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SN 14.3PTS SN 2.1411 min read

Not Diversity of Contacts

Nophassanānattasutta

It is not the case that diverse contacts give rise to the diverse elements of sense experience.

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

  • 0.1Saṁyutta Nikāya 14.3Linked Discourses 14.3
  • 0.21. Nānattavagga1. Diversity

0.3NophassanānattasuttaNot Diversity of Contacts

1.1Sāvatthiyaṁ viharati.At Sāvatthī.

1.2“Dhātunānattaṁ, bhikkhave, paṭicca uppajjati phassanānattaṁ, no phassanānattaṁ paṭicca uppajjati dhātunānattaṁ.“Mendicants, diversity of elements gives rise to diversity of contacts. Diversity of contacts doesn’t give rise to diversity of elements.11.3Katamañca, bhikkhave, dhātunānattaṁ?And what is the diversity of elements?1.4Cakkhudhātu …pe…The eye element, ear element, nose element, tongue element, body element, and mind element.1.5manodhātu—1.6idaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, dhātunānattaṁ.This is called the diversity of elements.

2.1Kathañca, bhikkhave, dhātunānattaṁ paṭicca uppajjati phassanānattaṁ, no phassanānattaṁ paṭicca uppajjati dhātunānattaṁ?And how does diversity of elements give rise to diversity of contacts, while diversity of contacts doesn’t give rise to diversity of elements?2.2Cakkhudhātuṁ, bhikkhave, paṭicca uppajjati cakkhusamphasso, no cakkhusamphassaṁ paṭicca uppajjati cakkhudhātu …pe…The eye element gives rise to eye contact. Eye contact doesn’t give rise to the eye element. …2.3manodhātuṁ paṭicca uppajjati manosamphasso, no manosamphassaṁ paṭicca uppajjati manodhātu.The mind element gives rise to mind contact. Mind contact doesn’t give rise to the mind element.2.4Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, dhātunānattaṁ paṭicca uppajjati phassanānattaṁ, no phassanānattaṁ paṭicca uppajjati dhātunānattan”ti.That’s how diversity of elements gives rise to diversity of contacts, while diversity of contacts doesn’t give rise to diversity of elements.”

2.5Tatiyaṁ.

Translator’s notes

  1. This discourse asserts that, in this case, conditionality is one way. This heads off the assumption that mutual condition applies to all the factors (SN 12.65:2.16).

    ↩ sn14.3:1.2