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consists of three of the four primary elements, water being excluded. The rūpāyatana (the sphere of the visible) includes colour like blue, yellow, red, etc. and figures like circular, oval, square, hexagonal etc. The saddayatana (the sphere of the audible) includes different kinds of sounds of drum, of tabors, of conch shells etc. The gandhāyatana (the sphere of the odorous) includes all kinds of odour sugandha and durgandha and the rasāyatana (the sphere of the savoury) includes tastes like bitter, pungent, saline and acrid etc.
It is interesting to note here that the earlier Buddhists have discussed the problem as to how does the sound travel, Does it require a medium to travel ? The answer is in the affirmative.
The two faculties of sex which are responsible for distinguishing the male and the female also come under upāda rūpa (secondary matter). According to the Dhammasangani, the purisindriya (faculty of masculinity) is responsible for the physical appearance, mark, traits and department that are peculiar to a male. Similarly the itthindriya (faculty of femininity) gives rise to the marks and traits of a female.
Jivitindriya (the faculty of life) is also a kind of upāda rūpa. Its function is to stabilize and sustain the kammasamutthana rūpa i. e. matter that rises as a result of kamma. There is Jtvitindriya in a piece of paper so long as it is not friable. The moment it becomes so, it has lost the faculty of life. Kabalikara ahāra is also a form of secondary rupa. Although it literally means gross food taken in morsels, its Abhidhammika meaning is that aspect of matter which is nutritive i. e. which helps one in growth.
Hadaya vatthu, not recognized as a form of rūpa even in the Dhammasangani but mentioned in the Patthara, is a post canonical development. It is called the heart basis which is the physical basis of mano dhātu (mind) and mano viññāna dhātu (mind consciousness).
The two modes of self expression (viññati rūpa) kāyaviññati (bodily expression) and vacīviññati (vocal expression) are also upāda rūpas. Because they make the thoughts known or they help in communicating thoughts, they are called viññati. Kāyaviññati is not identical with bodily expression but it refers to the bodily tension that rises in response to a thought moral (kusala), immoral (akusaia) or indeterminate (avyākata). In the Dhammasangani, it has been defined as the state of bodily tension or excitement (kāyassa thambhanā santhanbhanā samthambhitattam). Vaciviññati means expression or communication through voice of speech or articulate sound. It rises like Kāyaviññati in response to a kusala, akusala or avyākata thought.
The three characteristics of matter viz., lahută (lightness), muduta (softness) and kammaññatā (pliability) are qualities of matter in general. This triad of lahutā, mudută, and kammaññatā represents the healthy and efficient position of a being.
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