2. The Penta Masses - To become a Stream Enterer

2. The Penta Masses 

(Main article - Entering to the first stage of the Enlightenment)

This is quite an in-depth section. So get a good understanding of The Hexa Faculties before studying this.

The Penta Masses are the five masses of

1. Forms
2. Sufferings
3. Signals
4. Fabrications
5. Consciousness

                                               

(01) The mass of forms

Aapo – Fluid or shedding nature

Thejo - Fire or thermal nature
Vayo - Gases or wind nature

Pathavi - Solid or tough nature

These are known as the four great relics. The world we see can be divided into 2 main parts as follows.

• Physical things
• Non-physical things

We can observe physical things using our eyes, ears, nose, tongue, or body. That means the physical things are accessible to our Penta faculties.

* Penta faculties = Hexa faculties without the mental faculty = five institutes

 
* Physics, the science that studies the world is entirely based on the observations of the senses from our Penta faculties. Therefore it is difficult to explain the truths of the world beyond the penta faculties using the principles of physics. 

     

      Non-physical things are not as above. Nerves are a type of non-physical signal that carries sensations in the body. Also, our mind is a non-physical l thing that is not captured by our five faculties. But what should not be confused here is the fact that some non-physical things can be grasped through the five faculties using some physical changes. The reason for this is that changes can be observed in physical things due to the functioning of certain non-physical things. 

     

     

  Ex - When one gets angry, the face may undergo some change. That way one can observe another person's mind from the outside.

      * But since the majority of non-physical functions are unrelated with the physical things, it is difficult to confirm whether they are true by means of the penta faculties.

     

      Thus the physical things in the universe are taken under the forms and the non-physical things are taken under the names (including consciousness).

     * Names = Masses of sufferings, signals, and fabrications
 
Accordingly, forms are all the physical things including the four great relics as well as those born by the four great relics.
 
There, 

 

      The four great relics are

      Aapo, Thejo, Vayo, and Pathavi, which are taken under the
·         Images visible to the eye
·         Touches that sensitive to the body
 
Those what are born by the four great relics are
·         Sounds heard by the ear
·         Odors that smell in the nose
·         Flavors on the tongue
Which are born by the collisions and vibrations due to the different properties of the particles of Aapo, Thejo, Vayo, and Pathavi.
 
And
·         Certain Dhammas felt by the mind, such as the male organ, the female organ, the life organ, etc.
Which exist by associating Aapo, Thejo, Vayo, and Pathavi. 
 
* Life organ is the quality of having a life of something. Accordingly, the penta masses have different life organs. So the mass of forms is said to have life organs since the forms also have lives.
 
All things in the universe, i.e. the penta masses can also be represented by 12 institutes.
They are the eye, images (sights), ear, sounds, nose, odors (smells), tongue, flavors (tastes), body, touches, mind and Dhammas.

10 institutes out of those 12 institutes totally belong to the mass of forms. One institute belongs to the mass of forms to some extent. One institute does not belong entirely to the mass of forms.
 
* The 10 institutes of eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, images, sounds, odors, flavors, and touches all totally belong to the mass of forms.
* Only certain Dhammas in the Dhamma institute (ex -: life organ) belong to the mass of forms.
* The institute of Mind does not belong entirely to the mass of forms.
 

      Forms can be presented in 6 types, considering how they are grasped by our Hexa Faculties.

1.       Forms of images
2.       Forms of sounds
3.       Forms of odors
4.       Forms of flavors
5.       Forms of Touches
6.       Forms that belong to Dhammas

 

     Thus, the mass of forms is the set of forms that includes all six types of forms. Accordingly below 

1.       Internal forms
2.       External forms
3.       Overt forms
4.       Subtle forms
5.       Insulted forms
6.       Honored forms
7.       Distant forms
8.       Nearby forms
9.       Past forms
10.       Current forms
11.       Future forms

 
All the forms belonging to that 11 types (11 x 6 = 66) are compressed into one single set and called the "mass of forms".

1.       Internal forms are - forms that belong to someone
2.       External forms are - forms towards others and the outside world
3.       Overt forms are - eye, images, ear, sounds, nose, odors, tongue, flavors, body, and touches.
4.       Subtle forms are - invisible to the eye, imperceptible to the ear, and imperceptible to the nose, tongue, and body are the subtle forms belonging to the "Dhamma". Ex - female organ, male organ, empty space...etc
5.       Insulted forms are - images, sounds, odors, flavors, touches, etc., which are accepted as unpleasant and demeaning to people (beings).
6.       Honored forms are - images, sounds, odors, flavors, touches, etc., which are accepted as pleasant and respectful to people (beings).
7.       Distant forms are - forms that are distant from someone itself.
8.       Nearby forms are - forms that are close to one itself including its eye, ear, nose, tongue, and body.
9.       Past forms are - forms that existed at a previous moment or in a previous becoming (existence)
10.       Present forms are - forms that exist in the present
11.       Future forms are - forms to be born in the next moment or in the next becoming (existence)

   

(    02) The Mass of Sufferings

There is a non-physical quality called "Suffering" which is imparted to the being when the being touches physical or non-physical things in the world. Therefore, the image, sound, odors, flavors, touch, and Dhamma which are grasped by Hexa Faculties have sufferings. They are experienced by the being by touch.
 
There are 2 main types of sufferings

1.       Physical Sufferings (Sufferings about the physical body)
2.       Mental Sufferings (Sufferings about the mind)

 
(i) Physical Sufferings - Sufferings felt in the physical body

•      The suffering of the comfort
•      The Suffering of the pain

 
(ii) Mental Sufferings - Sufferings felt by the mind

•      The suffering of the happiness (joy)
•      The Suffering of the sadness (sorrow, fear, etc.)
•     The suffering of the indifferent (moderate without both happiness and sadness)

 
In this way, 5 types of sufferings are taken under the sufferings.

 5 types of sufferings are in the things of those are grasped by the hexa faculties as follows
 
* The images, sounds, odors, and flavors that we find in the environment are in the suffering of indifferent by their very nature.
 
* There are physical comforts as well as physical pains in touches.
 
* Dhammas do not cause physical sufferings. But mental sufferings can come from Dhammas.
 
It is described in the Paticcha Samuppada that due to the contact, analysis about the relevant image or sound or odor or flavor or touch, or Dhamma takes place and lustful or hateful or delusional or indifferent thoughts/signals (Dhammas) are generated.

      So there are sufferings of happiness, sadness, and indifferent in the Dhammas.
 
Accordingly, the sufferings can be presented in 6 types, considering how they are grasped by our hexa faculties.

1.       Suffering in image (Indifferent -Mental)
2.       Suffering in sound (Indifferent -Mental)
3.       Suffering in odors (Indifferent -Mental)
4.       Suffering in flavor (Indifferent -Mental)
5.       Suffering in touch (Comfort or Pain -Physical)
6.       Suffering in Dhammas (Happiness, sadness or indifferent -Mental)

 
Thus, the mass of sufferings is the set of sufferings that includes all six types of sufferings. Accordingly below

1.       Internal sufferings
2.       External sufferings
3.       Overt sufferings
4.       Subtle sufferings
5.       Insulted sufferings
6.       Honored sufferings
7.       Distant sufferings
8.       Nearby sufferings
9.       Past sufferings
10.       Current sufferings
11.       Future sufferings

 
All of the sufferings belonging to that 11 types (11 x 6 = 66) are compressed into one single set and called "mass of sufferings".
 
 

(0   3) The Mass of Signals

The signal is the recognition of something physical or non-physical by a being.
 
According to the Paticcha Samuppada, as anything is grasped by Hexa faculties such as seeing an image with the eye, 

      There will be born the Contact by the flow of Patichcha Samuppada as ignorance suffix leads to fabrication etc.
 
Here the eye consciousness (or relevant consciousness) makes a judgment by joining together with the eye and image in that Contact step. Accordingly the signal of what is the image is born. And identified.
Ex:-When you see your mother, you recognize her as "mother", but when someone else sees your mother, he/she recognizes her as "aunt" etc. That it creates different signals for different people according to the previous recognition knowledge of that image.

       

Ex:-When seeing an apple (a form), one person may recognize it as a "pleasant thing", but another person may recognize it as "unpleasant thing".
 
Ex:-Due to a physical pain (a suffering), the signal of "suffering is a pain" arises on the touch it brings.
 
Ex:-When you get an old sad memory (a signal), you get the signal as "that is a bad memory for me".
 
Ex:-When a lustful mind is born to you (a consciousness) you get the signal "It is a lustful mind".
 
Ex:-When you think (a fabrication) you get the signal of "I have thought".
 
All these signals are recognitions arising from various things that are grasped by our hexa faculties. So the signals can be presented in 6 types.

1.       Signals of images
2.       Signals of sounds
3.       Signals of odors
4.       Signals of flavors
5.       Signals of touches
6.       Signals of Dhammas

 
Thus, the mass of signals is the set of signals that includes all six types of signals. Accordingly below 

1.       Internal signals
2.       External signals
3.       Overt signals
4.       Subtle signals
5.       Insulted signals 
6.       Honored signals
7.       Distant signals
8.       Nearby signals
9.       Past signals
10.       Current signals
11.      Future signals

All of the signals belonging to that 11 types (11 x 6 = 66) are compressed into one single set and called "mass of signals".
 
 

(0  4) The Mass of Fabrications 

Fabrication is the generative nature of something physical or non-physical.
 
The reasons related to the formation of each fabrication should exist. Accordingly, the fabrications mean the birth by causes. In the study about the universe, we do not find anything that is born irrationally (causeless) in the universe. So there is fabrication in everything in the universe.

      Since these fabrications are born due to certain reasons and so those reasons are also the fabrications born by certain reasons. Therefore, anything that arises in this world is sustained by its causes, so along with the extinction of those causes, the thing that is born also perishes.
 
Therefore "all fabrications are perishable". Everything that is born is bound to perish.
 
Ex:-Lighting a lamp is the generation of the lamp flame. Accordingly, its fabrication is the generation of that flame.

      For the light of a lamp followings support as suffixes.

•     The lamp
•     Oil
•     The lampshade 
•     The air

Also, fire is the cause of the lamp's light since "fire" lights the lamp.

       

If any single cause or suffix is not available, the light of the lamp is not created. Also, the lamp also starts to be destroyed (extinguished) if even one of these causes or suffixes is used up.

•     By the end of the lampshade
•     Fire extinguished by wind or anything else
•     By breaking the lamp
•     Running out of oil
•     Without getting air

If even one reason above goes away, the light of the lamp will also end.
Accordingly, the light of the lamp is a fabrication that arises due to the above causes and which ceases with the demise of the above causes.
 
In terms of mass

•     The mass of form is born by the reasons of four great relics. Therefore there are fabrications in the mass of forms.
•     The masses of Pain and signal are born by the contact. Accordingly, there are fabrications in those masses as well.
•     The mass of consciousness is born by names and forms. Accordingly, there are fabrications in the mass of consciousness.
•     There are certain causes and suffixes for the generative nature (Fabrications) of the above four masses. That is, certain causes and suffixes must exist for the formation of fabrications too. Accordingly, the mass of fabrications is also caused by causes and suffixes. Thus there are fabrications in the mass of fabrications.

 
Therefore, these penta masses are the things that arise due to causes and perish by the demise of those causes. Therefore, the penta masses are fabrications.
 
If all the penta masses are fabrications, what is included under the mass of fabrications in the penta masses?
 
There is a point that should not be confused. Think of it like this. All the penta masses are not haphazardly born permanent things existing in the universe. That is all the penta masses are the things that have arisen due to causes. Those causes are the same things that have arisen due to each of the related causes. The causes that led to the formation of the penta masses are destroyed at certain times due to all the things which are born by causes are destroyed as the causes are destroyed. Then those born penta masses were also destroyed. Thus the nature of the penta masses that are formed by causes and suffixes is the fabrication nature of the penta masses. That fabrication nature of all the penta masses is taken under the mass of fabrication.

      Although the fabrication mass is defined in this way, the above-mentioned fabrications which are taken under the mass of fabrications are also generated by certain causes and suffixes. So it is said that there are fabrications within the fabrications. In that sense, the mass of fabrication is also said to be fabrications. In that sense, the fabrications in the Mass of Fabrications are also taken under the Mass of Fabrications itself.
 
Examples of certain fabrications as mentioned in the Tripitaka are as follows.

      Inhale, exhale, contact, Motives, Austere, Criticisms, Bliss, Sorrow, Concentration, faith, Effort, Attention, Trance, Perception, Life, Right View, Right Concepts, and other steps of the noble eightfold path, absence of greed, absence of the hatred, absence of the delusion,… etc.

      And at the same time, the mass of sufferings, the mass of consciousness, and any of formless Dhammas which was different but occurred by causes and suffixes are examples of the mass of the fabrications.
 
While studying the Paticcha Samuppada, the fabrications can be presented as follows.

•     Merit fabrications
•     Demerit fabrications
•     Formless merit fabrications
•     Physical fabrications
•     Conceptual fabrications
•     Mental fabrications

Here, the nature of being born in that each consciousness is said to be a fabrication. That is the Motive (intention). In this way, it can be seen that the Motive is often taken as the mass of the fabrications. The reason for this is that the mind is the least ephemeral of all the things in the universe that are born and die soon. Accordingly, the lifespan of a mind is said to be 1 mental instant. Accordingly, motives are constantly arising because minds are constantly arising in all beings. In that sense, it is used to say that the motives are the fabrications.
 
There are 6 types of motives (fabrications) according to which motive is taken by hexa faculties. 

1.       Motives on the image
2.       Motives on the sound
3.       Motives on the smell
4.       Motives on the taste
5.       Motives on the touch
6.       Motives on the Dhamma

 
Thus, the mass of fabrications is the set of fabrications that includes all six types of fabrications. Accordingly below 

1.       Internal fabrications  
2.       External fabrications
3.       Overt fabrications
4.       Subtle fabrications
5.       Insulted fabrications
6.       Honored fabrications
7.       Distant fabrications
8.       Nearby fabrications
9.       Past fabrications
10.       Current fabrications
11.       Future fabrications

 
All of the fabrications belonging to that 11 types (11 x 6 = 66) are compressed into one single set and called "mass of fabrications".
 
 

(0  5) The Mass Consciousness

Consciousness is born by the fabrications. Knowing (getting known) physical or non-physical things in the universe by a certain being through his mind is defined as the Consciousness.

      First, there will be born a fabrication when the eye sees an image. The fabrication means the occurrence of the birth of the mind (thought) of "what was grasped by this eye". That is the motive (intention). Due to this fabrication, a mind focused on the eye is born. This mind get known the image seen by the eye as an image with its real form (just as an Arahat sees). The mind what got known the image defines as the consciousness (there are many types of minds. But all minds are not called as consciousness). This consciousness is called “Eye Consciousness” because it locates the eye at birth.

   

      The eye-consciousness is not a mind tainted by defilements. This is the luminescent mind that perceives the image seen by the eye as in reality.
Ex:-Imagine you see your mother. Then you see only a physical image through the knowledge of the eye consciousness born by the suffix of the fabrication. There will not occur a signal by identifying “this image is my mother” after analyzing the image that was seen.

       

* This pure mind born in this way becomes defiled by defilements at the contact step of the Patichcha Samuppada. Thus,
 
All these consciousnesses are knowledge arising from various things that are grasped by our hexa faculties. So the consciousnesses can be presented in 6 types. 

•     Eye consciousness is born by seeing an image with the eye
•     Ear consciousness is born by hearing a sound in the ear
•     Nose consciousness is born by inhaling an odor with the nose
•     Tongue consciousness is born by taking a taste with the tongue
•     Body consciousness is born by contacting a touch with the body
•     Mental consciousness is born by getting a DHamma in the mental faculty

Thus, the mass of consciousness is the set of consciousnesses that includes all the six types of consciousness. Accordingly below 

1.       Internal consciousnesses   
2.       External consciousnesses
3.       Overt consciousnesses
4.       Subtle consciousnesses
5.       Insulted consciousnesses
6.       Honored consciousnesses
7.       Distant consciousnesses
8.       Nearby consciousnesses
9.       Past consciousnesses
10.       Current consciousnesses
11.       Future consciousnesses

All of the consciousnesses belonging to that 11 types (11 x 6 = 66) are compressed into one single set and called "mass of consciousness".
 
 
 

    References in Tripitaka

 
General facts about all masses

      [Sutra Pitakaya - Buddaka Nikaya - Patisambhidamaggappakarana - Maha Kura - Ditti Katha - Atmanu Ditti]
[Sutra Pitaka - Composition Denomination - Bandha Type - Bandha Composite - Subtype - Upadana Parivatatta Sutra]
[Sutra Pitaka - Composition Denomination - Bandha Type - Bandha Composition - Khajjaniya Type - Khajjaniya Sutra]
 
 
About the mass of forms -
[Sutra Pitaka - Buddaka Nikaya - Petakopadesha - Shasta Bhumi]
[Abhidhamma Pitaka - Dhammasanganiprakaran - 2 Rupa Group - Rupa Vibhatti - Suffering Recommendation]
[Abhidham Pitaka - Vibhangaprakaran 1 - Skanda Vibhangaya - Sutrataya Jaraliya - 8]
[Abhidhamma Pitaka - Vibhangaprakarana 2 - Dhammahadaya Vibhangaya - 1106]
[Abhidhamma Pitaka - Vibhangaprakarana - Paticcha Samuppada Vibhangaya - 373]
[Abhidhamma Pitaka - Vibhangaprakarana 1 - Institute Vibhanga - 231 - 237]
[Abhidhamma Pitaka - Dhatukatha Prakarana - Recommendations - 1 Collection Unsung Words Recommendation]
 
 
About the mass of sufferings -
[Sutra Pitaka - Samyutta Nikaya - Salayatana Type - Vagana Sangota - Rohagata Type - Panchakaoga Sutra]
[Sutra Pitaka - Samyutta Nikaya - Maha Type - Indriya Samyukta - Sukhindriya Type - Tatiya Vibhanga Sutra]
[Sutra Pitaka - Buddaka Nikaya - Petakopadesha - Shasta Bhumi]
 
 
 
About the mass of signals -
[Tripitaka - Sutra Pitaka - Anguttara Nikaya - Ekadasaka Nipataya - Nissaya Sarva - Pathama Sannya Sutra / Manasikara Sutras]
[Sutra Pitaka - Buddaka Nikaya - Petakopadesha - Shasta Bhumi]
[Sutra Pitaka - Anguttara Nikaya - Ekta Nipata - Ekadhamma Pali - Achurasanghata Type - 1.16.6. 73-92]
[Sutra Pitaka - Anguttara Nikaya - Dukha Nipata - Lower Type - 2.2.10.3]
[Sutra Pitaka - Anguttara Nikaya - Panchaka Nipataya - Type of Sannya - Pathama and Dutya Sannya Sutra]
[Sutra Pitaka - Anguttara Nikaya - Chukka Nipataya - Maha Kura - Nibbedhika Sutra]
[Sutra Pitaka - Anguttara Nikaya - Sattaka Nipata - Avyakata Type - Pachalayana Sutra]
[Tripitaka - Sutra Pitaka - Anguttara Nikaya - Dasaka Nipataya - Anisansa Sutra - Sariputta Sutra]
[Sutra Pitaka - Buddaka Nikaya - Patisambhidamaggappakarana - The Great Kind - Jnanakatha - 49 Satya Vivartha Jnanaya]
[Sutra Pitakaya - Buddaka Nikaya - Patisambhidamaggappakarana - Maha Kura - Ditti Katha - Atmanu Ditti]
[Abhidhamma Pitaka - Vibhangaprakarana 2 - Buddhakavatthu Vibhangaya - 870 - 886]
[Abhidharma Pitakaya - Dhammasanganiprakarana - 1 Chitthothpadakandaya - Pathaman Chittang - Padabhajaniyang and Kottasavaro]
[Abhidhamma Pitaka - Dhatukatha Prakarana - Recommendations - 1 Collection Unsung Words Recommendation]
 
 
About the mass of fabrications -
[Sutra Pitakaya - Buddaka Nikaya - Patisambhidamaggappakarana - Maha Katha - Ditti Katha - Atmanu Ditti]
[Sutra Pitaka - Samyutta Nikaya - Salayatana Type - Chitta Samyuttha - Duthiya Kamabhu Sutra]
[Sutra Pitaka - Buddaka Nikaya - Udana Pali - Pataligamiya Type - First Dabba Sutra]
[Sutra Pitaka - Buddaka Nikaya - Petakopadesha - Shasta Bhumi]
[Abhidhamma Pitaka - Narration 2 - Eighth Type - Life Organ Stories]
[Abhidhamma Pitaka - Story Version 2 - Newcomer Type - Anusaya Anarammanana'ti Katha]
[Abhidhamma Pitaka - Kathavastuprakarana 2 - Newbie Type - Gnanam Anarammananti Katha]
[Sutra Pitaka - Buddaka Nikaya - Petakopadesha - Saptama Bhumi - 15 - 12]
[Abhidharma Pitakaya - Dhammasanganiprakarana - 1st Chitthotpada Group - Pathaman Chittang - Padabhajaniyang and Kottasavaro]
[Abhidhamma Pitaka - Vibhangaprakarana 1 - Skanda Vibhangaya - Sutrataya Jaraliya - 35 onwards]
[Abhidhamma Pitaka - Dhatukatha Prakarana - Recommendations - 1 Collection Unsung Words Recommendation]
[Sutra Pitaka - Compound Denomination - Salayatana Type - Pain Compound - Rohagata Type - Rohagata Sutra]
[Sutra Pitaka - Anguttara Nikaya - One Nipata - Shuka Type - 8]
 
 
About the mass of consciousnesses -
[Sutra Pitaka - Anguttara Nikaya - One Nipata - Shuka Type - 9]
[Tripitaka - Sutra Pitaka - Samyutta Nikaya - Nidana Sutra - Abhisamaya Samyutya - 7 Maha Sutra - Assuthavantu Sutra]
[Abhidhamma Pitaka - Dhatukatha Prakarana - Recommendations - 1 Collection Unsung Words Recommendation]