Body and mind relationship
Venerable Peramandiye Indarathana
List of Content
ü Introduction
to Body Mind relationship and Buddhist
point of view
ü Nāmarūpa
and causality
ü Nature
of nāmarūpa
Introduction to
Nāmarūpa and Buddhist point of view
It
is a well-known fact that in Buddha’s teaching the term Nāmarūpa represent the
ceaseless continuous of existence of an individual. When considering the term nāmarūpa, nāma is
typically considered the psychological elements of a human being. As well as
rūpa is considered as physical elements of a human being. Therefore one can
come to a conclusion about human beings in this manner; a human being is a
combination of mind and matter. According to the Buddhism this two terms are
represent the complex meaning of individual and cosmic. Ayaṃ ceva kayo bahiddhā
nāma-rūpaṃ[2].
In general usage it explains that those mental and material phenomena of the
so-called individual, therefore it is rendered as individuality or individual
being. When considering the teaching of the Buddha it is stated as five
aggregates. The Buddha says
Katamañca bhikkhave
nāmarūpaṃ? Vedanā saññā
cetanā phasso manasikāro, idaṃ vuccati nāmaṃ. Cattāro ca mahābhūtā,
catunnaṃ ca mahābhūtānaṃ upādāyarūpaṃ, idaṃ vuccati rūpaṃ.
Iti idañca nāmaṃ, idañca rūpaṃ, idaṃ vuccati bhikkhave, nāmarūpaṃ[3]
"Monks
what is name and form? Feeling, perception intention, Contact
and attention: This is called name. The four great elements
or mahābhūta, and the form dependent on the four great elements: This is called
Forms. This name and this form are, monks, called name
and form.[4]
When considering the pre Buddhist concepts related to the nāmarūpa which is not
peculiar to Buddhist thoughts. It was a conception of the Upanisads, even if it
was a one of the conception of them the origin goes to the Vedic period.
According to which it is the differentiation of Reality into mental and
physical phenomena that has given rise to the conception of nāmarūpa[5]
according to one of the hymns which is rendered in rig veda it is stated
that the existence of nāmarūpa is due to
two consecutive acts of division: first the separation of the two aspects of
the Universal being. Father and son, and then the dismemberment of twin and one
cosmetic manifestation[6].it
is important to note that here the Brahmin concept of the nāmarūpa concept.
Nāmarūpa is the means by which reality ( Brahman or sat) is manifested in the
world; for it is said that Brahman produces out of itself heat “tejas” then out
of heat water “āpas” is produced. Out of water food “annaṃ” Brahman penetrates
as Jivitam into these three which are elevatd to the position of deities, and
make each of them freefold, differentiates nāmarūpa. The Brahman having
emanated the world enters them again by means of nāmarūpa of which everything
consists[7].
All schools of Buddhism agree that
nāma represents the four immaterial aggregates. The aggregate of feelings
“Vedanā” the aggregates of perception “Saññā” the aggregate of mental formation
“sankhāra” the aggregate of consciousness “Viññāna” these four aggregates are
called as nāma because they possess the characteristic of flexibility.
According to the well-known scholar Dr. Chandrakirti who gives an
eschatological explanation says that the four aggregates are called nāma in the
sense that they bend toward continued existence Bhava in different places.
Ruppana or rūpāna
generally means oppression or affliction. It is stated that rūpa is afflicted
by touch of cold and heat, or sun and wind, or hunger and thirst and of gnats
and mosquitos and snakes. Rūpa according to this description seems to have been
mentioned as a subjective factor, for it is said to be afflicted not only by
climate conditions but also by touch of snakes and like. According to the
Venerable Buddhaghosa and buddhatta illustrate the interdependence of nāma and
rūpa. They compare nāma to sailors and rūpa to a ship. The man cannot sail
without the help of ship while the ship cannot move without the energy exerted
by men[8].
And also another parable is given by Venerable Upatiss who says nāma like the
cripple and rūpa like the blind. The cripple cannot walk because he is disable,
whereas the blind cannot walk because he cannot see the way. A journey is
possible only if the two get gather. This is more enough for understanding the
relationship in between name and form. The tables of nāmarūpa and corresponding
elements show in this below table.
Nāmarūpa and the corresponding “elements”
of other categories
Nāmarūpa
|
Khanda
|
Dhātu
|
Āyatana
|
Dhātu
|
Dhamma
|
Viññāna
|
Viññāna
|
Manāyatana
|
Manodhātu
Chakkhuviññana
Sota,Ghāna,Jivhā,
Kāya, Manaviññāna
|
Citta
|
|
Vedanā
Saññā
Sankhāra
|
A section of
Dhammāyatana
|
A section of
Dhammāyatana
|
Cetasika
|
||
Rūpa
|
Rūpa
|
Paṭavi
Āpo
Tejo
Vāyo
ākāsa
|
Cakkhu
Sota
Ghāna
Jivhā
Kaya
Rūpa
Sadda
Gangha
Rasa
Phottabba
A section of
dhammāyatana
|
Cakkhu
Sota
Ghāna
Jivhā
Kaya
Rūpa
Sadda
Gangha
Rasa
Phottabba
A section of
dhammāyatana
|
ü Nāmarūpa
and causality
When
describing the nāmarūpa and causality, it is important to note that it
represents a complex unit in which both psychological and physical phenomena
are potentially present; it is a dynamic entity which plays an essential role
in the conception of a being. According to the dependent origination nāmarūpa
is preceded by viññāna and is succeeded by salāyatana. ( viññāna paccayā
nāmarūpa, nāmarūpa paccayā salāyatana)[9]
nāmarūpa is said to originate depending on viññāna; it also rise salāyatana or
passa.
According to the
some suttas which is rendered in the pali cannon give a different details about
the causality. Mahāpadana sutta and Mahānidāna sutta of Digha nikaya discuss
causality in this manner. The formula begins with nāmarūpa., and it goes
as follow. Nāmarūpa paccayā viññānaṁ, viññāna paccayā nāmarūpaṁ,nāmarūpa
paccayā salāyatanam,[10].
According to this passage viññāna arises depending on nāmarūpa, nāmarūpa arises
depending on viññāna and nāmarūpa gives rise either to salāyatana or to phassa.
In this passage we can find number of items involved such as Viññāna,
salāyatana and phassa.
According
to the Venerable Buddhaghosa’s explanation nāmarūpa is that which enters a
mother’s womb at conception, Okkanti nāmarūpanti yā gabbhe rūparūpadhammānaṁ
okkanti, sgantvā pavisanam viya;[11]. It
is explained that nāmarūpa becomes the cause of viññāna by providing support
for the letter. It is by establishing viññāna in nāmarūpa that conception
becomes successful; for without nāmarūpa, viññāna does not find a foothold.
ü Nature
of nāmarūpa
It is proved that viññāna finds support in nāmarūpa
in the mother’s womb, and conception is achieved. It is this nāmarūpa that
develops into a full personality, complete eith sense organs and so on. This
developed personality also referred to sometimes as nāmarūpa, because the
elements found in this personality are not different in nature from nāmarūpa at
concetion. According to the visuddhimagga the terms personality person or
individual puggala, being satta man manuja or body deha are used. The uses of these terms are valid so long as
there is nāmarūpa.
It is a well-known fact that nāmarūpa is a
conjunction of two components which are interdependent, namely the body of
material elements and the body of mental factors. One cannot arise or exist
except in conjunction with the other. It constitutes the complex of five
aggregates. The attainment of nirvana is the direct result of the destruction
of passions such as craving and greed as well as attachment to nāmarūpa. It is
these passions that constitute the fetters and ties that bind living beings to
nāmarūpa
Conclusion
As a conclusion it can be explained as in this
manner. As above mentioned life is a combination of mind and matter. Mind is
consists of the combination of sensations, perception, volitional activities
and consciousness. Matter consists of the combination of the four elements of
solidity, fluidity, motion and heat. According to the Venerable K Sri
Dhammananda[12]
he states that mind to matter is like the relation of a battery to an engine of
a motor car. The battery helps to start the engine. The engine helps to charge
the battery. Matter helps the mind to function and the mind helps to set matter
in motion. It is clear that there
is a clear differentiation between dhammas which are intensional (part of nama)
and those which pertain to material form (rupa). And also nevertheless, not all
rupa dhammas can be sensed by a physical sense organ; some must be inferred or
clairvoyantly known: thus rupa does not refer simply to that-which (physically)-sensed,
as some have held[13]
as well as while nama is centred on
citta and rupa is centred on the 'four great elements', there is no dualism of
a mental 'substance' versus a physical 'substance': both nama and rupa each
refer to clusters of changing, Interacting processes. The processes of nama and
rupa also interact with each other, from the moment of conception, mutually
supporting each other. For a life to begin, there must be the coming together,
in the womb, of appropriate physical conditions and a flow of consciousness
from a previous life[14].
.
Bibliography
o
Sri Dhammananda walpola (1998) what
Buddhist believe Buddhist missionary society
o By
Peter Havery (1993) the
mind-body relationship in Pali Buddhism: A philosophical investigation, Asian
Philosophy
[1]
Vajirā sutta of Saṃyukata nikaya,Bhkkuni saṃyukta
[2] Saṃyukta
nikaya 11
[3]
Vibhangha sutta
[4]
Bhikkubodhi Translation.
[5]
Rig veda.
[6]
Encyclopedia of English.
[7]
Satapathabrāhman
[8]
Vissuddhi magga.
[9]
Paticca samuppāda sutta of Dighanikaya
[10]
Mahapadana sutta and mahānidāna sutta of dighanikāya.
[11]
Visuddhimagga
[12]
What Buddhist believe page 73
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