Rupa

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For the Vaishnava philosopher see: Rupa Goswami

For the legal term see: Revised Uniform Partnership Act

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In general, rūpa (Sanskrit; Pāli; Devanagari: रुपा) is the Buddhist concept of material form, including both the body and external matter. As such, it is the first of the five skandhas or aggregates. In regards to the six sense-bases, rūpa refers specifically to visual forms.^[1]

Rupa is also used to describe a statue, in which it is sometimes called Buddharupa.

As matter, rūpa is traditionally analysed in two ways: as four elements (Pali, mahābhūta); and, as twenty-four aspects.

Contents 1 Four elements 2 Twenty-four aspects 3 See also 4 Notes 5 External links

[edit] Four elements

Existing rupa consists in the four elements:

• earth or solidity
• fire or heat
• water or cohesion
• air or movement

[edit] Twenty-four aspects

Rupa can also be reduced to these "perceived aspects".

• eye
• ear
• nose
• tongue
• body
• form
• sound
• odour
• taste
• femininity
• virility
• life
• heart
• physical indications (movements that indicate intentions)
• vocal indications
• space element
• physical lightness
• physical yieldingness
• physical handiness
• physical grouping
• physical extension
• physical aging
• physical impermanence
• food

[edit] See also

• Buddharupa
• Namarupa for the main concept
• Skandhas: vedana, sanna, sankhata,vijnana
• Body, sensations, perceptions, and consciousness
• Three marks of existence
• Abhidharma

[edit] Notes

1. ^ When mapping the Buddhist notions of the aggregates to sense bases, the material-form (rupa) aggregate thus includes the visual (rupa) sense-object as well as the sense objects of sound, odor, taste, touch and mental objects.

[edit] External links

• Maha-hatthipadopama Sutta Earth, water, fire and wind properties