Five sense objects
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| Five sense objects |
| Sixth sense object |
Five sense objects (Skt. pañcaviṣaya; T. yul lnga ཡུལ་ལྔ་; C. wujing 五境) are five external sensory objects included within the aggregate of form (rupa-skandha). They are:
The five sense objects are identified as:
- the first five of the six sense objects
- the five sense object ayatanas within the twelve ayatanas
- the five sense object dhatus within the eighteen dhatus
Within the scheme of the eighteen dhatus, the apprehension of these objects is controlled by the five sense faculties.[1]
Brief description
Sanskrit tradition
Science and Philosophy in the Indian Buddhist Classics states:
- The five sense objects, such as visible form, are posited as objects of consciousness of the five sense doors. Thus the objects that are perceived by eye consciousness, ear consciousness, nose consciousness, tongue consciousness, and body consciousness are defined as visible form, sound, smell, taste, and tactility bases, respectively. The Compendium of Abhidharma, for example, states:
- What is form? It is an object derived from the four great elements and constitutes the field of experience of the eye sense faculty. . . .
- What is sound? It is an object derived from the four great elements and constitutes the perceived object of the ear sense faculty. . . .
- What is smell? It is an object derived from the four great elements and constitutes the perceived object of the nose [sense] faculty. . . .
- What is taste? It is an object derived from the four great elements and constitutes the perceived object of the tongue sense faculty. . . .
- What is tactility? It is an object derived from the four great elements and constitutes the perceived object of the body sense faculty.”
- The phrase “the field of experience of the eye sense faculty” indicates that, just as the image of an object appears in a mirror, it is on the basis of physical form appearing to the eye sense faculty that eye consciousness apprehends physical form.[2]
Pali tradition
A Comprehensive Manual of Abhidhamma states:
- Objective material phenomena (gocararūpa) are the five sense fields which serve as the objective supports for the corresponding types of sense consciousness. It should be noted that the tangible object is constituted by three of the great essentials: the earth element, experienced as hardness or softness; the fire element, experienced as heat or cold; and the air element, experienced as pressure. The water element, being the principle of cohesion, is not, according to the Abhidhamma, included in the tangible datum. The other four sense objects—visible forms, etc.—are types of derived matter. Collectively, objective material phenomena have the characteristic of impinging on the sense bases. Their function is to be the objects of sense consciousness. They are manifested as the resort of the respective sense consciousness. Their proximate cause is the four great essentials.[3]
Notes
- ↑ Mipham Rinpoche 2004, s.v. "Chapter 6: The Faculties: Indriya".
- ↑ Thupten Jinpa 2017, s.v. "The Five Sense Objects".
- ↑ Bhikkhu Bodhi 2000, s.v. Objective material phenomena.
Sources
Bhikkhu Bodhi, ed. (2000), A Comprehensive Manual of Abhidhamma, Pariyatti Publishing- Mipham Rinpoche (2004), Gateway to Knowledge, vol. I, translated by Kunsang, Erik Pema, Rangjung Yeshe Publications
- Thupten Jinpa, ed. (2017), Science and Philosophy in the Indian Buddhist Classics, Volume 1: The Physical World, translated by Coghlan, Ian James, Wisdom Publications