Verified
Grammatical Analysis
Samanantarapaccaya: [m.] Immediate proximity condition; Contiguous condition. Formed by sam (well, thoroughly, exactly) + anantara (without gap) + paccaya (condition).
Orthodox Definition
Samanantara-paccaya is the fifth of the 24 Conditions. Doctrinally and functionally, it is ultimate reality-identical to Anantara-paccaya (Proximity condition).
Both conditions describe the exact same cognitive mechanism: a preceding mind-moment ceasing and causing the immediate arising of the next mind-moment. The difference is purely a matter of pedagogical emphasis. While anantara stresses that there is no temporal or spatial interval between the two states, samanantara emphasizes the smooth, orderly, and thorough continuity of the process.
While material groups (rūpakalāpas) occupy physical space and can be differentiated by spatial coordinates (above, below, or across), mental states have no physical form or shared location. Therefore, they do not merely follow one another; they merge sequence into a single, cohesive unity (ekattamiva upanetvā).
Quote
The Abhidhammāvatāra-abhinavaṭīkā explicitly clarifies this absolute identity and the spatial distinction between mind and matter:
Yo hi anantarapaccayo, sova samanantarapaccayoti.
“For indeed, that which is Anantara-paccaya, that same is Samanantara-paccaya.” Purimapacchimānañhi anantaruppādabhāvato nirantaruppādanasamatthatā anantarapaccayatā, rūpakalāpānaṃ viya saṇṭhānābhāvato paccayapaccayuppannānaṃ sahaṭṭhānābhāvato ca ‘‘idamito uddhaṃ heṭṭhā tiriya’’nti vibhāgābhāvā attano ekattamiva upanetvā suṭṭhu anantarabhāvena uppādetuṃ samatthatā samanantarapaccayatā, tasmā dhammato avisesepi vineyyavasena byañjanatthamattato visesaṃ gahetvā tesaṃ visuṃ desanā katā.
“The ability to cause continuous arising without interval for successive dhammas, due to their arising without interval, is Anantara-paccayatā. However, since there is no definite structure like rūpakalāpas, and because the condition and conditioned do not arise simultaneously, there is no distinction of ‘this is above, below, or across from that.’ Instead, by bringing them as if into a single unity, the ability to cause them to arise perfectly without interval is Samanantara-paccayatā. Therefore, even though there is no difference in terms of ultimate reality, for the sake of those to be disciplined, a separate teaching on them has been made, taking the distinction merely from the meaning of the words.”
Textual References
- Abhidhamma: Paṭṭhāna – The canonical text mirrors the structure of the proximity condition exactly: “Preceding wholesome states are related to succeeding wholesome states by contiguity condition.”
- Sub-commentary: Abhidhammāvatāra-abhinavaṭīkā – Explaining that while the ultimate meaning (dhammato) remains identical, the Buddha analyzed them distinctly to illustrate how non-spatial mental states flow together like a single entity.