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K¤ya: [der. probably fr. ci, cinoti to heap up, cp. nik¤ya heaping up, accumulation or collection; Sk. k¤ya] group, heap, collection, aggregate, body.

Literal meaning.

1. mah¤jana-k¤ya a collection of people, a crowd S IV.191; V.170; VvA 78; --bala* a great crowd Sn p. 105; DhA I.193, 398.

2. group or division: satta k¤y¤ aka¤, etc. (seven eternal groups or principles) D I.56=M I.517=S III.211; with reference to groups of sensations or sense--organs, as vedan¤--k¤ya, sa¾¾¤*, vi¾¾¤¼a*, phassa*, etc. S III.60, 61; D III.243, 244; ta¼h¤* D III.244; appl. to hatthi*, ratha*, patti*, groups of elephants, carriages or soldiers S I.72. -- A good idea of the extensive meaning of k¤ya may be gathered from the classification of the 7 k¤yas at J II.91, viz. camma*, d¤ru*, loha*, ayo*, v¤luka*, udaka*, phalaka*, or "bodies" (great masses, substances) of skin, wood, copper, iron, sand, water, and planks. -- Var. other combns: Asura* A I.143; D III.7; Abhassara* ("world of radiance") D I.17=III.29, 84; Deva* S I.27, 30; D III.264 (*nik¤ya); dibb¤ k¤y¤ A I.143; T¤vati¸sa* D III.15.

Applied meaning.

I. K¤ya under the physical aspect is an aggregate of a multiplicity of elements which finally can be reduced to the four "great" elements, viz. earth, water, fire, and air (D I.55). This "heap," in the valuation of the Wise (muni), shares with all other objects the qualities of such elements, and is therefore regarded as contemptible, as something which one has to get rid of, as a source of impurity. It is subject to time and change, it is built up and kept alive by cravings, and with death it is disintegrated into the elements. But the kamma which determined the appearance of this physical body has naturally been renewed and assumes a new form.

II. K¤ya under the psychological aspect is the seat of sensation (Dhs §§ 613 16), and represents the fundamental organ of touch which underlies all other sensation. Developed only in later thought DhsA. 311 cf. Mrs. Rhys Davids, Bud. Psy. Ethics lvi. ff.; Bud. Psy. 143, 185 f.

I. (Physical).

(a) Understanding of the body is attained through introspection (sati). In the group of the four sati-paÂÂhanas, the foundations of introspection, the recognition of the true character of "body" comes first (see Vbh 193). The standing formula of this recognition is k¤ye k¤y¢nupass¨ . . . contemplating body as an accumulation, on which follows the description of this aggregate: "he sees that the body is clothed in skin, full of all kinds of dirty matter, and that in this body there are hair, nails, teeth," etc. (the enumeration of the 32 ¤k¤ras, as given Kh III.). The conclusions drawn from this meditation give a man the right attitude. The formula occurs frequently, both in full and abridged, e. g. D II.293, 294; III.104, 141; A III.323=V.109; S IV.111=V.278; Vbh 193, 194; Nett 83, 123; with slight variation: k¤ye asubh¢nupass¨ . . . A III.142 sq.; V.109 (under asubhasa¾¾a); It 81; cp. k¤ye anicc¢nupass¨ S IV.211; and k¤yagat¤ sati. -- This accumulation is described in another formula with: aya¸ . . . k¤yo r¬p¨ c¤tum(m)¤habh¬tiko m¤t¤-pettika-sambhavo odana-kumm¤s' upacayo, etc. "this body has form (i. e. is material, visible), is born from mother and father, is a heap of gruel and sour milk, is subject to constant dressing and tending, to breaking up and decay," etc., with inferences D I.55=S III.207; S II.94; IV.194; V.282, 370; D I.76, 209; M I.144, 500; II.17; A IV.386=S IV.83.

(b) Various qualities and functions of the material body. As trunk of the body (opposed to pakkh¤ and s¨sa) S II.231; also at Pv I.83; as depending on nourishment (¤h¤ra--ÂÂhitika, etc.) Sv.64; A II.145 (with ta¼ha, m¤na, methuna); as needing attention: see *parih¤rika. As savi¾¾¤¼aka, having consciousness A IV.53= S II.252=S III.80, 103, 136, 169; cp. ayu usma ca vi¾¾¤na¸ yad¤ k¤ya¸ jahant' ima¸ S III.143. As in need of breathing ass¤sa--pass¤sa S V.330, 336; as tired, fatigued (kilanta--k¤ya) kilanta-k¤y¤ kilanta-citta te dev¤ tamha k¤y¤ cavanti "tired in body, tired in mind these gods fall out of this assembly" . . . with a perfect body (of the Buddha) . . . The body of a Buddha is said to be endowed with the 32 signs of a great man Sn 107 . . . The Tathagata is said to be dhamma-k¤yo "author and speaker of Doctrine," in the same sense Brahma--k¤yo "the best body" (i. e. of Doctrine) D III.84 (Dial. iii, 81).

(c) Valuation of physical body. From the contemplating of its true character (k¤y¢nupassi) follows its estimation as a transient, decaying, and repulsive object. -- k¤ye anicc' ¢nupass¨ S IV.211 (and vay' ¢nupass¨, nirodh' ¢nupass¨) . . . -- This body is eaten by crows and vultures after its death: S V.370. Represented as p¬ti* foul S I.131; III.120. -- Bdhgh. at Vism 240 defines k¤ya as "catu-mah¤bh¬tika p¬ti-k¤ya" . . .

(d) Similes.--Out of the great number of epithets (adhivacan¤ni) and comparisons only a few can be mentioned (cp. above under def. & syn.): The body is compared to an abscess (ga¼Àa) S IV.83=A IV.386; a city (nagara) S IV.194; a cart (ratha) S IV.292; an anthill (vamm¨ka) M I.144; all in reference to its consisting of the four fundamental elements, cp. also: phe¼' ¬pama¸ k¤ya¸ ima¸ viditv¤ "knowing that the body is like froth" Dh 46; kumbh' ¬pama¸ k¤ya¸ ima¸ viditv¤ nagar' ¬pama¸ citta¸ ida¸ Âhapetv¤ Dh 40: the body is as fragile as a water-pot.

(e) Dissolution of the body is expressed in the standard phrase: k¤yassa bhed¤ param mara¼a . . ., i. e. after death . . . upon which usually follows the mention of one of the gatis, the destinies which the new k¤ya has to experience, e. g. D I.82, 107, 143, 162, 245, 247, 252; III.96, 97, 146, 181, 235; M I.22; S I.94; III.241; Dh 140; It 12, 14; J I.152; PvA 27, etc., etc. Cp. also IV.

II. (Psychological).--As the seat of feeling, k¤ya is the fifth in the enumeration of the senses (¤yatan¤ni). It is ajjhattika as sense (i. e. subjective) and its object is the tangible (phoÂÂhabba). The contact between subject and object consists either in touching (phusitv¤) or in sensing (vi¾¾eyya). The formulas vary, but are in essence the same all through, e. g. k¤ya-vi¾¾eyya phoÂÂhabba D I.245; . . . Best to be grouped here is an application of k¤ya in the sense of the self as experiencing a great joy; the whole being, the "inner sense," or heart. This realization of intense happiness (such as it is while it lasts), p¨ti-sukha, is the result of the four stages of meditation, and as such it is always mentioned after the jh¤nas in the formula: so ima¸ eva k¤ya¸ vivekajena p¨ti--sukhena abhisandeti . . . "His very body does he so pervade with the joy and ease born of detachment from worldliness" D I.73 sq.=M I.277; A II.41, etc. -- A similar context is that in which k¤ya is represented as passaddha, calmed down, i. e. in a state which is free from worldly attachment (vivekaja). This "peace" of the body (may be translated as "my senses, my spirits" in this connection) flows out of the peace of the mind and this is born out of the joy accompanying complete satisfaction (pamudit¤) in attaining the desired end. The formula is pamuditassa p¨ti j¤yati p¨timanassa k¤yo passambhati, passaddhak¤yo sukha¸ vedeti, sukhino citta¸ sam¤dhiyati D III.241, 288; S IV.351; M I.37; A III.21, 285; IV.176; V.3, 333; Vbh 227. . . .

III. (Ethical).--K¤ya is one of the three channels by which a man's personality is connected with his environment & by which his character is judged, viz. action, the three being k¤ya, vac¨ (v¤ca) and manas. These three kammantas, activities or agents, form the three subdivisions of the sila, the rules of conduct. K¤ya is the first and most conspicuous agent, or the principle of action kat) e)coxh/n, character in its pregnant sense.

K¤ya as one of a triad.--Its usual combination is in the formula mentioned, and as such found in the whole of the Pali Canon. But there is also another combination, found only in the older texts, viz. kayen¤ v¤c¤ya uda cetas¤: ya¾ ca karoti k¤yena v¤c¤ya uda cetas¤ ta¸ hi tassa saka¸ hoti ta¾ ca ¤d¤ya gacchati S I.93 . . . The variations of k- in the ethics of the Dhamma under this view of k*. v*. m*. are manifold, all based on the fundamental distinctions between good and bad, all being the raison d'être of kamma . . . Passages with reference to good works are e. g. D III.245; A I.151; V.302 sq.; (see also Kamma II.2 b. c.). -- With reference to evil: S III.241, 247; A I.201; . . .

K¤ya as one of a dyad: v¤c¤ and k¤ya: S I.172 (*gutta) M I.461 (rakkhita and a*); Pv I.22 (*sa¾¾at¤ and opp.); Vism 28 (k*--vac¨--kamma); PvA 98.

K¤ya alone as a collective expression for the three: A I.54; Dh 259, 391; Sn 206, 407 . . .

K¤ya in combn with citta: . . . S V.74 . . .

IV. (Various).--K¤yena (i. e. "visibly") a¾¾ama¾¾a¸ passitu¸ A II.61; as nanatta* and ekatta* at A IV.39 =Nd2 570. The relation between r¬pa-k¤ya (=c¤tumah¤bh¬tika), and n¤ma--k¤ya, the mental compound (=vedan¤ sa¾¾¤, etc.) is discussed at Nett 77, 78, and Ps I.183 sq., see also S II.24. K. is anatt¤, i. e. k. has no soul A V.109; S IV.166. n'¢ya¸ k¤yo tumh¤ka¸ n'¤pi paresa¸, pur¤¼a¸ ida¸ kamma¸ . . . "neither is this body yours, nor anyone else's: it is (the appearance of) former karma" S II.64, 65=Nd2 680. Dissam¤nena k¤yena and upaÀÀha--dissam¤nena S I.156. Manomaya--k¤ya a body made by the mind (cp. VvA 10 and DA I.110, 120, 222) according to Bdhgh only at the time of jh¤na S V.282 sq.; manomaya p¨ti-bhakkha saya¸pabha D I.17=VvA 10; manomaya¸ k¤ya¸ abhinimmin¤ya . . . D I.77; m* sabbanga--paccang¨ D I.34, 77, 186, 195. -- Under the control of psychic powers (iddhi): k¤yena va sa¸vatteti he does as he likes with his body, i. e. he walks on water, is ubiquitous, etc. (y¤va brahmalok¤ pi: even up to heaven) S V.265= D I.78=A I.170: see also S V.283, 284. -- In the various stages of Sa¸s¤ra; k¤ya¸ nikkhipati he lays down his (old) body S IV.60, 400; cp. S III.241 (ossaÂÂha--k¤ya); referring to continuous change of body during day and night (of a Pet¨) Pv II.1211.

--anga a limb of the body, k¤y'anga¾ v¤c'anga¸ v¤ na kopenti: they remain motionless and speechless (ref. to the bhikkhus begging) J III.354; DhsA 93, 240;
-¢nupassin in combn k¤ye k¤y¢nupass¨ "realizing in the body an aggregate" D II.94, 100, 291 sq.; D III.58, 77, 141, 221, 276; M I.56; A I.39, 296; II.256; III.449; IV.300, 457 sq.; S IV.211; V.9, 75, 298, 329 sq.; Vbh 193 sq.; 236; see also above. Der.: *anupassan¤ Ps. I.178, 184; II.152, 163, 232; *passita Nett. 123;
-¤yatana the sense of touch D III.243, 280, 290; Dhs 585, 613, 653, 783;
-indriya same D III.239; Dhs 585, 613, 972;
-ujjukat¤ straightness of body (+citta*, of thought) Dhs 53, 277, 330; Vism 466; Bdhd 16, 20.
-¬paga going to a (new) body S II.24;
-kamma "bodily action," deed performed by the body in contradistinction to deeds by speech or thought (see above) D I.250; III.191, 245, 279; M I.415; III.206; A I.104; III.6, 9, 141 sq.; V.289; Th 2, 277; Ps II.195; Dhs 981, 1006; Vbh 208, 321, 366; Pug 41; Bdhd 69; DhsA 68, 77, 344.
-kamma¾¾at¤ wieldiness, alertness of the bodily senses included under namak¤ya Dhs 46, 277, 326.
-kammanta=*kamma, in comb. *sampatti and *sandosa A V.292, 294, 297; M I.17.
-kali "the misfortune of having a body"=this miserable body Th 2, 458, 501; ThA 282, 291;
-kas¤va bodily impurity or depravity A I.112;
-gata "relating to the body," always combined with sati in the same sense as *anupassin (see above) S I.188; M. III.92; A I.44; Sn 340 (cp. SnA 343); Th 1, 468, 1225; J I.394; Dh 293= Nett 39; Dh 299; Miln 248, 336, 393; Vism 111, 197, 240 sq.
-gantha bodily tie or fetter (binding one to sa?sara), of which there are four: abhijjh¤, by¤p¤da, s¨labbata-par¤m¤sa, ida¸-sacc¢bhinivesa D III.230= S V.59=Dhs 1135=Vbh 374; cp. Mrs. Rh. D., Dhs. trsl. p. 304;
-gutta one who guards his body, i. e. controls his action (+vac¨gutta) S I.172=Sn 74;
-tapana chastisement of body, curbing one's material desires, asceticism PvA 98.
-dukkha bodily pain (+ceto*) M III.288;
-duccarita misconduct by the body, evil deeds done through the instrumentality of the body (cp. *kamma) D III.52, 96, 111, 214; A I.48; Dh 231; It 54, 58; Dhs 300, 1305; Bdhd 16, 20;
-dhatu the "element" of body, i. e. the faculty of touch, sensibility Dhs 613; Kvu 12;
-pariyantika limited by the body, said of vedana, sensation S V.320=A II.198;
-pas¤da clearness of the sense of touch or sense in general DhsA 306; Bdhd 62, 66, 74; cp. Dhs. trsl. p. 173n, 198n;
-passaddhi serenity or quietude of the senses S IV.125 (cp. IV.351 and above); V.66, 104; Dhs 40, 277, 320; DhsA 130; Bdhd 16, 19, 29;
-bala physical strength PvA 30;
-bh¤van¤ meditation or training with regard to action D III.219; M I.237; cp. Miln 85;
-muni a sage with regard to action It 56;
-moneyya the true wisdom regarding the use of the body as an instrument of action It 56; 67; D III.220; A I.273; Nd2 514;
-vi½½atti intimation by body, i. e. merely by one's appearance, appl. chiefly to the begging bhikkhu Dhs 585, 636, 654, 844; DhsA 82, 301; Miln 229, 230; Vism 448; Bdhd 69, 70;
-vi¾¾¤¼a consciousness by means of touch, sensory consciousness D III.243; Dhs 556, 585, 651, 685, 790; Miln 59; Vbh 180; *dhatu element of touch-consciousness Dhs 560; Vbh 88; Kvu 12;
-vi¾¾eyya to be perceived by the sense of touch (+pho??habba, see above) D I.245; II.281; III.234; M I.85, 144; Dhs 589, 967, 1095; Vbh 14; Kvu 210; Miln 270;
-viveka seclusion of the body, hermitism J I.289; DhsA 165;
-sakkhin he who has realized and gained the final truth concerning the body (cp. *anupassin) D III.105, 254; M I.478=Pug 14, 29; M II.113; III.45; A I.74; 118; IV.10, 451; V.23; Ps II.52, 62; Nett 190; Kvu 58; Vism 93, 387.
-sankh¤ra the material aggregate, substratum of body Vin III.71; S II.40; III.125; IV.293; A I.122; II.158, 231; Ps I.184, 186; Vism 530.
-sangaha control of body (+citta*) Nett 91;
-sa¾cetana (-hetu) ground (for the rise of), material, i. e. impure thoughts A II.157; Vism 530 (+vaci*, mano*).
-samphassa the sense of touch (see ayatana) D III.243; S V.351; Dhs 585, 616, 651, 684; *ja arisen through touch or sensibility D III.244; Dhs 445, 558;
-suci purity of body, i. e. of action (+vaci*, ceto*) A I.273; It 55;

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