The Analysis of the Six Sense Fields · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral
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Evaṁ me sutaṁ— ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme. Tatra kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi: “bhikkhavo”ti. “Bhadante”ti te bhikkhū bhagavato paccassosuṁ. Bhagavā etadavoca:
So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery. There the Buddha addressed the mendicants, “Mendicants!” “Venerable sir,” they replied. The Buddha said this:
“saḷāyatanavibhaṅgaṁ vo, bhikkhave, desessāmi. Taṁ suṇātha, sādhukaṁ manasi karotha, bhāsissāmī”ti. “Evaṁ, bhante”ti kho te bhikkhū bhagavato paccassosuṁ. Bhagavā etadavoca:
“Mendicants, I shall teach you the analysis of the six sense fields. Listen and apply your mind well, I will speak.” “Yes, sir,” they replied. The Buddha said this:
“‘Cha ajjhattikāni āyatanāni veditabbāni, cha bāhirāni āyatanāni veditabbāni, cha viññāṇakāyā veditabbā, cha phassakāyā veditabbā, aṭṭhārasa manopavicārā veditabbā, chattiṁsa sattapadā veditabbā, tatra idaṁ nissāya idaṁ pajahatha, tayo satipaṭṭhānā yadariyo sevati yadariyo sevamāno satthā gaṇamanusāsitumarahati, so vuccati yoggācariyānaṁ anuttaro purisadammasārathī’ti— ayamuddeso saḷāyatanavibhaṅgassa.
“‘The six interior sense fields should be understood. The six exterior sense fields should be understood. The six classes of consciousness should be understood. The six classes of contact should be understood. The eighteen mental preoccupations should be understood. The thirty-six positions of sentient beings should be understood. Therein, relying on this, give up that. The Noble One cultivates the establishment of mindfulness in three cases, by virtue of which they are a Teacher worthy to instruct a group. Of all meditation tutors, it is he that is called the supreme guide for those fit for training.’ This is the summary recital for the analysis of the six sense fields.
‘Cha ajjhattikāni āyatanāni veditabbānī’ti— iti kho panetaṁ vuttaṁ. Kiñcetaṁ paṭicca vuttaṁ? ‘Cakkhāyatanaṁ sotāyatanaṁ ghānāyatanaṁ jivhāyatanaṁ kāyāyatanaṁ manāyatanaṁ— cha ajjhattikāni āyatanāni veditabbānī’ti— iti yaṁ taṁ vuttaṁ idametaṁ paṭicca vuttaṁ.
‘The six interior sense fields should be understood.’ That’s what I said, but why did I say it? There are the sense fields of the eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind. ‘The six interior sense fields should be understood.’ That’s what I said, and this is why I said it.
‘Cha bāhirāni āyatanāni veditabbānī’ti— iti kho panetaṁ vuttaṁ. Kiñcetaṁ paṭicca vuttaṁ? ‘Rūpāyatanaṁ saddāyatanaṁ gandhāyatanaṁ rasāyatanaṁ phoṭṭhabbāyatanaṁ dhammāyatanaṁ— cha bāhirāni āyatanāni veditabbānī’ti— iti yaṁ taṁ vuttaṁ idametaṁ paṭicca vuttaṁ.
‘The six exterior sense fields should be understood.’ That’s what I said, but why did I say it? There are the sense fields of sights, sounds, smells, tastes, touches, and ideas. ‘The six exterior sense fields should be understood.’ That’s what I said, and this is why I said it.
‘Cha viññāṇakāyā veditabbā’ti— iti kho panetaṁ vuttaṁ. Kiñcetaṁ paṭicca vuttaṁ? ‘Cakkhuviññāṇaṁ sotaviññāṇaṁ ghānaviññāṇaṁ jivhāviññāṇaṁ kāyaviññāṇaṁ manoviññāṇaṁ— cha viññāṇakāyā veditabbā’ti— iti yaṁ taṁ vuttaṁ idametaṁ paṭicca vuttaṁ.
‘The six classes of consciousness should be understood.’ That’s what I said, but why did I say it? There are eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind consciousness. ‘The six classes of consciousness should be understood.’ That’s what I said, and this is why I said it.
‘Cha phassakāyā veditabbā’ti— iti kho panetaṁ vuttaṁ. Kiñcetaṁ paṭicca vuttaṁ? ‘Cakkhusamphasso sotasamphasso ghānasamphasso jivhāsamphasso kāyasamphasso manosamphasso— cha phassakāyā veditabbā’ti— iti yaṁ taṁ vuttaṁ idametaṁ paṭicca vuttaṁ.
‘The six classes of contact should be understood.’ That’s what I said, but why did I say it? There is contact through the eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind. ‘The six classes of contact should be understood.’ That’s what I said, and this is why I said it.
‘Aṭṭhārasa manopavicārā veditabbā’ti— iti kho panetaṁ vuttaṁ. Kiñcetaṁ paṭicca vuttaṁ? ‘Cakkhunā rūpaṁ disvā somanassaṭṭhānīyaṁ rūpaṁ upavicarati, domanassaṭṭhānīyaṁ rūpaṁ upavicarati, upekkhāṭṭhānīyaṁ rūpaṁ upavicarati. Sotena saddaṁ sutvā …pe… ghānena gandhaṁ ghāyitvā … jivhāya rasaṁ sāyitvā … kāyena phoṭṭhabbaṁ phusitvā … manasā dhammaṁ viññāya somanassaṭṭhānīyaṁ dhammaṁ upavicarati, domanassaṭṭhānīyaṁ dhammaṁ upavicarati, upekkhāṭṭhānīyaṁ dhammaṁ upavicarati. Iti cha somanassūpavicārā, cha domanassūpavicārā, cha upekkhūpavicārā, aṭṭhārasa manopavicārā veditabbā’ti— iti yaṁ taṁ vuttaṁ idametaṁ paṭicca vuttaṁ.
‘The eighteen mental preoccupations should be understood.’ That’s what I said, but why did I say it? Seeing a sight with their eyes, one is preoccupied with a sight that’s a basis for happiness or sadness or equanimity. Hearing a sound with their ears … Smelling an odor with their nose … Tasting a flavor with their tongue … Encountering a touch with their body … Becoming conscious of an idea with their mind, one is preoccupied with an idea that’s a basis for happiness or sadness or equanimity. So there are six preoccupations with happiness, six preoccupations with sadness, and six preoccupations with equanimity. ‘The eighteen mental preoccupations should be understood.’ That’s what I said, and this is why I said it.
‘Chattiṁsa sattapadā veditabbā’ti— iti kho panetaṁ vuttaṁ. Kiñcetaṁ paṭicca vuttaṁ? Cha gehasitāni somanassāni, cha nekkhammasitāni somanassāni, cha gehasitāni domanassāni, cha nekkhammasitāni domanassāni, cha gehasitā upekkhā, cha nekkhammasitā upekkhā.
‘The thirty-six positions of sentient beings should be understood.’ That’s what I said, but why did I say it? There are six kinds of domestic happiness and six kinds of renunciate happiness. There are six kinds of domestic sadness and six kinds of renunciate sadness. There are six kinds of domestic equanimity and six kinds of renunciate equanimity.
Tattha katamāni cha gehasitāni somanassāni? Cakkhuviññeyyānaṁ rūpānaṁ iṭṭhānaṁ kantānaṁ manāpānaṁ manoramānaṁ lokāmisapaṭisaṁyuttānaṁ paṭilābhaṁ vā paṭilābhato samanupassato pubbe vā paṭiladdhapubbaṁ atītaṁ niruddhaṁ vipariṇataṁ samanussarato uppajjati somanassaṁ. Yaṁ evarūpaṁ somanassaṁ idaṁ vuccati gehasitaṁ somanassaṁ. Sotaviññeyyānaṁ saddānaṁ … ghānaviññeyyānaṁ gandhānaṁ … jivhāviññeyyānaṁ rasānaṁ … kāyaviññeyyānaṁ phoṭṭhabbānaṁ … manoviññeyyānaṁ dhammānaṁ iṭṭhānaṁ kantānaṁ manāpānaṁ …pe… somanassaṁ. Yaṁ evarūpaṁ somanassaṁ idaṁ vuccati gehasitaṁ somanassaṁ. Imāni cha gehasitāni somanassāni.
And in this context what are the six kinds of domestic happiness? There are sights known by the eye, which are likable, desirable, agreeable, pleasing, connected with the worldly pleasures of the flesh. Happiness arises when you regard it as a gain to obtain such sights, or when you recollect sights you formerly obtained that have passed, ceased, and perished. Such happiness is called domestic happiness. There are sounds known by the ear … Smells known by the nose … Tastes known by the tongue … Touches known by the body … Ideas known by the mind, which are likable, desirable, agreeable, pleasing, connected with the worldly pleasures of the flesh. Happiness arises when you regard it as a gain to obtain such ideas, or when you recollect ideas you formerly obtained that have passed, ceased, and perished. Such happiness is called domestic happiness. These are the six kinds of domestic happiness.
Tattha katamāni cha nekkhammasitāni somanassāni? Rūpānaṁ tveva aniccataṁ viditvā vipariṇāmavirāganirodhaṁ, ‘pubbe ceva rūpā etarahi ca sabbe te rūpā aniccā dukkhā vipariṇāmadhammā’ti evametaṁ yathābhūtaṁ sammappaññāya passato uppajjati somanassaṁ. Yaṁ evarūpaṁ somanassaṁ idaṁ vuccati nekkhammasitaṁ somanassaṁ. Saddānaṁ tveva … gandhānaṁ tveva … rasānaṁ tveva … phoṭṭhabbānaṁ tveva … dhammānaṁ tveva aniccataṁ viditvā vipariṇāmavirāganirodhaṁ, ‘pubbe ceva dhammā etarahi ca sabbe te dhammā aniccā dukkhā vipariṇāmadhammā’ti evametaṁ yathābhūtaṁ sammappaññāya passato uppajjati somanassaṁ. Yaṁ evarūpaṁ somanassaṁ idaṁ vuccati nekkhammasitaṁ somanassaṁ. Imāni cha nekkhammasitāni somanassāni.
And in this context what are the six kinds of renunciate happiness? When you’ve understood the impermanence of sights—their perishing, fading away, and cessation—happiness arises as you truly understand through right understanding that both formerly and now all those sights are impermanent, suffering, and perishable. Such happiness is called renunciate happiness. When you’ve understood the impermanence of sounds … smells … tastes … touches … ideas—their perishing, fading away, and cessation—happiness arises as you truly understand through right understanding that both formerly and now all those ideas are impermanent, suffering, and perishable. Such happiness is called renunciate happiness. These are the six kinds of renunciate happiness.
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