B. Description of the Elements (dhātu)

17. The “elements” next to that (XIV.32) are the eighteen elements, that is to say, eye element, visible-data element, eye-consciousness element; ear element, sound element, ear-consciousness element; nose element, odour element, noseconsciousness element; tongue element, flavour element, tongue-consciousness element; body element, tangible-data element, body-consciousness element; mind element, mental-data element, mind-consciousness element.

18. Herein:

(1) As to meaning, (2) characteristic, et cetera, (3) Order, (4) just so much, and (5) reckoning, (6) Then condition, and (7) how to be seen—Thus should be known the exposition.

19. 1. Herein, as to meaning: first the exposition of “eye,” etc., should be known individually as to meaning in the way beginning: It relishes (cakkhati), thus it is an eye (cakkhu); it makes visible (rūpayati), thus it is a visible datum; [485] and the consciousness of the eye is eye-consciousness (see §3).

As to meaning in general: (a) it sorts out (vidahati), (b) it assorts [well] (dhīyate), (c) a sorting out (vidhāna), (d) it is sorted out (vidhīyate) by means of that, or (e) it causes to be sorted (dhīyati) here, thus it is a sort (dhātu = element).^[1]

20. (a) The mundane sorts (elements), when defined according to their instrumentality, sort out (vidahanti) the suffering of the round of rebirths, which is of many kinds, just as the “sorts” (ores—see XI.20) of gold and silver, etc., do gold and silver, and so on. (b) They assort [well] (dhīyante) with living beings, as a burden does with burden bearers; they are borne (dhāriyanti), is the meaning. (c) And they are only mere sortings out (vidhāna) of suffering because no mastery is exercisable over them. (d) And by means of them as instruments the suffering of the round of rebirths is continually being sorted out (anuvidhīyati) by living beings. (e) And that [suffering], being sorted out (vihita) in this way, is caused to be sorted (dhīyati) into those [sorts (elements)]; it is caused to be placed in them, is the meaning. So each thing (dhamma) among those beginning with the eye is called a “sort” (dhātu—element) in the meaning just stated beginning “It sorts out, it assorts well.”

21. Furthermore, while the self of the sectarians does not exist with an individual essence, not so these. These, on the contrary, are elements (dhātu) since they cause [a state’s] own individual essence to be borne (dhārenti).^[2] And just as in the world the variously-coloured constituents of marble such as malachite, cinnabar, etc., are called “elements,” so too these [beginning with the eye] are elements like those;^[3] for they are the “variously-coloured” constituents of knowledge and the knowable. Or just as the general term “elements” is used for juices, blood, etc., which are constituents of the collection called the “carcass,” when they are distinguished from each other by dissimilarity of characteristic, so too the general term “elements” should be understood as used for the constituents of the selfhood (personality) called “the pentad of aggregates”; for these things beginning with the eye are distinguished from each other by dissimilarity of characteristic.

22. Furthermore, “element” is a term for what is soulless; and for the purpose of abolishing the perception of soul the Blessed One accordingly taught the elements in such passages as “Bhikkhu, this man has six elements” (M III 239). Therefore the exposition should be understood here firstly as to meaning thus: it is an eye and that is an element, thus it is the eye-element … It is mindconsciousness and that is an element, thus it is mind-consciousness element.

23. 2. As to characteristic, et cetera: here too the exposition should be understood as to the characteristic, etc., of the eye, and so on. And that should be understood in the way given above in the Description of the Aggregates (XIV.37ff.).

24. 3. As to order: here too, from among “order of arising,” etc., mentioned above (XIV.211), only “order of teaching” is appropriate. It is set forth according to successive definition of cause and fruit.^[4] For the pair, eye element and visibledata element, are the cause and eye-consciousness element is the fruit. So in each case.

25. 4. As to just so much: as just so many. What is meant is this: in various places in the Suttas and Abhidhamma the following as well as other [486] elements are met with—the illumination element, beauty element, base-consisting-ofboundless-space element, base-consisting-of-boundless-consciousness element, base-consisting-of-nothingness element, base-consisting-of-neither-perceptionnor-non-perception element, cessation-of-perception-and-feeling element (S II 150); sense-desire element, ill-will element, cruelty element, renunciation element, non-ill-will element, non-cruelty element (Vibh 86); bodily-pleasure element, bodily-pain element, joy element, grief element, equanimity element, ignorance element (Vibh 85);initiative element, launching element, persistence element (S V 66); inferior element, medium element, superior element (D III 215); earth element, water element, fire element, air element, space element, consciousness element (Vibh 82); formed element, unformed element (M III 63); the world of many elements, of various elements (M I 70)—that being so, why is the classification only made according to these eighteen instead of making it according to all of them? Because, as far as individual essence is concerned, all existing elements are included in that [classification].

26. The visible data-element itself is the illumination element. The beauty element is bound up with visible-data and so on. Why? Because it is the sign of the beautiful. The sign of the beautiful is the beauty element and that does not exist apart from visible data and so on. Or since the visible data, etc., that are objects consisting of profitable kamma-result are themselves the beauty element, that is thus merely visible data and so on. As regards the base-consisting-ofboundless-space element, etc., the consciousness is mind-consciousness element only, while the remaining [states] are the mental-data element. But the cessationof-perception-and-feeling element does not exist as an individual essence; for that is merely the cessation of two elements.^[5]

27. The sense-desire element is either merely the mental-data element, according as it is said, “Herein, what is the sense-desire element? It is the thought, applied thought, … wrong thinking, that is associated with sense desires” (Vibh 86), or it is the eighteen elements, according as it is said: “Making the Avīci hell the lower limit and making the Paranimmitavasavatti deities the upper limit, the aggregates, elements, bases, materiality, feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness that are in this interval, that belong here, are included here: these are called the sense desire element” (Vibh 86). [487]

28. The renunciation element is the mental-data element; also, because of the passage, “Also all profitable states are the renunciation element” (Vibh 86), it is the mind-consciousness element too. The elements of ill-will, cruelty, non-illwill, non-cruelty, bodily pleasure, bodily pain, joy, grief, equanimity, ignorance, initiative, launching, and persistence are the mental-data element too.

29. The inferior, medium, and superior elements are the eighteen elements themselves;for inferior eyes, etc., are the inferior element, and medium and superior eyes, etc., are the medium and superior elements. But literally speaking, the unprofitable mental-data element and mind-consciousness element are the inferior element; both these elements, when mundane profitable or mundane indeterminate, and the eye element, etc., are the medium element; but the supramundane mental-data element and mind-consciousness element are the superior element.

30. The earth, fire, and air elements are the tangible-data element; the water element and the space element are the mental-data element only; “consciousness element” is a term summarizing the seven consciousness elements beginning with eye-consciousness.

31. Seventeen elements and one part of the mental-data element are the formed element; but the unformed element is one part of the mental-data element only. The “world of many elements, of various elements” is merely what is divided up into the eighteen elements.

So they are given as eighteen because, as to individual essence, all existing elements are included in that [classification].

32. Furthermore, they are stated as eighteen for the purpose of eliminating the kind of perception to be found in those who perceive a soul in consciousness, the individual essence of which is cognizing; for there are beings who perceive a soul in consciousness, the individual essence of which is cognizing. And so the Blessed One, who was desirous of eliminating the long-inherent perception of a soul, has expounded the eighteen elements thus making evident to them not only consciousness’s multiplicity when classed as eye-, ear-, nose-, tongueand body-consciousness elements, and mind, and mind-consciousness elements, but also its impermanence, which is due to its existing in dependence on eyecum-visible-data, etc., as conditions.

33. What is more, the inclinations of those who are teachable in this way [have to be considered]; and in order to suit the inclinations of beings who are teachable by a teaching that is neither too brief nor too long, eighteen are expounded. For:

By methods terse and long as need may be

He taught the Dhamma, so that from beings’ hearts, If they have wit to learn, the dark departs

Melting in the Good Dhamma’s brilliancy.

This is how the exposition should be understood here as to just so much.

34. 5. As to reckoning: the eye-element, firstly, is reckoned as one thing according to kind, [488] namely, eye sensitivity. Likewise, the ear, nose, tongue, body, visibledata, sound, odour, and flavour elements are reckoned as ear sensitivity, and so on (XIV.37ff.). But the tangible-data element is reckoned as three things, namely, earth, fire and air. The eye-consciousness element is reckoned as two things, namely, profitable and unprofitable kamma-result; and likewise the consciousness elements of the ear, nose, tongue, and body. The mind element is reckoned as three things, namely, five-door adverting (70), and profitable (39) and unprofitable (55) resultant receiving. The mental-data element as twenty things, namely, three immaterial aggregates, sixteen kinds of subtle matter, and the unformed element (see Vibh 88).^[6] Mind-consciousness element is reckoned as seventy-six things, namely, the remaining profitable, unprofitable, and indeterminate consciousnesses. This is how the exposition should be understood as to reckoning.

35. 6. Condition: the eye element, firstly, is a condition, in six ways, namely, dissociation, pre-nascence, presence, non-disappearance, support, and faculty for the eye-consciousness element. The visible-data element is a condition, in four ways, namely, prenascence, presence, non-disappearance, and object, for the eye-consciousness element. Similarly with the ear-element and the soundelement for the ear-consciousness element and so on.

36. The adverting mind element (70) is a condition, as the five conditions, namely: proximity, contiguity, absence, disappearance, and proximity-decisivesupport, for these five [beginning with the eye-consciousness element]. And these five are so too for the receiving mind element ((39), (55)). And so is the receiving mind element for the investigating mind-consciousness element ((40),

(41), (56)). And so is that too for the determining mind-consciousness element (71). And so is the determining mind-consciousness element for impulsion mindconsciousness element. But the impulsion mind-consciousness element is a condition, as the six conditions, namely, as the five already stated and as repetition condition, for the immediately following impulsion mind-consciousness element.

This, firstly, is the way in the case of the five doors.

37. In the case of the mind door, however, the life-continuum mindconsciousness element is a condition, as the previously-stated five conditions, for the adverting mind-consciousness element (71). And the adverting mindconsciousness element is so for the impulsion mind-consciousness element.

38. The mental-data element is a condition in many ways, as conascence, mutuality, support, association, presence, non-disappearance, etc.,^[7] for the seven consciousness elements. The eye element, etc., and some of the mental-data element,^[8] are conditions, as object condition, etc., for some of the mindconsciousness element.

39. And not only are the eye and visible data, etc., conditions for the eyeconsciousness element, etc., [respectively], but also light, etc., are too. Hence the former teachers said: “Eye-consciousness arises due to eye, visible datum, light, and attention. [489] Ear-consciousness arises due to ear, sound, aperture, and attention. Nose-consciousness arises due to nose, odour, air, and attention. Tongue-consciousness arises due to tongue, flavour, water, and attention. Bodyconsciousness arises due to body, tangible datum, earth, and attention. Mindconsciousness arises due to life-continuum-mind,^[9] mental datum, and attention.”

This is in brief. But the kinds of conditions will be explained in detail in the Description of Dependent Origination (XVII.66ff.).

This is how the exposition should be understood here as to condition.

40. 7. How to be seen: the meaning is that here too the exposition should be understood as to how they are to be regarded. For all formed elements are to be regarded as secluded from the past and future,^[10] as void of any lastingness, beauty, pleasure, or self, and as existing in dependence on conditions.

41. Individually, however, the eye element should be regarded as the surface of a drum, the visible-data element as the drumstick, and the eye-consciousness element as the sound. Likewise, the eye element should be regarded as the surface of a looking-glass, the visible-data element as the face, and the eye-consciousness element as the image of the face. Or else, the eye-element should be regarded as sugarcane or sesame, the visible-data element as the [sugarcane] mill or the [sesame] wheel rod, and the eye-consciousness element as the sugarcane juice or the sesame oil. Likewise, the eye-element should be regarded as the lower firestick, the visible-data element as the upper fire-stick,^[11] and the eye-consciousness element as the fire. So too in the case of the ear and so on.

42. The mind element, however, should be regarded as the forerunner and follower of eye-consciousness, etc., as that arises.

As to the mental-data element, the feeling aggregate should be regarded as a dart and as a stake, the perception and formations aggregates as a disease owing to their connection with the dart and stake of feeling. Or the ordinary man’s perception should be regarded as an empty fist because it produces pain through [disappointed] desire; or as a forest deer [with a scarecrow] because it apprehends the sign incorrectly. And the formations aggregate should be regarded as men who throw one into a pit of hot coals, because they throw one into rebirth-linking, or as thieves pursued by the king’s men because they are pursued by the pains of birth; or as the seeds of a poison-tree, because they are the root-cause of the aggregates’ continuity, which brings all kinds of harm. And materiality should be regarded as a razor-wheel (see J-a IV 3), because it is the sign of various kinds of dangers.

The unformed element, however, should be regarded as deathless, as peace, as safety. Why? Because it is the opposite of all ill. [490]

43. The mind-consciousness element should be regarded as a forest monkey, because it does not stay still on its object; or as a wild horse, because it is difficult to tame; or as a stick flung into the air, because it falls anyhow; or as a stage dancer, because it adopts the guise of the various defilements such as greed and hate.

The fifteenth chapter called “The Description of the Bases and Elements” in the Treatise on the Development of Understanding in the Path of Purification composed for the purpose of gladdening good people.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

The verb dahati, the basis of all these derivatives, means literally “to put.” “There are five meanings stated, since the word dhātu (element, sort, ‘putting’) has its form established (siddha) here by (a) the transitive (kattu), (b) the intransitive (kamma), (c) the abstract noun (bhāva), (d) the instrumental case (kāraṇa), and (e) the causative voice (adhikaraṇa). Supramundane elements do not sort out (vidahanti) the suffering of the round of rebirths; on the contrary, they destroy (vidhaṃsenti) it. That is why ‘mundane’ is specified” (Vism-mhṭ 513).

[2]:

“‘Are elements since they cause [a state’s] own individual essence to be borne’: here, while the establishment of the word’s form should be understood as “dadhātī ti dhātu (it puts, sorts, thus it is an element),’ still taking the word dhā to share the meanings [of both dadhāti and dhāreti (see XI.104)], there is also the meaning of the active voice different from the first, because the meanings of vidhāna (sorting out) and dhāraṇa (causing to bear) are unconnected. The causing of the bearing of mere individual essences without any permanent living being, is a basic meaning of the word dhātu (element), and so it is stated separately” (Vism-mhṭ 513).

[3]:

“‘Are elements like those elements’: here, just as the word “lion” (sīha), which is properly applicable to the bearer of a mane, [is used] of a man, so too the word ‘element,’ which is properly applicable to the constituents of marble, is used of the eye and so on” (Vism-mhṭ 513).

[4]:

“‘Successive definition of cause and fruit’ is just the state of cause and fruit” (Vismmhṭ 514).

[5]:

“It is the mere cessation of the mind-consciousness element and mental-data element because it is the ceasedness of thought-arisings in the fourth immaterial state” (Vism-mhṭ 514).

[6]:

In XIV.35–70, the material instances listed total 28, that is, 4 primary elements, 9 sense faculties (excluding the tangible-data faculty, which is the 3 elements except water), and 15 kinds of subtle materiality beginning with the femininity faculty (cf. treatment at Dhs §596). Other lists, however, sometimes give a total of 26 kinds, that is, 10 sense faculties (including the tangible-data faculty, which is the 3 primary elements) and 16 kinds of subtle materiality, that is, the above-mentioned 15 plus the water element, which is listed then after the space element (cf. treatment at Dhs §653 and list at M-a II 261). See Table I.

[7]:

“Here the word ‘etc.’ stands for the mind-consciousness element’s states where suitable as root-cause, predominance, kamma, kamma-result, nutriment, faculty, jhāna, and path conditions” (Vism-mhṭ 516).

[8]:

“I.e. subtle materiality and Nibbāna” (Vism-mhṭ 516).

[9]:

“‘Life-continuum mind’ is the life-continuum consciousness occurring twice in disturbance” (Vism-mhṭ 516).

[10]:

“Formed elements are secluded in both instances (i.e. when past and future) because their individual essences are unapprehendable then” (Vism-mhṭ 516).

[11]:

Adharāraṇi (adho-araṇi)—“lower fire-stick” and uttarāraṇi (uttara-araṇi)—“upper fire-stick” are not in PED as such.