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Note: PED devotes two and a half double column pages to this term. I have edited the entry back considerably. To see the full discussion just follow the link to the on line version at the end of this entry.
K¤ya: [der. probably fr. ci, cinoti to heap up, cp. nik¤ya heaping up, accumulation or collection; Sk. k¤ya] group, heap, collection, aggregate, body.
Literal meaning.
1. mah¤jana-k¤ya a collection of people, a crowd S IV.191; V.170...
2. group or division: satta k¤y¤ aka¤, etc. (seven eternal groups or principles) D I.56=M I.517=S III.211; with reference to groups of sensations or sense-organs, as vedan¤-k¤ya, sa¾¾¤*, vi¾¾¤¼a*, phassa*, etc. S III.60, 61; D III.243, 244; ta¼h¤* D III.244; appl. to hatthi*, ratha*, patti*, groups of elephants, carriages or soldiers S I.72. -- A good idea of the extensive meaning of k¤ya may be gathered from the classification of the 7 k¤yas at J II.91, viz. camma*, d¤ru*, loha*, ayo*, v¤luka*, udaka*, phalaka*, or "bodies" (great masses, substances) of skin, wood, copper, iron, sand, water, and planks. -- Var. other combns: Asura* A I.143; D III.7; Abhassara* ("world of radiance") D I.17=III.29, 84; Deva* S I.27, 30; D III.264 (*nik¤ya); dibb¤ k¤y¤ A I.143; T¤vati¸sa* D III.15.
Applied meaning.
I. K¤ya under the physical aspect is an aggregate of a multiplicity of elements which finally can be reduced to the four "great" elements, viz. earth, water, fire, and air (D I.55). This "heap," in the valuation of the Wise (muni), shares with all other objects the qualities of such elements, and is therefore regarded as contemptible, as something which one has to get rid of, as a source of impurity. It is subject to time and change, it is built up and kept alive by cravings, and with death it is disintegrated into the elements. But the kamma which determined the appearance of this physical body has naturally been renewed and assumes a new form.
II. K¤ya under the psychological aspect is the seat of sensation...and represents the fundamental organ of touch which underlies all other sensation...
I. (Physical).
(a) Understanding of the body is attained through introspection (sati). In the group of the four sati-paÂÂhanas, the foundations of introspection, the recognition of the true character of "body" comes first... The standing formula of this recognition is k¤ye k¤y¢nupass¨ . . . contemplating body as an accumulation, on which follows the description of this aggregate: "he sees that the body is clothed in skin, full of all kinds of dirty matter, and that in this body there are hair, nails, teeth," etc...The conclusions drawn from this meditation give a man the right attitude...This accumulation is described in another formula...[thus] "this body has form (i. e. is material, visible), is born from mother and father, is a heap of gruel and sour milk, is subject to constant dressing and tending, to breaking up and decay," etc., with inferences D I.55=S III.207; S II.94; IV.194; V.282, 370; D I.76, 209; M I.144, 500; II.17; A IV.386=S IV.83.
(b) Various qualities and functions of the material body. As trunk of the body...S II.231...as depending on nourishment...A II.145...as needing attention...having consciousness A IV.53 = S II.252 = S III.80, 103, 136, 169...As in need of breathing...S V.330, 336; as tired, fatigued..."tired in body, tired in mind these gods fall out of this assembly" . . . with a perfect body (of the Buddha) . . . The body of a Buddha is said to be endowed with the 32 signs of a great man. . . The Tathagata is said to be dhamma-k¤yo "author and speaker of Doctrine," in the same sense Brahma-k¤yo "the best body" (i. e. of Doctrine) D III.84 (Dial. iii, 81).
(c) Valuation of physical body. From the contemplating of its true character (k¤y¢nupassi) follows its estimation as a transient, decaying, and repulsive object...This body is eaten by crows and vultures after its death: S V.370. Represented as p¬ti* foul S I.131; III.120....
(d) Similes. The body is compared to an abscess...S IV.83=A IV.386; a city...S IV.194; a cart...S IV.292; an anthill ...M I.144; all in reference to its consisting of the four fundamental elements..."knowing that the body is like froth"...the body is as fragile as a water-pot.
(e) Dissolution of the body is expressed in the standard phrase: k¤yassa bhed¤ param mara¼a . . ., i. e. after death . . . upon which usually follows the mention of one of the gatis, the destinies which the new k¤ya has to experience, e. g. D I.82, 107, 143, 162, 245, 247, 252; III.96, 97, 146, 181, 235; M I.22; S I.94; III.241...
II. (Psychological).--As the seat of feeling, k¤ya is the fifth in the enumeration of the senses (¤yatan¤ni). It is ajjhattika as sense (i. e. subjective) and its object is the tangible (phoÂÂhabba). The contact between subject and object consists either in touching (phusitv¤) or in sensing (vi¾¾eyya). The formulas vary, but are in essence the same all through, e. g. k¤ya-vi¾¾eyya phoÂÂhabba D I.245; . . . Best to be grouped here is an application of k¤ya in the sense of the self as experiencing a great joy; the whole being, the "inner sense," or heart. This realization of intense happiness (such as it is while it lasts), p¨ti-sukha, is the result of the four stages of meditation, and as such it is always mentioned after the jh¤nas in the formula: so ima¸ eva k¤ya¸ vivekajena p¨ti-sukhena abhisandeti . . . "His very body does he so pervade with the joy and ease born of detachment from worldliness" D I.73 sq. = M I.277; A II.41, etc. -- A similar context is that in which k¤ya is represented as passaddha, calmed down, i. e. in a state which is free from worldly attachment (vivekaja). This "peace" of the body (may be translated as "my senses, my spirits" in this connection) flows out of the peace of the mind and this is born out of the joy accompanying complete satisfaction (pamudit¤) in attaining the desired end. The formula is pamuditassa p¨ti j¤yati p¨timanassa k¤yo passambhati, passaddhak¤yo sukha¸ vedeti, sukhino citta¸ sam¤dhiyati D III.241, 288; S IV.351; M I.37; A III.21, 285; IV.176; V.3, 333; Vbh 227. . . .
III. (Ethical).--K¤ya is one of the three channels by which a man's personality is connected with his environment & by which his character is judged, viz. action, the three being k¤ya, vac¨ (v¤ca) and manas. These three kammantas, activities or agents, form the three subdivisions of the sila, the rules of conduct. K¤ya is the first and most conspicuous agent, or the principle of action kat) e)coxh/n, character in its pregnant sense.
K¤ya as one of a triad.--Its usual combination is in the formula mentioned, and as such found in the whole of the Pali Canon. But there is also another combination, found only in the older texts, viz. kayen¤ v¤c¤ya uda cetas¤: ya¾ ca karoti k¤yena v¤c¤ya uda cetas¤ ta¸ hi tassa saka¸ hoti ta¾ ca ¤d¤ya gacchati S I.93 . . . The variations of k- in the ethics of the Dhamma under this view of k*. v*. m*. are manifold, all based on the fundamental distinctions between good and bad, all being the raison d'être of kamma . . . Passages with reference to good works are e. g. D III.245; A I.151; V.302 sq.; (see also Kamma II.2 b. c.). -- With reference to evil: S III.241, 247; A I.201; . . .
K¤ya as one of a dyad: v¤c¤ and k¤ya: S I.172 (*gutta) M I.461 (rakkhita and a*);...
K¤ya alone as a collective expression for the three: A I.54...
K¤ya in combn with citta: . . . S V.74 . . .
IV. (Various).--K¤yena (i. e. "visibly")...A II.61; as nanatta* and ekatta* at A IV.39......K. is anatt¤, i. e. k. has no soul A V.109; S IV.166. n'¢ya¸ k¤yo tumh¤ka¸ n'¤pi paresa¸, pur¤¼a¸ ida¸ kamma¸ . . . "neither is this body yours, nor anyone else's: it is (the appearance of) former karma" S II.64, 65...Manomaya-k¤ya a body made by the mind...according to Bdhgh only at the time of jh¤na S V.282 sq.; manomaya p¨ti-bhakkha saya¸pabha D I.17...D I.77;...Under the control of psychic powers (iddhi): k¤yena va sa¸vatteti he does as he likes with his body, i. e. he walks on water, is ubiquitous, etc. (y¤va brahmalok¤ pi: even up to heaven) S V.265 = D I.78 = A I.170: see also S V.283, 284. -- In the various stages of Sa¸s¤ra; k¤ya¸ nikkhipati he lays down his (old) body S IV.60, 400; cp. S III.241 (ossaÂÂha-k¤ya); referring to continuous change of body during day and night..
-anga a limb of the body...
-¢nupassin in combn k¤ye k¤y¢nupass¨ "realizing in the body an aggregate" D II.94, 100, 291 sq.; D III.58, 77, 141, 221, 276; M I.56; A I.39, 296; II.256; III.449; IV.300, 457 sq.; S IV.211; V.9, 75, 298, 329 sq.;...
-¤yatana the sense of touch D III.243, 280, 290...
-indriya same D III.239...
-¬paga going to a (new) body S II.24;
-kamma "bodily action," deed performed by the body in contradistinction to deeds by speech or thought...D I.250; III.191, 245, 279; M I.415; III.206; A I.104; III.6, 9, 141 sq.; V.289...
-kali "the misfortune of having a body" = this miserable body...
-kas¤va bodily impurity or depravity A I.112;
-gata "relating to the body," always combined with sati in the same sense as *anupassin (see above) S I.188; M. III.92; A I.44...
-gantha bodily tie or fetter (binding one to sa?sara)...
-gutta one who guards his body, i. e. controls his action...S I.172=Sn 74;
-tapana chastisement of body, curbing one's material desires, asceticism...
-dukkha bodily pain...M III.288;
-duccarita misconduct by the body, evil deeds done through the instrumentality of the body...D III.52, 96, 111, 214; A I.48...
-dhatu the "element" of body, i. e. the faculty of touch, sensibility
-pariyantika limited by the body, said of vedana, sensation S V.320 = A II.198
-pas¤da clearness of the sense of touch or sense in general...
-passaddhi serenity or quietude of the senses S IV.125...V.66, 104...
-bala physical strength...
-bh¤van¤ meditation or training with regard to action D III.219; M I.237...
-moneyya the true wisdom regarding the use of the body as an instrument of action...D III.220; A I.273...
-vi½½atti intimation by body, i. e. merely by one's appearance, appl. chiefly to the begging bhikkhu...
-vi¾¾¤¼a consciousness by means of touch, sensory consciousness D III.243;...*dhatu element of touch-consciousness...
-vi¾¾eyya to be perceived by the sense of touch...D I.245; II.281; III.234; M I.85, 144...
-viveka seclusion of the body, hermitism J I.289...
-sakkhin he who has realized and gained the final truth concerning the body (cp. *anupassin) D III.105, 254; M I.478...M II.113; III.45; A I.74; 118; IV.10, 451; V.23...
-sankh¤ra the material aggregate, substratum of body Vin III.71; S II.40; III.125; IV.293; A I.122; II.158, 231...
-sa¾cetana ...ground (for the rise of), material, i. e. impure thoughts A II.157...
-samphassa the sense of touch...D III.243; S V.351...; *ja arisen through touch or sensibility D III.244...
-suci purity of body, i. e. of action (+vaci*, ceto*) A I.273...
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