➥ saṅkhā:

• for saṅkhā:
  • conception
  • reason
  • ulterior motive
• for saṅkhātuṁ:
  • to reckon
• for saṅkhāya:
  • having reflected
  • on reflection
  • with reflectiveness
• for saṅkhaṁ gacchati:
  • to be reckoned
• for na upeti saṅkhaṁ:
  • to be beyond the limits of conception

Illustration: saṅkhā, conception

What one perceives, one thinks about. What one thinks about, one perceptually entrenches. Due to what one perceptually entrenches, entrenched perception and conception assail a man in relation to visible objects known via the visual sense whether past, future, or present.

Yaṁ sañjānāti taṁ vitakketi. Yaṁ vitakketi taṁ papañceti. Yaṁ papañceti tatonidānaṁ purisaṁ papañcasaññāsaṅkhā samudācaranti atītānāgatapaccuppannesu cakkhuviññeyyesu rūpesu. (MN i 111)

Lord of the Devas, the basis, origin, object of genesis and production, of thought is entrenched perception and conception. When there is entrenched perception and conception, thought arises. Without entrenched perception and conception, there is no thought.

Vitakko kho devānaminda papañcasaññāsaṅkhānidāno papañcasaññāsaṅkhāsamudayo papañcasaññāsaṅkhājātiko papañcasaññāsaṅkhāpabhavo papañcasaññāsaṅkhāya sati vitakko hoti papañcasaññāsaṅkhāya asati vitakko na hotī ti. (D.2.277)

➥ saṅkhāya: (main article see: saṅkhā)

Illustration: saṅkhāya, conception

A wise person should completely destroy the origin of entrenched conception, the notion “I am.”

mūlaṁ papañcasaṅkhāya mantā asmī ti sabbamuparundhe. (Snp 916)

Illustration: saṅkhāya, conception; saṅkhaṁ nopeti, beyond the limits of conception

Beings who perceive [only] what can be expressed and are entrenched in what can be expressed, not profoundly understanding what is expressed, they come under the yoke of death;

Akkheyyasaññino sattā akkheyyasmiṁ patiṭṭhitā.
Akkheyyaṁ apariññāya yogamāyanti maccuno.

But if one profoundly understands what can be expressed, and does not think ‘I am the expressor,’ the mind’s liberation is achieved, the unsurpassed Peaceful State.

Akkheyyañca pariññāya akkhātāraṁ na maññati
Phūṭṭho vimokkho manasā santipadamanuttaraṁ.

Perfectly understanding what can be expressed, the Peaceful One delights in the Peaceful State.

Sa ce akkheyyasampanno santo santipade rato

The one who is blessed with profound knowledge, being established in righteousness, though he makes use of conception he is beyond the limits of conception.

Saṅkhāya sevī dhammaṭṭho saṅkhaṁ nopeti vedagū ti. (Iti 53)

Comment

Though the one of great wisdom has transcended self-centredness he might still say ‘I speak,’

So vītivatto maññanaṁ sumedho
Ahaṁ vadāmī ti pi so vadeyya

and he might say ‘They speak to me.’

Mamaṁ vadantī ti pi so vadeyya

Proficient, understanding conventional terminology, he makes use of such terms merely for the purposes of communication.

Loke samaññaṁ kusalo viditvā
Vohāramattena so vohareyyā ti. (SN i 14-15)

➥ na upeti saṅkhaṁ: (main article see: saṅkhā)

Illustration: na upeti saṅkhaṁ, beyond the limits of conception

Just as a flame tossed about by the force of the wind vanishes, and is beyond the limits of conception, so a sage liberated from immaterial-factors-and-body vanishes, and is beyond the limits of conception.

Acci yathā vātavegena khitt atthaṁ paleti na upeti saṅkhaṁ;
Evaṁ muni nāmakāyā vimutto atthaṁ paleti na upeti saṅkhaṁ. (Snp 1074)

Comment:

This is explained two verses later as follows:

There is no measuring of one who has vanished. That no longer exists in relation to which one might speak of him. When all points of reference are removed, then all ways of talking about him are also removed.

Atthaṅgatassa na pamāṇamatthi yena naṁ vajjuṁ taṁ tassa natthi
Sabbesu dhammesu samūhatesu samūhatā vādapathā pi sabbe ti. (Snp 1076)

Comment:

• The Perfect One has abandoned that bodily form… field of sensation by which one knowing the Perfect One might know him. It is chopped down at the root, completely and irreversibly destroyed, never to arise again in future.

Yena rūpena… viññāṇena tathāgataṁ paññāpayamāno paññāpeyya taṁ rūpaṁ… viññāṇaṁ tathāgatassa pahīnaṁ ucchinnamūlaṁ tālāvatthukataṁ anabhāvakataṁ āyatiṁ anuppādadhammaṁ.

… The Perfect One is liberated from being reckoned in terms of bodily form… field of sensation, Vaccha, he is profound, immeasurable, unfathomable like the ocean

Rūpasaṅkhāvimutto… Viññāṇasaṅkhāvimutto kho vaccha tathāgato gambhīro appameyyo duppariyogāho seyyathā pi mahāsamuddo. (MN i 488)

Illustration: saṅkhā, consideration

‘But while I am staying in this quiet grove, unestablished mindfulness is not established…’: Bhikkhus, on the basis of that consideration, that bhikkhu should depart from that quiet grove, he should not remain.

Atha ca pana me imaṁ vanapatthaṁ upanissāya viharato anupaṭṭhitā ceva sati na upaṭṭhāti… Tena bhikkhave bhikkhunā saṅkhāpi tamhā vanapatthā pakkamitabbaṁ na vatthabbaṁ. (MN i 105)

➥ saṅkhāya: (main article see: saṅkhā)

Illustration: saṅkhāya, ulterior motive

He visits families with an ulterior motive, he takes a seat with an ulterior motive, he explains the teaching with an ulterior motive, he restrains the calls of nature with an ulterior motive.

So saṅkhāya kulāni upasaṅkamati saṅkhāya nisīdati saṅkhāya dhammaṁ bhāsati saṅkhāya uccārapassāvaṁ sandhāreti. (AN ii 143)

➥ saṅkhātuṁ: (main article see: saṅkhā)

Illustration: saṅkhātuṁ, reckon

There are devas whose life-span is not to be reckoned by counting or computation.

Santi bhante devā yesaṁ na sakkā gaṇanāya vā saṅkhānena vā āyuṁ saṅkhātuṁ. (DN iii 111)

➥ saṅkhaṁ gacchati: (main article see: saṅkhā)

Illustration: saṅkhaṁ gacchati, reckoned

Whenever the gross material acquired self is present, it is not reckoned as a mind-made material acquired self, nor an immaterial acquired self. It is reckoned only as a gross material acquired self on that occasion.

yasmiṁ samaye oḷāriko attapaṭilābho hoti neva tasmiṁ samaye manomayo attapaṭilābho ti saṅkhaṁ gacchati. Na arūpo attapaṭilābho ti saṅkhaṁ gacchati. 'Oḷāriko attapaṭilābho'tveva tasmiṁ samaye saṅkhaṁ gacchati. (DN i 202)

From a cow comes milk, from milk comes cream, from cream comes butter, from butter comes ghee, and from ghee comes cream of ghee. When there is milk, it is not then reckoned as cream or butter or ghee or cream of ghee. It is reckoned then only as milk.

gavā khīraṁ khīramhā dadhi dadhimhā navanītaṁ navanītamhā sappi sappimhā sappimaṇḍo yasmiṁ samaye khīraṁ hoti neva tasmiṁ samaye dadhīti saṅkhaṁ gacchati. Na navanītanti saṅkhaṁ gacchati. Na sappīti saṅkhaṁ gacchati. Na sappimaṇḍoti saṅkhaṁ gacchati. Khīraṁ tveva tasmiṁ samaye saṅkhaṁ gacchati. (DN i 201)

➥ saṅkhāya: (main article see: saṅkhā)

Illustration: saṅkhāya, having reflected

There are eight statements spoken by Sakka, Lord of the Devas, in praise of the Blessed One that are in accordance with reality. Having reflected on them we rejoice.

atthi ca sakkena devānamindena tassa bhagavato aṭṭha yathābhuccā vaṇṇā bhāsitā te ca mayaṁ saṅkhāya modāmā ti. (DN ii 228)

He for whom, having reflected on the world through and through, there is no spiritual instability in relation to anything in the world… he has overcome birth and old age, I declare.

Saṅkhāya lokasmiṁ parovarāni
Yassiñjitaṁ natthi kuhiñci loke. (Snp 1048)

Comment:

Iñjitaṁ: ‘spiritual instability.’ For example:

• The notion “I am” is a matter of spiritual instability,

asmī ti bhikkhave iñjitametaṁ. (SN iv 203)

Having heard the teaching explained by the Sublime One, having reflected [on it], the disciple of excellent wisdom should make [appropriate] use of almsfood, abodes, beds and seats, and water to wash his robes.

Piṇḍaṁ vihāraṁ sayanāsanañca āpañca saṅghāṭirajūpavāhanaṁ
Sutvāna dhammaṁ sugatena desitaṁ saṅkhāya seve varapaññasāvako. (Snp 391)

Illustration: saṅkhāya, on reflection

Four supports: here a bhikkhu on reflection pursues something, or endures it, or avoids it, or dispels it.

Cattāri apassenāni: idhāvuso bhikkhu saṅkhāyekaṁ paṭisevati saṅkhāyekaṁ adhivāseti saṅkhāyekaṁ parivajjeti saṅkhāyekaṁ vinodeti. (DN iii 224)

Illustration: saṅkhāya, with reflectiveness

He in this world who lives the religious life having spurned [the accumulating of] merit and demerit, who fares in the world with reflectiveness, he is truly called a bhikkhu.

Yodha puññañca pāpañca bāhetvā brahmacariyavā
Saṅkhāya loke carati sa ve bhikkhū ti vuccati. (SN i 182)

‘The bhikkhu who in the face of sensuous pleasures lives the religious life with reflectiveness, free of craving, ever mindfully, and inwardly at peace, for him there are no states of spiritual instability.

Kāmesu brahmacariyavā vītataṇho sadā sato
Saṅkhāya nibbuto bhikkhu tassa no santi iñjitā. (Snp 1041)