CH10: Saṅkhārā (Formations / Fabrications)

At-a-glance: Past Cause • Kamma-vaṭṭa

A. Definition & place in DO

• Saṅkhārā = volitional formations/fabrications that construct experience and kamma.

• SN 12.2 enumeration: three kinds of formations — bodily, verbal, mental (kāya-, vacī-, citta-saṅkhāra).

• Placement (Ch02): Past Cause alongside avijjā; immediately conditions viññāṇa via C1 (Past→Present hand-off).

• Round (Ch03): Kamma-vaṭṭa (action); these are the doings that bear fruit as vipāka.

• Dooring for practice: every new deed/intention appears at one of the three doors—body, speech, or mind.

• Function: selects aims, assembles attention/energy, and imprints momentum that will mature as consciousness and its cascade.

B. Mechanism (how saṅkhārā condition the next link)

• Avijjā → Saṅkhārā: when the Four Truths are not seen, aims skew; intention forms (deciding, preparing, initiating).

• C1 hand-off: those intentions condition viññāṇa, which brings nāma-rūpa → saḷāyatana → phassa → vedanā as present result.

• Feedback risk: if the later vedanā is mishandled, it tilts to taṇhā → upādāna → (kamma)bhava, stocking new saṅkhārā—thus a loop.

• Cessation read: straightening view and guarding the three doors lightens saṅkhārā; with fewer/cleaner fabrications, the downstream fruit softens.

C. Practice (micro-drills, 1–3 minutes)

1. Three-Door Snapshot (90 sec)
   Think of a current habit. Label today’s smallest bodily, verbal, and mental moves related to it (e.g., finger reach, opening phrase, pre-judging thought). Circle one to lighten this week.

2. One-Breath Edit (speech, 1–2 min)
   Before replying, feel phassa → vedanā once, then take one quiet breath. Choose a gentler verb or drop one extra claim. This edits verbal saṅkhāra at the door.

3. Intention Checkmark (2–3 min)
   On a sticky note write: “What am I trying to make happen?” Place it near your frequent trigger (phone, fridge, tab bar). Each time you see it, name the intention aloud; if tight/greedy, soften shoulders and re-aim.

D. Cross-links

• Ch09 Avijjā (why fabrications skew).

• Ch11 Viññāṇa (what saṅkhārā bring to life via C1).

• Ch06 Three Connections (C1 spotlight).

• Ch18 Bhava (how repeated fabrications consolidate becoming).

• Ch08/Ch16 Present pivot (vedanā → taṇhā) that re-stocks saṅkhārā.

Sources

SN 12.1; SN 12.2.

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QR Footer (left → right)

• Audio QR-CH10-AUD1 — “Three Doors, One Intention.” (Alt: “QR to audio: saṅkhārā practice overview”)

• Video QR-CH10-VID1 — C1 hand-off: examples from daily life. (Alt: “QR to video: saṅkhārā→viññāṇa demo”)

• Slides QR-CH10-PPT1 — Past-Cause: avijjā & saṅkhārā diagrams. (Alt: “QR to slides: saṅkhārā deck”)

• Prompt QR-CH10-PRM1 — One-Breath Edit (reply script). (Alt: “QR to prompt: verbal saṅkhāra pause”)

Next: Ch11 — Viññāṇa (Consciousness).