Rupa arises from four main sources:

1. kamma
2. citta
3. utu (heat)
4. ahara (nutriment)

Rupa is twofold, namely essentials (bhuta-rupa) and derivatives (upadaya-rupa). There are altogether 28 classes of rupa, of which four are essential rupas or Great Elements and 24 are derivative rupas.

The Four Great Elements are:

1. Earth element (Pathavi) - experienced as hardness or softness
2. Water element (Apo) - cohesion or fluidity
3. Fire element (Tejo) - heat or cold
4. Wind element (Vayo) - motion or pressure

The 28 types of rupa are not found separately in nature. They are produced by the four causes in the form of tiny material groups called kalapas. Kalapas have the following 4 features:

1. All the rupas in a kalapa arise together, i.e. they have a common genesis.
2. They also cease or dissolve together, i.e. they have a common cessation.
3. They all depend on the 4 great essentials present in the kalapa for their arising, i.e. they have a common dependence.
4. They are so thoroughly mixed that they cannot be distinguished, i.e. they co-exist.

Characteristics of a Kalapa (Smallest particle)

1. Earth
2. Water
3. Fire
4. Air
5. Colour
6. Smell
7. Taste
8. Nutritive-Essence

Rupas never arise alone. They arise in groups or units. There have to be at least 8 kinds of rupas arising together.

Different characteristics of rupa can be experienced through eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body-sense and mind.

The characteristics of rupa are real. Taking the object of a table as an example, the characteristic of hardness is real, but the label "table" is not.

Citta, cetasika and rupa only arise when there are right conditions, thus they are conditioned dhamma (sankhara dhamma).

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