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saḷāyatana {pi}


Pāḷi; √ saḷāyatana
gender:
type:
alt. sp.: IPA: s̪əlɨɑːjət̪ən̪ə, Velthuis: sa.laayatana, readable: saliaayatana, simple: saḷayatana
translation ~:
skr.:
khmer: សឭអាយតន
thai: สฦอายตน
sinhal.: සඏආයතන
burm.: သၔအာယတန
appears:



saliaayatana.jpg

[dic] saḷāyatana (saḷayatana)

saḷāyatana: Description welcome. Info can be removed after imput.

ATI Glossary

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Buddhist Dictionary

by late Ven. Nyanalokita Thera:

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PTS Dictionary

by the Pali Text Society:

 

Glossary Thanissaro

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Illustrated Glossary of Pāli Terms

by Ven. Varado Maha Thera:

Renderings
Introduction

Internal and external āyatana

There are two groups of sixfold bases of sensation: internal and external.

1) Six internal bases of sensation: the six senses

Cha ajjhattikāni āyatanāni cakkhāyatanaṁ sotāyatanaṁ ghānāyatanaṁ jivhāyatanaṁ kāyāyatanaṁ manāyatanaṁ.

2) Six external bases of sensation: the six sense objects

Cha bāhirāni āyatanāni rūpāyatanaṁ saddāyatanaṁ gandhāyatanaṁ rasāyatanaṁ phoṭṭhabbāyatanaṁ dhammāyatanaṁ. (DN iii 243)

Cakkhuṁ=cakkhāyatanaṁ

The scriptures rarely use the term āyatanaṁ in reference to individual senses. Although saḷāyatanaṁ occurs 668 times, cakkhāyatanaṁ occurs just 11 times, and cakkhundriyaṁ occurs 452 times. The shortage of cakkhāyatanaṁ is because cakkhāyatanaṁ is usually abbreviated to cakkhuṁ. The suffix -āyatanaṁ is apparently disposable.

That cakkhuṁ=cakkhāyatanaṁ is proven in several suttas. The Girimānanda Sutta says cakkhuṁ is part of āyatanesu: cakkhuṁ anattā rūpā anattā… mano anattā dhammā anattā ti. Iti imesu chasu ajjhattikabāhiresu āyatanesu anattānupassī viharati (AN v 109). Similar evidence is found in the Parihānadhamma Sutta (SN iv 77) and the Chabbisodhana Sutta (MN iii 32).

The fuller terms for all six senses is listed in the Sammādiṭṭhi Sutta: cakkhāyatanaṁ sotāyatanaṁ ghānāyatanaṁ jivhāyatanaṁ kāyāyatanaṁ manāyatanaṁ (MN i 52).

Āyatanaṁ=phassāyatanānaṁ

But āyatanaṁ is also an abbreviation―for phassāyatanānaṁ. At SN iv 44 cakkhuṁ is called paṭhamaṁ phassāyatanaṁ; sotaṁ is dutiyaṁ phassāyatanaṁ; and so on.

So cakkhu’s full name is cakkhusamphassāyatanaṁ. The others are sotasamphassāyatanaṁ ghānasamphassāyatanaṁ jivhāsamphassāyatanaṁ kāyasamphassāyatanaṁ manosamphassāyatanaṁ. These full terms occur just once in the scriptures, in the Dhātuvibhaṅga Sutta (MN iii 239).

In this full rendering it is clear that ayatana means ‘basis.’ For example, ‘basis of cakkhusamphassa’ etc. So now let us examine the meaning of cakkhusamphassa.

Cakkhusamphassa: visual sensation

Cakkhusamphassa is explained in the following quote:

• Dependent on cakkhu and visible objects there arises the visual field of sensation. The meeting, the encounter, the concurrence of these three things is called visual sensation.

Cakkhuñca paṭicca rūpe uppajjati cakkhuviññāṇaṁ. Yā kho bhikkhave imesaṁ tiṇṇaṁ dhammānaṁ saṅgati sannipāto samavāyo ayaṁ vuccati bhikkhave cakkhusamphasso. (SN iv 68)

Thus cakkhusamphassāyatanaṁ would mean ‘basis for visual sensation.’

Terminology: full terms

The full terms of the six āyatanā would therefore be:

• basis for visual sensation

cakkhuṁ or cakkhāyatanaṁ

• basis for auditory sensation

• basis for olfactory sensation

• basis for gustatory sensation

• basis for tactile sensation

kāyo or kāyāyatanaṁ

• basis for mental sensation

mano or manāyatanaṁ

Terminology: abbreviated

The full terms are unwieldy in practice, and we will instead abbreviate them:

  • the visual sense
  • the auditory sense
  • the olfactory sense
  • the gustatory sense
  • the tactile sense
  • the mental sense

External āyatana: full and concise renderings

The corresponding objects of sensation are the external āyatana (bāhirāni āyatanāni): rūpāyatanaṁ saddāyatanaṁ gandhāyatanaṁ rasāyatanaṁ phoṭṭhabbāyatanaṁ dhammāyatanaṁ. These terms are not abbreviations. Therefore, if we again render āyatana as ‘basis,’ then each of the āyatanas are ‘a basis of sensation,’ and the āyatanas can be rendered as:

• visible objects basis of sensation

• mentally known objects basis of sensation

But the phrase ‘basis of sensation’ is redundant, and so we render the terms as:

• visible objects…

rūpāyatanaṁ…

• mentally known objects

Justifying the plural: visible objects

We have used the word ‘objects.’ The plural case is justified for three reasons:

1) Context supports it.

2) For grammatical reasons, by which it could be singular or plural.

3) By the common occurrence elsewhere of the plural case when the internal bases of sensation are in the singular case. For example:

• dependent on the visual sense and visible objects, the visual field of sensation arises

Cakkhuñca paṭicca rūpe ca uppajjati cakkhuviññāṇaṁ. (MN iii 281)

Āyatanāni: renaming the Internal and external bases of sensation

The ‘internal bases of sensation’ can often instead be called ‘the six senses,’ and the ‘external bases of sensation’ can often instead be called ‘the six sense objects.’ For example:

• There are these six senses and their objects rightly explained by the Blessed One who knows and sees [the nature of reality], the Arahant, the Perfectly Enlightened One.

cha kho panimāni āvuso ajjhattikabāhirāni āyatanāni tena bhagavatā jānatā passatā arahatā sammāsambuddhena sammadakkhātāni. (MN iii 32)

• He abides contemplating the voidness of personal qualities in the six senses and their objects.

imesu chasu ajjhattikabāhiresu āyatanesu anattānupassī viharati. (DN iii 223)

• And what is the noble truth of suffering? One should reply: the six senses.

Katamañca bhikkhave dukkhaṁ ariyasaccaṁ? Cha ajjhattikāni āyatanānītissa vacanīyaṁ. (SN v 426)

• ‘The empty village’ represents the six senses.

Suñño gāmoti kho bhikkhave channetaṁ ajjhattikānaṁ āyatanānaṁ adhivacanaṁ. (SN iv 174)

• ‘Village-attacking dacoits’ represents the six sense objects.

Corā gāmaghātakāti kho bhikkhave channetaṁ bāhirānaṁ āyatanānaṁ adhivacanaṁ. (SN iv 174)

Rendering of phrases

Our renderings of terms produces the following phrases:

• In seeing a visible object via the visual sense

cakkhunā rūpaṁ disvā

• In hearing an audible object via the auditory sense

sotena saddaṁ sutvā

• In smelling a smellable object via the olfactory sense

ghānena gandhaṁ ghāyitvā

• In tasting a tasteable object via the gustatory sense

jivhāya rasaṁ sāyitvā

• In feeling a tangible object via the tactile sense

kāyena phoṭṭhabbaṁ phusitvā

• In knowing a mentally known object via the mental sense

manasā dhammaṁ viññāya. (DN iii 250)

Alternative spellings

In some cases there are alternative Pāli spellings, as follows:

• in seeing a visible object (no alternative)

• in hearing an audible object (no alternative)

• in smelling a smellable object (three alternatives)

gandhaṁ ghāyitvā; gandhaṁ ghatvā; gandhaṁ ghātvā

• in tasting a tasteable object (two alternatives)

rasaṁ sāyitvā; rasaṁ bhotvā

• in feeling a tangible object (two alternatives)

phoṭṭhabbaṁ phusitvā; phassaṁ phussa (=when touched by a tangible object)

• in knowing a mentally known object (two alternatives)

dhammaṁ viññāya; dhammaṁ ñatvā. (SN iv 75; Tha 802; Tha 814)

Alternative renderings for senses and sense objects

Sometimes suttas refer to the senses as physical organs, and we render them accordingly:

  • eye and sights
  • ear and sounds
  • nose and odours
  • tongue and flavours
  • body and physical sensations
  • mind and mental phenomenona

Two examples where these renderings are appropriate:

1) The ignorant Everyman is

  • struck in the eye by pleasing and displeasing sights;
  • struck in the ear by pleasing and displeasing sounds;
  • struck in the nose by pleasing and displeasing odours;
  • struck on the tongue by pleasing and displeasing flavours;
  • struck on the body by pleasing and displeasing physical sensations;
  • struck in the mind by pleasing and displeasing mental phenomena.

assutavā puthujjano cakkhusmiṁ haññati manāpāmanāpehi rūpehi… manasmiṁ haññati manāpāmanāpehi dhammehi. (SN iv 201)

2) When a bhikkhu has not developed and cultivated mindfulness of the body,

yassa kassaci bhikkhuno kāyagatā sati abhāvitā abahulīkatā

the eye inclines towards pleasing visible objects

cakkhu āviñjati manāpikesu rūpesu

and displeasing visible objects are loathsome

amanāpikassa rūpā paṭikkūlā honti

  • ear inclines towards pleasing audible objects
  • nose inclines towards pleasing smellable objects
  • tongue inclines towards pleasing tasteable objects
  • body inclines towards pleasing tangible objects
  • mind inclines towards pleasing mentally known objects. (SN iv 199)
Illustrations

cakkhu

cakkhu: (main article see: saḷāyatana)

Illustration: cakkhu, eye

There are three eyes. The physical eye, the divine eye, and the eye of penetrative discernment.

Tīṇi cakkhuni maṁsacakkhu dibbacakkhu paññācakkhu. (DN iii 219)

cakkhunā

cakkhunā: (main article see: saḷāyatana)

Illustration: cakkhunā, eye

I see him with my mind as if with my eye

Passāmi naṁ manasā cakkhunā ca. (Snp 1142)

Illustration: cakkhu, eye

Illnesses of the eye, ear, nose, etc

cakkhurogo sotarogo ghānarogo. (AN v 110)

cakkhuṁ

cakkhuṁ: (main article see: saḷāyatana)

Illustration: cakkhuṁ, vision

While this discourse was being propounded, the uncorrupted, stainless vision of the nature of reality arose within Venerable Koṇḍañña that whatever is of an originated nature is destined to cease.

āyasmato koṇḍaññassa virajaṁ vītamalaṁ dhammacakkhuṁ udapādi yaṁ kiñci samudayadhammaṁ sabbaṁ taṁ nirodhadhamman ti. (Vin.1.11-12)

cakkhunā

cakkhunā: (main article see: saḷāyatana)

Illustration: cakkhunā, vision

Surveying the world with the vision of a Buddha, I saw beings with much dust in their eyes, and those with little.

addasaṁ kho ahaṁ bhikkhave buddhacakkhunā lokaṁ volokento satte apparajakkhe mahārajakkhe. (MN i 169)

Illustration: cakkhuṁ, vision

Māgandiya, you do not have noble vision by which you might know [spiritual] health and see the Untroubled.

Taṁ hi te māgandiya ariyaṁ cakkhuṁ natthi yena tvaṁ ariyena cakkhunā ārogyaṁ jāneyyāsi nibbānaṁ passeyyāsī ti. (MN i 510)

Illustration: cakkhuṁ, vision

With purified divine vision surpassing that of men, he sees beings passing away and being reborn, inferior and superior, well-favoured and ill-favoured, fortunate and unfortunate,

dibbena cakkhunā visuddhena atikkantamānusakena satte passati cavamāne upapajjamāne hīne paṇīte suvaṇṇe dubbaṇṇe sugate duggate

… and he understands how beings fare according to their deeds.

yathākammūpage satte pajānāti. (DN i 82)

Illustration: cakkhuṁ, the visual sense

There are these six senses and their objects rightly explained by the Blessed One who knows and sees [the nature of reality], the Arahant, the Perfectly Enlightened One. Which six?

cha kho panimāni āvuso ajjhattikabāhirāni āyatanāni tena bhagavatā jānatā passatā arahatā sammāsambuddhena sammadakkhātāni. Katamāni cha:

• the visual sense and visible objects

cakkhuṁ ceva rūpā ca

• the auditory sense and audible objects

sotañca saddā ca

• the olfactory sense and smellable objects

ghānañca ghandhā ca

• the gustatory sense and tasteable objects

jivhā ca rasā ca

• the tactile sense and tangible objects

kāyo ca phoṭṭhabbā ca

• the mental sense and mentally known objects

mano ca dhammā ca. (MN iii 32)

Illustration: cakkhuṁ, the visual sense

When this [wretched human] body has vitality, warmth, and consciousness, then it goes and comes back, stands and sits and lies down, sees a visible object via its visual sense, hears an audible object via its auditory sense, smells a smellable object via its olfactory sense, tastes a tasteable object via its gustatory sense, feels a tangible object via its tactile sense, and knows a mentally known object via its mental sense.

yadāyaṁ kāyo āyusahagato ca hoti usmāsahagato ca viññāṇasahagato ca tadā abhikkamati pi paṭikkamati pi tiṭṭhati pi nisīdati pi seyyampi kappeti cakkhunāpi rūpaṁ passati sotenapi saddaṁ suṇāti ghānenapi gandhaṁ ghāyati jivhāyapi rasaṁ sāyati kāyenapi phoṭṭhabbaṁ phusati manasāpi dhammaṁ vijānāti. (DN ii 338)

āyatanāni

āyatanāni: (main article see: saḷāyatana)

Illustration: āyatanāni, senses

There are just six senses, affected through one or other of which the fool experiences pleasure and pain.

saḷevāyatanāni yehi puṭṭho bālo sukhadukkhaṁ paṭisaṁvediyati etesaṁ vā aññatarena. (SN ii 23-24)

Illustration: saḷāyatana, six senses

• With the origination of the six senses comes the origination of sensation

• With the ending of the six senses comes the ending of sensation

āyatanānaṁ

āyatanānaṁ: (main article see: saḷāyatana)

Illustration: āyatanānaṁ, senses

“What is birth? It is the birth, being born, arising, rebirth, appearance of aggregates, acquiring of senses by the various beings in the various classes of beings. This is called birth.

Katamācāvuso jāti: yā tesaṁ tesaṁ sattānaṁ tamhi tamhi sattanikāye jāti sañjāti okkanti abhinibbatti khandhānaṁ pātubhāvo āyatanānaṁ paṭilābho ayaṁ vuccatāvuso jāti. (DN ii 307)

āyatanāni

āyatanāni: (main article see: saḷāyatana)

Illustration: āyatanāni, senses

What are the six mastered senses?

Katamāni ca bhikkhave cha abhibhāyatanāni

In this regard, when a bhikkhu sees a visible object via the visual sense, and there does not arise in him unvirtuous, spiritually unwholesome memories and thoughts conducive to psychological bondage, the bhikkhu should understand that: ‘This sense has been mastered.’ For this has been called a mastered sense by the Blessed One.

Idha bhikkhave bhikkhuno cakkhunā rūpaṁ disvā nūppajjanti pāpakā akusalā sarasaṅkappā saṁyojanīyā. Veditabbametaṁ bhikkhave bhikkhunā abhibhūtametaṁ āyatanaṁ abhibhāyatanaṁ hetaṁ vuttaṁ bhagavatā ti.

The sutta continues

In hearing an audible object via the auditory sense…

Sotena saddaṁ sutvā

In smelling a smellable object via the olfactory sense…

Ghānena gandhaṁ ghāyitvā

In tasting a tasteable object via the gustatory sense…

Jivhāya rasaṁ sāyitvā

In touching a tangible object via the tactile sense…

Kāyena phoṭṭhabbaṁ phusitvā

In knowing a mentally known object via the mental sense…

Manasā dhammaṁ viññāya. (SN iv 77)

sabbāyatanehi

sabbāyatanehi: (main article see: saḷāyatana)

Illustration: sabbāyatanehi, the six senses and their objects

One of purified wisdom who has utterly transcended egocentric conception in regards to things of the past and future, who is free of [bondage to] the six senses and their objects: he would properly fulfil the ideals of religious asceticism in the world.

Atītesu anāgatesu cā pi kappātīto aticca suddhipañño
Sabbāyatanehi vippamutto sammā so loke paribbajeyya. (Snp 373)

 

Glossary various Teacher

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See also

Suttas and Dhammadesanā

saḷāyatana: (the six sense-media). See also paṭicca-samuppāda (dependent co-arising); Sensuality.

  • Relation between the saḷāyatana and the emotions: MN 137
  • Understanding of saḷāyatana as a basis for Right View: MN 9
  • Contemplation of saḷāyatana in terms of not-self: MN 148
  • Why desire and passion connected with the saḷāyatana is worth abandoning: SN 27.1
  • How becoming consummate in the saḷāyatana leads to Awakening: SN 35.153
  • See the suttas in the saḷāyatana-samyutta of the Samyutta Nikaya.
 

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en/dictionary/saḷāyatana.txt · Last modified: 2019/09/25 05:30 by 127.0.0.1