A BUDDHIST MANUAL
Psychological Ethics,
FROM THE PALI
OF THE
DHAMMA-SANGANI
Translated by CAROLINE A. F. RHYS DAVIDS, M.A.
[Chapter II.
The Category of Form considered by way of dual
attributes—positive and negative (duvidhenarupa-
sangaho).
* There is form which is derived. *Y
[596] What is that form which is derived ?
The sphere^ of
vision, smell,
hearing, taste,
body-sensibility f
the sphere of
sights, odours,
sounds, tastes
;
the faculties of
femininity, masculinity,
vitality
;
^ This and the following italicised headings are quoted
from the table of contents, § 585, etc.—atthi rupam
upada, and again, atthi rupam no upada. The abla-
tive resembles our idiom '
qiid derived '
—form as derived.
In § 584 and in § 597, etc. the gerund up ad ay a is em-
ployed. Depending on, not released from, is the paraphrase
(Asl. BOO, 305). '
Grounded in ' were an approximate
rendering, the literal meaning being '
taking hold of.'
2 Ayatanam. The word means (see my Introduction)
simply '
field,' locus, range, Gebiet,
^ Lit. body. The Upanishads use *
skin.' Cf. our
modern term *
skin- sensibility,' in extension of *
touch,'
*
tactile sense.' The corresponding objective *
sphere of the
tangible '
is classed among things wnderived. See § 647.
intimation
by act,
by speech ;
the element of space
;
buoyancy,
plasticity,
wieldiness,
integration,
maintenance,
decay,
impermanence,
solid nutriment.
[597] What is that form which is the sphere of vision
(cakkhayatanam) ?
The eye,^ that is to say the sentient organ,^ derived from
^ Cakkhu, which stands for vision, sense of sight and
eye. *
Eye,' however, is always in the present work to be
understood as the seeing faculty or visual sense, and not as
the physical organ or 'eye of flesh' (mamsa-cakkhu).
The Cy. gives an account of the eye, of which the following
is the substance: First the aggregate organism (sasam-
bhara-cakkhu). A ball of flesh fixed in a cavity, bound
by the socket-bone beneath and by the bone of the eyebrow
above, by the angles of the eye at the sides, by the brain
within and by the eyelashes without. There are fourteen
constituents : the four elements, the six attributes dependent
on them, viz., colour, odour, taste, sap of life, form (san-
thanam), and collocation (sambhavo); vitality, nature,
body-sensibility (kayappasado) and the visual sentient
organ. The last four have their source in karma. When
'
the world,' seeing an obvious extended white object fancies
it perceives the eye, it only perceives the basis (or seat
—vatthu) of the eye. And this ball of flesh, bound to the
brain by nerve-fibres, is white, black and red, and contains
the solid, the liquid, the lambent and the gaseous. It is
white by superfluity of humour, black by superfluity of
bile, red by superfluity of blood, rigid by superfluity of the
solid, exuding by superfluity of the liquid, inflamed by
the Great Phenomena, forming part of the nature of the
self,^ invisible and reacting^—by which eye, invisible and
superfluity of the lambent, quivering by superfluity of
the gaseous. But that sentient organ (pas ado) which
is there bound, inherent, derived from the four great
principles—this is the visual sense (pasadacakkhu).
Placed in the midst and in the front of the black disc of
the composite eye, the white disc surrounding it (note that
the iris is either not distinguished or is itself the '
black
disc ') and in the circle of vision, in the region where the
forms of adjacent bodies come to appear {tfiere seems here
some omission in the text), it permeates the seven ocular
membranes as sprinkled oil will permeate seven cotton
wicks. And so it stands, aided by the four elements, sus-
taining, binding, maturing, moving (samudiranarn)
—
like an infant prince and his four nurses, feeding, bathing,
dressing and fanning him—maintained by nutriment both
physical (utu) and mental, protected by the (normal) span
of life, invested with colour, smell, taste and so forth, in
size the measure of a louse's head—stands duly consti-
tuting itself the door of the seat of visual cognitions, etc.
For as it has been said by the Commander of the Doctrine
(Sariputta) :
The visual sense by which he beholds forms
Is small and delicate, comparable to a louse's head.
The elaborate architectonics of this paragraph in the
original is a fine effort of the Commentator's style. I am
not clear to what the '
etc' after *
cognitions '
alludes. But
the expression occurs in the description of each sense. Cf.
the description in Hardy, 'Man. of Buddhism,' p. 419.
^ Pas ado. By selecting this term, continues the Cy.,
he (the Buddha) rejects the other (physical) eye. So far as
I know, the as yet unidentified verses quoted in the previous
note are the only early instance of the word p a s a d o, mean-
ing literally clearness, brightness, serenity, faith, being used
to denote the receptive reacting sense-agency. It is not
easy to divine exactly how the Buddhists came to use the
word in this connexion. It is used co-ordinately for all the
other senses, hence the sensuous signification had nothing
to do with the specific nature of sight (unless this was
reacting, one^ has seen, sees, will, or may see form that is
visible and impingeing—this that is sight, the sphere of
sight, the element of vision, the faculty of vision, this that
is *a world,' ^ *a door,' * an ocean,' 'lucent,' 'a field,' *a
made the Type of all other sensation). Taken causatively
it may conceivably have meant either that which makes
clear—a revealer, as it were {cf. Bothl. and Koth—prasa-
dana), or that which gratifies or satisfies {Beruhigen),
both meanings emphasizing psychological process, rather
than '
product ' or '
seat.'
^ Attabhava-pariyapanno. * The body and the five
skandhas are here termed nature of the self, after the usage
of foolish folk who say, " This is myself " '
(Asl. 308). Thus
the usage of attabhavO was a concession on the part of
the Great Teacher to animistic phraseology.
2 *
I.e., impact and reaction are set up in the eye ' (ihid.),
^ Paraphrased by ayam satto, any given individual
(ibid.).
* This and the following similes will be quotations of
metaphors applied to the senses in the Sutta Pitaka.
E.g., that of the '
empty village '
occurs in S. iv. 174
—
Suniio gamo ti kho, bhikkhave, channam ajjhat-
tikanam [? ayatananam] adhivacanam. That of a
'
door,' which in the age of the Commentaries was the
regular term for sense-organ, is, I believe, seldom used in
the Sutta Pitaka, and then only as a poetical figure, not as
a technical term. (7/*., ^.^., indriyesuguttadvaro (D I.,
63, 250). Buddhaghosa simply paraphrases the various
metaphors— *
world,' by reason of wasting and decay;
'
door,' by reason of customary resort ;
'
ocean,' by reason
of its insatiableness ; 'lucent,' by reason of its purity;
'
field,' by reason of the springing up (growth) of contact,
etc. ;
'
base,' by reason of its fixed seat ; 'guide,' 'guidance,'
by reason of its leading the nature-of-the-self showing
agreements and differences; 'hither shore,' by reason of
its being included in the '
body of this life '
(or individu-
ality, sakkayam); *
empty village,' because it is common
to many, because there is no headman {i.e., Ego or soul.
'
Many ' must mean the individual considered as an aggre-
gate of constituents.) The metaphors, it will be seen, are
applied equally, with the sole exception of ' guide '
and
'
guidance,' to each remaining sense. By the explanation
of these two figures given in the Cy., they should have been
basis,* *
a guide,' * guidance,' the * hither shore,* an * empty
village *
—this is that form which constitutes the sphere of
vision.
[598] What is that form which is the sphere of vision ?
The eye, that is to say the sentient organ, derived from the
four Great Phenomena, forming part of the nature of the
self, invisible and reacting, and against which eye, invisible
and reacting, form that is visible and impingeing, has
impinged,^ impinges, will, or may impinge—this that is
sight, the sphere of sight, the constituent element of sight,
etc. [continue as in § 597].
[599] What is that form which is the sphere of vision ?
The eye, that is to say the sentient organ, derived from
the four Great Phenomena, forming part of the nature of
the self, invisible and reacting, which eye, invisible and
reacting, has impinged, impinges, will, or may impinge on
form 2 that is visible and impingeing—this that is sight, the
sphere of sight, etc. [continue as in § 597].
[600] What is that form which is the sphere of vision ?
The eye, that is to say the sentient organ, derived from
the four Great Phenomena, forming part of the nature of
the self, invisible and reacting, (i.) depending on which eye,
in consequence of some visible form,^ there has arisen,
arises, will, or may arise
visual contact ;* . . .
left to stand for each sense. Buddhaghosa, however, is
of course not responsible for the expressions used in the
Pitakas. Yet it is slightly disappointing that he makes no
effort to account for an omission which is not without
psychological justification.
1 In this answer, according to the Cy. (p. 309), in-
voluntary visual sensation is described, as when lightning
flashes on the sight of one not looking for it.
2 Here (Asl. 309) we have voluntary sense-impression
described—the process in the case of one '
who, by his own
desire, seeking to look at some object, concentrates his
vision.*
' Cakkhum nissaya, rupam arabbha.
* Here there should be in the text ... pe ... as in
(ii.) and depending on which eye, in consequence of some
visible form, there has arisen, arises, will, or may arise
—
born of that visual contact
—
a feeling . . .
[or iii.] a perception . . .
[or iv.] thinking ...
[or v.] a visual cognition i
. . .
[further, vi.] depending on^ which eye, and having a
visible form as its object, there has arisen, arises, will, or
may arise
visual contact,
(vii.) and depending on which eye, and having a visible
form as its object, there has arisen, arises, will, or may
arise, born of that visual contact,
a feeling . . .
[or viii.] a perception ...
the corresponding passage for the other four senses. Cf.
note 4. In K. it is also inadvertently omitted here.
^ Cakkhuvinfianani here replaces the fourth mode of
consciousness, c it tarn, or thought, in the series invariably
stated as aroused by '
contact ' in connexion with the Eight
Types of Thought given in Book I, chap. i. Thinking
(cetana) may stand for a train of ideas set going by the
sensation having no special reference to the visible object
as such. Visual cognition, on the other hand, would take
special account of the thing seen. Or possibly the two are
to be considered as corresponding approximately to process
and product. Cf. what has been said above on both terms,
p. 8, n. 1.
^ Judging by the corresponding passages in § § 604, 608,
612, 616, by K. and by the comments of Buddhaghosa, I find
that the following passage has been erroneously omitted in
the text before the words cakkhum p'etam:— . . . pe
. . .yam cakkhum niss ay a ruparammano cakkhu-
samphasso uppajji va uppajjati va uppajjissati
va uppajje va, yam cakkhum nissaya ruparam-
mana cakkhusamphassaja vedana . . . pe . . .
sanna . . . pe . . . cetana . . . pe . . . cakkhuvin-
nanam uppajji va uppajjati va uppajji va
uppajje va. Cf. also § 620.
[o?- ix.] thinking ...
[o7' X.] visual cognition
—
this that is sight, the sphere of sight, etc. [continue as in
§ 597].^
[601-604] What is that form which is the sphere of
hearing ?
The ear, that is to say the sentient organ,- derived from
the four Great Phenomena, forming part of the nature of
the self, invisible and reacting,
—
(a) by which ear, invisible and reacting, one has heard,
hears, will, or may hear sound that is invisible and im-
pingeing ;—
(b) against which ear, invisible and reacting, sound that
is invisible and impingeing, has impinged, impinges, will,
or may impinge ;
—
(c) which ear, invisible and reacting, has impinged,
impinges, will, or may impinge on sound that is invisible
and impingeing ;
—
(d) depending on which ear, in consequence of a sound,
there has arisen, arises, will, or may arise
auditory contact ; . . .
and, depending on which ear, in consequence of a
^ According to the Cy. (310), this reply, when rehearsed
in full, reveals ten distinct answers, each commencing with
the refrain :
'
The eye, that is to say,' etc., to *
self, in-
visible and reacting.' They may be summarized and
generalized thus: (i.) Sense - impression or contact, as
conditioned by sense-organ and sense-stiimdus. (ii.) Ee-
sultant feeling. (iii. -v.) Kesultant intellectual states,
(vi.) Sense-impression or contact, as conditioned by sense-
organ and idea of sense-object, (vii.-x.) Eesultant states as
in (ii.-v). What was precisely the difference between the
processies named as (i.) and (vi.) it is not yet easy to deter-
mine with certainty.
2 This, situated within the cavity of the aggregate
organism of the ear, and w^ell furnished with fine reddish
hairs, is in shape like a little finger-stall (anguli-ve-
thanaka). (Asl. 310.) (7/. Hardy, Zoc. c?7.
sound, there has arisen, arises, will, or may arise, born of
that auditory contact,
a feeling . . .
[or] a perception ...
[o7'] thinking ...
[or] auditory cognition ;
—
[further] depending on which ear, and having a sound
as its object, there has arisen, arises, will, or may arise
auditory contact,
and, depending on which ear, and having a sound as its
object, there has arisen, arises, will, or may arise, born of
that auditory contact,
a feeling ...
[or] a perception . . .
[or] thinking . . .
[or] auditory cognition ;
—
this that is hearing, the sphere of hearing, the constituent
element of hearing, the faculty of hearing, this that is *
a
world,' *
a door,' '
an ocean,' '
lucent,' *
a field,' *
a basis,'^
'
the hither shore,' '
an empty village '
—this is that form
which is the sphere of hearing.
[605-608] What is that form which is the sphere of
smell ?
The nose, that is to say the sentient organ,^ derived from
the four Great Phenomena, forming part of the nature of
the self, invisible and reacting,
—
(a) by which nose, invisible and reacting, one has
smelt, smells, will, or may smell odour that is invisible
and impingeing ;
—
(b) against which nose, invisible and reacting, odour
that is invisible and impingeing, has impinged, impinges,
will, or may impinge ;
—
^ On the omission of '
a guide,' etc., see p. 175, n. 4.
2 This is situated '
inside the cavity of the aggregate
nasal organism, in appearance like a goat's hoof.' (Asl. 310).
Cf. Hardy, loc. cit. Probably the hoof is imagined as re-
garded from below.
(c) which nose, invisible and reacting, has impinged,
impinges, will, or may impinge on odour that is invisible
and impingeing ;
—
{d) depending on which nose, in consequence of an
odour . . . depending on which nose, and having an
odour as its object, there has arisen, arises, will, or may
arise
olfactory contact,
and, depending on which nose, in consequence of an
odour . . . depending on which nose, and having an
odour as its object, there has arisen, arises, will or may
arise, born of that olfactory contact,
a feeling . . .
[or] a perception . . .
[or] thinking . . .
[or] olfactory cognition ;
—
this that is smell, the sphere, the constituent element, the
faculty, of smell, this that is *
a world,' etc. [continue as in
§ 604].
[609-612] What is that form which is the sphere of
taste ?
The tongue, that is to say the sentient organ,^ derived
from the four Great Phenomena, forming part of the nature
of the self, invisible and reacting ;
—
(a) by which tongue, invisible and reacting, one has
tasted, tastes, will, or may taste sapids that are invisible
and impingeing ;
—
(b) against which tongue, invisible and reacting, sapids
that are invisible and impingeing, have impinged, impinge,
will, or may impinge ;
—
(c) which tongue, invisible and reacting, has impinged,
^ This is situated '
above the middle of the aggregate
gustatory organism, in appearance like the upper side of
the leaf of a lotus.' (Asl., ibid.) Cf. Hardy, loc. cit.
The palate apparently was not included in the gustatory
apparatus.
impinges, will, or may impinge on sapids that are invisible-
and impingeing ;
—
(d) depending on which tongue, in consequence of a
sapid . . . depending on which tongue, and having a'
sapid as its object, there has arisen, arises, will, or may
arise
gustatory contact,
and depending on which tongue, in consequence of a
sapid . . . depending on which tongue, and having a
sapid as its object, there has arisen, arises, will, or may
arise, born of that gustatory contact,
a feeling . . .
[or] a perception ...
[or] thinking ...
[or] gustatory cognition ;
—
this that is taste, the sphere, the constituent element, the
faculty of taste, this that is '
a world,' etc. [continue as in
§ 604].
[613-616] What is that form which is the sphere of body
[-sensibility] ?
The body, that is to say the sentient organ, ^ derived
^ The sphere of kayo—so runs the comment (AsL 311)
—is diffused over the whole bodily form just as oil pervades
an entire cotton rag. With the exception of this quality of
relatively undifferentiated organ, the sense is co-ordinate
with the other senses. To the objection that, if the sensitive
surface be indeed so general it would convey confused im-
pressions, it is counter-asserted that, if it were not so
general, tactile impressions could not be adequately differ-
entiated. Strictly speaking the body- sense is both every-
where and not everywhere. Not everywhere to the extent
of being in things as seen or as tasted. We cannot segre-
gate and analyze sensations as w^e can grains of sand, and
hence qualities are said to coalesce in the object. Never-
theless each mode of sense conveys its specific messages.
—
Such seems to me the substance of what I have clothed to
a slight extent in terms of Western psychology. The Com-
from the four Great Phenomena, forming part of the nature
of the self, invisible and reacting ;
—
(a) by which body-sensibility, invisible and reacting, one
has touched, touches, will, or may touch the tangible that
is invisible and impingeing ;
—
(b) against which body-sensibility, invisible and reacting,
the tangible, which is invisible and impingeing, has im-
pinged, impinges, will, or may impinge ;
—
(c) which body-sensibility, invisible and reacting, has
impinged, impinges, will, or may impinge on the tangible
that is invisible and impingeing ;
—
(d) depending on which body- sensibility, in consequence
of something tangible . . . depending on which body-
sensibility, and having something tangible as its object,
there has arisen, arises, will, or may arise
tactile contact,^
and depending on which body- sensibility, in consequence of
something tangible . . . depending on which body-sensi-
bility, and having something tangible as its object, there
has arisen, arises, will, or may arise, born of that tactile
contact,
a feeling . . .
[or] a perception . . .
[or] thinking ...
[or] tactile cognition ;
—'^
this that is body - sensibility, the sphere, constituent
element, faculty of body-sensibility, this that is '
a world,'
etc. [continue as in § 604].
mentary is of course tentative and groping, as elsewhere in
its theory of sense ; yet it must not be forgotten that it was
not till about fifty years ago that Ernst Weber's '
Der
Tastsinn und das Gemeingefiihl ' appeared, containing the
positive results of a comparison of different skin-areas from
the standpoint of their varying ability to convey clear or
vague tactile impressions.
^ Literally, body-contact.
2 Literally, cognition of body, so rendered in § 443 seq.
[617] What is that form which is the sphere of [visible]
form ?
The form which, derived from the great principles, is
visible under the appearance of colour and produces
impact^—is blue,^ yellow, red,^ white, black,^ crimson,^
bronze,^ green-coloured,^ of the hue of the mango- bud ;^ is
long, short,^ big, little, circular, oval, square, hexagonal,
octagonal, hekkaidecagonal ; low, high, shady, glowing,
light, dim, dull, frosty,^^ smoky, dusty ; like in colour to the
^ Sappatigham, here paraphrased as producing (j a n a -
kam) reaction and impact. Asl. 317.
^ Compared to the ummapuppham, or flax-blossom.
Cf. my remark on nilam above, under § 246. Here the
term is illustrated by an azure flower, such as we ourselves
might quote as a type of blue. And yet even here the wide
range and indefiniteness of the word find expression. For
according to Bothl. and Eoth, on the authority of Hema-
chandra, uma is applied to night.
^ Like the blossom of Pterospermum acerifolium and
Pentapetro plioenicea respectively (ibid.). I give these on
Childers' authority.
* Like the morning star and charcoal respectively (ibid.).
^ Like the reddish buds of the Vitex negiuido and
kanavira trees {ibid.).
^ Hari, omitted in the text, but given in K. and the
Cy. {ibid.). ' Whereas, in the verse
Harittacahemavann am kamam sumukkhapa-
kama,
hari is spoken of as golden (suvannam), by its being
elsewhere taken in conjunction with coined gold (jataru-
pam), it is here meant as dark (samam)' {ibid.). Cf.
Jat. V. 216, sama ti suvanna-sama.
''
The colour of green grass {ibid.).
^ K. and the Cy. read ambankuravannam.
^ See my Introduction, on '
long,' short, as only indirectly
objects of sight. '
The foregoing seven visibles are set
forth without reference to any base (vatthu) ; the follow-
ing according to common usage '
{ibid.).
^^ Paraphrased as cloudy and as him am—which may be
frosty, snowy or dewy—respectively. As the allusion is
only to lustre-contrast, the sparkle of hoar-frost is probably
implied.
disc of moon,^ sun, stars, a mirror,^ a gem, a shell, a pearl,
a cat's eye,^ gold^ or silver ;^ or whatever other form there
is which, derived from the four Great Phenomena, is visible
and productive of impact—form which, visible and pro-
ductive of impact, one has seen, sees, will, or may see
with the eye that is invisible and reacting—this which is
visible form, this which is the sphere of visible form, the
constituent element of visible form—this is that form which
is the sphere of visible form.
[618] What is that form which is the sphere of visible
form ?
That form which, derived from the Great Phenomena, is
visible under the appearance of colour and produces impact
. . .^ on which form, visible and productive of impact, the
eye, invisible and impingeing, has impinged, impinges,
will, or may impinge—this that is visible form, etc. [con-
tinue as in § 617].
[619] What is that form which is the sphere of visible
form ?
^ The following terms, says the Cy. {ibid.), illustrate
varieties of lustre. A little gratuitous astronomy is then
thrown in. The orb of the moon, viz., the mansion of
the moon-god, is 49 yojanas in extent, is made of gold
and roofed with silver. That of the sun is 50 yojanas, is
made of gold and roofed with crystal. The constellations,
the mansions of different gods, are 7, 8, or 10 yojanas
in extent, and are made of the seven jewels. Between the
moon below and the sun above is 1 yojana. The con-
stellations take two years in their orbit. They and the sun
go (sic) swiftly, the moon slowly. At times the moon leads,
at times she is behind.
2 Is of bronze (Asl. 318).
^ Is not a gem ; is the colour of the bamboo (ibid.).
4 '
The Master's colour '
(ibid,).
^ Under kahapano, ' i.e., silver coin, masakas of
copper, wood, and lac are to be included {ibid.). Quoted
from Vin. iii. 238.
^ In this and the next two answers, according to K., the
list of typical forms given in ^ 617 is to be rehearsed each
time in full.
That form which, derived from the Great Phenomena, is
visible under the appearance of colour and produces impact
—which form, visible and producing impact, has impinged,
impinges, will, or may impinge on the eye that is invisible
and reacting—this which is visible form, etc. [continue as
in § 617].
[620] What is that form which is the sphere of visible
form?
That form which, derived from the four Great Phenomena,
is visible and produces impact—in consequence of which
form, and depending on the eye, there has arisen, arises,
will, or may arise
visual contact . . .
in consequence of which form and depending on the eye,
there has arisen, arises, will, or may arise, born of that
visual contact,
a feeling . . .
[or] a perception . . .
[or] thinking . . .
[or] visual cognition ...
[further] having which visible form as its object,^ and
depending on the eye there has arisen, arises, will, or may
arise
visual contact,
1 In the printed text, for ruparammanam read
ruparammano, and, two lines later, ruparammana.
So for the other senses, § 624, etc. I follow the reading in
K., making the word adjectival to sakkhusamphassajo.
and then to vedana, saiiiia, etc. Cf. the analogous
passage in § 600 (in the passage T have restored to the
text), in § 604, and so on. I confess I do not see what is
gained by shifting cakkhum nissaya, so that by K.'s
reading it is sandwiched between adjective and noun,
beyond the symmetry in these sense-object answers, of
giving precedence everywhere to the object. But this does
not invalidate the reading in K. Aram ma nam is a term
of mental procedure, not of bare sense-function, such as is
indicated by the relation of rupam : cakkhu.
and, having which visible form as its object, and depending
on the eye, there has arisen, arises, will, or may arise
a feeling . . .
[or] a perception . . .
[or] thinking ...
[or] visual cognition . . .
this which is visible form, the sphere, the constituent
element of visible form—this is that form which is the
sphere of visible form.
[621] What is that form which is the sphere of sound ?
That sound which is derived from the four Great
Phenomena, is invisible and produces impact, such as the
sound of drums, of tabors, of chank-shells, of tom-toms, of
singing, of music ;^ clashing sounds,^ manual sounds,^ the
noise of people,^ the sound of the concussion of substances,^
of wind,^ of water,^ sounds human and other than human,
or whatever other sound^ there is, derived from the Great
Phenomena, invisible and producing impact—such a sound,
invisible and producing impact, as, by the ear, invisible
and reacting, one has heard, hears, will, or may
hear . . .
[622] . . . and on which sound, invisible and producing
impact, the ear, invisible and reacting, has impinged,
impinges, will, or may impinge . . .
[623] . . . which sound, invisible and producing impact,
^ I.e., the sound of lutes and other stringed instruments
(Asl. 319).
2 E.g., of gongs and castanets (ibid.).
^ I.e., of hand-clapping (ibid.).
* I.e., of a crowd when words and syllables have become
indistinguishable (ibid.).
^ I.e., of trees rubbing against each other, or of the
knocking of blocks {ibid.). Vin. Texts, iii. 213, n.
^ I.e., of wind as wind (ibid.).
^ I.e., either of beaten or flowing water (ibid.).
^ I.e., of splitting reeds, tearing cloth, and the like
{ibid.).
has impinged, impinges, will, or may impinge on the ear
that is invisible and reacting . . .
[624] ... in consequence of which sound and depending
on the ear, there has arisen, arises, will, or may arise
auditory contact . . .
. . . and^ . . . born of that auditory contact,
a feeling . . .
[o?-] a perception ...
[or] thinking ...
[or] auditory cognition . . .
. . . [further] having a sound as its object and depending
on the ear, there has arisen, arises, will, or may arise,
auditory contact,
. . . and . . . born of that auditory contact,
a feeling . . .
[or] a perception . . .
[or] thinking . . .
[or] auditory cognition ;
this that is sound, the sphere and constituent element of
sound—this is that form which is the sphere of sound.
[625] What is that form which is the sphere of odour ?
That odour which is derived from the four Great
Phenomena, is invisible and produces impact, such as the
odour of roots, sap, bark, leaves, Howers, fruit ; verminous
odours, putrid odours, pleasant and unpleasant odours,^ or
^ Continue as for visible forms in § 620.
^ Sugandho, duggandho — these, says Buddha-
ghosa, namely, desired odour and undesired odour, exhaust
all odour. He predicates the same of good and bad tastes
(sadu, asadu, § 629). In § 648 we find, classed among
the tangibles, pleasant contact and painful contact. But
we do not find the commentator making the same compre-
hensive claim for hedonistic values in touches as in odours
and tastes. Nor, as we have seen, does the text predicate
anything hedonistically of sight or touch. This is interest-
ing as bringing the psychology of Buddhism, with its
acute if incipient intuition, in '
touch '
with our modern
whatever other odour there is, derived from the four Great
Phenomena, invisible and producing impact ; such an
odour, invisible and producing impact, as one has smelt,
smells, will, or may smell with the nose, that is invisible
and impingeing . . .
[626] ... on which odour, invisible and producing
impact, the nose, invisible and impingeing, has impinged,
impinges, will, or may impinge . . .
[627] . . . such an odour, invisible and producing impact,
as has impinged, impinges, will, or may impinge on the
nose, invisible and reacting . . .
[628] ... in consequence of which odour and depending
on the nose, there has arisen, arises, will, or may arise
olfactory contact ...
and^ . . . born of that olfactory contact,
a feeling . . .
[or] a perception . . .
[or] thinking . . .
[or] olfactory cognition . . .
. . . [further] having an odour as its object and depending
on the nose, there has arisen, arises, will, or may arise
olfactory contact,
. . . and . . . born of that olfactory contact,
a feeling . . .
[or] a perception . . .
[or] thinking . . .
[or] olfactory cognition
;
psychology. For we say that the more our knowledge of
the external world is built up by a given sense, the more is
that sense connected with neutral feeling. And it is pre-
cisely sight, touch, and hearing that give us most of that
knowledge.
Aristotle remarks, with reference to the sense of smell
only, that our never discriminating an odour without
associating therewith an impression of something painful
or pleasant, seems to reveal the imperfection of this sense
in humans. Imperfect, i.e., in delicacy of discrimination,
touch being herein the most perfect sense (De. An. II. ix.).
1 See § 624, note.
this that is odour, the sphere and constituent element of
odour—this is that form which is the sphere of odours.
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