Buddha Abhidhamma - Ultimate Science - BuddhaNet

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Råpa may change state, form and colour on account of heat
and cold just as matter does. Although form, shape and mass
become apparent when a lot of råpa has accumulated, in the
ultimate sense råpa is formless, shapeless and massless just as
energy is. Scientists now know that matter and energy are
interconvertible and identical in the ultimate sense.
But, unlike the law of conservation of mass and energy,
which states that matter and energy can neither be created nor
destroyed, we find in Abhidhamma that råpa arises and perishes
incessantly at very short intervals measured by “small instant”
called small khaõa. Råpa is incessantly produced from four main
sources namely, kamma, citta, utu (heat) and àhàra (nutriment).
And råpa is very short lived – it endures only for 17 conscious
moments. What is formed is almost instantly gone. It is very
probable that the rate of formation and the rate of dissolution
of råpa cancel each other making the law of conservation of
matter and energy to hold as aggregates.
Besides råpa and nàma are interdependent. We shall
understand råpa better by studying the various aspects of råpa
which are described below.
Råpa-samuddesa (Enumeration of Råpa)
First råpa is twofold namely,
i Bhåta-råpa – essentials, and
ii Upàdàya-råpa – derivatives.
The bhåta-råpa is more prominent than the upàdàya-råpa.
Great masses like the earth and the sun are formed when a lot
of bhåta-råpa has accumulated. Consequently bhåta-råpa is also
called mahàbhåta (great essentials).