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SN 14.2PTS SN 2.1401 min read

Diversity of Contacts

Phassanānattasutta

The diverse internal elements of sense experience give rise to diverse contacts.

Translated by Bhikkhu Sujato · Pāli: Mahāsaṅgīti Tipiṭaka · Public domain (CC0) via SuttaCentral

  • 0.1Saṁyutta Nikāya 14.2Linked Discourses 14.2
  • 0.21. Nānattavagga1. Diversity

0.3PhassanānattasuttaDiversity of Contacts

1.1Sāvatthiyaṁ viharati.At Sāvatthī.

1.2“Dhātunānattaṁ, bhikkhave, paṭicca uppajjati phassanānattaṁ.“Mendicants, diversity of elements gives rise to diversity of contacts.11.3Katamañca, bhikkhave, dhātunānattaṁ?And what is the diversity of elements?1.4Cakkhudhātu sotadhātu ghānadhātu jivhādhātu kāyadhātu manodhātu—The eye element, ear element, nose element, tongue element, body element, and mind element.1.5idaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, dhātunānattaṁ.This is called the diversity of elements.

2.1PTS 2.141Kathañca, bhikkhave, dhātunānattaṁ paṭicca uppajjati phassanānattaṁ?And how does diversity of elements give rise to diversity of contacts?2.2Cakkhudhātuṁ, bhikkhave, paṭicca uppajjati cakkhusamphasso.The eye element gives rise to eye contact.2.3Sotadhātuṁ paṭicca …The ear element …2.4ghānadhātuṁ paṭicca …nose …2.5jivhādhātuṁ paṭicca …tongue …2.6kāyadhātuṁ paṭicca …body …2.7manodhātuṁ paṭicca uppajjati manosamphasso.The mind element gives rise to mind contact.2.8Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, dhātunānattaṁ paṭicca uppajjati phassanānattan”ti.That’s how diversity of elements gives rise to diversity of contacts.”

2.9Dutiyaṁ.

Translator’s notes

  1. The use of the word paṭicca here connects back to dependent origination. Narrowing in on the particulars of sense experience, the text shows that particular factors give rise to other correlated factors, i.e. “this gives rise to this” (SN 12.37:2.2).

    ↩ sn14.2:1.2