- Human Existence in Terms of
- Twelve Spheres and Eighteen
Elements
- Bhikkhu Thich Nhat-Tu
Supplementary
to the analyses of physico-psychological combination (naamaruupa), five aggregates
constituting personality (pa~nca-kkhandha // pa~nca-skandha), and six elements (cha-dhaatu),
the Buddha utilizes the method of twelve bases or spheres (aayatana) and eighteen
elements (a.t.thaarasa dhaatu) [S. II. 140-47; M. III. 239-40; A. I.
175] to refute an eternal self (aatman). These analyses is aimed at showing (i) a
wedded relationship between human personality and the external world, and (ii) that
relationship is in fact a conditioned process or function of consciousness or sense
experience.
Aayatana literally means place,
sphere, or gateway of meeting, place of birth or production. It is also known as the
locus, ground, or source for happening. In Buddhist terminology, it stands for the sphere,
ground, gateway, or locus of meeting between the six sense-organs and their corresponding
objects. Vasubandhu renders it as the gate of production of the citta and cetasika
dhamma [W. M. McGovern (1979): 95]. These are the gateway of sense experience or the
ground for bringing about consciousness [Cf. D. J. Kalupahana (1987): 29; W. M. McGovern
(1979): 95]. The twelve spheres (aayatana) consist of the six sense-organs and
their corresponding six-data or objects. The six sense-organs are eye (cakkhu), ear
(sota), nose (ghaana), tongue (jivhaa), body (kaaya) and mind
(mano). Their corresponding six sense-objects are form (ruupa), sound (sadda),
smell (gandha), taste (rasa), tangible (pho.t.thabba) and concepts (dhammaa).
Dhaatu is that which bears its own
characteristics or intrinsic nature (attano sabhaavam dhaarentiiti dhaatuyo) [Vism.
p. 411]. According to Vasubandhu, the term means species, genus or clan (dhaatu.hgotraartha.h)
or element [Ko'sa. V. 33. Cf. W. M. McGovern (1979): 95]. This means that each dhaatu
bears its own nature and no dhaatu bear the same nature. The eighteen elements
(a.t.thaarasa dhaatu) are nothing but twelve spheres plus their corresponding six
resultant cognitions or consciousnesses (vi~n~naa.na) [S. II. 140. Cf. M.
I. 259-60], which arise out of the contact between the six sense-organs and their
corresponding six sense-data or objects. The six sense-organs are called internal bases (ajjhattika-aayatana).
The six sense-data or objects are called external bases (baahira-aayatana). The six
resultant consciousnesses (vi~n~naa.na) are visual consciousness (cakkhu-vi~n~naa.na)
auditory consciousness (sota-vi~n~naa.na), olfactory consciousness (ghaana-vi~n~naa.na),
gustatory consciousness (jivhaa-vi~n~naa.na), tactile consciousness (kaaya-vi~n~naa.na)
and mental consciousness (mano-vi~n~naa.na). The discussion above can be formulated
in the following Diagram.
Relation
between Twelve Spheres and Eighteen Elements
The relationship between the five aggregates
of human personality (pa~nca-kkhandha // pa~nca-skandha) and twelve spheres (aayatana)
as well as eighteen elements (dhaatu) is epistemologically significant. While
twelve spheres (aayatana) are located within the category of as eighteen elements (dhaatu),
the six sense-organs belonging to both of twelve spheres (aatayana) and of eighteen
elements (dhaatu), and sixfold consciousness (vi~n~naa.naa) of eighteen
elements (dhaatu) can be placed under the category of five aggregates of human
personality (pa~nca-kkhandha // pa~nca-skandha). Again, while the first five
sense-organs (viz., eye, ear, nose, tongue and body) and the corresponding five objects (baahira-aatayana)
(viz., the visible, sound, smell, taste and touch) [Y. Karunadasa (1989): 36 ff] plus some
of mental objects (dhamma-dhaatu / dhammaayatana) are located within the aggregate
of form (raapakkhandha), the sixth faculty (viz., mind, mano) along with
some corresponding objects, namely concepts or ideas (dhamm ), plus the
sixfold consciousness (vi~n~naa.na) within the category of the aggregate of
consciousness (vi~n~naa.nakkhandha). This means that the twelve gates (aatayana)
and eighteen elements (dhaatu) are located within the category of five aggregates.
This relation can be illustrated through the following Table.
Relation between Naamaruupa,
5 Khandha, 6 Aayatana and 18 Dhaatu
| Naama-Ruupa |
5 Khandha |
6 Dhaatu |
12 Aayatana |
18 Dhaatu |
| Ruupa |
1.
Aggregate of form (ruupa-kkhandha) |
1. earth
(pa.thavi)
2. water (aapo)
3. fire (tejo)
4. air (vaayo)
5. space (akaasa) |
1. eye (cakkhu)
2. ear (sota)
3. nose (ghaa.na)
4. tongue (jivhaa)
5. body (kaaya)7. the visible (ruupa)
8. sound (sadda)
9. smell (gandha)
10. taste (rasa)
11. touch (pho.t.thabba)
12. some dhamma |
1. eye (cakkhu)
2. ear (sota)
3. nose (ghaa.na)
4. tongue (jivhaa)
5. body (kaaya)7. the visible (ruupa)
8. sound (sadda)
9. smell (gandha)
10. taste (rasa)
11. touch (pho.t.thabba)
12. some dhamma |
| Naama |
5.
Aggregate of consciousness
(vi~n~naa.na -kkhandha)along with
2. aggregate of feeling (vedanaa-kkhandha)
3. aggregate of perception (sa~n~naa-kkhandha)
4. aggregate of disposition (sa"nkhaaraa-kkhandha) |
6.consciousness
(vi~n~naa.na) |
6. mind
(mano) 12. some dhamma |
6. mind
(mano) 12. some dhamma
13. visual consciousness
(cakkhu-vi~n~naa.na)
14. auditory consciousness
(sota-vi~n~naa.na)
15. olfactory consciousness
(ghaana-vi~n~naa.na)
16. gustatory consciousness
(jivhaa-vi~n~naa.na)
17. tactile consciousness
(kaaya-vi~n~naa.na)
18. mental consciousness
(mano-vi~n~naa.na) |
Among these, mind (mano)
plays in important role as coordinator of the other faculties. Mind (mano) works as
their common ground of resort (pa.tisarana) enjoying their fields of perception (visaya),
while they themselves can not do so with one another [S. V. 218].
The eighteen elements (dhaatu) are
believed as the possible diversity in elements (dhaatu) to have in human
personality [S. II. 148-9]. According to the Buddha because of the diversity in
elements arises diversity of contact. For example, eye-contact arises because of the
eye-element, not of ear-element, nose-element, tongue-element, body-element or
mind-element. This arising is held true with the other five [S. II. 140-1]. Again,
while the diversity in elements arise diversity of contact, because of diversity of
contact arises diversity of feeling. For example because of eye-contact, feeling produced
by eye-contact arises [S. II. 142]. This process of experience, depended entirely
upon the senses and sense-objects, is again described clearly by the Buddha in the Madhupi.n.dika-sutta
of the Majjhima Nikaaya [M. I. 111-2], where the Buddha stresses the
important of coming together (sa"ngati) of sense organs and its corresponding
objects in conditioning perceptual consciousness, and the interaction between feeling (vedanaa),
perception (sa~n~naa), reasoning or reflection (vitakketi) and consciousness
(vi~n~naa.na).
By analyzing human personality into
aggregate-sphere-element triad (khandha-aayatana-dhaatu), Buddhism has no
difficulty in acknowledging the changeable, impermanent and non-substantial reality of man
and his world. These analyses are aimed at showing that there does not exist an unity (ekatta)
or a substance, or an atta/ aatman or a jiiva, which is expressed in
twenty different ego-views (sakkaayadi.t.thi) [E.g. M. I. 300; M. III.
17-8; S. III. 102; Dhs. 182. Cf. M. III. 188, 227; S. III. 3,
16, 96]. Being or existence is devoid of substance, but composed of a variety of
conditioned factors [M. I. 70]. The so-called self/ soul/ I is "nothing but
conditioned processes" [M. I. 191: Pa.ticcasamuppannaa kho panime yadiyaa
pa~ncupaadaanakkhandhaa], and "in such a mass of conditioned processes there is
no being is found" [S. I. 135: "In the mass of conditioned processes
there is no being is found" suddhasasankhaarapu~njo yaa, nayidha sattuupalabbhati].
Abbreviations and
References
I. Texts
A. = A"nguttara-Nikaaya, I-V, ed. R.
Morris, E. Hardy, C. A. F. Rhys Davids. (London: PTS, 1885-1900)
D. = Diighanikaaya, I-III, ed. T. W. Rhys
David and J. E. Carpenter, (London: PTS, 1889-1910)
Dhs. = Dhammasa"mnga.nii, ed. E. Muller.
(London: PTS, 1885)
M. = Majjhimanikaaya, I-IV, ed. V. Trenckner,
R. Chalmers, Mrs. Rhys Davids. (London: PTS, 1888-1902)
S. = Sa"myuttanikaaya, I-V, ed. L. Feer
and Mrs. Rhys Davids. (London: PTS, 1884-1898)
Vbh. = Vibha"nga, ed. and tr. by S. K.
Mukhopadhyaya. (Santiniketan: 1950)
2. Studies
Karunadasa, Y. (1989). Buddhist Analysis
of Matter. Singapore: Buddhist Research Society, 1st Ed. 1967.
McGovern, W. M. (1979). A Manual of
Buddhist Philosophy. Delhi: Nag Publishers, 1st Ed. 1872.