➥ papañca:

• for papañcita:
  • entrenched perception
• for papañca:
  • entrenched perception
• for papañceti:
  • to perceptually entrench
• for papañca (adj):
  • entrenched
• for papañcanāmarūpa:
  • perceptually entrenched immaterial-factors-and-bodily-form
• for nippapañca:
  • unentrenched perception

Papañceti

The meaning of papañceti (‘to perceptually entrench’) can be concisely illustrated like this:

• What one thinks about, one perceptually entrenches.

Yaṁ vitakketi taṁ papañceti. (MN i 111)

Papañca: adjective

The meaning of the adjective papañca (‘entrenched’) can be concisely illustrated like this:

• Entrenched perception and conception are the source of thought.

Vitakko kho devānaminda papañcasaññāsaṅkhānidāno

• When there is entrenched perception and conception, thought arises. Without entrenched perception and conception, there is no thought.

papañcasaññāsaṅkhāya sati vitakko hoti papañcasaññāsaṅkhāya asati vitakko na hotī ti. (DN ii 277)

Papañcanāmarūpa: adjective

Papañcanāmarūpaṁ occurs just once in the scriptures. We render it as ‘perceptually entrenched immaterial-factors-and-bodily-form’:

• Having found out about perceptually entrenched immaterial-factors-and-bodily-form, both internally and externally, and the origin of [mental] illness, and being completely freed from all [mental] illness and its origin, and from bondage [to individual existence], the one of such good qualities is rightly called ‘well-informed.’

Anuvicca papañcanāmarūpaṁ
Ajjhattaṁ bahiddhā ca rogamūlaṁ
Sabbarogamūlabandhanā pamutto
Anuvidito tādi pavuccate tathattā. (Snp 530)

Papañca: noun

Papañca is used as a noun (‘entrenched perception’), like this:

• This teaching is for those who take pleasure and delight in unentrenched perception, not for those who take pleasure and delight in entrenched perception.

nippapañcārāmassāyaṁ dhammo nippapañcaratino nāyaṁ dhammo papañcārāmassa papañcaratinoti. (AN iv 229)

Papañcita: noun

The past participle papañcita is used as a noun like this:

• The notion “I am” is a matter of entrenched perception.

asmī ti papañcitametaṁ. (SN iv 203)

Papañca: circular relationship to thought

Papañca’s relationship to thought is circular:

• What one thinks about, one perceptually entrenches.

Yaṁ vitakketi taṁ papañceti. (MN i 111)

• Entrenched perception and conception are the source of thought.

Vitakko kho devānaminda papañcasaññāsaṅkhānidāno. (DN ii 277)

Papañca: in other terms

Papañca is alluded to in different ways, like this:

1) Niviṭṭhaṁ: entrenched

See the world [of beings] with its devas entrenched in [attachment to] immaterial-factors-and-bodily-form. It thinks what is void of personal qualities is endowed with personal qualities. It thinks ‘This is true [to its appearance].’

Anattani attamāniṁ passa lokaṁ sadevakaṁ niviṭṭhaṁ nāmarūpasmiṁ idaṁ saccan ti maññati.

But whatsoever they think of in personal terms is different [from how they think of it].

Yena yena hi maññanti tato taṁ hoti aññathā

For it is untrue to itself. That which is transitory is intrinsically false indeed.

Taṁ hi tassa musā hoti mosadhammaṁ hi ittaraṁ. (Snp 756-7)

2) Patiṭṭhitā: entrenched

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. (Iti 53)

➥ papañcita: (main article see: papañca)

Illustration: papañcita, entrenched perception

The notion “I am” is a matter of entrenched perception.

asmī ti papañcitametaṁ

‘I am this’ is a matter of entrenched perception.

ayamahamasmī ti papañcitametaṁ

‘I will be’ is a matter of entrenched perception.

bhavissan ti papañcitametaṁ

‘I will not be’ is a matter of entrenched perception.

na bhavissan ti papañcitametaṁ

Entrenched perception is an illness, a carbuncle, a [piercing] arrow.

papañcitaṁ bhikkhave rogo papañcitaṁ gaṇḍo papañcitaṁ sallaṁ

Therefore train yourselves with the thought, ‘We will live with minds taking delight in unentrenched perception

tasmātiha bhikkhave nippapañcārāmena cetasā viharissāmāti evaṁ hi vo bhikkhave sikkhitabbaṁ. (SN iv 203)

Illustration: papañcita, entrenched perception

The assertion that a Perfect One exists after death is a matter of entrenched perception.

Hoti tathāgato parammaraṇā ti kho bhikkhu papañcitametaṁ

The assertion that a Perfect One does not exist after death is a matter of entrenched perception.

Na hoti tathāgato parammaraṇā ti kho bhikkhu papañcitametaṁ. (AN iv 69)

➥ nippapañca: (main article see: papañca)

Illustration: nippapañca, unentrenched perception; papañca, entrenched perception

This teaching is for those who take pleasure and delight in unentrenched perception, not for those who take pleasure and delight in entrenched perception.

nippapañcārāmassāyaṁ dhammo nippapañcaratino nāyaṁ dhammo papañcārāmassa papañcaratinoti. (AN iv 229)

➥ papañceti: (main article see: papañca)

Illustration: papañceti, perceptually entrenches; papañca, entrenched

What one experiences, one perceives.

Yaṁ vedeti taṁ sañjānāti

What one perceives, one thinks about.

Yaṁ sañjānāti taṁ vitakketi.

What one thinks about, one perceptually entrenches.

Yaṁ vitakketi taṁ papañceti

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 papañceti tatonidānaṁ purisaṁ papañcasaññāsaṅkhā samudācaranti atītānāgatapaccuppannesu cakkhuviññeyyesu rūpesu. (MN i 111)

Illustration: papañca, entrenched

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

mūlaṁ papañcasaṅkhāya mantā asmī ti sabbamuparundhe. (Snp 916)

Illustration: papañca, entrenched; papañcayantā, perceptually entrench

When ordinary people with entrenched perceptions perceptually entrench and perceive, they become attached.

Papañcasaññā itarītarā narā
Papañcayantā upayanti saññino. (SN iv 71)

Illustration: nippapañca, unentrenched perception

What is unentrenched perception? The destruction of attachment, hatred, and undiscernment of reality.

Katamañca bhikkhave nippapañcaṁ: yo bhikkhave rāgakkhayo dosakkhayo mohakkhayo. (SN iv 368-373)

Illustration: papañca, entrenched

For whatever the reason

yatonidānaṁ

that entrenched perception and conception assail a man

purisaṁ papañcasaññāsaṅkhā samudācaranti

if there is found nothing there to be delighted in, welcomed, or clung to

ettha ce natthi abhinanditabbaṁ abhivaditabbaṁ ajjhositabbaṁ

• this is the end of the proclivity to attachment

rāgānusayānaṁ

• this is the end of the proclivity to repugnance

paṭighānusayānaṁ

• this is the end of the proclivity to dogmatism

diṭṭhānusayānaṁ

• this is the end of the proclivity to doubt [about the excellence of the teaching]

vicikicchānusayānaṁ

• this is the end of the proclivity to self-centredness

mānānusayānaṁ

• this is the end of the proclivity to attachment to individual existence

bhavarāgānusayānaṁ

• this is the end of the proclivity to uninsightfulness into reality

avijjānusayānaṁ

• this is the end of the use of sticks and swords; quarrels, arguments, disputes, strife, and malicious speech and lying.
• In this way these unvirtuous, spiritually unwholesome factors cease without remainder

etthete pāpakā akusalā dhammā aparisesā nirujjhantī ti. (MN i 109)