the instant of knowing pannatti, sammati-sacca, not paramattha-sacca.

 Besides knowing ghana-pannatti through the eyes, we also know sadda-pannatti or the meaning of sound.  This is daily life, one must know exactly which reality is paramattha-dhamma and which are sammati.  Sammati means that which is not paramattha-dhamma.  When one knows the signs and features that appear as cups, plates, spoons, radios, cars, televisions etc. humans are also able to emit sounds as sammati-pannatti to call things that appear, to identify a certain object, an ability that animals do not possess to such extent.  Sound is a reality that truly exists; sound is called "nama" because without sound the nama or names or words cannot exist.  Even with eyes that see things, if there were no sounds there would be no words to call things seen.  Thus to know the meaning of words is sadda-pannatti, which gives rise to words, names, events.

 Everyone is attached to names that are distinct sammati-pannatti.  Therefore one should know the characteristics of sound, which is a reality.  There is no Pali word for "sound".  The reality that is sound is called in conventional Pali "sadda-rupa".  Sound is real.  It is not a consciousness.  It is a rupa-dhamma that appears through the ears.

 In the Abhidhammatthavibhavinitika Atthakatha Abhidhammatthasangaha, the 8 Chapter, there is an explanation of paramattha-dhamma and sammati-pannatti, which constitutes daily life, and is profound yet worthy of elucidation, even in matters of names, that exist only because there is sound.

 The statement says that sadda-rupa (sound) is called "nama" (in this context intends name as opposed to nama-dhamma, which is a consciousness) because of the meaning turned towards meaning.  There are two kinds of nama, 1) nama (name) according to meaning; 2) nama (name) according to appellation or nomenclature.

 What do we talk about in a day?  Why do we say it?  We speak so that people might understand things, the meanings we want to convey.  Therefore sadda-rupa is called nama, because of the meaning turned towards meaning or events.

 To make people understand meanings and relations would depend on personal preferences and the language to convey the intentions, relationships, or names.

 Moreover, there is a passage in the Abhidammatthavibhavini explaining nama or name from several perspectives: there are four kinds of names according to their efficiency, namely samanna-nama, the common name such as sky, rain, wind, rice etc.; guna-nama, appelation according to qualities or beneficence such as Sammasambuddha the Arahanta, which none other than the  Sammasambuddha may be called because no one else possesses the qualifications; kiriya-nama, the name of action; and  yathiccha-nama, name according to preferences.

 The study of the dhamma is a very intricate matter because it is the study of all realities about which the Buddha was omnisciently enlightened and manifested in his great beneficence to assist the Buddhists in the comprehension of realities appearing as they truly are.

 In the Abhidhammatthavibhavinitika the 7the chapter there is a passage saying :

Question: Why did the Buddha manifest the dhamma in such great quantity?

Answer: For the benefit of three groups of entities.  There are indeed three groups: 1) those who have an affinity for or interest in nama, for rupa, and for both nama and rupa; 2) those with strong, moderate and weak faculties [mental capacity]; 3) those with predilection for brief, normal or detailed explanations.

Of these three groups of entities, those who are obsessed with nama would be able to understand the khandha because they are assigned 4 nama.

Those who are obsessed with rupa would understand ayatana because the rupa are assigned 10 categories and a half of ayatana (because dhammayatana includes both namadhamma and rupadhamma.)

Those who are obsessed by both nama and rupa would understand dhatu because by both nama and rupa are categorized in detail into dhatu.

 

The 12 Ayatana

 6 internal ayatana    6 external ayatana comprise
1) Cakkhayatana    1) Rupayatana
2) Sotayatana    2) Saddayatana
3) Ghanayatana    3) Gandhayatana
4) Jivhayatana    4) Rasayatana
5) Kayayatana    5) photthabbayatana
6) Manayatana    6) Dhammayatana

Ayatana is the realities of paramattha-dhamma that meet when citta arise to know arammana for an instant.  They can be categorized as 6 internal ayatana and 6 external ayatana.

 The 5 pasada-rupa and the citta are the six internal ayatana because citta is a consciousness and the 5 pasada-rupa are the conducive environment for the citta to experience arammana, therefore it is internal.  All other paramattha-dhamma are external.

 The 12 ayatana comprise ten and a half that are rupayatana, or 5 internal rupayatana and 5 external rupayatana plus one half dhammayatana (sukhuma- rupa).

 The 12 ayatana comprise one and a half namayatana being one internal manayatana plus one half dhammayatana (cetasika and nibbana).

 All paramattha-dhamma are distinct kinds of dhatu.  Classified according to the six dvara, they comprise 18 dhatu as follows.

1)  cakkhu-dhatu  2)  rupa-dhatu  3)  cakkhu-vinnana-dhatu
4)  sota-dhatu  5)  sadda-dhatu  6)  sota-vinnana-dhatu
7)  ghana-dhatu  8)  gandha-dhatu  9)  ghana-vinnana-dhatu
10) jivha-dhatu  11) rasa-dhatu  12) jivha-vinnana-dhatu
13) kaya-dhatu  14) photthabba-dhatu 15) kaya-vinnana-dhatu
16) mano-dhatu  17) dhamma-dhatu  18) mano-vinnana-dhatu

 Vinnana-dhatu are the ten citta that uniquely experience their own arammana as follows:

The 2 cakkhu-vinnana-citta can only experience ruparammana.
The 2 sota-vinnana-citta can only experience saddarammana.
The 2 ghana-vinnana-citta can only experience gandharammana.
The 2 jivha -vinnana-citta can only experience rasarammana.
The 2 kaya-vinnana-citta can only experience photthabbarammana.

The mano-dhatu comprise 3 citta that experience only 5 arammana through the 5 dvara.  The 3 mano-dhatu are one panca-dvaravajjana-citta and two sampaticchanna-citta.

The mano-vinnana-dhatu are the citta that experience arammana through the mano-dvara and some also experience arammana without depending on any dvara. The mano-vinnana-dhatu comprise 76 citta (excepting the 10 davi-panca-vinnana and 3 mano-dhatu).

Categorizing the 89 citta as the 7 kinds of vinnana-dhatu:

1) cakkhu-vinnana-dhatu
2) sota-vinnana-dhatu
3) ghana-vinnana-dhatu
4) jivha-vinnana-dhatu
5) kaya-vinnana-dhatu
6) mano-dhatu
7) mano-vinnana-dhatu

In the Abhidhammatthavibhavinitika, Chapter 8 there is a passage saying there are 6 nama-pannatti, namely:

1) Vijjamana-pannatti are conventional terms for realities that exist such as rupa, nama, vedana, sanna etc.

2) Avijjamana-pannatti are conventional terms without existing realities such as Thai, "Farang" etc.  There are no Thai or Farang, only realities that are citta, cetasika and rupa. Thai and Farang are conventional terms and not realities.  Akusala citta are paramattha-dhamma, realities that exist, not Thai or Farang.  Therefore akusala citta exist, as do kusala citta but Thai and Farang do not.  The words Thai and Farang, therefore, are avijjamana-pannatti.

3) Vijjamanenavijjamana-pannatti are conventional terms for non-existing with existing things.  For example, to say that a person is called chalabhinna because of the meaning possessing the 6 abhinna; abhinna really exists but a person does not: such is the conventional term for non-existent with existent things.

4) Avijjamanenavijjamana-pannatti are conventional terms for existent with non-existent things.  For example, the sound of a woman: sound exists but a woman does not.

5) Vijjamanenavijjamana-pannatti are conventional terms for things existent with existent things.  For example, cakkhu-vinnana: cakkhu exists as cakkhuppasada, and vinnana exists as a consciousness.

6) Avijjamanenavijjamana-pannatti are conventional terms for non-existent with non-existent such as the son of a king.  (The son and the king are both conventional terms).

1) Ruparammana are things that appear through the eyes, the arammana of the cakkhu-dvara-vithi-citta that arise from the cakkhuppasada as bases.  When the ruparammana has fallen away, several bhavanga-citta arise and fall away.  Then the mano-dvara-vithi-citta would arise through the mano-dvara to experience the ruparammana that had fallen away through the cakkhu-dvara in sequence.  Therefore, ruparammana is known through two dvara, namely the cakkhu-dvara and the mano-dvara with bhavanga-citta in between.

2) Saddarammana are the realities that appear through the ears, the arammana of the sota-dvara-vithi-citta that are based on the sotappasada to arise and is the arammana of the mano-dvara-vithi-citta after the bhavanga-citta have arisen in between.  Each process of knowing arammana through each dvara must be interposed by bhavanga-citta between the processes through the panca-dvara and those of the mano-dvara.  When there is hearing and knowing the words, the instant of hearing the word is the mano-dvaravajjana-citta, not the sota-dvara-vithi-citta that is knowing sound which has not yet fallen away.

3) Kandharammana are the realities that appear through the nose, the arammana of the ghana-dvara-vithi-citta that are based on the ghanappasada to arise.  After that the mano-dvara-vithi-citta would know the smell in sequence after the bhavanga-citta have interposed.

4) Rasarammana are the realities that appear through the tongue, the arammana of the jivha-dvara-vithi-citta that are based on the jivhappasada to arise and when the jivha-dvara-vithi-citta had completely fallen away, the bhavanga-citta arise in between processes.  Then the mano-dvara-vithi-citta would arise and know the rasarammana in continuation through the mano-dvara.

5) Photthabbarammana are the realities that are cold or hot, soft or hard, tense or moving, that appear through the bodysense, the arammana of the kaya-dvara-vithi-citta that are based on the kayappasada to arise.  Then the mano-dvara-vithi-citta would arise and know the photthabbarammana in continuation through the mano-dvara after the interposition of the bhavanga-citta.

The 5 arammana are called pancarammana.  They can appear through the 6 dvara.  After cakkhu-dvara-vithi-citta had arisen to know arammana through the cakkhu-dvara, the mano-dvara-vithi-citta would arise to receive the ruparammana in continuation through the mano-dvara when the bhavanga-citta had interposed.  The same applies to saddarammana, kandharammana, rasarammana and photthabbarammana.  Therefore these 5 arammana are arammana for the citta through 6 dvara: through the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, bodysense and mind.  But the only remaining arammana, or the dhammarammana, can be experienced uniquely through one dvara, the mind.

6) Dhammarammana are the arammana that citta can know only through the mind.  There are 6 kinds: the 5 pasada-rupa, 16 sukhuma-rupa, citta, cetasika, nibbana and pannatti.

The 5 dhammarammana, which are pasada-rupa, sukhuma-rupa, citta, cetasika and nibbana, are paramattha-dhamma.  One dhammarammana, or pannatti, is not.  In the Atthasalini Cittupadakandha there is an explanation: called "pannatti" because it makes known in a certain way.

 All cakkhu-dvara-vithi-citta, which are cakkhu-dvaravajjana-citta, cakkhu-vinnana-citta, sampaticchanna-citta, santirana-citta, votthabbana-citta, javana-citta and tadalambana-citta, know ruparammana that has not yet fallen away.  The cakkhu-dvara-vithi-citta do not have pannatti as arammana.

 The sota-dvara-vithi-citta, which are sota-dvaravajjana-citta, sota-vinnana-citta, sampaticchanna-citta, santirana-citta, votthabbana-citta, javana-citta and tadalambana-citta, know sound that has not yet fallen away.  The sota-dvara-vithi-citta do not have pannatti as arammana.

 The same applies to ghana-dvara-vithi-citta, jivha-dvara-vithi-citta and kaya-dvara-vithi-citta.

 When the vithi-citta through any of the panca-dvara had fallen away and the bhavanga-citta had interposed several instants, the mano-dvara-vithi-citta would arise in continuation.  The mano-dvara-vithi-citta of the first process would have one of the 5 arammana that had just fallen away through the panca-dvara as arammana.  The first process of mano-dvara-vithi-citta that arise in sequence to the panca-dvara-vithi-citta does not yet have pannatti as arammana.

 There are 2 or 3 kinds of vithi-citta in each process of mano-dvara-vithi-citta, comprising 1) an instant of mano-dvara-vithi-citta, 2) seven instants of javana-vithi-citta and 3) two instants of tadalambana-vithi-citta.  (Some processes do not have tadalambana-vithi-citta.  After the first process of mano-dvara-vithi-citta has fallen away, several instants of bhavanga-citta would interpose.  Then the second process of mano-dvara-vithi-citta would arise in sequence with pannatti or the shapes and features of one of the 5 arammana as arammana. When the second process of mano-dvara-vithi-citta had fallen away, the bhavanga-citta would interpose.  Then the next processes of the mano-dvara-vithi-citta would arise with attha or meaning or words as arammana respectively with interposing bhavanga-citta.  The instant of knowledge that it is a person, an object or various things is the instant citta knows pannatti, not paramattha-arammana.  Paramattha-arammana that appear through the eyes are only colors but the moments the mano-dvara-vithi-citta recognize them as animals, people, objects and various things are the instants the mano-dvara-vithi-citta have pannatti as arammana, which enable them to recognize the objects.

 Therefore as the dhamma saying puts it, paramattha-dhamma is not pannatti, because it is a reality that truly exists.  Even without using any words or conventional terms to call it that reality which has arisen is actually of those characteristics. Pannatti, on the other hand, is not paramattha-dhamma because it is not a reality that truly exists, and it is called pannatti because it makes known in such and such a way.

 When we see pictures of mountains, the sea and trees, we recognize them as pictures of mountains, seas or trees.  And when we see real mountains, the sea and trees, what are pannatti?

 When we see pictures of grapes, rambutans and mangosteens, and when we see real grapes, rambutans and mangosteens, what are pannatti?

 Dhamma would always be true to the dhamma.  Names are pannatti because they are words that signify characteristics or meanins of realities.  But even before being called or named anything, there is already ghana-pannatti without necessarily knowing any languages.  There is still pannatti in things appearing otherwise one would not recognize them.  The instant one recognizes the things appearing is the instant one knows pannatti because pannatti is to make known in such and such a way.  Even without naming them, to see painting of fruits and  real ones, which is pannatti?  Both are.

Pannatti is not paramattha.  What are paramattha?  What are the differences between real fruits and their paintings?  In the instant of seeing through the eyes, all that appear through the eyes are not animals, people, the selves or objects of any kinds whether in the instant of seeing paintings of grapes or that of seeing the fruits.  Some might misunderstand that only the painting is Pannatti, and not the fruit.  But in reality both the picture and the fruit that appear through the eyes are pannatti-arammana of the continued processes of the mano-dvara-vithi-citta because the cakkhu-dvara-vithi-citta would know the colors that appear while the mano-dvara-vithi-citta would know pannatti or the meanings of grapes, because it is made known in such and such a manner that they are grapes whether they are the grapes or their paintings, both are pannatti-arammana, and not paramattha-arammana.

 In the instant there is recognition as someone one should realize the truth that it is similar to paintings because it is already pannatti.  It is hard to eradicate pannatti at the instant one recognizes the pannatti as seeing a chair, that the paramattha-arammana that appears through the eyes and that which appears through the bodysense when there is physical contact, is not pannatti.

Q: I don't quite understand.  Say that now we see a pen.  You say that when we see a pen, it means that it has passed through the panca-dvara onto the mano-dvara already.  Is there a way to study or practice so that it does not pass through the panca-dvara first?

A: One must listen until one really understands which instant there is pannatti as arammana and through which dvara the citta knows pannatti.  At the instant citta has paramattha-dhamma as arammana there is not entity, person, the self or any object whatever.  At this instant realities arise and fall away in continuation so rapidly it is seen in the way as spinning fan is.  For any rupa to appear to move, there must be a multitude of rupa arising and falling away in continuation to be seen as motion.  Therefore mano-dvara-vithi-citta with pannatti as arammana would be so numerous in processes as to hide the characteristics of paramattha-dhamma, making one ignorant of the specific characteristics of paramattha-dhamma as they really are.

Q: If so, what do we do with the word pannatti?

A: Not to do away with it but one should know the truth that the instant of recognition as knowing animals, people and objects is the instant mano-dvara-vithi-citta are knowing pannatti.

Q: It is a reality that thinks words.

A: Even the instant one is not thinking words but instead knowing the features, the meanings and signs that appear, is pannatti, and not paramattha-dhamma.  One must correctly precisely the characteristics of realities to be able to realize the arising and falling away of paramattha-dhamma.  Those who say they do not see a chair arise and fall away since they had not separated the characteristics of paramattha-dhamma that are assembled, they would see a chair.  At that moment there is knowing pannatti, so how can it fall away?  In the example with paintings of grapes and grapes, are they different to the touch through the kaya-dvara?  Are they not both hard?  It is true that the element of hardness arises from different sources, making it very hard or slightly hard, very soft or slightly soft.  But hardness is a reality that appears through the bodysense, whether it be pictures or grapes.  But the grapes that are paintings do not have the taste of the fruits. Rupa that arise concurrently and be recognized as a grape comprise, in reality, rasa as one of the rupa, smell, cold or heat, soft or hard, tense or moving, as others.  When assembled and arising and falling away rapidly, they make known pannatti in such a manner: as this thing, which seems not to fall away, in reality, is only concurrent paramattha-dhamma of different characteristics arising and falling away together.  When assembled as signs or features, the mano-dvara-vithi-citta would recognize them in such a manner at which instant there is pannatti or the signs or features as arammana.

Q: But if the mano-dvara recognizes that it is a pen, is it right or wrong?

A: It is nor wrong because at that moment there is dhammarammana or pannatti as arammana.  But panna must correctly know the instants of the mano-dvara-vithi differ from the instants of cakkhu-dvara-vithi, which those who had not developed panna would know both the cakkhu-dvara-vithi and the mano-dvara-vithi together as something or the other, for example an animal, a person or an object.  What do we like each day?  What does lobha like?  Everything, including what?  Everything pleasant.  Lobha likes everything, including pannatti.  The world is full of pannatti, therefore one cannot deny liking both paramattha-dhamma and pannatti.  When one likes something, one also like pannatti, not only paramattha-dhamma.  To like a belt is to like color appearing to the eyes.

Q: The brand too.

A:  Everything about it.  To say one likes colors, what colors would that be?  The colors that are eyebrows, eyes, noses, lips.  If colors do not appear, would there be eyebrows, eyes, noses, lips?  No.  But to see colors, the color is still only that which appear through the eyes, whether red, green, blue, royal blue or white.  Even so we still like the colors that are brows, eyes, noses, lips.  That is to like pannatti.

  In the Atthasalini Nikkhepakan?d?ha Adipayaniddesa Indriya-aguttadvarataduga, 1352, the niddesa explains being unguarded of the indriya or the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, bodysense and mind as follows:

 The term 'nimitta-believer' means to mistake nimitta as a woman, a man.

 The passage continues:  the term anubyanjana-believer means to mistake signification differentiated by hands, feet, smiles, laughter, speech, looks, glances to the right and left etc. (Anubyanjana are minor details.)  Given the terminology because they are instrumental in the appearance of kilesa.

  Called by the term anubyanjana because it is instrumental in the appearance of kilesa or makes kilesa appear.  Therefore it is not too difficult to understand anubyanjana.

 That one likes the belt because of both nimitta and anubyanjana.  If belts were all alike and not made intricately different, their anubyanjana would not differ.  But belts are of a great many designs, distinct by anubyanjana.  Therefore anubyanjana are instrumental in the appearance of kilesa, or the arising of diverse kinds of kilesa.

Q: If we are not attached to pannatti, I fear that one would not know that this is a pen.

A: That is wrong because that is not to know realities as they truly are: as what appears through the eyes and then falls away, after which the mano-dvara-vithi-citta would arise to recognize pannatti in continuation. Panna must know what the rupa that appears through the cakkhu-dvara is really like, how it differs from the citta that recognizes pannatti, to be able to attenuate mistaking the ruparammana as animals and people, as objects on which pleasure is based.  And panna must know that the instant one sees women, men, animals and diverse persons is to know nimitta or pannatti through the mano-dvara.  Those who develop sati-patthana and have not yet realized the arising and falling away of the nama-dhamma and rupa-dhamma do not yet know the characteristics of realities that appear normally as they truly are, that paramattha-dhamma is not pannatti.  So one must continue to develop panna in the instant realities are appearing through the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, bodysense and mind.

Q:  You say that pannatti is a kind of dhammarammana?

A: Pannatti is a dhammarammana because it's an arammana that can be known only through the mind.

Q:  And this dhammarammana is probably a paramattha-arammana?

A:  There are six kinds of dhammarammana, 5 are paramattha-dhamma and one not.  Any instant there is no paramattha as arammana, there is pannatti as arammana. Therefore one may recognize the instant when there is pannatti as arammana.

 What is the arammana while we are dreaming?  Certainly everyone dreams because the only ones who do not are the arahanta.  Everyone dreams and when they awaken they say they dreamed of elderly relatives who have passed away etc.  Do they dream of pannatti or paramattha-arammana?  If one does not examine this, one would not know because both are like seeing.  Actually when asked what one saw, one answers people, elderly relatives, friends, entities, various persons.   That is to dream of pannatti because at that instant no cakkhu-dvara-vithi-citta arises since one is asleep.  But the mano-dvara-vithi-citta arose to think thoughts and see related things about entities and people.  Therefore the instant there is dreaming, there is thinking about pannatti of things one had seen or heard, for example.  Everyone reads a newspaper.  There are various stories and pictures, too.  The instant one knows of stories and sees pictures are all instants one thinks of pannatti.  Therefore each day one does not differentiate the characteristics of paramattha-dhamma that appear from those of pannatti.  Because whether one sees through the eyes, or read books or work wherever and whenever, one always thinks of pannatti.

 Through the ears, after one is born as a baby, we often hear sounds, normally but we did not know words, or understand any languages.  But sanna, the meaning of different sounds increased, so that we thought of pannatti, the meaning of sounds remembered.  Babies see, hear, smell, taste, know bodysense contact, feel pain and anger, like, dislike and cry but they do not know the words to explain, speak, or tell until they are grown up.  Can anyone remember events when one was just born?  Even though then there was seeing, hearing etc, since there were not words to speak yet because one still does not understand the meaning of different sounds, the memory of events fade away.  Once older and one knows the meanings of sounds, languages because other than remembering visual objects one also remembers things heard on the ears.  Taken together as various stories, the world of sammati-pannatti would increase in never-ending evolution.  After reading a story in a book, they had to make it into a film to be seen and heard.  If we examine and compare, we could see how much the world of sammati hides the characteristics of the paramattha-dhamma.  For example, while one is watching TV, what pannatti are there?  What story?  Who plays which part?  It seems as though the television actors are actually real people.  But in the same way that the plays and the players are pannatti, when paramattha-dhamma arise and appear then fall away in rapid continuation, the instant one recognizes this or that person is to know pannatti as well.

 The reality of paramattha-dhamma in daily life is hidden by avijja, which is not knowing the differences between paramattha-dhamma and pannatti.  Therefore it is unable to know how realities that appear through the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, bodysense and mind, which are not entities, persons, or the selves, are like.  Because of this to study citta, cetasika and rupa more and more conscientiously would make panna at the level of listening develop as sankhara-khandha to assist and compose sati to arise and be mindful of the characteristics
of paramattha-dhamma and attenuate the attachment to nimitta and anubyanjana, which are the apparent signs of pannatti.

Q: Can pannatti be an arammana for sati-patthana?

A: No.

Q: Just now it seems that pannatti can also be an arammana for sati-patthana.

A: Only paramattha-dhamma can be arammana for sati-patthana.  Any instant taste arises in contact with the jivhappasada there is paccaya for citta to arise and know taste through the jivha-dvara, starting with the panca-dvaravajjana-citta, jivha-dvaravajjana-citta, sampaticchanna-citta, santirana-citta, votthabbana-citta, javana-citta and tadalambana-citta.  Then taste falls away so there are no grapes.  That is paramattha-dhamma.  But when assembled as a grape there is pannatti.  Therefore sati-patthana is the instant one is mindful of the characteristics of realities that are paramattha-dhamma and examine and take note of the realities not as entities, persons or the selves.  Any instant there is no sati-patthana arising there would not be separation of the characteristics of paramattha-dhamma from those of pannatti.  So there would still be the belief that there are entities, people or the selves all the time.

Q: Just now you said pannatti can be known through the mano-dvara. If one were to develop sati-patthana through the mano-dvara?  From what I heard I feel that pannatti could be arammana for sati-patthana.

A: Then start now.  One hears sound.  Is there pannatti?  Sound is paramattha-dhamma.  The instant citta recognizes the meanings of sound citta knows pannatti.  The citta that knows the meaning of sound is the one that knows pannatti through the mano-dvara.  At that instant citta would arise and think words one by one.  Sati-patthana would arise to be mindful that at this instant there was a kind of citta which is knowing sound one word at a time.

Q: Sati-patthana is mindful of paramattha-dhamma, not of pannatti?  If so, realities that appear through the eyes, ears, nose, tongue and bodysense cannot avoid the mano-dvara?  When the eyes see the reality that sees arise, there is interposition of bhavanga-citta followed by mano-dvara.

A: The vithi-citta through the mano-dvara must experience the same rupa as those through the panca-dvara when javana-citta through the panca-dvara is a lobha-mula-citta, the process of javana-citta through the mano-dvara must also be the same kind of lobha-mula-citta.  The cakkhu-dvara-vithi-citta and the mano-dvara-vithi-citta arise in continuation extremely rapidly like a bird that flies up to sit on a branch and the moment the bird touches the branch its shadow would appear on the ground.  When an arammana appears through the cakkhu-dvara it would immediately continue and appear through the mano-dvara, then after several bhavanga-citta interpose very quickly so that one does not know that the rupa had appeared through the eyes are only a kind of paramattha-dhamma which, having come into contact with the cakkhuppasada, would appear.

Q: For example, through the eyes that see, when we see a pen it shows that the word 'pen' is through the mano-dvara.

A: Before one can think of the word 'pen', the pannatti is there.  Therefore
 pannatti does not means sadda-pannatti or nama-pannatti, which are sounds or words.

Q: When we see and remember, that is already pannatti, is it not?

A:  It is not pannatti because it signifies (makes known) in such and such a manner.

Q: It means that every dvara, whether through eyes, ears, nose, tongue or bodysense, must pass through the mano-dvara?

A: The 5 arammana, comprising ruparammana, saddarammana, gandharammana, rasarammana and photthabbarammana, can be known by citta through 2 dvara.  After the cakkhu-dvara-vithi-citta has known ruparammana, the mano-dvara-vithi-citta would know that ruparammana in sequence after the bhavanga-citta has interposed.  Saddarammana, gandharammana, rasarammana and photthabbarammana can be known by citta through 2 dvara.  When the vithi-citta through the mano-dvara would rise to know that arammana in sequence to the specific dvara after the bhavanga-citta has interposed, in the same way.

Q:  Suppose we taste a sour taste.  At the moment it is sour, is it already pannatti?

A: What is sour?

Q: Suppose we ate some sour orange.

A: The sour taste is paramattha-dhamma.  To think that the orange is sour is pannatti.  Words are sadda-pannatti.  Naming, calling something is nama-pannatti.  Without sound there would be no words, no meaning.  Different stories would not exist in such great number.  But sound arises as arammana for the citta through the sota-dvara-vithi.  It is also arammana for the citta that arise in sequence through the mano-dvara also (after the bhavanga-citta had interposed.)  The sanna that remembers sounds makes us think of words, names.

 What are adhivacanadhamma, or dhamma that are names? They are to speak of, title, pannatti, descriptions, names, nicknames, naming, pronouncing, decreeing, calling the names of the specific dhamma. Any of these realities is called adhivacanadhamma or the dhamma that are names.  (Everything is names: pencils, pens, tables, chairs etc.)

 All dhamma are adhivacanapathadhamma or dhamma that are causes for names.

 Without realities there could be no names.  But since there are realities, are there any without names?

 In the Atthakatha there is a passage saying: All dhamma are called adhivacanapathadhamma or dhamma that are causes for names.  When one goes into a forest with several kinds of trees, someone would ask what kind of tree it is.  Those who know would say a lead tree, a mango, a hopea; even an unnamed tree would be said to have no names or that the name of this one is not known.  Therefore all things have names by which to be known.  Thus there is no dhamma that is not cause for names.

 The passage continues: the statement that "All dhamma are called adhivacanapathadhamma" or dhamma that are causes for names, can be explained as: there is nothing called dhamma that is not cause for the dhamma that are names.

 The principal dhamma would be categorized as all dhamma.  All dhamma could be categorized as the principal dhamma.  How categorized?  Explanation: nama-pannatti is called principal dhamma.  All principal dhamma could be categorized into the 4 bhumi.  Entities and sankhara alike cannot be said to transcend names.  Without names it would not be convenient to make one another understand.  Therefore even though it is the paramattha-dhamma, the reality, it does not transcend names which the Buddha decreed according to the characteristics of the specific realities as follows.

5 khandha-pannatti
12 ayatana-pannatti
18 dhatu-pannatti
4 sacca-pannatti
22 indriya-pannatti
Several kinds of pugala-pannatti

Nirutti:  Speech, or to say meanings with [sounds of] letters (akkhara), is called nirutti.

Byanjana: The name byanjana (words) is because of the meaning to announce meanings.

Abhilapa:  Sound is called abhilapa because of the meaning the sound that a person makes, the sequence of composed letters according to sound.

 There are 2 kinds of pannatti being pannapiyattapannatti (named because of desire to know meaning) and pannapanatopannatti (named to make known meaning through sound).

 There are different kinds of pannatti as follows:

 Santana-pannatti: pannatti that compares the signs or changes in the continuation of the specific bhuta, to pannatti as earth, mountain, trees etc.

 Samuha-pannatti: pannatti meaning the signs or the assembly of elements such as carriages and wagons etc.

 Sammati-pannatti: pannatti such as man, person, meaning khandha-pancaka.

 Disa-pannatti: pannatti of directions, meaning the rotation of the moon such as the east etc.

 Kala-pannatti: pannatti of time such as morning, etc.

 Masadi-pannatti: pannatti of months, seasons and names of months such as visakhamasa, etc.

 Akasa-pannatti: pannatti for holes, caves, the significations of mahabhuta-rupa that does not reach one another.

 Nimitta-pannatti: pannatti for kasina-nimitta, or the specific bhuta-nimitta and special continuous signs of bhavana.

 Pannatti are therefore different as explained above.  Even though they are not paramattha-dhamma, they are arammana of the cittuppada by their signs or the shadow of meanings (the parallel of paramattha) designated in such a manner because it parallels or compares by making known [with language] the sign or features so that people can say, understand one another, call, make known the meanings.

 [The Pali Text Society translated this passage as:
All such different things, although they do not exist in the ultimate sense, become objects of thought in the form of shadows of ultimate things. They are called pannatti because they are thought of, reckoned, understood, expressed, and made known on account of, in consideration of, with respect to, this or that mode. This kind of pannatti is so called because it is made known. As it makes known, it is described as name concept, name, name-made.]

 The lobha-mula-citta that arises as usual through the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, bodysense and mind even when it is without wrong view or as lobha-mula-citta-ditthigata-vippayutta does not take pleasure uniquely in paramattha-dhamma that appear through the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, bodysense and mind alone but also extends to pannatti including nimitta and anubyanjana as well as names and events (associations).

 Therefore, when asked at present, what constitutes the majority of arammana in daily life, one can now answer pannatti to the point where it dissimulates the characteristics of paramattha-dhamma as they really are.

Q: That grapes or paintings of grapes when one touches are soft or hard is paramattha.  Their taste is paramattha.  Several things assembled become real grapes, which we call pannatti.  Therefore pannatti is something real.

A: Sight, taste, arise and then fall away because they last only seventeen instants of citta, the color-rupa that is seen as grapes arises and falls away very rapidly. Rupa last only seventeen instants of citta, therefore can there be grapes?

Q: In the memory.

A: Therefore it is conventionally termed as grapes, which in reality are taste that arises and falls away, and hardness that arises and falls away. Pannatti comes from several paramattha assembled in a conglomeration.  When one has not realized the arising and falling away of each of the realities that are assembled, one takes their apparent signs as something.

Q: Is pannatti not real? Pannatti comes from several paramattha, softness, hardness, cold, heat, colors, smell, taste, composed into a conglomerate, a thing with such color, such feature, or such shape, such build as that person. Pannatti comes from paramattha.

A: To know that pannatti is not paramattha-dhamma one must separate paramattha-dhamma that arise concurrently as specific characteristics of paramattha-dhamma that appears through each dvara, and also realize the arising and falling away of the rupa that appears through each dvara.  Each sabhava-rupa lasts only seventeen instants of citta and then falls away.  The rupa that is there only seventeen instants of citta has no time to stand or walk or do anything, because to raise a hand takes more than seventeen instants of citta already.  Therefore what is seen as a person walking or holding his hand up shows that the rupa had fallen away and arisen in continuation through the cakkhu-dvara-vithi and mano-dvara-vithi for several processes, with interposed bhavanga, until it appears as a person walking or holding his hand.  In reality seventeen instants of citta is extremely fast, which can be comprehended accordingly by the examination that the rupa through the eyes, which last seventeen instants, must have been fallen away before one can hear sound, even though it appears as one can see and hear at the same time.  But between the citta that hears and the citta that sees there are more than seventeen instants of citta, therefore what appears through the eyes now, which lasts seventeen instants of citta, had to have fallen away for the citta that hears to arise.

Paramattha-dhamma is paramattha-dhamma and not pannatti.  The study and practice of dhamma must be accurate according to the study even at the beginning.  It must also be accurate according to the realities as they truly are.  For example, we have learned that paramattha-dhamma is anatta.  We must penetrate the meaning of paramattha-dhamma at the levels of listening, examination and development of panna until we also truly realize the truth according to what we have learned.

Q: Just now someone in the audience asked whether pannatti is real.  If one should say that reality is separated into paramattha-sacca and sammati-sacca, would pannatti be sammati-sacca?

A: Yes, but pannatti is not paramattha.  The name grape, for example, does not have any taste.  Taste is a reality that truly exists and that taste is pannatti as grape.

Lobha-mula-citta-ditthigata-vippayutta, not only takes pleasure in sound, smell, taste, bodysense and pannatti in daily life but can also take pleasure in micchasamadhi.  For example, those who take pleasure in physical exercise know that yoga exercises with the citta steadfastly concentrate on breathing would strengthen the body.  At that instant there is a kind of samadhi, which since it is not kusala-citta, must be lobha-mula-citta, which is micchasamadhi.  But the persons are without the wrong view that the method leads to the realization of the ariya-sacca-dhamma.  They only take pleasure in the samadhi and the knowledge that at that moment they want to meditate for their physical well-being, and not for the mistaken view that one must first do this in order to be able to examine nama-dhamma and rupa-dhamma more quickly.  If that were the case, they would have misunderstood the characteristics of sammasamadhi nor would they know that sammasati is anatta.  It is not that one should first exercise micchasamadhi to be able to assist panna to know the characteristics of nama-dhamma and rupa-dhamma.  But for sati to be sammasati as one of the eight magga in the Eightfold Path, there must be sammaditthi, the understanding of the characteristics of the reality appearing, which are arammana that sati should be correctly mindful of, in more and more detail, to be sankhara-khandha composing sati to arise and be correctly mindful of the characteristics of realities appearing.  For example, through the eyes when there is seeing, one could know which instants are pannatti and which are paramattha.  The same applies to the ears, nose, tongue, bodysense and mind.

Therefore whether we watch TV, sports tournaments or whatever, read books, or look at paintings, we might know which instants are pannatti and which paramattha.  Otherwise one might takes the stories on TV for pannatti but not when it is not stories on TV.  In reality both the stories on TV and those that are not are pannatti alike.  Even the names of everyone are nama-pannatti, words that are established to signify which citta, cetasika and rupa concurrently arising are supposed to be this or that person.

Micchasamadhi that are lobha-mula-citta-ditthigata-vippayutta differs from lobha-mula-citta-ditthigata-sampayutta, which mistakes the micchasamadhi for the way to the realization of the arisacca-dhamma.  There is micchasamadhi in every country because any instant of meditation that is not kusala-nan?a-sampayutta, or composed with panna, has to be micchasamadhi.  If anyone mistakes micchasamadhi for the way to make sati mindful of the characteristics of nama-dhamma and rupa-dhamma faster, he is wrong.  Because sammasati would only be mindful of the characteristics of the realities appearing only after there has been comprehension of the differences in the characteristics of nama-dhamma and rupa-dhamma and not after previously practicing micchasamadhi.

Q: The lakkhanadhicatukka says that samadhi is the immediate cause for vipassana.

A: Which samadhi?

Q: It would be sammasamadhi as to be immediate cause.

A: It must be sammasamadhi that arises concurrently with sammasati, sammaditthi, sammasankappa and sammavayama.

 Pannatti-arammana are arammana of the citta in daily life, whenever the citta does not have paramattha-dhamma as arammana.  Therefore imagine how many there would be in a day.  Through the seeing eyes there are things and related thoughts about things that are appearing. Through the hearing ears there are related thoughts about the sound heard; the nose, smell and related things; the tongue, taste; the bodysense, bodysense contact.  Each day the citta that arise through the mind know colors, sounds, smells, tastes, bodysense contacts and thoughts about their arammana.  Are there any other arammana in a day than paramattha-arammana and pannatti-arammana?  No.  Because there are only six arammana and among the six other than the paramattha-dhamma there is pannatti.  Therefore there are no other arammana.

 Does the Buddha have pannatti as arammana?

 In the daily life of all entities and people, when the cakkhu-dvara-vithi-citta had all fallen away and the bhavanga-citta had interposed, the mano-dvara-vithi-citta would have the same paramattha-arammana as through the cakkhu-dvara-vithi-citta that had just fallen away.  And when the bhavanga-citta had interposed, the mano-dvara-vithi-citta that arose in continuation would think of the shape and features of what appears because it is a kind of rupa that arises concurrently with the elements of earth, water, fire and wind.  One cannot separate color from these elements because whenever there are the 4 mahabhuta-rupa, there must also be the color-rupa (vanna), smell, taste and oja, together with them inseparably.  Since color cannot be extracted from the 4 mahabhuta-rupa, color would appear to be seen through the eyes and sanna remembers it as shapes and features to make known the pannatti of what the thing seen is.  If there were no colors and if colors were taken from the mahabhuta-rupa, can things be seen as humans, entities or things?  Even citta cannot arise to know arammana through the eyes because there is nothing in contact with the cakkhuppasada.

 Thus, did the Buddha have pannatti as arammana?  Certainly.  To listen to the dhamma one must examine the reasons for the reality in conjunction.  There are two arammana: paramattha-dhamma and pannatti.  Any instant there is no paramattha-dhamma arammana there must be pannatti as arammana.  This repetition is to help sati to be correctly mindful of the characteristics of the realities appearing that in the instant there are things appearing through the eyes as colors, since colors cannot be separated from the mahabhuta-rupa, the colors that arise with the mahabhuta-rupa would appear to be seen as different pannatti.  When sati-patthana arises, it separately examines, notes correctly that what is appearing as diverse colors are kinds of realities that appear through the eyes.  And the instant one recognizes what appears through the eyes is the vithi-citta that knows it through the mano-dvara.

 When one has studied and understood it, one can see that in the daily life of all entities and humans, sometimes the citta has paramattha-dhamma as arammana and sometimes pannatti in a sequence.  For example, through the eyes there is not only the cakkhu-dvara-vithi-citta with color as arammana.  When the cakkhu-dvara-vithi-citta have fallen away completely, the bhavanga-citta had interposed, the mano-dvara-vithi-citta would arise to recognize color in continuation from the cakkhu-dvara-vithi.  When the first process of mano-dvara-vithi-citta had fallen away and the bhavanga-citta has interposed, the next process of mano-dvara-vithi-citta would arise with pannatti as arammana.  Otherwise, how could one live if one does not know pannatti as tables, chairs, food, cups, dishes, spoons etc.  We cannot live.  Do animals have pannatti as arammana.  They, too, must.  Without pannatti as arammana even animals cannot live because they would not recognize which is food and which is not.

How do those with pannatti as arammana, such as the Buddha, the arahanta, the anagami-puggala, the sakadagami-puggala, the sotapanna-puggala, the puthujjanas (the common or ordinary man), differ or not?  The arahanta and the ordinary persons differ in their panna. The ordinary person does not know about paramattha-dhamma so they mistake pannatti for realities.  But those who have clearly realized the ariyasacca-dhamma would know that all dhamma are anatta.  Realities that arise and appear through the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, bodysense and mind are impermanent and pannatti is not paramattha-dhamma.  It is called pannatti because it makes known in such a manner.  Therefore pannatti is the arammana of the citta and cetasika when there is recognition of the meanings, or the attha, of what appears.  Without citta and cetasika, can there be pannatti?  Realities can be logically examined.  If there were no citta and cetasika, there can be no pannatti.  If there were only rupa-dhamma and no nama-dhamma, no citta or cetasika, can there be pannatti?  No, because rupa is not a reality that knows arammana.  Citta and cetasika do.  If citta and cetasika do not arise there can be no knowledge of pannatti.  Having pannatti as arammana for the ariyapuggala differs from that of those who are not in that the latter mistake pannatti as something that really exists while the former know which instant the citta has paramattha-dhamma as arammana and which has pannatti as arammana.

Is the instant that citta knows pannatti or is having pannatti as arammana an instant of micchaditthi?  It depends on the kind of citta that is having pannatti as arammana.  The ariyapuggala have pannatti as arammana but they do not have micchaditthi because they have eradicated the micchaditthi-cetasika completely.  If one does not conscientiously examine this, one does not know the different between lobha-mula-citta-ditthigata-sampayutta and lobha-mula-citta-ditthigata-vippayutta. Lobha-mula-citta-ditthigata-vippayutta is pleased with all arammana, with things that appear through the eyes, sounds through the ears and the pannatti of sounds heard through the ears.  The same applies to things through the nose, tongue, bodysense and mind as ordinary life.  Whenever there is not wrong view about realities there is no lobha-mula-citta-ditthigata-sampayutta.

 The sotapanna-puggala and the sakadagami-puggala have lobha-mula-citta-ditthigata-vippayutta that evolves with the 6 arammana.  The anagami-puggala have lobha-mula-citta-ditthigata-vippayutta in dhammarammana because they have completely eradicated pleasure in sight, sound, smell, taste, bodysense contact, which are kamarammana.  As for the arahanta, even though they have the 6 arammana, these are not kusala-dhamma nor akusala-dhamma of any kind because the arahanta have eradicated all kilesa and akusala-dhamma completely.  Those who are not arahanta, even if they know the characteristics of arammana according to the truth, which instant is paramattha-dhamma, which pannatti, yet they cannot eradicated all kilesa so they still have paccaya for happiness, unhappiness, pleasure or displeasure according to the paramattha-arammana and pannatti-arammana respective to their levels of attainment of each person.

Therefore, one must examine conscientiously which instant is micchaditthi.  The moment one is attached to various pannatti with the wrong view that what is not paramattha-dhamma really exists.  At that instant there is sakkayaditthi. Since pannatti is not paramattha-dhamma but one mistakes it as what is truly the self, the entity, the person and various things in reality, there is wrong view as sakkayaditthi.  Since sakkayaditthi has not yet been eradicated, it would be paccaya for different wrong views to increasingly arise.  For example, the belief that the kamma does not exist, nor does it result; or that there is a great god who created the world and all creatures and people.  When one does not know the paccaya that makes all sankhara-dhamma arise, various wrong views would arise, but the instant that citta has pannatti as arammana there is not always micchaditthi with it because micchaditthi must be the instant one is attached to distinct various wrong views.

 Can pannatti be arammana for akusala-citta?  Yes, it usually is.  Lobha-mula-citta arises to be pleased by pannatti.  Moha-mula-citta arises to dislike pannatti, for example to be displeased with this or that person.  What is the aramana at that instant? Pannatti.  Therefore Pannatti could be aramana for any kind of akusala citta whatever.

 Can pannatti be arammana for akusala-citta?  Yes, because life must be what it is in reality.  The characteristics of each reality cannot be changed in the least.  At the moment of dana, if one does not know what the thing given is, kusala-citta cannot arise.  At the moment of sila, abstention from bad behavior, if one does not know what appears, one cannot abstain from wrong action. At the instant of developing peace of the citta, which is samatha-bhavana, can there be pannatti as arammana?  Some might think that they have not yet studied samatha-bhavana or its arammana in detail so they cannot answer.  But if we do not forget the fact that any instant paramattha-dhamma is not arammana there would be pannatti as arammana.  One can deduce that even samatha-bhavana could also have pannatti as arammana.  Besides sati-patthana and the panca-dvara-vithi-citta other citta could have pannatti as arammana.  To know which reality is paramattha-dhamma one must rely only on the development of sati-patthana.  Any instant sati-patthana does not arise there is no examination, study, taking note of the characteristics of the realities that are paramattha-dhamma.  Therefore daily life would sometimes have paramattha-dhamma as arammana and sometimes pannatti.

 The development of sati-patthana is a very intricate matter because it is the development of panna to know realities that appear as they truly are.

Q: Sati-patthana does not have pannatti as arammana. True or false?

A: True.

Q: Is it right or wrong to develop sati-patthana by trying not to let citta arise to
 know pannatti-arammana?

A: Wrong, because that is not real.  Who can stop citta from arising to know pannatti as arammana?  But panna can be developed to be able to know that the instant there is pannatti as arammana, it is the citta, which is a nama-dhamma knowing pannatti, otherwise there cannot be pannatti as arammana at that instant.  Therefore those who develop sati-patthana would not try not to think anything, or try not to see or recognize as they always do normally things that appear through the eyes.  If they did so, they would not be able to know the true characteristics of nama-dhamma that the instant there is pannatti as arammana is also a nama-dhamma or citta and cetasika that arise with pannatti as arammana at that instant. Sati-patthana would be mindful, study and examine, take note that any instant there is thinking, that instant there is nama-dhamma, the reality, dhatu or signs of knowing, not the self, entity or person.  And it knows the reality of anatta in all dhamma that citta cannot be stopped from arising to think of events.  Therefore, panna must universally know the characteristics of nama-dhamma that have distinct arammana through the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, bodysense and mind to end uncertainty about the characteristics of nama-dhamma.  If one refrains from knowing pannatti or from thinking, it is not the development of panna because in reality none can stop the arising and evolving of realities in daily life.  Because of ignorance one misunderstands that one should try not to let citta think or know pannatti of things that appear.

 Not to know the characteristics of realities appearing, nor to know the causes and results of specific realities as they truly are misleads one to attachments, wrong views and pleasure in seeking ways to wrong practices with ignorance even in the instant of seeing distinct colors and things. In the Samyuttanikaya Mahavaravagga Maggasamyutta Brahmasutta, 12, there is a passage summarized as Savatthinidana (the Savatthi episode):

 That morning the Venerable Ananda, dressed, with his bowl and robe, went to gather alms in the city of Savatthi.  He saw the Brahmin Janussoni leaving Savatthi in a chariot with all-white attellage.  It is said that the horses are white, with white ornaments; the chariot is white, the canopy, ropes, whip-handle, umbrellas, turban, robe, shoes, fan-handle all in white.  People, upon seeing this person, say: "Gentlemen, what an excellent, handsome vehicle!"

 (Just to see the color white, they mistook the white vehicle for an excellent one since they did not know realities or the way to clearly realize the reality that is not the self, so they seek other means and mistake things thus.)

 Then the Venerable Ananda had gathered alms in the city of Savatthi and after the meal, having returned from alms-gathering and entered the presence of the Buddha, respectfully greeted him, and sat down in an appropriate place.  Then he related to the Buddha what he saw of the Brahmin Janussoni.  The Buddha then manifested the ariyamagga, the Eightfold Path as the reality that eradicates kilesa, not white vehicle and everything in white.  Then he continued in the following discourse.

 The ariyamagga-nana has dhamma, saddha and panna, as yoke and saddha as yoke-pole; hiri as flag-pole; the mind as reins; sati as the charioteer; sila as ornaments, jhana as axle; perseverance as wheels; upekkha-samadhi as yoke-pole; non-covetousness as canopy.  Any person of extraction is without vengefulness, harm, but with viveka (detachment, seclusion) as weapon, with endurance as leather sheild would evolve towards happiness from yoga.  Should this supreme vehicle of Brahmans arise for anyone, these persons would be sages and leave the world with the certitude that they have won.
  (He manifested how the white vehicle and its all-white ornaments is not the ariyayana.)

 In the Atthakatha Brahamanasutta there is a passage saying the Brahmin Janussoni would circle the city every six months.  Each time it would be announced in advance that the Brahmin would circle the city in so many days.  People who were leaving the city would delay the journey (when they heard that Janussoni was going to circle the city, even those who had business elsewhere would postpone.)  Even those who were on a journey would return to see it, with the belief that they would see the splendid treasures of a blessed being.

 That day wherever the Brahmin would go, the citizens would sweep the streets for him at first light, sanded the streets, strewed them with popped rice and flowers, set up water containers, banana plants and flags and banners, and filled the city with the scents of incenses.  The Brahmin circled the city with an ornate vehicle, with a four-horse chariot, with all-white attelage, the wheels and spokes were silver-plated.  (All ornaments were white, whether from the silver or other decorations.)  There were two kinds of chariots, the war chariot and ornate chariot.  The war chariot was square and not too large, the capacity of two or three persons.  But the ornate car was large, long and white.  Eight or ten umbrella, fan and swish bearers could fit in the carriage where one is able to stand or lie down comfortably.  The horses were all white, bedecked all in silver.  The carriage was white from silver-plating and decorations of ivory in specific places.  Other carriages were covered with lion or tiger skins or yellow woolen cloth but not so that of the Brahmin Janussoni because it was decked in fine cloth, the ropes covered with silver and coral.  Even the whip-handle was plated in silver.  Even the umbrellas were all in white, his seven-inch-wide turban was woven with silver, his robes were white, the color of foam.  Among these clothing, the robe cost 500 and the capes 1000.  As for the shoes, these are not the shoes for travelers or trekkers in the forest, but for riding in chariots, for they deck the feet in silver.  The side shades and fans were white with crystal handles.  These all white clothing were not the only thing the Brahmin had on, even his ornaments were in silver.  For example, he wore white powder, flowers and all ten fingers had rings as well as both his ears.  Even his retinue of about 10,000 brahmins were decked all in white, clothing, flowers and jewelry in approximately the same quantity.

  The Brahmin Janussoni would wash his hair early in the morning, have breakfast and dress in attires such as white robes etc. descend from his tower and mount the chariot.  The brahmins, dressed, powdered and garlanded all in white, would carry white umbrellas and surround him.

 The people would shower fruit to young men to gather masses of people.  Then they would shower them with small coins, then uniquely valuable ones.  People would gather to cheer and toss streamers. The Brahmin would go through the city for great treasures.  People desiring blessings and merit would make blessings and merit while others of fortune would go up to the first floor of their lodgings, for example, to watch from windows opened like parrot's wings. The Brahmin would then move towards the southern gate as if to take over the city with his prestige and treasures.

 When the people saw the chariot they would say, Gentlemen, what an excellent vehicle.  But the Buddha said, Behold Ananda, people would give money to those who praised them and have singers sing the praise of their daughters' charms, beauty, wealth and plenteous possessions.  But these descendants are not really so just by being praised.  People see the Brahmin's chariot and praise it, Gentlemen, what an excellent vehicle.  But praising does not make it so.  In reality that vehicle is miserable, bad.  Behold Ananda, according to paramattha, the vehicle is the name of the Eightfold Path.  The ariyamagga is supreme because it is without harm, because the ariyans would reach nibbana with this ariyamagga.  Thus it is called brahmayana or dhammayana because of its being dhamma and vehicle as the ultimate war chariots because there is nothing greater and because it has won the war or defeated kilesa.

 This is the difference that comes from just seeing, which gives us the wrong view, the misunderstanding of the way to practice, because of the belief that white is a blessed color that renders people pure, without kilesa.  But in truth, the Buddha said that the vehicle is miserable, bad because it misleads people by making them think it is excellent.  Therefore to know realities as they truly are would not concern colors of clothing and ornaments.  Only when sati and panna arise to be mindful of the characteristics of realities appearing, would it be said the person has this vehicle within him to take him to the eradication of kilesa.
 
 

January 1, 2000