With the six sense bases as condition, contact" (salāyatana-paccayā phasso)

In the previous link, nāmarūpa-paccayā salāyatanam (with mind and matter as condition, the six sense bases), the term salāyatana referred only to the six internal sense bases (ajjhattikāyatana). That link was merely explaining how the sense bases come into existence. However, in the link salāyatana-paccayā phasso (with the six sense bases as condition, contact), the term salāyatana now refers to both the six internal sense bases (ajjhattikāyatana) and the six external sense bases (bāhirāyatana). The reason for including both internal and external sense bases here is that this link explains the condition for the complete arising of contact (phassa); it requires the full complement of sense bases. The six internal sense bases are called ajjhattikāyatana: eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind. The six external sense bases are called bāhirāyatana: sight, sound, smell, taste, tangible objects, and mental objects (ideas). These twelve internal and external sense bases together constitute the salāyatana (six sense bases, in the comprehensive sense). It is through the support of these twelve sense bases that phassa (contact) arises. In terms of phassa, it refers to the contact mental factor (phassa cetasika) associated with the 32 types of mundane resultant consciousness (lokiya vipāka citta). Phassa is also of six types: 1. Cakkhu-samphassa: Contact dependent on the eye sensitivity (eye-door contact) 2. Sota-samphassa: Contact dependent on the ear sensitivity (ear-door contact) 3. Ghāna-samphassa: Contact dependent on the nose sensitivity (nose-door contact) 4. Jivhā-samphassa: Contact dependent on the tongue sensitivity (tongue-door contact) 5. Kāya-samphassa: Contact dependent on the body sensitivity (body-door contact) 6. Mano-samphassa: Contact dependent on the mind base (mind-door contact) To elaborate in terms of consciousness: the contact mental factor associated with the two types of eye-consciousness is cakkhu-samphassa; with the two types of ear-consciousness is sota-samphassa; with the two types of nose-consciousness is ghāna-samphassa; with the two types of tongue-consciousness is jivhā-samphassa; with the two types of body-consciousness is kāya-samphassa; and the contact mental factor associated with the remaining 22 types of mundane resultant consciousness is mano-samphassa. Alternatively, the contact factor associated with the 79 types of consciousness excluding the five pairs of sense consciousness (dve-pañca-viññāṇa, 10 types) can be considered mano-samphassa. Here, "the two types of eye-consciousness" is Abhidhamma terminology, referring to the two kinds of seeing consciousness: one arising from seeing a desirable object and the other from seeing an undesirable object. Similarly, it should be understood that for the other sense consciousness (hearing, smelling, tasting, touching), there are also two types each based on the desirable or undesirable nature of their respective object. The statement "with the six sense bases as condition, contact arises" means that the contact mental factor arises dependent on the sense bases. Without the support of the sense base, the contact mental factor cannot arise. For example: · Dependent on the eye sensitivity (cakkhu-pasāda), eye-consciousness (seeing consciousness) arises. The contact associated with that seeing consciousness is called cakkhu-samphassa. · Dependent on the ear sensitivity, ear-consciousness (hearing consciousness) arises. Its associated contact is sota-samphassa. · Dependent on the nose sensitivity, nose-consciousness (smelling consciousness) arises. Its associated contact is ghāna-samphassa. · Dependent on the tongue sensitivity, tongue-consciousness (tasting consciousness) arises. Its associated contact is jivhā-samphassa. · Dependent on the body sensitivity, body-consciousness (touching consciousness) arises. Its associated contact is kāya-samphassa. · Dependent on the mind base (bhavanga), mind-consciousness (thinking consciousness) and the other 22 types of mundane resultant consciousness arise. Their associated contact is mano-samphassa. For those without a foundation in Abhidhamma, this might be slightly difficult to understand. But don't be discouraged. Careful reading will help grasp the principle, if not the exact details. Simply put: · The eye and a visual object impinge, resulting in seeing consciousness. Because seeing consciousness arises, the contact associated with it arises. · Without an eye, seeing consciousness cannot arise; without seeing consciousness, its associated contact cannot arise. · Therefore, someone born with defective eyes, or blind from birth, never gets the opportunity for seeing consciousness or its contact to arise in their lifetime. If someone loses their eyesight later, seeing consciousness and its contact cease completely. · However, the other types of contact will still occur if their respective sense bases are intact: hearing contact with good ears, smelling contact with a good nose, etc. · The same logic applies to all. If a sense base is defective, the contact dependent on that sense base cannot arise. The Buddha taught that contact is the coming together of three things (tiṇṇaṃ saṅgati phasso): "Dependent on the eye and forms, eye-consciousness arises. The meeting of the three is contact." (Cakkhuñca paṭicca rūpe ca uppajjati cakkhuviññāṇaṃ. Tiṇṇaṃ saṅgati phasso). The very meaning of phassa is "touching" or "contact," implying the sense of meeting or impingement. For example, visual contact (cakkhu-samphassa) cannot arise without the eye, without a visual object, and without seeing consciousness. It is only when these three come together that contact arises. This is how visual contact occurs. It is this triadic meeting that gives rise to the respective contacts. If they don't meet, contact doesn't arise. Therefore, one could say that contact is nothing special apart from this meeting of three. The meeting and the arising of contact are simultaneous. However, because contact arises due to this meeting, it is taught as "salāyatana-paccayā phasso" (with the six sense bases as condition, contact). Just like visual contact: · Ear + Sound + Hearing consciousness meeting = Hearing contact · Nose + Smell + Smelling consciousness meeting = Smelling contact · Tongue + Taste + Tasting consciousness meeting = Tasting contact · Body + Tangible object + Touching consciousness meeting = Touching contact · Mind base (bhavanga) + Mental object + Thinking consciousness meeting = Mental contact Thus, understand that the meeting of the respective three factors is itself contact. Once the meeting occurs, contact must arise; it cannot be prevented. How the Six Types of Contact Arise: 1. Eye + Visual Object + Seeing Consciousness = Visual Contact 2. Ear + Sound + Hearing Consciousness = Auditory Contact 3. Nose + Smell + Smelling Consciousness = Olfactory Contact 4. Tongue + Taste + Tasting Consciousness = Gustatory Contact 5. Body + Tangible Object + Touching Consciousness = Tactile Contact 6. Mind base + Mental Object + Thinking Consciousness = Mental Contact Dr. Ashin Pāramī