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all references to nāma kāya (body of mental factors) in the suttas: KN Snp 5.7, DN 15, KN Ps, KN Nidd, KN Nett, KN Pe

Quick summary:

KN Snp 5.7 is talking about how the highest perception arupa formless dimension of nothingness (7th samapatti), in this attainment the mind that attains nirvana in this samadhi is free from nama-kaya (defined same as nama of 12ps dependent origination).


DN 15 is talking about 12ps dependent origination, and labeling the nama-rupa as nama kaya and rupa kaya.


KN Ps reference is the anapana breath meditation section, explaining that step 3, the sabba kaya (entire body) referred here, includes both rupa kaya (body of 4 elements) and nama kaya (12 ps nama). 


Conclusion

In the EBT, you can't find kaya in the 4 jhana context being 'nama kaya' (mental body devoid of rupa body of 4 elements). The most you can get away with, if you consider KN Ps EBT and authoritative on breath meditation, is saying that based on KN Ps it's legitimate to do breath meditation ignoring the physical breath and physical body, and focusing only on the nama-kaya since it is also part of 'sabba kaya'.

But there's absolutely no basis whatsoever to saying that EBT supports a kaya/body that is ONLY mental body that exludes a physical body in the four jhana context. Anyone who claims  that there is, has no sutta basis. 


♦ 6. upasīvamāṇavapucchā (KN 5.61) n
5:6  Upasīva’s Questions
♦ 1075.
Alone, Sakyan, with nothing to rely on,
(iccāyasmā upasīvo)
I can’t venture across
♦ “eko ahaṃ sakka mahantamoghaṃ,
the great flood.
♦ anissito no visahāmi tārituṃ.
Tell me, All-around Eye,
♦ ārammaṇaṃ brūhi samantacakkhu,
the support to rely on
yaṃ nissito oghamimaṃ tareyyaṃ”.
for crossing over this flood.
♦ 1076.
(upasīvāti bhagavā)
The Buddha:
♦ “ākiñcaññaṃ pekkhamāno satimā,
Nothingness observation; remembrance (of that),
♦ natthī-ti nissāya tarassu oghaṃ.
‘There isn’t,’ (by) relying (on that), (you should) cross-over (the) flood.
♦ kāme pahāya virato kathāhi,
sensuality; abandoning (that), abstaining (from) conversations,
Taṇhak-khayaṃ natta-mah-ābhi-passa” VAR .
craving’s-destruction; night-and-day – keep-watch (for that).
♦ 1077.
(iccāyasmā upasīvo)
Upasīva:
♦ “sabbesu kāmesu yo vīta-rāgo,
all sensuality, one free-of-passion (for that),
♦ ākiñcaññaṃ nissito hitvā maññaṃ.
Nothingness; relying (on that), letting-go (of) all-else,
♦ saññā-vi-mokkhe parame vimutto VAR,
(among) Perception-emancipations, (this is the) highest emancipation:
tiṭṭhe nu so tattha anānu-yāyī” VAR .
staying {there} is he unaffected?
♦ 1078.
(upasīvāti bhagavā)
The Buddha:
♦ “sabbesu kāmesu yo vītarāgo,
all sensuality, one free-of-passion (for that),
♦ ākiñcaññaṃ nissito hitvā maññaṃ.
Nothingness; relying (on that), letting-go (of) all-else,
♦ saññā-vi-mokkhe parame vimutto,
(among) Perception-emancipations, (this is the) highest emancipation:
tiṭṭheyya so tattha anānuyāyī”.
staying {there} he is unaffected.
♦ 1079.
Upasīva:
♦ “tiṭṭhe ce so tattha anānuyāyī,
If, All-around Eye, he stays there,
pūgampi vassānaṃ samantacakkhu.
unaffected for many years,
♦ tattheva so sītisiyā vimutto,
right there
cavetha viññāṇaṃ tathāvidhassa”.
would he be cooled & released?
Would his consciousness be like that?
♦ 1080.
(upasīvāti bhagavā)
The Buddha:
♦ “accī yathā vātavegena khittā VAR,
As a flame overthrown by the force of the wind
♦ atthaṃ paleti na upeti saṅkhaṃ.
goes to an end
♦ evaṃ munī nāmakāyā vimutto,
that cannot be classified,2
atthaṃ paleti na upeti saṅkhaṃ”.
so the sage freed from the name-body3
goes to an end
that cannot be classified.
♦ 1081.
Upasīva:
♦ “atthaṅgato so uda vā so natthi,
One who has reached the end:
udāhu ve sassatiyā arogo.
Does he not exist,
♦ taṃ me munī sādhu viyākarohi,
or is he for eternity
tathā hi te vidito esa dhammo”.
free from dis-ease?
Please, sage, declare this to me
as this phenomenon has been known by you.
♦ 1082.
(upasīvāti bhagavā)
The Buddha:
♦ “atthaṅgatassa na pamāṇamatthi,
One who has reached the end
♦ yena naṃ vajjuṃ taṃ tassa natthi.
has no criterion4
♦ sabbesu dhammesu samohatesu,
by which anyone would say that—
samūhatā vādapathāpi sabbe”ti.
for him it doesn’t exist.
When all phenomena are done away with,5
all means of speaking
are done away with as well.
♦ upasīvamāṇavapucchā chaṭṭhī niṭṭhitā.
vv. 1069–1076

Notes

1. “Nothingness” here denotes the dimension of nothingness, one of the four levels of mental absorption on formless themes. One attains this level, after surmounting the dimension of the infinitude of consciousness, by focusing on the perception, “There is nothing.” MN 26 tells us that Āḷāra Kālāma, the Buddha’s first teacher when the latter was still a Bodhisatta, had attained this level of mental absorption and had thought that it was the highest possible attainment. The Bodhisatta left him upon realizing that it was not true liberation from stress and suffering. Nevertheless, the dimension of nothingness can be used as a basis for the insight leading to that liberation. On this point, see Sn 5:14, below, and AN 9:36. On the strategy of relying on the formless states to cross over the flood, see MN 52, MN 106, MN 111, and AN 9:36.

2. For a discussion of this passage in light of early Buddhist theories of fire, see The Mind Like Fire Unbound, chapter 1.

3. Nāma-kāya = mental activities of all sorts.

4. For a discussion of the meaning of “criterion” in this passage, see The Mind Like Fire Unbound, chapter 1. On the Tathāgata as being undescribable, see Skill in Questions, chapter 9 and appendix 4.

5. This is one of the passages in the Canon that treats unbinding, not as a phenomenon (dhamma), but as the end of phenomena. On this point, see AN 3:137, note 1.



DN 15 Maha nidana (12ps sutta)


‘Phassapaccayā vedanā’ti iti kho panetaṃ vuttaṃ, tadānanda, imināpetaṃ pariyāyena veditabbaṃ, yathā phassapaccayā vedanā.
‘Contact is a condition for feeling’—that’s what I said. And this is a way to understand how this is so.
Phasso ca hi, ānanda, nābhavissa sabbena sabbaṃ sabbathā sabbaṃ kassaci kimhici, seyyathidaṃ—
Suppose there were totally and utterly no contact for anyone anywhere.
cakkhusamphasso sotasamphasso ghānasamphasso jivhāsamphasso kāyasamphasso manosamphasso, sabbaso phasse asati phassanirodhā api nu kho vedanā paññāyethā”ti?
That is, contact through the eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind. When there’s no contact at all, with the cessation of contact, would craving still be found?”
“No hetaṃ, bhante”.
“No, sir.”
“Tasmātihānanda, eseva hetu etaṃ nidānaṃ esa samudayo esa paccayo vedanāya, yadidaṃ phasso.
“That’s why this is the cause, source, origin, and condition of feeling, namely contact.
‘Nāmarūpapaccayā phasso’ti iti kho panetaṃ vuttaṃ, tadānanda, imināpetaṃ pariyāyena veditabbaṃ, yathā nāmarūpapaccayā phasso.
‘Name and form are conditions for contact’—that’s what I said. And this is a way to understand how this is so.
Yehi, ānanda, ākārehi yehi liṅgehi yehi nimittehi yehi uddesehi nāmakāyassa paññatti hoti, tesu ākāresu tesu liṅgesu tesu nimittesu tesu uddesesu asati api nu kho rūpakāye adhivacanasamphasso paññāyethā”ti?
Suppose there were none of the features, attributes, signs, and details by which the category of mental phenomena is found. Would linguistic contact still be found in the category of physical phenomena?”
“No hetaṃ, bhante”.
“No, sir.”
“Yehi, ānanda, ākārehi yehi liṅgehi yehi nimittehi yehi uddesehi rūpakāyassa paññatti hoti, tesu ākāresu … pe … tesu uddesesu asati api nu kho nāmakāye paṭighasamphasso paññāyethā”ti?
“Suppose there were none of the features, attributes, signs, and details by which the category of physical phenomena is found. Would impingement contact still be found in the category of mental phenomena?”
“No hetaṃ, bhante”.
“No, sir.”
“Yehi, ānanda, ākārehi … pe … yehi uddesehi nāmakāyassa ca rūpakāyassa ca paññatti hoti, tesu ākāresu … pe … tesu uddesesu asati api nu kho adhivacanasamphasso vā paṭighasamphasso vā paññāyethā”ti?
“Suppose there were none of the features, attributes, signs, and details by which the categories of mental or physical phenomena are found. Would either linguistic contact or impingement contact still be found?”
“No hetaṃ, bhante”.
“No, sir.”
“Yehi, ānanda, ākārehi … pe … yehi uddesehi nāmarūpassa paññatti hoti, tesu ākāresu … pe … tesu uddesesu asati api nu kho phasso paññāyethā”ti?
“Suppose there were none of the features, attributes, signs, and details by which name and form are found. Would contact still be found?”
“No hetaṃ, bhante”.
“No, sir.”
“Tasmātihānanda, eseva hetu etaṃ nidānaṃ esa samudayo esa paccayo phassassa, yadidaṃ nāmarūpaṃ.
“That’s why this is the cause, source, origin, and condition of contact, namely name and form.
‘Viññāṇapaccayā nāmarūpan’ti iti kho panetaṃ vuttaṃ, tadānanda, imināpetaṃ pariyāyena veditabbaṃ, yathā viññāṇapaccayā nāmarūpaṃ.
‘Consciousness is a condition for name and form’—that’s what I said. And this is a way to understand how this is so.



Full digital search for nama kaya




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