Āyatana (Pāli; Sanskrit) is the Buddhist term for a "sense base" or "sense sphere."^[1] In Buddhism, there are six internal sense bases (or "organs" or "gates" or "doors") and six external sense bases (or "sense objects"). Thus, there are twelve sense bases in total (listed below in sense organ-object pairs): Pāli is a Middle Indo-Aryan dialect or prakrit. ... The Sanskrit language ( , for short ) is an old Indo-Aryan language from the Indian Subcontinent, the classical literary language of the Hindus of India[1], a liturgical language of Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism, and one of the 23 official languages of India. ... Buddhism is a dharmic, non-theistic religion, which is also a philosophy and a system of psychology. ...

• eye and visible objects^[2]
• ear and sound
• nose and odor
• tongue and taste
• body and touch
• mind^[3] and mental objects^[4]

Buddhism identifies six "senses" as opposed to the Western identification of five. In Buddhism, the mind is considered a sense organ and the mind's sense objects include sensations, perceptions, feelings and volition.^[5] Rupa is the Buddhist concept of form, or body, the first of the five Skandhas or aggregates. ... Dharma (Sanskrit) or Dhamma (Pāli) in Buddhism has two primary meanings: the teachings of the Buddha which lead to enlightenment the constituent factors of the experienced world In East Asia, the character for Dharma is 法, pronounced fǎ in Mandarin and hō in Japanese. ...

Saḷāyatana (Pāli; Skt. Ṣaḍāyatana) refers to all six sense objects and six sense organs and is generally used in the context of the Twelve Causes (nidāna) of the chain of Dependent Origination.^[6] á¹¢aḍāyatana (Sanskrit) or Saḷāyatana (Pāli means the seats or base of the six organs (six senses). ... The Twelve Nidanas (Pali: nidana- foundation, source or origin) are the application of the Buddhist concept of Pratitya-samutpada (dependent origination). ... The doctrine of PratÄ«tyasamutpāda (Sanskrit: प्रतित्यसमुत्पादा) or Paticcasamuppāda (Pāli: पतिचसमुपादा; Tibetan: ; Chinese:縁起) Dependent Arising is an important part of Buddhist metaphysics. ...

Pali textual sources

In the Four Noble Truths, the Buddha identifies that the origin of suffering (Pali, Skt.: dukkha) is craving (Pali: taṇhā; Skt.: tṛṣṇā). In the chain of Dependent Origination, the Buddha identifies that craving arises from sensations that result from contact at the six sense bases. (See Figure 2 below.) Therefore, to overcome craving and its resultant suffering, one should develop restraint of and insight into the sense bases.^[7] The Four Noble Truths (Pali: Cattāri ariyasaccāni, Sanskrit: Catvāri āryasatyāni, Chinese: Sìshèngdì) are one of the most fundamental Buddhist teachings. ... Standing Buddha, ancient region of Gandhara, northern Pakistan, 1st century CE. Gautama Buddha was a South Asian spiritual leader who lived between approximately 563 BCE and 483 BCE. Born Siddhartha Gautama in Sanskrit, a name meaning descendant of Gotama whose aims are achieved/who is efficacious in achieving aims, he... Dukkha (Pāli दुक्ख ; according to grammatical tradition from Sanskrit uneasy, but according to Monier-Williams more likely a Prakritized form of unsteady, disquieted) is a central concept in Buddhism, the word roughly corresponding to a number of terms in English including sorrow, suffering, affliction, pain, anxiety, dissatisfaction, discomfort, anguish, stress... Taṇhā (Pāli) or Tṛṣṇā (Sanskrit) means thirst, desire, craving, wanting, longing, yearning. Synonyms: æ„› Cn: ài; Jp: ai; Vi: ái Tibetan: The most basic of these meanings (in non-technical language) is thirst, however, in Buddhism it has a technical meaning that is much broader. ... The Twelve Nidanas (Pali: nidana- foundation, source or origin) are the application of the Buddhist concept of Pratitya-samutpada (dependent origination). ... This article needs to be wikified. ... SparÅ›a (Sanskrit) or Phassa (Pāli) is a Buddhist term meaning contact or touching. Synonyms: 觸 or 触 Cn: chù; Jp: soku; Vi: xúc Tibetan: SparÅ›a refers to the contact between the senses and their sense-objects, e. ...

Sense-base contexts

Throughout the Pali Canon, the sense bases are referenced in hundreds of discourses.^[8] In these diverse discourses, the sense bases are contextualized in different ways including: This article needs to be wikified. ... Taṇhā (Pāli) or Tṛṣṇā (Sanskrit) means thirst, desire, craving, wanting, longing, yearning. Synonyms: 愛 Cn: ài; Jp: ai; Vi: ái Tibetan: The most basic of these meanings (in non-technical language) is thirst, however, in Buddhism it has a technical meaning that is much broader. ... Sparśa (Sanskrit) or Phassa (Pāli) is a Buddhist term meaning contact or touching. Synonyms: 觸 or 触 Cn: chù; Jp: soku; Vi: xúc Tibetan: Sparśa refers to the contact between the senses and their sense-objects, e. ... Vijñāna (Sanskrit) or Viññāna (Pāli) means consciousness. This page considers the Buddhist concept. ... Standard edition of the Thai Pali Canon The Pali Canon is the standard scripture collection of the Theravada Buddhist tradition. ...

• Sextets (Pali: chakka):
  The sense bases include two sets of six: six sense organs (or internal sense bases) and six sense objects (or external sense bases). Based on these six pairs of sense bases, a number of mental factors arise. Thus, for instance, when an ear and sound are present, the associated consciousness arises. The arising of these three elements (Pali: dhātu) – ear, sound and ear-related consciousness – lead to what is known as "contact" which in turn causes a pleasant or unpleasant or neutral "sensation" to arise. It is from such a sensation that "craving" arises. (See Figure 1.) Such an enumeration can be found, for instance, in the "Six Sextets" discourse (Chachakka Sutta, MN 148), where the "six sextets" (six sense organs, six sense objects, six sense-specific types of consciousness, six sense-specific types of contact, six sense-specific types of sensation and six sense-specific types of craving) are examined and found to be empty of self.^[9]

• "The All" (Pali: sabba):
  In a discourse entitled, "The All" (SN 35.23), the Buddha states that there is no "all" outside of the six pairs of sense bases.^[10] In the next codified discourse (SN 35.24), the Buddha elaborates that the All includes the first five aforementioned sextets (sense organs, objects, consciousness, contact and sensations).^[11] References to the All can be found in a number of subsequent discourses.^[12] In addition, the Abhidhamma and post-canonical Pali literature further conceptualize the sense bases as a means for classifying all factors of existence.^[13]

• The Twelve Causes (Pali, Skt.: nidāna):
  As described in the "Related Buddhist concepts" section below and illustrated in Figure 2, the sense bases are a critical link in the endless round of rebirth known as the Twelve Causes and as depicted in the Wheel of Becoming (Skt.: bhavacakra).^[15]

This article needs to be wikified. ... Taṇhā (Pāli) or Tṛṣṇā (Sanskrit) means thirst, desire, craving, wanting, longing, yearning. Synonyms: æ„› Cn: ài; Jp: ai; Vi: ái Tibetan: The most basic of these meanings (in non-technical language) is thirst, however, in Buddhism it has a technical meaning that is much broader. ... The Majjhima Nikaya, or Middle-length Discourses of the Buddha, is the second of the five nikayas, or collections, in the Sutta Pitaka of the Tipitaka. ... The Buddhist teaching of anatta / anatman (non Self, non Soul) has, from early times, been controversial amongst Buddhists and non-Buddhists alike and remains so to this day (see, e. ... The Samyutta Nikaya, the third Nikaya (division) of the Sutta Pitaka of the Tipitaka, contains 2,889 suttas grouped into five sections (vaggas). ... Abhidharma (Sanskrit: अभिधर्मा) Sinhala: අභිධර්ම) or Abhidhamma (Pāli: अभिधमा) is a category of Buddhist scriptures that attempts to use Buddhist teachings to create a systematic, abstract description of all worldly phenomena. ... The Twelve Nidanas (Pali: nidana- foundation, source or origin) are the application of the Buddhist concept of Pratitya-samutpada (dependent origination). ... Avidyā (Sanskrit) or Avijjā (Pāli) means ignorance or delusion. It is used extensively in Buddhist texts. ... An important Pali term featuring prominently in the teaching of the Buddha. ... Vijñāna (Sanskrit) or Viññāna (Pāli) means consciousness. This page considers the Buddhist concept. ... Namarupas means name (nama) and form (rupa) in the Pali language (also called Magadhi, reserving Pali to describe the Buddhist Canon. ... SparÅ›a (Sanskrit) or Phassa (Pāli) is a Buddhist term meaning contact or touching. Synonyms: 觸 or 触 Cn: chù; Jp: soku; Vi: xúc Tibetan: SparÅ›a refers to the contact between the senses and their sense-objects, e. ... This article needs to be wikified. ... Dukkha (Pāli दुक्ख ; according to grammatical tradition from Sanskrit uneasy, but according to Monier-Williams more likely a Prakritized form of unsteady, disquieted) is a central concept in Buddhism, the word roughly corresponding to a number of terms in English including sorrow, suffering, affliction, pain, anxiety, dissatisfaction, discomfort, anguish, stress... Taṇhā (Pāli) or Tṛṣṇā (Sanskrit) means thirst, desire, craving, wanting, longing, yearning. Synonyms: æ„› Cn: ài; Jp: ai; Vi: ái Tibetan: The most basic of these meanings (in non-technical language) is thirst, however, in Buddhism it has a technical meaning that is much broader. ... The Four Noble Truths ( Pali, cattari ariya saccani) are taught in Buddhism as the fundamental insight or enlightenment of Sakyamuni Buddha (the historical Buddha), which led to the formulation of the Buddhist philosophy. ... The Dharma wheel, often used to represent the Noble Eightfold Path The Noble Eightfold Path (Pāli: Ariyo aá¹­á¹­haá¹…giko maggo; Sanskrit: Ä€rya ṣṭāṅga mārgaḥ; Chinese: 八正道, Bāzhèngdào; Japanese: 八正道, Hasshōdō) is, in the teachings of the Buddha, declared to be the way that leads to... The Four Noble Truths (Pali: Cattāri ariyasaccāni, Sanskrit: Catvāri āryasatyāni, Chinese: Sìshèngdì) are one of the most fundamental Buddhist teachings. ... Upādāna is a word used in both Buddhism and Hinduism. ... Bhava is the Sanskrit and Pāli word for being or becoming, from the root bhÅ« to be, to become. Synonyms: 有 Cn: yÇ’u; Jp: u; Vi: hữu Tibetan: In Buddhism, bhava means the continuity of life and death, conditioned upon grasping (upādāna), the desire for further... In Buddhism, Jāti (the Sanskrit and Pāli word for birth) refers to the arising of a new living entity in saṃsāra. ... Jarāmaraṇa, Sanskrit and Pāli for old age and decay (jarā) and dying and death (maraṇa), is a Buddhist term describing the eventual fate of all beings in saṃsāra. ... The Twelve Nidanas (Pali: nidana- foundation, source or origin) are the application of the Buddhist concept of Pratitya-samutpada (dependent origination). ... The Four Noble Truths (Pali: Cattāri ariyasaccāni, Sanskrit: Catvāri āryasatyāni, Chinese: Sìshèngdì) are one of the most fundamental Buddhist teachings. ... The Twelve Nidanas (Pali: nidana- foundation, source or origin) are the application of the Buddhist concept of Pratitya-samutpada (dependent origination). ... The Bhavacakra (Sanskrit) or Wheel of becoming, Tibetan is a complex symbolic representation of in the form of a circle (mandala), used primarily in Tibetan Buddhism. ...

"Aflame with lust, hate and delusion"

In "The Vipers" discourse (Asivisa Sutta, SN 35.197), the Buddha likens the internal sense bases to an "empty village" and the external sense bases to "village-plundering bandits." Using this metaphor, the Buddha characterizes the "empty"^[16] sense organs as being "attacked by agreeable & disagreeable" sense objects.^[17] The Samyutta Nikaya, the third Nikaya (division) of the Sutta Pitaka of the Tipitaka, contains 2,889 suttas grouped into five sections (vaggas). ... Standing Buddha, ancient region of Gandhara, northern Pakistan, 1st century CE. Gautama Buddha was a South Asian spiritual leader who lived between approximately 563 BCE and 483 BCE. Born Siddhartha Gautama in Sanskrit, a name meaning descendant of Gotama whose aims are achieved/who is efficacious in achieving aims, he...

Elsewhere in the same collection of discourses (SN 35.191), the Buddha's Great Disciple Sariputta clarifies that the actual suffering associated with sense organs and sense objects is not inherent to these sense bases but is due to the "fetters" (here identified as "desire and lust") that arise when there is contact between a sense organ and sense object.^[18] The Samyutta Nikaya, the third Nikaya (division) of the Sutta Pitaka of the Tipitaka, contains 2,889 suttas grouped into five sections (vaggas). ... Sravaka (Sanskrit śrāvaka; Tibetan nyan thos; Pali sāvaka) is a hearer, a term applied to the personal disciples of the Buddha, distinguished as mahā-śrāvaka; it is also applied to hearers, or disciples in general; but its general connotation relates it... Śāriputra (Pali: Sariputta; Chinese: 舍利弗) was the one of the disciples of the Buddha, an arhat who was renowned for his wisdom. ... Dukkha (Pāli दुक्ख ; according to grammatical tradition from Sanskrit uneasy, but according to Monier-Williams more likely a Prakritized form of unsteady, disquieted) is a central concept in Buddhism, the word roughly corresponding to a number of terms in English including sorrow, suffering, affliction, pain, anxiety, dissatisfaction, discomfort, anguish, stress... In Buddhism, a mental fetter or chain or bond (Pāli: samyojana, saÅ‹yojana, saññojana) shackles a person to samsara, the cycle of endless suffering. ...

In the Buddha's third discourse, "The Fire Sermon" (Adittapariyaya Sutta, SN 35.28), the Buddha describes all sense bases and related mental processes in the following manner: The Samyutta Nikaya, the third Nikaya (division) of the Sutta Pitaka of the Tipitaka, contains 2,889 suttas grouped into five sections (vaggas). ...

"Monks, the All is aflame. What All is aflame? The eye is aflame. Forms are aflame. Consciousness at the eye is aflame. Contact at the eye is aflame. And whatever there is that arises in dependence on contact at the eye — experienced as pleasure, pain or neither-pleasure-nor-pain — that too is aflame. Aflame with what? Aflame with the fire of passion, the fire of aversion, the fire of delusion. Aflame, I tell you, with birth, aging & death, with sorrows, lamentations, pains, distresses, & despairs."^[19]

Rupa is the Buddhist concept of form, or body, the first of the five Skandhas or aggregates. ... This article needs to be wikified. ... In Buddhism, the Pali word kilesa (Sanskrit: kleÅ›a or klesha) is used to mean defilements or corruptions. Three main kinds of kilesa are: lobha: greed, lust (rāga), attachment. ... Dukkha (Pāli दुक्ख ; according to grammatical tradition from Sanskrit uneasy, but according to Monier-Williams more likely a Prakritized form of unsteady, disquieted) is a central concept in Buddhism, the word roughly corresponding to a number of terms in English including sorrow, suffering, affliction, pain, anxiety, dissatisfaction, discomfort, anguish, stress...

Extinguishing suffering's flame

The Buddha taught that, in order to escape the dangers of the sense bases, one must be able to apprehend the sense bases without defilement. In "Abandoning the Fetters" (SN 35.54), the Buddha states that one abandons the fetters "when one knows and sees ... as impermanent" (Pali: anicca) the six sense organs, objects, sense-consciousness, contact and sensations.^[20] Similarly, in "Uprooting the Fetters" (SN 35.55), the Buddha states that one uproots the fetters "when one knows and sees ... as nonself" (anatta) the aforementioned five sextets.^[21] In Buddhism, the Pali word kilesa (Sanskrit: kleÅ›a or klesha) is used to mean defilements or corruptions. Three main kinds of kilesa are: lobha: greed, lust (rāga), attachment. ... The Samyutta Nikaya, the third Nikaya (division) of the Sutta Pitaka of the Tipitaka, contains 2,889 suttas grouped into five sections (vaggas). ... Impermanence (Sanskrit: anitya; Pali anicca; Tibetan: mi rtag pa; Chinese: 無常, wúcháng; Japanese: mujō) is one of the essential doctrines or the three marks of Buddhism. ... SparÅ›a (Sanskrit) or Phassa (Pāli) is a Buddhist term meaning contact or touching. Synonyms: 觸 or 触 Cn: chù; Jp: soku; Vi: xúc Tibetan: SparÅ›a refers to the contact between the senses and their sense-objects, e. ... This article needs to be wikified. ... The Buddhist teaching of anatta / anatman (non Self, non Soul) has, from early times, been controversial amongst Buddhists and non-Buddhists alike and remains so to this day (see, e. ...

To foster this type of penetrative knowing and seeing and the resultant release from suffering, in the Satipatthana Sutta (MN 10) the Buddha instructs monks to meditate on the sense bases and the dependently arising fetters as follows: The Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta and the Mahāsatipaṭṭhāna Sutta are two of the most popular works in the Pali canon, embraced by both Theravada and Mahayana practitioners (see, e. ... The Majjhima Nikaya, or Middle-length Discourses of the Buddha, is the second of the five nikayas, or collections, in the Sutta Pitaka of the Tipitaka. ...

"How, O bhikkhus, does a bhikkhu live contemplating mental object in the mental objects of the six internal and the six external sense-bases?

"Here, O bhikkhus, a bhikkhu understands the eye and material forms and the fetter that arises dependent on both (eye and forms); he understands how the arising of the non-arisen fetter comes to be; he understands how the abandoning of the arisen fetter comes to be; and he understands how the non-arising in the future of the abandoned fetter comes to be. He understands the ear and sounds ... the organ of smell and odors ... the organ of taste and flavors ... the organ of touch and tactual objects ... the consciousness and mental objects....

"Thus he lives contemplating mental object in mental objects ... and clings to naught in the world."^[22]

A Buddhist Monk in Sri Lanka In Pāli, a bhikkhu (male) or bhikkhuni (female) is a fully ordained Buddhist monk. ... Upādāna is a word used in both Buddhism and Hinduism. ...

Related Buddhist concepts

• Aggregates (Pali, khandha; Skt., skandha):
  In a variety of suttas, the aggregates, elements (see below) and sense bases are identified as the "soil" in which craving and clinging grow.^[23] In general, in the Pali Canon, the aggregate of material form includes the five material sense organs (eye, ear, nose, tongue and body) and associated sense objects (visible forms, sounds, odors, tastes and tactile objects); the aggregate of consciousness is associated with the sense organ of mind; and, the mental aggregates (sensation, perception, mental formations) are mental sense objects.^[24]

  Both the aggregates and the sense bases are identified as objects of mindfulness meditation in the Satipatthana Sutta. In terms of pursuing liberation, meditating on the aggregates eradicates self-doctrine and wrong-view clinging while meditating on the sense bases eradicates sense-pleasure clinging.^[25] The skandhas (Sanskrit: Pāli: Khandha; literally: heap or bundle) are the five constituents or aggregates through which the functioning and experience of an individual is created according to Buddhist phenomenology. ... Taṇhā (Pāli) or Tṛṣṇā (Sanskrit) means thirst, desire, craving, wanting, longing, yearning. Synonyms: 愛 Cn: ài; Jp: ai; Vi: ái Tibetan: The most basic of these meanings (in non-technical language) is thirst, however, in Buddhism it has a technical meaning that is much broader. ... Upādāna is a word used in both Buddhism and Hinduism. ... Standard edition of the Thai Pali Canon The Pali Canon is the standard scripture collection of the Theravada Buddhist tradition. ... Mindfulness is the practice whereby a person is intentionally aware of his or her thoughts and actions in the present moment, non-judgmentally. ... Buddhist meditation encompasses a variety of meditation techniques that develop mindfulness, concentration, tranquility and insight. ... The Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta and the Mahāsatipaṭṭhāna Sutta are two of the most popular works in the Pali canon, embraced by both Theravada and Mahayana practitioners (see, e. ... Upādāna is a word used in both Buddhism and Hinduism. ...

• Dependent Origination (Pali: paṭicca-samuppāda; Skt.: pratitya-samutpada):
  The six sense bases (Pali: saḷāyatana; Skt.: ṣaḍāyatana) are the fifth link in the Twelve Causes (nidāna) of the chain of Dependent Origination and thus likewise are the fifth position on the Wheel of Becoming (bhavacakra). The arising of the six sense bases is dependent on the arising of material and mental objects (Pali, Skt.: nāmarūpa); and, the arising of the six sense bases leads to the arising of "contact" (Pali: phassa; Skt.: sparśa) between the sense bases and consciousness (Pali: viññāṇa; Skt.: visjñāna) which results in pleasant, unpleasant and neutral feelings (Pali, Skt.: vedanā).

• Elements (Pali, Skt.: dhātu):^[26]
  The eighteen elements include the twelve sense bases. The eighteen elements are six triads of elements where each triad is composed of a sense object (the external sense bases), a sense organ (the internal sense bases) and the associated sense-organ-consciousness (viññāṇa).^[27] In other words, the eighteen elements are made up of the twelve sense bases and the six related sense-consciousnesses.

• Karma (Skt.; Pali: kamma):
  In a Samyutta Nikaya discourse, the Buddha declares that the six internal senses bases (eye, ear, nose, tongue, body and mind) are "old kamma, to be seen as generated and fashioned by volition, as something to be felt."^[28] In this discourse, "new kamma" is described as "whatever action one does now by body, speech, or mind." In this way, the internal sense bases provide a link between our volitional actions and subsequent perceptions.

The doctrine of Pratītyasamutpāda (Sanskrit: प्रतित्यसमुत्पादा) or Paticcasamuppāda (Pāli: पतिचसमुपादा; Tibetan: ; Chinese:縁起) Dependent Arising is an important part of Buddhist metaphysics. ... The Twelve Nidanas (Pali: nidana- foundation, source or origin) are the application of the Buddhist concept of Pratitya-samutpada (dependent origination). ... The Bhavacakra (Sanskrit) or Wheel of becoming, Tibetan is a complex symbolic representation of in the form of a circle (mandala), used primarily in Tibetan Buddhism. ... Namarupas means name (nama) and form (rupa) in the Pali language (also called Magadhi, reserving Pali to describe the Buddhist Canon. ... Sparśa (Sanskrit) or Phassa (Pāli) is a Buddhist term meaning contact or touching. Synonyms: 觸 or 触 Cn: chù; Jp: soku; Vi: xúc Tibetan: Sparśa refers to the contact between the senses and their sense-objects, e. ... Vijñāna (Sanskrit) or Viññāna (Pāli) means consciousness. This page considers the Buddhist concept. ... This article needs to be wikified. ... Karma (Sanskrit: कर्मन karman, Pāli: कमा Kamma) means action or doing; whatever one does, says, or thinks is a karma. ... The Samyutta Nikaya, the third Nikaya (division) of the Sutta Pitaka of the Tipitaka, contains 2,889 suttas grouped into five sections (vaggas). ...

See also

• Sadayatana - a lengthier discussion of the "Six Sense Bases"
• Twelve Nidanas - the chain of endless suffering of which the sense bases are the fifth link.
• Skandha - a similar Buddhist construct with a section comparing these two concepts
• Satipatthana Sutta - includes a meditation using sense bases as the meditative object

Ṣaḍāyatana (Sanskrit) or Saḷāyatana (Pāli means the seats or base of the six organs (six senses). ... The Twelve Nidanas (Pali: nidana- foundation, source or origin) are the application of the Buddhist concept of Pratitya-samutpada (dependent origination). ... The skandhas (Sanskrit: Pāli: Khandha; literally: heap or bundle) are the five constituents or aggregates through which the functioning and experience of an individual is created according to Buddhist phenomenology. ... The Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta and the Mahāsatipaṭṭhāna Sutta are two of the most popular works in the Pali canon, embraced by both Theravada and Mahayana practitioners (see, e. ...

References

1. ^ "Sense base" is used for instance by Bodhi (2000b) and Soma (1999). "Sense sphere" is used for instance by VRI (1996) and suggested by Rhys Davids & Stede (1921-5), p. 105, whose third definition for Āyatana is:

   sphere of perception or sense in general, object of thought, sense-organ & object; relation, order. -- [Aung & Rhys Davids (1910),] p. 183 says rightly: 'āyatana cannot be rendered by a single English word to cover both sense-organs (the mind being regarded as 6th sense) and sense objects'. -- These āyatanāni (relations, functions, reciprocalities) are thus divided into two groups, inner (ajjhattikāni) and outer (bāhirāni)....

2. ^ The Pāli word translated here as "visible objects" is rūpa. In terms of the Buddhist notion of the sense bases, rūpa refers to visual objects (or objects knowable by the eye through light). This should not be confused with the use of the word rūpa in terms of the Buddhist notion of aggregates where rūpa refers to all material objects, both of the world and the body. Thus, when comparing these two uses of rūpa, the rūpa-aggregate includes the rūpa-sense-object as well as the five other sense-objects (sound, odor, taste, touch and mental objects).
3. ^ The Pāli word translated here as "mind" is mano. Other common translations include "intellect" (e.g., Thanissaro, 2001a) and "consciousness" (e.g., Soma, 1999).
4. ^ The Pāli word translated here as "mental objects" is dhammā. Other frequently seen translations include "mental phenomena" (e.g., Bodhi, 2000b, pp. 1135ff.), "thoughts," "ideas" (e.g., Thanissaro, 2001a) and "contents of the mind" (VRI, 1996, p. 39) while some translators simply leave this word untranslated due to its complex overtones in the Pali literature.
5. ^ See, for instance, Bodhi (2000a), p. 288.
6. ^ Rhys Davids & Stede (1921-5), p. 699.
7. ^ Bodhi (2005), starting at time 50:00. Bodhi (2005) references, for instance, Majjhima Nikaya Sutta No. 149, where the Buddha instructs:

   "...[K]nowing & seeing the eye as it actually is present, knowing & seeing [visible] forms... consciousness at the eye... contact at the eye as they actually are present, knowing & seeing whatever arises conditioned through contact at the eye — experienced as pleasure, pain, or neither-pleasure-nor-pain — as it actually is present, one is not infatuated with the eye... forms... consciousness at the eye... contact at the eye... whatever arises.... The craving that makes for further becoming — accompanied by passion & delight, relishing now this & now that — is abandoned by him. His bodily disturbances & mental disturbances are abandoned. His bodily torments & mental torments are abandoned. His bodily distresses & mental distresses are abandoned. He is sensitive both to ease of body & ease of awareness..." (Thanissaro, 1998b).

8. ^ The greatest concentration of discourses related to the sense bases is in the Samyutta Nikaya, chapter 35, entitled "The Book of the Six Sense Bases" (Saḷāyatana-vagga). For instance, in Bodhi (2000b) edition of the Samyutta Nikaya, this chapter alone has 248 discourses. The Rhys Davids & Stede (1921-25) entry for "Āyatana" (p. 105) also mentions other discourses in each of the Pali nikayas.
9. ^ Ñāṇamoli & Bodhi (2001), pp. 1129-36; and, Thanissaro (1998a).
10. ^ Bodhi (2000b), p. 1140; and, Thanissaro (2001b). According to Bodhi (2000b), p. 1399, n. 7, the Pali commentary regarding the Sabba Sutta states: "...[I]f one passes over the twelve sense bases, one cannot point out any real phenomenon." Also see Rhys Davids & Stede (1921-25), p. 680, "Sabba" entry where sabbaŋ is defined as "the (whole) world of sense-experience."
11. ^ Bodhi (2000b), p. 1140; and, Thanissaro (2001a).
12. ^ For instance, SN 35.25 through 35.29, including the famed "Fire Sermon" (SN 35.28).
13. ^ Bodhi (2000b), p. 1122.
14. ^ This diagram is based on comments made by Bhikkhu Bodhi during a dharma talk (Bodhi, 2005, starting at time 50:00). Of course, reference to the Four Noble Truths in this context is redundant as the whole endless cycle of the Twelve Causes is a form of suffering and the last two causes, Birth and Old Age & Death, are explicitly identified as components of suffering by the Buddha in the Four Noble Truths (for instance, see the Dhammacakka Sutta). Nonetheless, Bodhi's formulation here provides a conciseness — both conceptually and, in this diagram, visually — that might otherwise not be as compelling and readily comprehended.
15. ^ Note that the Twelve Causes and Six Sextets describe the relationship between the sense bases and consciousness in different ways.
16. ^ In the context of SN 35.197, the term "empty" might simply be meant to convey "passive." It could also be used in the Buddhist sense of self-less, as in anatta (see). In fact, in SN 35.85, the Buddha applies this latter notion of emptiness (suññata) to all internal and external sense bases (Bodhi, 2000b, pp. 1163-64; and Thanissaro, 1997c).
17. ^ Bodhi (2000b), pp. 1237-1239 (where this discourse is identified as SN 35.238); Buddhaghosa (1999), p. 490 (where this discourse is identified as S.iv,175); and, Thanissaro (2004).

    Similarly, in the last sutta of the Samyutta Nikaya's Salayatana-samyutta, entitled "The Sheaf of Barley" (which Bodhi, 2000b, identifies as SN 35.248 and Thanissaro, 1998c, as SN 35.207), the Buddha describes the sense organs as "struck" or "thrashed" by "agreeable and disagreeable" sense objects (Bodhi, 2000b, pp. 1257-59; Thanissaro, 1998c). Rupa is the Buddhist concept of form, or body, the first of the five Skandhas or aggregates. ... The skandhas (Sanskrit: Pāli: Khandha; literally: heap or bundle) are the five constituents or aggregates through which the functioning and experience of an individual is created according to Buddhist phenomenology. ... Dharma (Sanskrit) or Dhamma (Pāli) in Buddhism has two primary meanings: the teachings of the Buddha which lead to enlightenment the constituent factors of the experienced world In East Asia, the character for Dharma is 法, pronounced fÇŽ in Mandarin and hō in Japanese. ... Standard edition of the Thai Pali Canon The Pali Canon is one the earliest existing scripture collections of the Buddhist tradition. ... The Majjhima Nikaya, or Middle-length Discourses of the Buddha, is the second of the five nikayas, or collections, in the Sutta Pitaka of the Tipitaka. ... The Samyutta Nikaya, the third Nikaya (division) of the Sutta Pitaka of the Tipitaka, contains 2,889 suttas grouped into five sections (vaggas). ... The Samyutta Nikaya, the third Nikaya (division) of the Sutta Pitaka of the Tipitaka, contains 2,889 suttas grouped into five sections (vaggas). ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... The Four Noble Truths (Pali: Cattāri ariyasaccāni, Sanskrit: Catvāri āryasatyāni, Chinese: Sìshèngdì) are one of the most fundamental Buddhist teachings. ... The Twelve Nidanas (Pali: nidana- foundation, source or origin) are the application of the Buddhist concept of Pratitya-samutpada (dependent origination). ... Dukkha (Pāli दुक्ख ; according to grammatical tradition from Sanskrit uneasy, but according to Monier-Williams more likely a Prakritized form of unsteady, disquieted) is a central concept in Buddhism, the word roughly corresponding to a number of terms in English including sorrow, suffering, affliction, pain, anxiety, dissatisfaction, discomfort, anguish, stress... In Buddhism, Jāti (the Sanskrit and Pāli word for birth) refers to the arising of a new living entity in saṃsāra. ... Jarāmaraṇa, Sanskrit and Pāli for old age and decay (jarā) and dying and death (maraṇa), is a Buddhist term describing the eventual fate of all beings in saṃsāra. ... This is the Buddhas first discourse after he reached Enlightenment. ... The Buddhist teaching of anatta / anatman (non Self, non Soul) has, from early times, been controversial amongst Buddhists and non-Buddhists alike and remains so to this day (see, e. ... The Samyutta Nikaya, the third Nikaya (division) of the Sutta Pitaka of the Tipitaka, contains 2,889 suttas grouped into five sections (vaggas). ... Śūnyatā, शून्यता (Sanskrit), Suññatā (Pāli) or stong pa nyid (Tibetan), generally translated into English as Emptiness or Voidness, is a concept of central importance in the teaching of the Buddha, intimately related to the doctrine of the three marks of existence (ti-lakkhana). ...

18. ^ Bodhi (2000b), pp. 1230-1231 (where this discourse is identified as SN 35.232); and, Thanissaro (1997b).
19. ^ Thanissaro, 1993. For other references to the sense bases as "the All," see Thanissaro (2001b) and Thanissaro (2001a). The sense bases are "the All" insomuch that all we know of the world is known through the sense bases.
20. ^ Bodhi (2000b), p. 1148.
21. ^ Bodhi (2000b), p. 1148. For a correspondence between impermanence and nonself, see Three marks of existence.
22. ^ Soma (1999), section entitled, "The Six Internal and the Six External Sense-bases."
23. ^ See, for instance, SN 35.91 where the Buddha proclaims:

    "Whatever, bhikkhus, is the extent of the aggregates, the elements, and the sense bases, [a right-practicing monk] does not conceive that, does not conceive in that, does not conceive from that, does not conceive, 'This is mine.' Since he does not conceive anything thus, he does not cling to anything in the world. Not clinging, he is not agitated. Being unagitated, he personally attains Nibbāna..." (Bodhi, 2000b, p. 1171).

24. ^ See, for instance, Bodhi (2000b), pp. 1122-24. Beyond the five aggregates, Nibbana is also identified as a "mental object" perceivable by "mind" (mano) (see, for instance, Bodhi, 2000a, p. 288).
25. ^ See, for instance, Bodhi (2000b), pp. 1124-26; and, Bodhi (2005), starting at time 48:47. Also see the article on upadana for the canonical explanation of the four types of clinging: sense-pleasure, wrong-view, rites-and-rituals and self-doctrine.
26. ^ The Pāli word referenced here as "element," dhātu, is used in multiple contexts in the Pāli canon. For instance, Bodhi (2000b), pp. 527-8, identifies four different ways that dhātu is used including in terms of the "eighteen elements" and in terms of "the four primary elements" (catudhātu).
27. ^ In Buddhist literature, when a sense object and sense organ make contact (Pali, phassa), sense-consciousness arises. (See for instance MN 148.)
28. ^ Bodhi (2005b), pp. 1211-12. See also Thanissaro (1997a).

According to the Buddhist tradition, all phenomena (dharmas) are marked by three characteristics, sometimes referred to as the Dharma seals, that is dukkha (suffering), anicca (impermanence), and anatta (non-Self). ... The Samyutta Nikaya, the third Nikaya (division) of the Sutta Pitaka of the Tipitaka, contains 2,889 suttas grouped into five sections (vaggas). ... A Buddhist Monk in Sri Lanka In Pāli, a bhikkhu (male) or bhikkhuni (female) is a fully ordained Buddhist monk. ... (Devanagari , Pali: Nibbāna िनब्बान -- Chinese: 涅槃; Pinyin: nièpán, Japanese: 涅槃, nehan, Korean: 열반, yeol-bhan, Thai: Nibpan นิพพาน ), is a Sanskrit word that literally means extinction (as in a candle flame) and/or extinguishing (i. ... The following article is about the term Nirvana in the context of Buddhism. ... Upādāna is a word used in both Buddhism and Hinduism. ... Standard edition of the Thai Pali Canon The Pali Canon is the standard scripture collection of the Theravada Buddhist tradition. ... Standard edition of the Thai Pali Canon The Pali Canon is the standard scripture collection of the Theravada Buddhist tradition. ... Chinese Wood (木) | Fire (火) Earth (土) | Metal (金) | Water (水) Hinduism and Buddhism Vayu / Pavan — Air / Wind Agni / Tejas — Fire Akasha — Aether Prithvi / Bhumi — Earth Ap / Jala — Water Mahābhūta is Pāli for the Great Elements. ... The Majjhima Nikaya, or Middle-length Discourses of the Buddha, is the second of the five nikayas, or collections, in the Sutta Pitaka of the Tipitaka. ...

Sources

• Aung, S.Z. & C.A.F. Rhys Davids (trans.) (1910). Compendium of Philosophy (Translation of the Abhidhamm'attha-sangaha). Chipstead: Pali Text Society. Cited in Rhys Davids & Stede (1921-5).

• Bodhi, Bhikkhu (ed.) (2000a). A Comprehensive Manual of Abhidhamma: The Abhidhammattha Sangaha of Ācariya Anuruddha. Seattle, WA: BPS Pariyatti Editions. ISBN 1-928706-02-9.

• Bodhi, Bhikkhu (trans.) (2000b). The Connected Discourses of the Buddha: A Translation of the Samyutta Nikaya. (Part IV is "The Book of the Six Sense Bases (Salayatanavagga)".) Boston: Wisdom Publications. ISBN 0-86171-331-1.

• Bodhi, Bhikkhu (18 Jan 2005). MN 10: Satipatthana Sutta (continued) (MP3 audio file) [In this series of talks on the Majjhima Nikaya, this is Bodhi's ninth talk on the Satipatthana Sutta. In this talk, the discussion regarding the sense bases starts at time 45:36]. Available on-line at http://www.bodhimonastery.net/MP3/M0060_MN-010.mp3.

• Buddhaghosa, Bhadantācariya (trans. from Pāli by Bhikkhu Ñāṇamoli) (1999). The Path of Purification: Visuddhimagga. (Chapter XV is "The Bases and Elements (Ayatana-dhatu-niddesa)".) Seattle, WA: BPS Pariyatti Editions. ISBN 1-928706-00-2.

• Ñāṇamoli, Bhikkhu (trans.) & Bodhi, Bhikkhu (ed.) (2001). The Middle-Length Discourses of the Buddha: A Translation of the Majjhima Nikāya. Boston: Wisdom Publications. ISBN 0-86171-072-X.

• Rhys Davids, T.W. & William Stede (eds.) (1921-5). The Pali Text Society’s Pali–English Dictionary. Chipstead: Pali Text Society. A general on-line search engine for the PED is available at http://dsal.uchicago.edu/dictionaries/pali/.

• Soma Thera (trans.) (1999). The Discourse on the Arousing of Mindfulness (MN 10). Available on-line at http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.010.soma.html.

• Thanissaro Bhikkhu (trans.) (1993). Adittapariyaya Sutta: The Fire Sermon (SN 35.28). Available on-line at http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn35/sn35.028.than.html.

• Thanissaro Bhikkhu (trans.) (1997a). Kamma Sutta: Action (SN 35.145). Available on-line at http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn35/sn35.145.than.html.

• Thanissaro Bhikkhu (trans.) (1997b). Kotthita Sutta: To Kotthita (SN 35.191). Available on-line at http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn35/sn35.191.than.html.

• Thanissaro Bhikkhu (trans.) (1997c). Suñña Sutta: Empty (SN 35.85). Available on-line at http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn35/sn35.085.than.html.

• Thanissaro Bhikkhu (trans.) (1998a). Chachakka Sutta: The Six Sextets (MN 148). Available on-line at http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.148.than.html.

• Thanissaro Bhikkhu (trans.) (1998b). Maha-salayatanika Sutta: The Great Six Sense-media Discourse (MN 149). Available on-line at http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.149.than.html.

• Thanissaro Bhikkhu (trans.) (1998c). Yavakalapi Sutta: The Sheaf of Barley (SN 35.207). Available on-line at http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn35/sn35.207.than.html.

• Thanissaro Bhikkhu (trans.) (2001a). Pahanaya Sutta: To Be Abandoned (SN 35.24). Available on-line at http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn35/sn35.024.than.html.

• Thanissaro Bhikkhu (trans.) (2001b). Sabba Sutta: The All (SN 35.23). Available on-line at http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn35/sn35.023.than.html.

• Thanissaro Bhikkhu (trans.) (2004). Asivisa Sutta: Vipers (SN 35.197). Available on-line at http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn35/sn35.197.than.html.

• Vipassana Research Institute (VRI) (trans.) (1996). Mahāsatipaṭṭhāna Sutta: The Great Discourse on Establishing Mindfulness (Pali-English edition). Seattle, WA: Vipassana Research Publications of America. ISBN 0-9649484-0-0.

Caroline Augusta Foley Rhys Davids (1857–1942) was a Pāli language scholar and translator, and from 1922-1942 president of the Pali Text Society which was founded by her husband T.W. Rhys Davids whom she married in 1894. ... The Pali Text Society was founded in 1881 by T.W. Rhys Davids to foster and promote the study of Pali texts. Pali is the language in which the texts of the Theravada school of Buddhism is preserved. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... The Majjhima Nikaya, or Middle-length Discourses of the Buddha, is the second of the five nikayas, or collections, in the Sutta Pitaka of the Tipitaka. ... Bhadantācariya Buddhaghosa was a 5th century Indian Theravadin Buddhist commentator and scholar. ... Thomas William Rhys Davids (May 12, 1843 - December 27, 1922) was an British scholar of the Pāli language and founder of the Pali Text Society. ... The Majjhima Nikaya, or Middle-length Discourses of the Buddha, is the second of the five nikayas, or collections, in the Sutta Pitaka of the Tipitaka. ... Thanissaro Bhikkhu (Geoffrey DeGraff) (1949 - ) is an American Buddhist monk of the Thai forest kammathana tradition. ... The Samyutta Nikaya, the third Nikaya (division) of the Sutta Pitaka of the Tipitaka, contains 2,889 suttas grouped into five sections (vaggas). ... The Samyutta Nikaya, the third Nikaya (division) of the Sutta Pitaka of the Tipitaka, contains 2,889 suttas grouped into five sections (vaggas). ... The Samyutta Nikaya, the third Nikaya (division) of the Sutta Pitaka of the Tipitaka, contains 2,889 suttas grouped into five sections (vaggas). ... The Samyutta Nikaya, the third Nikaya (division) of the Sutta Pitaka of the Tipitaka, contains 2,889 suttas grouped into five sections (vaggas). ... The Majjhima Nikaya, or Middle-length Discourses of the Buddha, is the second of the five nikayas, or collections, in the Sutta Pitaka of the Tipitaka. ... The Majjhima Nikaya, or Middle-length Discourses of the Buddha, is the second of the five nikayas, or collections, in the Sutta Pitaka of the Tipitaka. ... The Samyutta Nikaya, the third Nikaya (division) of the Sutta Pitaka of the Tipitaka, contains 2,889 suttas grouped into five sections (vaggas). ... The Samyutta Nikaya, the third Nikaya (division) of the Sutta Pitaka of the Tipitaka, contains 2,889 suttas grouped into five sections (vaggas). ... The Samyutta Nikaya, the third Nikaya (division) of the Sutta Pitaka of the Tipitaka, contains 2,889 suttas grouped into five sections (vaggas). ... The Samyutta Nikaya, the third Nikaya (division) of the Sutta Pitaka of the Tipitaka, contains 2,889 suttas grouped into five sections (vaggas). ...

External links

• "Salayatana Vagga — The Section on the Six Sense Bases" of the Samyutta Nikaya, on www.accesstoinsight.org