All these states rise depending one upon the other (pa@ticcasamuppanna) and when a man says that he perceives the self he only deludes himself, for he only perceives one or more of these.  The word rupa in rupakhandha stands for matter and material qualities, the senses, and the sense data [Footnote ref 2].  But “rupa” is also used in the sense of pure organic affections or states of mind as we find in the Khandha Yamaka, I.p. 16, and also in Sa@myutta Nikaya, III. 86.  Rupaskandha according to Dharmasa@mgraha means the aggregate of five senses, the five sensations, and the implicatory communications associated in sense perceptions vijnapti).

The elaborate discussion of Dhammasa@nga@ni begins by defining rupa as “cattaro ca mahabhuta catunnanca mahabhntanam upadaya rupam” (the four mahabhutas or elements and that proceeding from the grasping of that is called rupa) [Footnote ref 3].  Buddhagho@sa explains it by saying that rupa means the four mahabhutas and those which arise depending (nissaya) on them as a modification of them.  In the rupa the six senses including their affections are also included.  In explaining why the four elements are called mahabhutas, Buddhagho@sa says:  “Just as a magician (mayakara) makes the water which is not hard appear as hard, makes the stone which is not gold appear as gold; just as he himself though not a ghost nor a bird makes himself appear as a ghost or a bird, so these elements though not themselves blue make themselves appear as blue (nilam upada rupam), not yellow, red, or white make themselves appear as yellow, red or white (odatam upadarupam), so on account of their similarity to the appearances created by the magician they are called mahabhuta [Footnote ref 4].”

In the Sa@myutta Nikaya we find that the Buddha says, “O Bhikkhus it is called rupam because it manifests (rupyati); how

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[Footnote 1:  Sa@myutta Nikaya, III. 86, etc.]

[Footnote 2:  Abhidhammatthasangaha, J.P.T.S. 1884, p. 27 ff.]

[Footnote 3:  Dhammasa@nga@ni, pp. 124-179.]

[Footnote 4:  Atthasalini, p. 299.]

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does it manifest?  It manifests as cold, and as heat, as hunger and as thirst, it manifests as the touch of gnats, mosquitos, wind, the sun and the snake; it manifests, therefore it is called rupa [Footnote ref 1].”

If we take the somewhat conflicting passages referred to above for our consideration and try to combine them so as to understand what is meant by rupa, I think we find that that which manifested itself to the senses and organs was called rupa.  No distinction seems to have been made between the sense-data as colours, smells, etc., as existing in the physical world and their appearance as sensations.  They were only numerically different and the appearance of the