Kalapas
Encyclopedia
In Theravada
Buddhist phenomenology
, Kalapas are defined as the smallest units of physical matter
. Kalapas are described as tiny units of materiality, “tens of thousands of times smaller than a particle of dust,” coming into existence and disappearing in as little as a billionth
of a second
or a trillionth
of the blink of an eye. Kalapas are understood by some Therevada thinkers as actual subatomic particles and the smallest units of materiality.
Kalapas are not mentioned in the earliest Buddhists texts, such as the Tripitaka
, but only in the Abhidhammattha Saïgaha, an Abhidhamma commentary that was composed between the 5th and 11th centuries. They are not universally accepted in Theravada Buddhism, and the Buddha never directly speaks of kalapas.
According to the description found in the Abhidhammattha Saïgaha, Kalapas are said to be invisible under normal circumstances but visible as a result of meditative samadhi
. Kalapas are composed of eight inseparable elements of material essence in varying amounts which are:
The first four elements are called primary qualities, and are predominant in kalapas. The other four are secondary properties that derive from the primaries. Certain kalapas are said to also include additional elements, including sound
, sex
, body
, mind-base and life
. In contemporary Buddhist meditation practice, the observation and analysis of kalapas is a type of vipassana
practice that aims to allow direct observation of impermanence
and non-self
. Contemporary adherents of practices related to the observation and analysis of kalapas include U Ba Khin
, S.N. Goenka and Pa Auk Sayadaw. Mahasi Sayadaw
expressed a belief that kalapas played a role in aging, death
and rebirth
.
Theravada
Theravada ; literally, "the Teaching of the Elders" or "the Ancient Teaching", is the oldest surviving Buddhist school. It was founded in India...
Buddhist phenomenology
Phenomenology of religion
The phenomenology of religion concerns the experiential aspect of religion, describing religious phenomena in terms consistent with the orientation of the worshippers. It views religion as being made up of different components, and studies these components across religious traditions so that an...
, Kalapas are defined as the smallest units of physical matter
Matter
Matter is a general term for the substance of which all physical objects consist. Typically, matter includes atoms and other particles which have mass. A common way of defining matter is as anything that has mass and occupies volume...
. Kalapas are described as tiny units of materiality, “tens of thousands of times smaller than a particle of dust,” coming into existence and disappearing in as little as a billionth
Billionth
One billionth is the reciprocal of a billion, which means it has one of two definitions depending on whether the long scale or short scale definition is being used.-Short scale countries:...
of a second
Second
The second is a unit of measurement of time, and is the International System of Units base unit of time. It may be measured using a clock....
or a trillionth
Trillionth
One trillionth is the reciprocal of a trillion, which means it has one of two definitions depending on whether the long scale or short scale numbering system is in use.-Short scale countries:...
of the blink of an eye. Kalapas are understood by some Therevada thinkers as actual subatomic particles and the smallest units of materiality.
Kalapas are not mentioned in the earliest Buddhists texts, such as the Tripitaka
Tripiṭaka
' is a traditional term used by various Buddhist sects to describe their various canons of scriptures. As the name suggests, a traditionally contains three "baskets" of teachings: a , a and an .-The three categories:Tripitaka is the three main categories of texts that make up the...
, but only in the Abhidhammattha Saïgaha, an Abhidhamma commentary that was composed between the 5th and 11th centuries. They are not universally accepted in Theravada Buddhism, and the Buddha never directly speaks of kalapas.
According to the description found in the Abhidhammattha Saïgaha, Kalapas are said to be invisible under normal circumstances but visible as a result of meditative samadhi
Samadhi
Samadhi in Hinduism, Buddhism,Jainism, Sikhism and yogic schools is a higher level of concentrated meditation, or dhyāna. In the yoga tradition, it is the eighth and final limb identified in the Yoga Sūtras of Patañjali....
. Kalapas are composed of eight inseparable elements of material essence in varying amounts which are:
- earthEarthEarth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
- waterWaterWater is a chemical substance with the chemical formula H2O. A water molecule contains one oxygen and two hydrogen atoms connected by covalent bonds. Water is a liquid at ambient conditions, but it often co-exists on Earth with its solid state, ice, and gaseous state . Water also exists in a...
- fireFireFire is the rapid oxidation of a material in the chemical process of combustion, releasing heat, light, and various reaction products. Slower oxidative processes like rusting or digestion are not included by this definition....
- air
- colorColorColor or colour is the visual perceptual property corresponding in humans to the categories called red, green, blue and others. Color derives from the spectrum of light interacting in the eye with the spectral sensitivities of the light receptors...
- smellOdorAn odor or odour is caused by one or more volatilized chemical compounds, generally at a very low concentration, that humans or other animals perceive by the sense of olfaction. Odors are also commonly called scents, which can refer to both pleasant and unpleasant odors...
- tasteTasteTaste is one of the traditional five senses. It refers to the ability to detect the flavor of substances such as food, certain minerals, and poisons, etc....
- nutritive essence
The first four elements are called primary qualities, and are predominant in kalapas. The other four are secondary properties that derive from the primaries. Certain kalapas are said to also include additional elements, including sound
Sound
Sound is a mechanical wave that is an oscillation of pressure transmitted through a solid, liquid, or gas, composed of frequencies within the range of hearing and of a level sufficiently strong to be heard, or the sensation stimulated in organs of hearing by such vibrations.-Propagation of...
, sex
Sex
In biology, sex is a process of combining and mixing genetic traits, often resulting in the specialization of organisms into a male or female variety . Sexual reproduction involves combining specialized cells to form offspring that inherit traits from both parents...
, body
Body
With regard to living things, a body is the physical body of an individual. "Body" often is used in connection with appearance, health issues and death...
, mind-base and life
Life
Life is a characteristic that distinguishes objects that have signaling and self-sustaining processes from those that do not, either because such functions have ceased , or else because they lack such functions and are classified as inanimate...
. In contemporary Buddhist meditation practice, the observation and analysis of kalapas is a type of vipassana
Vipassana
Vipassanā or vipaśyanā in the Buddhist tradition means insight into the true nature of reality. A regular practitioner of Vipassana is known as a Vipassi . Vipassana is one of the world's most ancient techniques of meditation, the inception of which is attributed to Gautama Buddha...
practice that aims to allow direct observation of impermanence
Impermanence
Impermanence is one of the essential doctrines or three marks of existence in Buddhism...
and non-self
Non-self
Non-self may refer to:*Anatta, in Buddhist philosophy, the "non-self" or "absence of separate self"*Exogenous antigen, a non-self molecule that stimulates an immune response...
. Contemporary adherents of practices related to the observation and analysis of kalapas include U Ba Khin
U Ba Khin
Saya Gyi U Ba Khin was the first Accountant General of the Union of Burma. He is principally known as a leading twentieth century authority on Vipassana meditation. -Life and works:...
, S.N. Goenka and Pa Auk Sayadaw. Mahasi Sayadaw
Mahasi Sayadaw
The Venerable Mahasi Sayadaw U Sobhana was a Burmese Theravada Buddhist monk and meditation master who had a significant impact on the teaching of Vipassana meditation in the West and throughout Asia...
expressed a belief that kalapas played a role in aging, death
Death
Death is the permanent termination of the biological functions that sustain a living organism. Phenomena which commonly bring about death include old age, predation, malnutrition, disease, and accidents or trauma resulting in terminal injury....
and rebirth
Rebirth
-Spiritual:* Reincarnation, the migration of a deceased person's spirit to a newborn body** Rebirth * Baptism, a Christian ritual representing spiritual cleansing* Resurrection of the Dead-Music:* Rebirth Brass Band* Rebirth...
.
External links
- "The Essentials of Buddha Dhamma" The Buddhist Publication SocietyBuddhist Publication SocietyThe Buddhist Publication Society is a charity whose goal is to explain and spread the doctrine of the Buddha. It was founded in Sri Lanka in 1958 by two Sri Lankan Buddhist laymen, A.S. Karunaratna and Richard Abeyasekera, and a European-born Buddhist monk, Nyanaponika Thera...
, Sri LankaSri LankaSri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...