{"collection":"Majjhima Nikaya","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/suttacentral_mn137/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/suttacentral_mn137","id":"suttacentral_mn137","license":"CC0","rights_basis":"suttacentral_bilara_data_cc0","source":"suttacentral","source_url":"https://suttacentral.net/mn137/en/sujato","summary":null,"tags":["Early Buddhist Texts","Majjhima Nikaya"],"text":"So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near S\u0101vatth\u012b in Jeta\u2019s Grove, An\u0101thapi\u1e47\u1e0dika\u2019s monastery. There the Buddha addressed the mendicants, \u201cMendicants!\u201d \u201cVenerable sir,\u201d they replied. The Buddha said this: \u201cMendicants, I shall teach you the analysis of the six sense fields. Listen and apply your mind well, I will speak.\u201d \u201cYes, sir,\u201d they replied. The Buddha said this: \u201c\u2018The six interior sense fields should be understood. The six exterior sense fields should be understood. The six classes of consciousness should be understood. The six classes of contact should be understood. The eighteen mental preoccupations should be understood. The thirty-six positions of sentient beings should be understood. Therein, relying on this, give up that. The Noble One cultivates the establishment of mindfulness in three cases, by virtue of which they are a Teacher worthy to instruct a group. Of all meditation tutors, it is he that is called the supreme guide for those fit for training.\u2019 This is the summary recital for the analysis of the six sense fields. \u2018The six interior sense fields should be understood.\u2019 That\u2019s what I said, but why did I say it? There are the sense fields of the eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind. \u2018The six interior sense fields should be understood.\u2019 That\u2019s what I said, and this is why I said it. \u2018The six exterior sense fields should be understood.\u2019 That\u2019s what I said, but why did I say it? There are the sense fields of sights, sounds, smells, tastes, touches, and ideas. \u2018The six exterior sense fields should be understood.\u2019 That\u2019s what I said, and this is why I said it. \u2018The six classes of consciousness should be understood.\u2019 That\u2019s what I said, but why did I say it? There are eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind consciousness. \u2018The six classes of consciousness should be understood.\u2019 That\u2019s what I said, and this is why I said it. \u2018The six classes of contact should be understood.\u2019 That\u2019s what I said, but why did I say it? There is contact through the eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind. \u2018The six classes of contact should be understood.\u2019 That\u2019s what I said, and this is why I said it. \u2018The eighteen mental preoccupations should be understood.\u2019 That\u2019s what I said, but why did I say it? Seeing a sight with their eyes, one is preoccupied with a sight that\u2019s a basis for happiness or sadness or equanimity. Hearing a sound with their ears \u2026 Smelling an odor with their nose \u2026 Tasting a flavor with their tongue \u2026 Encountering a touch with their body \u2026 Becoming conscious of an idea with their mind, one is preoccupied with an idea that\u2019s a basis for happiness or sadness or equanimity. So there are six preoccupations with happiness, six preoccupations with sadness, and six preoccupations with equanimity. \u2018The eighteen mental preoccupations should be understood.\u2019 That\u2019s what I said, and this is why I said it. \u2018The thirty-six positions of sentient beings should be understood.\u2019 That\u2019s what I said, but why did I say it? There are six kinds of domestic happiness and six kinds of renunciate happiness. There are six kinds of domestic sadness and six kinds of renunciate sadness. There are six kinds of domestic equanimity and six kinds of renunciate equanimity. And in this context what are the six kinds of domestic happiness? There are sights known by the eye, which are likable, desirable, agreeable, pleasing, connected with the worldly pleasures of the flesh. Happiness arises when you regard it as a gain to obtain such sights, or when you recollect sights you formerly obtained that have passed, ceased, and perished. Such happiness is called domestic happiness. There are sounds known by the ear \u2026 Smells known by the nose \u2026 Tastes known by the tongue \u2026 Touches known by the body \u2026 Ideas known by the mind, which are likable, desirable, agreeable, pleasing, connected with the worldly pleasures of the flesh. Happiness arises when you regard it as a gain to obtain such ideas, or when you recollect ideas you formerly obtained that have passed, ceased, and perished. Such happiness is called domestic happiness. These are the six kinds of domestic happiness. And in this context what are the six kinds of renunciate happiness? When you\u2019ve understood the impermanence of sights\u2014their perishing, fading away, and cessation\u2014happiness arises as you truly understand through right understanding that both formerly and now all those sights are impermanent, suffering, and perishable. Such happiness is called renunciate happiness. When you\u2019ve understood the impermanence of sounds \u2026 smells \u2026 tastes \u2026 touches \u2026 ideas\u2014their perishing, fading away, and cessation\u2014happiness arises as you truly understand through right understanding that both formerly and now all those ideas are impermanent, suffering, and perishable. Such happiness is called renunciate happiness. These are the six kinds of renunciate happiness. And in this context what are the six kinds of domestic sadness? There are sights known by the eye, which are likable, desirable, agreeable, pleasing, connected with the worldly pleasures of the flesh. Sadness arises when you regard it as a loss to lose such sights, or when you recollect sights you formerly lost that have passed, ceased, and perished. Such sadness is called domestic sadness. There are sounds known by the ear \u2026 There are smells known by the nose \u2026 There are tastes known by the tongue \u2026 There are touches known by the body \u2026 There are ideas known by the mind, which are likable, desirable, agreeable, pleasing, connected with the worldly pleasures of the flesh. Sadness arises when you regard it as a loss to lose such ideas, or when you recollect ideas you formerly lost that have passed, ceased, and perished. Such sadness is called domestic sadness. These are the six kinds of domestic sadness. And in this context what are the six kinds of renunciate sadness? When you\u2019ve understood the impermanence of sights\u2014their perishing, fading away, and cessation\u2014you truly understand through right understanding that both formerly and now all those sights are impermanent, suffering, and perishable. Upon seeing this, you give rise to longing for the supreme liberations: \u2018Oh, when will I enter and remain in the same dimension that the noble ones enter and remain in today?\u2019 When you give rise to longing for the supreme liberations like this, sadness arises because of the longing. Such sadness is called renunciate sadness. When you\u2019ve understood the impermanence of sounds \u2026 smells \u2026 tastes \u2026 touches \u2026 ideas\u2014their perishing, fading away, and cessation\u2014you truly understand through right understanding that both formerly and now all those ideas are impermanent, suffering, and perishable. Upon seeing this, you give rise to longing for the supreme liberations: \u2018Oh, when will I enter and remain in the same dimension that the noble ones enter and remain in today?\u2019 When you give rise to longing for the supreme liberations like this, sadness arises because of the longing. Such sadness is called renunciate sadness. These are the six kinds of renunciate sadness. And in this context what are the six kinds of domestic equanimity? When seeing a sight with their eyes, equanimity arises for the unlearned ordinary person\u2014a foolish ordinary person who has not overcome their limitations and the results of deeds, and is blind to the drawbacks. Such equanimity does not transcend the sight. That\u2019s why it\u2019s called domestic equanimity. When hearing a sound with their ears \u2026 When smelling an odor with their nose \u2026 When tasting a flavor with their tongue \u2026 When encountering a touch with their body \u2026 When knowing an idea with their mind, equanimity arises for the unlearned ordinary person\u2014a foolish ordinary person who has not overcome their limitations and the results of deeds, and is blind to the drawbacks. Such equanimity does not transcend the idea. That\u2019s why it\u2019s called domestic equanimity. These are the six kinds of domestic equanimity. And in this context what are the six kinds of renunciate equanimity? When you\u2019ve understood the impermanence of sights\u2014their perishing, fading away, and cessation\u2014equanimity arises as you truly understand through right understanding that both formerly and now all those sights are impermanent, suffering, and perishable. Such equanimity transcends the sight. That\u2019s why it\u2019s called renunciate equanimity. When you\u2019ve understood the impermanence of sounds \u2026 smells \u2026 tastes \u2026 touches \u2026 ideas\u2014their perishing, fading away, and cessation\u2014equanimity arises as you truly understand through right understanding that both formerly and now all those ideas are impermanent, suffering, and perishable. Such equanimity transcends the idea. That\u2019s why it\u2019s called renunciate equanimity. These are the six kinds of renunciate equanimity. \u2018The thirty-six positions of sentient beings should be understood.\u2019 That\u2019s what I said, and this is why I said it. \u2018Therein, relying on this, give up that.\u2019 That\u2019s what I said, but why did I say it? Therein, by relying and depending on the six kinds of renunciate happiness, give up and go beyond the six kinds of domestic happiness. That\u2019s how they are given up. Therein, by relying on the six kinds of renunciate sadness, give up the six kinds of domestic sadness. That\u2019s how they are given up. Therein, by relying on the six kinds of renunciate equanimity, give up the six kinds of domestic equanimity. That\u2019s how they are given up. Therein, by relying on the six kinds of renunciate happiness, give up the six kinds of renunciate sadness. That\u2019s how they are given up. Therein, by relying on the six kinds of renunciate equanimity, give up the six kinds of renunciate happiness. That\u2019s how they are given up. There is equanimity that is diversified, based on diversity, and equanimity that is unified, based on unity. And what is equanimity based on diversity? There is equanimity toward sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and touches. This is equanimity based on diversity. And what is equanimity based on unity? There is equanimity based on the dimensions of infinite space, infinite consciousness, nothingness, and neither perception nor non-perception. This is equanimity based on unity. Therein, relying on equanimity based on unity, give up equanimity based on diversity. That\u2019s how it is given up. Relying on not being determined by that, give up equanimity based on unity. That\u2019s how it is given up. \u2018Therein, relying on this, give up that.\u2019 That\u2019s what I said, and this is why I said it. \u2018The Noble One cultivates the establishment of mindfulness in three cases, by virtue of which they are a Teacher worthy to instruct a group.\u2019 That\u2019s what I said, but why did I say it? The first case is when the Teacher teaches Dhamma to his disciples out of kindness and sympathy: \u2018This is for your welfare. This is for your happiness.\u2019 But their disciples don\u2019t want to listen. They don\u2019t actively listen or try to understand. They proceed having turned away from the Teacher\u2019s instruction. In this case the Realized One is not unhappy, he does not feel unhappiness. He remains unfestering, mindful and aware. This is the first case in which the Noble One cultivates the establishment of mindfulness. The next case is when the Teacher teaches Dhamma to his disciples out of kindness and sympathy: \u2018This is for your welfare. This is for your happiness.\u2019 And some of their disciples don\u2019t want to listen. They don\u2019t actively listen or try to understand. They proceed having turned away from the Teacher\u2019s instruction. But some of their disciples do want to listen. They actively listen and try to understand. They don\u2019t proceed having turned away from the Teacher\u2019s instruction. In this case the Realized One is not unhappy, nor is he happy. Shunning both unhappiness and happiness, he remains equanimous, mindful and aware. This is the second case in which the Noble One cultivates the establishment of mindfulness. The next case is when the Teacher teaches Dhamma to his disciples out of kindness and sympathy: \u2018This is for your welfare. This is for your happiness.\u2019 And their disciples want to listen. They actively listen and try to understand. They don\u2019t proceed having turned away from the Teacher\u2019s instruction. In this case the Realized One is happy, he does feel happiness. He remains unfestering, mindful and aware. This is the third case in which the Noble One cultivates the establishment of mindfulness. \u2018The Noble One cultivates the establishment of mindfulness in three cases, by virtue of which they are a Teacher worthy to instruct a group.\u2019 That\u2019s what I said, and this is why I said it. \u2018Of all meditation tutors, it is he that is called the supreme guide for those fit for training.\u2019 That\u2019s what I said, but why did I say it? Driven by an elephant trainer, an elephant in training proceeds in just one direction: east, west, north, or south. Driven by a horse trainer, a horse in training proceeds in just one direction: east, west, north, or south. Driven by an ox trainer, an ox in training proceeds in just one direction: east, west, north, or south. But driven by the Realized One, the perfected one, the fully awakened Buddha, a person in training proceeds in eight directions: Having physical form, they see forms. This is the first direction. Not perceiving physical form internally, they see forms externally. This is the second direction. They\u2019re focused only on beauty. This is the third direction. Going totally beyond perceptions of form, with the disappearance of perceptions of impingement, not focusing on perceptions of diversity, aware that \u2018space is infinite\u2019, they enter and remain in the dimension of infinite space. This is the fourth direction. Going totally beyond the dimension of infinite space, aware that \u2018consciousness is infinite\u2019, they enter and remain in the dimension of infinite consciousness. This is the fifth direction. Going totally beyond the dimension of infinite consciousness, aware that \u2018there is nothing at all\u2019, they enter and remain in the dimension of nothingness. This is the sixth direction. Going totally beyond the dimension of nothingness, they enter and remain in the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception. This is the seventh direction. Going totally beyond the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception, they enter and remain in the cessation of perception and feeling. This is the eighth direction. Driven by the Realized One, the perfected one, the fully awakened Buddha, a person in training proceeds in these eight directions. \u2018Of all meditation tutors, it is he that is called the supreme guide for those fit for training.\u2019 That\u2019s what I said, and this is why I said it.\u201d That is what the Buddha said. Satisfied, the mendicants approved what the Buddha said.","title":"The Analysis of the Six Sense Fields","tradition":"Majjhima Nikaya","translated_text":null,"word_count":2426}