4.3. Conditions for Consciousness
cakkhuñca paṭicca rūpe ca uppajjati cakkhuviññāṇaṃ, sotañca paṭicca sadde ca uppajjati sotaviññāṇaṃ, ghānañca paṭicca gandhe ca uppajjati ghānaviññāṇaṃ, jivhañca paṭicca rase ca uppajjati jivhāviññāṇaṃ, kāyañca paṭicca phoṭṭhabbe ca uppajjati kāyaviññāṇaṃ, manañca paṭicca dhamme ca uppajjati manoviññāṇaṃ. cha viññāṇakāyā veditabbā’ti – iti yaṃ taṃ vuttaṃ, idametaṃ paṭicca vuttaṃ. idaṃ tatiyaṃ chakkaṃ.
Dependent on the eye and forms, eye consciousness arises.
Depending on the ear and sounds, ear consciousness arises.
Dependent on the nose and smells, nose consciousness arises.
Dependent on the tongue and tastes, tongue consciousness arises.
Dependent on the body and tangible sensations, body consciousness arises.
Dependent on the mind and mental phenomena, mind consciousness arises.
It was with reference to this that it was said, "The six classes of consciousness should be known". This is the third group of six.
-- MN148 chachakkasuttaṃ
Before going further, let's delve a little deeper into the word viññāṇa, which is normally translated as 'consciousness', and how it is used in Buddhist texts. Etymologically it is composed of the prefix vi- which implies separation or distinctness, the root √ñā simply means 'to know', and the suffix is -ana is used to form neuter process nouns. So a very literal translation of viññāṇa would be 'the act of knowing distinctly'.
One important thing to understand about the Buddha's use of the word viññāṇa is that he frequently stresses its dependent nature, the fact that it can never exist without supporting conditions. Nowhere in the whole mass of early texts can you find a reference to consciousness without an object, such as the common Indian ideas of a 'universal consciousness' or 'primordial consciousness' which is taken as a ground of being. The Buddha strongly rejected this idea. In Buddhism, consciousness always refers to 'consciousness of', awareness of a certain category of sense experience. Consciousness, in early Buddhist teachings, is never an abstract metaphysical construct, it is an observable mental process.
The dependency of consciousness is explicitly discussed in suttas such as the Great Discourse on the Simile of the Elephant's Footprint in Majjhima Nikāya.
seyyathāpi, āvuso, kaṭṭhañca paṭicca valliñca paṭicca tiṇañca paṭicca mattikañca paṭicca ākāso parivārito agāraṃ tveva saṅkhaṃ gacchati, evameva kho, āvuso, aṭṭhiñca paṭicca nhāruñca paṭicca maṃsañca paṭicca cammañca paṭicca ākāso parivārito rūpaṃ tveva saṅkhaṃ gacchati.
ajjhattikañceva, āvuso, cakkhuṃ aparibhinnaṃ hoti, bāhirā ca rūpā na āpāthaṃ āgacchanti, no ca tajjo samannāhāro hoti, neva tāva tajjassa viññāṇabhāgassa pātubhāvo hoti. ajjhattikañceva, āvuso, cakkhuṃ aparibhinnaṃ hoti bāhirā ca rūpā āpāthaṃ āgacchanti, no ca tajjo samannāhāro hoti, neva tāva tajjassa viññāṇabhāgassa pātubhāvo hoti. yato ca kho, āvuso, ajjhattikañceva cakkhuṃ aparibhinnaṃ hoti, bāhirā ca rūpā āpāthaṃ āgacchanti, tajjo ca samannāhāro hoti. evaṃ tajjassa viññāṇabhāgassa pātubhāvo hoti.
Say, for example, a space enclosed by logs, vines, grass, and clay goes by the name of a 'house'. In the same way, a space enclosed by bones, tendons, meat and skin goes by the name of a 'body'.
And even if the internal eye is intact, but external visible forms do not come within range, there is no corresponding engagement, and there is no appearance of the corresponding type of consciousness.
Even if the internal eye is intact, and external visible forms come within range, but there there is no corresponding engagement, even then there is no appearance of the corresponding type of consciousness.
Only when the eye is intact, external visible forms come within range, and there is corresponding engagement, in that case there there is the appearance of the corresponding type of consciousness.
MN28 mahāhatthipadopamasuttaṃ
And likewise for the other senses.
Let's illustrate this with a simple example. Your eyes are in good working order. There is a something right in front of you, but it is too dark to see, do you see anything? In the language of the suttas, does 'visual consciousness arise'? No. But if your eyes are in good working order, and there is something right in front of you, and there is light enough to see it, will you be aware of see something? Of course. The suttas would say uppajjati cakkhuviññāṇaṃ, 'visual consciousness arises', there is awareness of seeing something.
There are plenty of examples from daily life which illustrate this. While working on a computer, or looking at a device, are you aware of your body? Not until it hurts after some time! Your attention is 100% devoted to eyes and mind. This is why it is illegal in most countries to text while driving. Can you think of other examples where you lose one or more senses while occupied with some activity?
So let's investigate this within our own experience, seeing that for any consciousness to arise, the internal and external conditions must be fulfilled, namely a working eye and something to see. Only then is there the awareness of seeing. And exactly the same conditions apply for all the other senses too.
Meditation on the conditions for consciousness
There are normally sights, sounds, physical sensations available to experience. Perhaps light a stick of incense, or an aromatherapy oil burner, if there are no obvious smells in your environment. Perhaps chew on an aniseed or piece of cinnamon bark to provide some obvious smells and tastes.
Transcript
Let's work systematically through the six senses. Find some object to look at in your immediate environment. You are seeing something. Understand that for this visual awareness to arise, there are at very minimum two conditions. One: The internal condition of working eye. And two: The external condition of something visible. Without these two conditions, eye consciousness does not occur. Eye consciousness, visual awareness is not a static entity. It occurs when the necessary conditions are in place. At random, choose another object in your environment to look at, and go through the same process. Know that you are seeing. There is awareness of seeing. Bring to mind the two necessary conditions for this ^^^ awareness to occur. When you are ready, find another object, and go through the same process again, and again. --- When you are ready, find some sound in your environment that you are consciousness of. You are hearing something, there is ear consciousness, auditory awareness. Understand that for this auditory awareness to arise, there are a very minimum of two conditions. One: The internal condition of working ear. And two: The external condition of a something hear-able, something audible. Without these two conditions, ear consciousness does not occur. Ear consciousness, awareness of sound is not a static entity. It occurs when the necessary conditions are in place. At random, choose another sound in your environment to listen to, and go through the same process. Know that you are hearing. There is awareness of hearing. Bring to mind the two necessary conditions for this ^^^ awareness to occur. When you are ready, find another sound, and go through the same process again, and again. --- When you are ready, find some smell in your environment that you are consciousness of. You are smelling something, there is nose consciousness, awareness of a scent. Understand that for this olfactory awareness to arise, there are a very minimum of two conditions. One: The internal condition of a working nose. And two: The external condition of something smell-able. Without these two conditions, nose consciousness does not occur. Nose consciousness, awareness of smell, is not a static entity. It occurs when the necessary conditions are in place. At random, choose another scent in your environment to smell, and go through the same process. Know that you are smelling. Bring to mind the two necessary conditions for this ^^^ awareness to occur. When you are ready, find another smell, and go through the same process again, and again. --- When you are ready, if there is something in your mouth, be conscious of the taste. You are tasting, there is tongue consciousness, awareness of a flavour. Understand that for this gustatory awareness to arise, there are a very minimum of two conditions. One: The internal condition of working tongue. And two: The external condition of something taste-able. Without these two conditions, tongue consciousness does not occur. Tongue consciousness, awareness of taste is not a static entity. It occurs when the necessary conditions are in place. On the next mouthful, taste something else, and go through the same process. Know that you are tasting. Bring to mind the two necessary conditions for this ^^^ awareness to occur. When you are ready, find another flavour, and go through the same process again, and again. --- When you are ready, become aware of a feeling in the body. There is always some physical sensation that is available to experience. You are feeling a physical sensation, there is body consciousness, awareness of physical sensation. Understand that for this tactile awareness to arise, there are at very minimum, two conditions. One: The internal condition of a body which can feel. And two: The external condition of something tangible. Without these two conditions, body consciousness does not occur. Body consciousness, awareness of physical sensation is not a static entity. It only occurs when the necessary conditions are in place. At random, choose another physical sensation to feel, and go through the same process. Know that you are feeling. Bring to mind the two necessary conditions for this ^^^ awareness to occur. When you are ready, find another object of sensation, and go through the same process again, and again. --- When you are ready, become aware of any mental experience. There are always mental phenomena available to experience, but they can appear and disappear very quickly. If necessary, you can create one—wish all beings well. You are aware of a thought, there is mind consciousness, awareness of mental phenomena. Understand that for this mental awareness to arise, there are a very minimum of two conditions. One: The internal condition of a mind. And two: The external condition of a mental activity. Without these two conditions, mind consciousness does not occur. Mind consciousness, awareness of mental phenomena, is not a static entity. It occurs when the necessary conditions are in place. At random, choose another mental activity and go through the same process. Know that you are having a conscious mental experience. Bring to mind the two necessary conditions for this ^^^ awareness to occur. When you are ready, find something else happening in the mind, and go through the same process again, and again. --- Now move back to open awareness. As often as you are able, pick one experience. Know what type of experience it is, you can name the channel if you want. Know the two conditions necessary for this ^^^ type of awareness to occur, the internal base and the external perceivable object. Train yourself to be able to do this exercise with any object of experience. --- If this analysis gets tiring or difficult, come back to simple open awareness for a minute, calmly knowing what is happening as it is happening. You may also find the opposite, that this analysis gives a very powerful boost to the clarity of mindfulness. If that's the case, please continue. --- Keep analysing experiences. Know that for consciousness to arise, there are two necessary conditions. Know what those are, and move on.Q&A
Q: Do you have any questions or doubts at this point?