On Receiving Sense-Objects by Means of Upaniṣsaya-Paccaya
Know and discriminate the meaning of receiving a sense-object as follows:
The eye receives only forms; the ear only sounds; and so on. The phrase “by means of upanissaya-paccaya and as advantageous” means: depending on indispensable conditions (upanissaya-paccaya) and in virtue of their usefulness.
The four conditions for the arising of a sense-consciousness
A sense-consciousness (e.g., cakkhu-viññāṇa) arises together with its concomitants when the following four conditions are present:
- Asamphinnatta — the sense-organ is intact (not broken, obstructed, or destroyed): e.g., the eye-faculty has not ceased.
- Apātākatta — the object has come into the channel (the external stimulus is present): e.g., the form reaches the eye-channel.
- Aloka-sannissita / appropriate illumination — the presence of light (or the suitable medium): without light the eye-seeing does not occur.
- Manasikāra-hetu — mental attention/adverting (the mental factor that turns toward the object).
When these four conditions obtain, cakkhu-viññāṇa can arise (vision takes place) and arises accompanied by its saṃpajjana-dhamma (the appropriate concomitants). If any one of the four is missing, that sense-consciousness does not arise: e.g., even if the eye-faculty is intact but no form has come into the channel, no seeing; if form is present but there is no light, no seeing; if light is present but attention does not shift, no seeing; only when attention shifts does seeing occur.
The same fourfold conditional pattern applies to the other sense-consciousnesses:
- Ear-consciousness (sota-viññāṇa) arises when: (1) the ear-faculty is intact (asamphinnatta — sota-ssa), (2) sounds have come into the auditory channel (apātākatta — saṭṭhānām), (3) there is an air medium (assāsa-sannissita — literally “depending on air”), and (4) there is manasikāra as condition.
(Hence, if the ear is stopped up, auditory consciousness does not arise.)
- Nose-consciousness (ghāna-viññāṇa) arises when: (1) the olfactory faculty is intact, (2) odors come into the nasal channel, (3) the wind/air carries the odors (vāyo-sannissita), and (4) manasikāra is present.
- Tongue-consciousness (jivhā-viññāṇa) arises when: (1) the gustatory faculty is intact, (2) tastes come into the gustatory channel, (3) moisture is present (āpo-sannissita), and (4) manasikāra is present. (Thus a dry tongue cannot cognize taste.)
- Body-consciousness (kāya-viññāṇa) arises when: (1) the bodily faculty is intact, (2) tactile contacts (phoṭṭhabbā) come into the channel, (3) the earth element (or appropriate medium, paṭhavī-sannissita) is present (i.e., contact conditions subsist), and (4) manasikāra is present.
- Mind-consciousness (mano-viññāṇa) arises when: (1) the mind-faculty is intact, (2) mental objects (dhamma-rūpa) have come into the mental channel, (3) an appropriate mental object is present (vattu-sannissita), and (4) manasikāra functions as condition. Here “mind” refers to the defiled or defiling bhavaṅga state: when bhavaṅga is weak or incapable it is said to be “ceased,” and when it can serve as condition it is “not ceased.” Also, prior to mano-viññāṇa arising the bhavaṅga must be shifted (i.e., the mental process moves from its resting state).
These descriptions are the exposition of upaniṣsaya-paccaya in the sense of how reception of sense-objects is usefully conditioned.
Technical note on terminology
The eye-consciousness is called tassanatta (the “having-seeing” factor), the ear sovanatta (the “having-hearing” factor), the nose ghananatta (the “having-smelling” factor), the tongue jivhannatta (the “having-tasting” factor), the body phussanatta (the “having-being-touched” factor), and the mind vijānananatta (the “having-knowing” factor).
“Having-seeing as an attha (functional fact)” — that is, because seeing is something that the eye is to accomplish, eye-consciousness is designated tassanatta; likewise for the other sense-consciousnesses.
With these precisions the passage on the sixteen cittavipāka (variants of conditioned mind) in the late elder Cūḷanaka’s exposition is completed — together with the twelve vipāka-modes and the eight akusalā (unwholesome) mind-states — in summary as presented here.
Short Pāli Glossary (concise · intensive)
upanissaya-paccaya — an indispensable supporting condition; a dependently necessary factor. viññāṇa — consciousness (sense-specific awareness). cakkhu-viññāṇa — eye-consciousness (seeing). asamphinnatta — “not split/destroyed” — intactness of the sense-organ (able to function). apātākatta / apātāka — the object having come into the channel (object-presence in the sense-sphere). sannissita (aloka-sannissita, vāyo-sannissita, āpo-sannissita, paṭhavī-sannissita) — depending on light / air / water / earth — the appropriate medium or enabling condition. manasikāra-hetu — mental adverting / attention as causal condition. saṃpajjana-dhamma / saṃpajānana — the concomitant factors of a sense-cognition (clear awareness, attention, etc.). bhavaṅga / avacara-citta — the underlying continuum or “ground state” of mind whose change permits sense-cognition to arise. tassanatta, sovanatta, ghana-natta, jivhānatta, phussanatta, vijānananatta — technical labels: “having-seeing,” “having-hearing,” “having-smelling,” “having-tasting,” “having-touching,” “having-knowing” (respectively). bhavaṅga-parivattana — the shifting of the bhavaṅga (necessary for a new consciousness to arise). upaniṣsaya vs. anupanissaya — indispensable condition vs. non-indispensable condition.