OF PURIFICATION
(VISUDDHIMAGGA)
BY
BHADANTACARIYA BUDDHAGHOSA
Translated from the Pali
by
BHIKKHU NANAMOLI
FIFTH EDITION
BUDDHIST PUBLICATION SOCIETY
Kandy Sri Lanka
CHAPTER XV
THE BASES AND ELEMENTS
(Ayatana-dhatu-niddesa)
[A. DESCRIPTION OF THE BASES]
1. [481] The 'bases' (Ch. XIV, §32) are the twelve bases, that is to say,
the eye base, visible-data base, ear base, sound base, nose base, odour
base, tongue base, flavour base, body base, tangible-data base, mind
base, mental-data base.
2. Herein:
(1) Meaning, (2) character, (3) just so much,
(4) Order, and (5) in brief and detail,
(6) Likewise as to how to be seen—
Thus should be known the exposition.
3. 1. Herein, [as to meaning] firstly individually:
It relishes (cakkhati), thus it is an eye (cakkhu); the meaning is that
it enjoys a visible datum and turns it to account.
It makes visible (rupayati), thus it is a visible datum (rupa); the
meaning is that by undergoing an alteration in appearance (colour) it evi-
dences what state is in the mind (lit. heart).
It hears (sunati), thus it is an ear (sota).
It is emitted (sappati), thus it is sound (sadda); the meaning is that it
is uttered.
It smells (ghayati), thus it is a nose (ghana).
It is smelt (gandhayati) thus it is odour (gandha); the meaning is
that it betrays its own physical basis.
It evokes (avhayati) life (jivita), thus it is a tongue (jivha).
Living beings taste (rasanti) it, thus it is flavour (rasa); the meaning
is that they enjoy it.
It is the origin (aya) of vile (kucchita) states subject to cankers, thus
it is a body (kaya), origin being the place of arising.
It is touched (phusiyati), thus it is a tangible datum (photthabba).
It measures (munati), thus it is a mind (mano).
They cause their own characteristic to be borne (dharayanti), thus
they are mental data (dhamma).1
4. [As to meaning] in general, however, base (ayatana) should be un-
derstood as such (a) because of its actuating (ayatana), (b) because of
being the range (tanana) of the origins (aya), and (c) because of leading
on (nayana) what is actuated (ayata).2
Now the various states of consciousness and its concomitants be-
longing to such and such a door-cum-object among those consisting of
the eye-cum-visible-datum, etc., (a) are actuated (ayananti), each by
means of its individual function of experiencing, etc.; they are active,
strive, and endeavour in these, is what is meant. And (b) these [doors-
cum-objects] provide the range for (tanonti) those states that are origins
(aya); they give them scope, is what is meant. And (c) as long as this
suffering of the round of rebirths, which has gone on occurring through-
out the beginningless round of rebirths and so is enormously actuated
(ayata), does not recede, so long they lead on (nayanti); they cause
occurrence, is what is meant.
So all these [482] things are called 'bases' because they actuate, be-
cause they are the range of the origins, and because they lead on what is
actuated.
5. Furthermore, *base, (ayatana) should be understood in the sense of
place of abode, store (mine),
3
meeting place, locality of birth, and cause.
For accordingly in the world in such phrases as 'the lord's sphere'
{ayatana) and ' Vasudeva's sphere' (ayatana), it is a place of abode that
is called 'base'; and in such phrases as 'the sphere of gold' and 'the
sphere of silver' it is a store (mine) that is called 'base'. But in the
Dispensation, in such passages as:
'And so in the delightful realm (ayatana)
Those flying in the air attend him' (A.iii,43),
it is a meeting place; and in such phrases as 'The southern land is the
realm (ayatana) of cattle' (? ) it is the locality of birth; and in such pas-
sages as 'He acquires the ability to be 'a witness of it.. . whenever there
is an occasion (ayatana) for it' (M.i,494; A.i,258), it is a cause.
6. And these various states of consciousness and its concomitants dwell
in the eye, etc., because they exist in dependence on them, so the eye,
etc., are their place of abode. And they frequent the eye, etc., because
they have them [respectively] as their [material] support and as their
object, so the eye, etc., are their store. And the eye, etc., are their meet-
ing place because they meet together in one or other of them, [using
them] as physical basis, door, and object. And the eye, etc., are the
locality of their birth because they arise just there, having them as their
respective supports and objects. And the eye, etc., are their reason be-
cause they are absent when the eye, etc., are absent.
7. So for these reasons too these things are called 'bases' in the sense
of place of abode, store, meeting place, locality of birth, and reason.
Consequently, in the sense already stated, it is an eye and that is a
base, thus it is the eye base.... They are mental data and those are a base,
thus they are the mental-data base.
This is how the exposition should be known here as to meaning.
8. 2. Character, Here too the exposition should be known as to the
characteristic of the eye and so on. But their characteristics should be
understood in the way given above in the Description of the Aggregates
(Ch. XIV, §37ff.).
9. 3. As to just so much: as just so many.
4
What is meant is this: The
eye, etc., are mental
cum-object for the arising of the six consciousness groups. And here
they are stated as twelve since this is how they are classed when so
defined. [483]
10. For only the eye base is the door of arising, and only the visible-data
base is the object, of the consciousness group comprised in a cognitive
series containing eye-consciousness. Likewise the others for the others.
But only one part of the mind base, in other words, the life-contin-
uum mind,
5
is the door of arising, and only the mental-data base not
common to all is the object, of the sixth [consciousness group].
So they are called 'the twelve' because they define door-cum-object
for the arising of the six consciousness groups. This is how the exposi-
tion should be known here as to just so much.
11. 4. As to order: here too, from among 'order of arising', etc., men-
tioned above (Gh. XIV, §211), only 'order of teaching' is appropriate.
For the eye is taught first among the internal bases since it is obvious
because it has as its objective field what is visible with resistance (see
last triad, Dhs., p.2). After that the ear base, etc., which have as their
objective fields what is invisible with resistance. Or alternatively, the
eye base and ear base are taught first among the internal bases because
of their great helpfulness as [respective] causes for the 'incomparable of
seeing' and the 'incomparable of hearing' (see D.iii,250). Next, the three
beginning with the nose base. And the mind base is taught last because it
has as its resort the objective fields of the [other] five (M.i,295). But
among the external bases the visible-data base, etc., [are taught] each
one next [to its corresponding internal base] because they are the respec-
tive resorts of the eye base, and so on.
12. Furthermore, their order may be understood as that in which the
reasons for consciousness's arising are defined; and it is said: *Due to
eye and to visible objects eye-consciousness arises, ... due to mind and
mental objects mind-consciousness arises' (M.i,lll).
This is how the exposition should be known here as to order.
13. 5. In brief and in detail: in brief the twelve bases are simply men-
tality-materiality because the mind base and one part of the mental-data
base are included in mentality, and the rest of the bases in materiality.
14. But in detail, firstly as regards the internal bases, the eye base is, as
to kind, simply eye sensitivity; but when it is classified according to con-
dition, destiny, order [of beings], and person,
6
it is of infinite variety.
Likewise the four beginning with the ear base. And the mind base, when
classified according to profitable, unprofitable, resultant, and functional
consciousness, is of eighty-nine kinds or of one hundred and twenty-one
kinds,
7
but it is of infinite variety when classified according to physical
basis, progress, and so on.
8
The visible-data, sound, odour, and flavour
bases are of infinite variety when classified according to dissimilarity,
condition, and so on.
9
The tangible-data base is of three kinds as consist-
ing of earth element, fire element, and air element; [484] but when
classified according to condition, etc., it is of many kinds. The mental-
data base is of many kinds when classified according to the several
individual essences of feeling, perception, formations, subtle matter, and
nibbana (see Vbh. 72).
This is how the exposition should be known in brief and in detail.
15. 6. As to how to be seen: here all formed bases should be regarded as
having no provenance and no destination. For they do not come from
anywhere prior to their rise, nor do they go anywhere after their fall. On
the contrary, before their rise they had no individual essence, and after
their fall their individual essences are completely dissolved. And they
occur without mastery [being exercisable over them] since they exist in
dependence on conditions and in between the past and the future. Hence
they should be regarded as having no provenance and no destination.
Likewise they should be regarded as incurious and uninterested. For
it does not occur to the eye and the visible datum, etc., *Ah, that con-
sciousness might arise from our concurrence'. And as door, physical
basis, and object, they have no curiosity about, or interest in, arousing
consciousness. On the contrary, it is the absolute rule that eye-conscious-
ness, etc., come into being with the union of eye with visible datum, and
so on. So they should be regarded as incurious and uninterested.
16. Furthermore, the internal bases should be regarded as an empty
village because they are devoid of lastingness, pleasure, and self; and the
external ones as village-raiding robbers (S.iv,175) because they raid the
internal ones. And this is said: 'Bhikkhus, the eye is harassed by agree-
able and disagreeable visible objects' (S.iv,175). Furthermore, the inter-
nal ones should be regarded as like the six creatures (S.iv, 198-99) and
the external ones as like their resorts.
This is how the exposition should be known here as to how to be seen.
This, firstly, is the section of the detailed explanation dealing with
the bases.
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