Parent:: [[Pancupadanakkhandha|Pañcupādānakkhandhā]], [[Paticca-samuppada|Paṭicca-samuppāda]]
Related:: [[Kamma]], [[Cetana|Cetanā]]
# Saṅkhāra / Abhisaṅkhāra (Willful actions, Preparations)
## Why is it called Saṅkhāra?
![[SN22.79 Khajjanīyasutta#^why-called-sankhara]]
## 3 Types of Saṅkhāra
> [!tldr] 3 Types of Sankhara
> As seen in MN44 [[#^91b472|below]], there are 3 types of sankhara:
> 1. **_kāya saṅkhāra_** (bodily willful actions) — including **_assa_** & **_passa_** (in-breath and out-breath)
> 2. **_vacī saṅkhāra_** (verbal willful actions) — including **_vitakka_** & **_vicāra_** (thinking and pondering)
> 3. **_citta saṅkhāra_** or **_mano saṅkhāra_** (mental willful actions) — including **[[Vedana|Vedanā]]** & **[[Sanna|Saññā]]** (feeling and perception)
> [!INFO] In Cūḷavedallasutta ([MN44](https://suttacentral.net/mn44/en/sujato))
> “How many processes are there?”
> *“Kati panāyye, **saṅkhārā**”ti?*
>
> “There are these three processes.
> *“**Tayome**, āvuso visākha, saṅkhārā—*
>
> **Physical**, **verbal**, and **mental** processes.”
> _**kāyasaṅkhāro**, **vacīsaṅkhāro**, **cittasaṅkhāro**”ti._
>
> “But ma’am, what is the physical process? What’s the verbal process? What’s the mental process?”
> *“Katamo panāyye, kāyasaṅkhāro, katamo vacīsaṅkhāro, katamo cittasaṅkhāro”ti?*
>
> “**Breathing** is a physical process. **Placing the mind and keeping it connected** are verbal processes. **Perception and feeling** are mental processes.”
> *“**Assāsapassāsā** kho, āvuso visākha, kāyasaṅkhāro, **vitakkavicārā** vacīsaṅkhāro, **saññā** ca **vedanā** ca cittasaṅkhāro”ti.*
^91b472
> [!NOTE] 3 Type of [[Sankhara]] — Paṭiccasamuppādavibhaṅga ([vb6](https://suttacentral.net/vb6/pli/ms))
> _Tattha katame avijjāpaccayā saṅkhārā? **Puññābhisaṅkhāro**, **apuññābhisaṅkhāro**, **āneñjābhisaṅkhāro**, **kāyasaṅkhāro**, **vacīsaṅkhāro**, **cittasaṅkhāro**._
>
> _Tattha katamo **==puññābhisaṅkhāro==**? **==Kusalā== cetanā kāmāvacarā** rūpāvacarā dānamayā sīlamayā bhāvanāmayā— ayaṁ vuccati “puññābhisaṅkhāro”._
>
> _Tattha katamo **==apuññābhisaṅkhāro==**? **==Akusalā== cetanā kāmāvacarā**— ayaṁ vuccati “apuññābhisaṅkhāro”._
>
> _Tattha katamo **==āneñjābhisaṅkhāro==**? **Kusalā cetanā arūpāvacarā**— ayaṁ vuccati “āneñjābhisaṅkhāro”._
>
> > [!tldr] 3 Types
> > - **_Puññābhisaṅkhāro_** = Deeds with [[Kusala|Good]] [[Cetana|Intention]] — resulting in Merits ( [[Punna & Papa|Puñña]])
> > - **_Apuññābhisaṅkhāro_** = Deeds with [[Dasa Akusala|Bad]] [[Cetana|Intention]] — resulting in De-merits ([[Punna & Papa|Pāpa]])
> > - **_Āneñjābhisaṅkhāro_** = Deeds with [[Kusala|Good]] [[Cetana|Intention]] with [[Jhana|Jhānic]] qualities
> > - i.e. without "iñjanā" — movements / shaking of the mind
^26nj7q
## 6 Types of Saṅkhāra
![[SN22.56 Upādānaparipavattasutta#^what-is-sankhara]]
## All Saṅkhāra is [[Anicca]], [[Dukkha]] (and all Dhamma is Anatta)
![[Tilakkhana#^uppadasutta]]
![[Dhp - 20. Maggavagga#^anicca-dukkha-anatta]]
## Suttas
- [[MN44 Cūḷavedallasutta]]
- [[SN22.95 Pheṇapiṇḍūpamasutta]]