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7. Cakkhuviññāṇādipañha

Question on Eye Consciousness, Etc.

Rājā āha—
The king asked:

“bhante nāgasena, yattha cakkhuviññāṇaṁ uppajjati, tattha manoviññāṇampi uppajjatī”ti?
“Venerable Nāgasena, does mind consciousness arise where eye consciousness arises?”

“Āma, mahārāja, yattha cakkhuviññāṇaṁ uppajjati, tattha manoviññāṇampi uppajjatī”ti.
“Yes, your majesty, mind consciousness arises where eye consciousness arises.”

“Kiṁ nu kho, bhante nāgasena, paṭhamaṁ cakkhuviññāṇaṁ uppajjati, pacchā manoviññāṇaṁ, udāhu manoviññāṇaṁ paṭhamaṁ uppajjati, pacchā cakkhuviññāṇan”ti?
“Venerable Nāgasena, does eye consciousness arise first, then mind consciousness after, or does mind consciousness arise first, then eye consciousness after?”

“Paṭhamaṁ, mahārāja, cakkhuviññāṇaṁ uppajjati, pacchā manoviññāṇan”ti.
“Eye consciousness arises first, your majesty, then mind consciousness arises after.”

“Kiṁ nu kho, bhante nāgasena, cakkhuviññāṇaṁ manoviññāṇaṁ āṇāpeti ‘yatthāhaṁ uppajjāmi, tvampi tattha uppajjāhī’ti, udāhu manoviññāṇaṁ cakkhuviññāṇaṁ āṇāpeti ‘yattha tvaṁ uppajjissasi, ahampi tattha uppajjissāmī’”ti?
“Venerable Nāgasena, does eye consciousness instruct mind consciousness, ‘where I arise, you should arise,’ or does mind consciousness instruct eye consciousness ‘where you will arise, there I will arise’?”

“Na hi, mahārāja, anālāpo tesaṁ aññamaññehī”ti.
“Certainly not, your majesty, there is no conversation between them.”

“Kathaṁ, bhante nāgasena, yattha cakkhuviññāṇaṁ uppajjati, tattha manoviññāṇampi uppajjatī”ti?
“Then, how is it, venerable Nāgasena, that mind consciousness arises where eye consciousness arises?”

“Ninnattā ca, mahārāja, dvārattā ca ciṇṇattā ca samudācaritattā cā”ti.
“It is because of inclination, your majesty, and because of door, of habit, and of practice.”

“Kathaṁ, bhante nāgasena, ninnattā yattha cakkhuviññāṇaṁ uppajjati, tattha manoviññāṇampi uppajjati?
“How is it, venerable Nāgasena, that because of inclination mind consciousness arises where eye consciousness arises?

Opammaṁ karohī”ti.
Please give me an analogy.”

“Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, mahārāja, deve vassante katamena udakaṁ gaccheyyā”ti?
“What do you think, your majesty, when it is raining what way would the water go?”

“Yena, bhante, ninnaṁ, tena gaccheyyā”ti.
“It would go according to the inclination, venerable sir.”

“Athāparena samayena devo vasseyya, katamena taṁ udakaṁ gaccheyyā”ti.
“And if it would continue to rain for some time, what way would that water go?”

“Yena, bhante, purimaṁ udakaṁ gataṁ, tampi tena gaccheyyā”ti.
“It would go in the same direction as the earlier water, venerable sir.”

“Kiṁ nu kho, mahārāja, purimaṁ udakaṁ pacchimaṁ udakaṁ āṇāpeti ‘yenāhaṁ gacchāmi, tvampi tena gacchāhī’ti, pacchimaṁ vā udakaṁ purimaṁ udakaṁ āṇāpeti ‘yena tvaṁ gacchissasi, ahampi tena gacchissāmī’”ti.
“Does the earlier water, your majesty, instruct the later water, ‘where I go, you should go,’ or does the later water instruct the earlier water ‘where you will go, there I will go?’”

“Na hi, bhante, anālāpo tesaṁ aññamaññehi, ninnattā gacchantī”ti.
“Certainly not, venerable sir, there is no conversation between them, they go because of the inclination.”

“Evameva kho, mahārāja, ninnattā yattha cakkhuviññāṇaṁ uppajjati, tattha manoviññāṇampi uppajjati, na cakkhuviññāṇaṁ manoviññāṇaṁ āṇāpeti ‘yatthāhaṁ uppajjāmi, tvampi tattha uppajjāhī’ti, nāpi manoviññāṇaṁ cakkhuviññāṇaṁ āṇāpeti ‘yattha tvaṁ uppajjissasi, ahampi tattha uppajjissāmī’ti, anālāpo tesaṁ aññamaññehi, ninnattā uppajjantī”ti.
“In the same way, your majesty, because of the inclination eye consciousness arises, then mind consciousness arises. And not because eye consciousness instructs mind consciousness, ‘where I arise, you should arise,’ nor does mind consciousness instruct eye consciousness ‘where you will arise, there I will arise’. There is no conversation between them, they arise because of the inclination.”

“Kathaṁ, bhante nāgasena, dvārattā yattha cakkhuviññāṇaṁ uppajjati, tattha manoviññāṇampi uppajjati?
“How is it, venerable Nāgasena, that because of door mind consciousness arises where eye consciousness arises?

Opammaṁ karohī”ti.
Please give me an analogy.”

“Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, mahārāja, rañño paccantimaṁ nagaraṁ assa daḷhapākāratoraṇaṁ ekadvāraṁ, tato puriso nikkhamitukāmo bhaveyya, katamena nikkhameyyā”ti?
“What do you think, your majesty? There might be a king’s border town with strong ramparts, an arched gateway, and only one door, and there, if a man were wishing to depart, how would he do so?”

“Dvārena, bhante, nikkhameyyā”ti.
“He would depart through the door, venerable sir.”

“Athāparo puriso nikkhamitukāmo bhaveyya, katamena so nikkhameyyā”ti?
“Then, if there was another man wishing to depart, how would he do so?”

“Yena, bhante, purimo puriso nikkhanto, sopi tena nikkhameyyā”ti.
“He would depart in the same way as the first man, venerable sir.”

“Kiṁ nu kho, mahārāja, purimo puriso pacchimaṁ purisaṁ āṇāpeti ‘yenāhaṁ gacchāmi, tvampi tena gacchāhī’ti, pacchimo vā puriso purimaṁ purisaṁ āṇāpeti ‘yena tvaṁ gacchissasi, ahampi tena gacchissāmī’”ti.
“Does the first man, your majesty, instruct the later man, ‘where I go, you should go,’ or does the later man instruct the first man ‘where you will go, there I will go?’”

“Na hi, bhante, anālāpo tesaṁ aññamaññehi, dvārattā gacchantī”ti.
“Certainly not, venerable sir, there is no conversation between them, they go because of the door.”

“Evameva kho, mahārāja, dvārattā yattha cakkhuviññāṇaṁ uppajjati, tattha manoviññāṇampi uppajjati, na cakkhuviññāṇaṁ manoviññāṇaṁ āṇāpeti ‘yatthāhaṁ uppajjāmi, tvampi tattha uppajjāhī’ti, nāpi manoviññāṇaṁ cakkhuviññāṇaṁ āṇāpeti ‘yattha tvaṁ uppajjissasi, ahampi tattha uppajjissāmī’ti, anālāpo tesaṁ aññamaññehi, dvārattā uppajjantī”ti.
“In the same way, your majesty, because of the door eye consciousness arises, then mind consciousness arises. And not because eye consciousness instructs mind consciousness, ‘where I arise, you should arise,’ nor does mind consciousness instruct eye consciousness ‘where you will arise, there I will arise’. There is no conversation between them, they arise because of the door.”

“Kathaṁ, bhante nāgasena, ciṇṇattā yattha cakkhuviññāṇaṁ uppajjati, tattha manoviññāṇampi uppajjati?
“How is it, venerable Nāgasena, that because of habit mind consciousness arises where eye consciousness arises?

Opammaṁ karohī”ti.
Please give me an analogy.”

“Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, mahārāja, paṭhamaṁ ekaṁ sakaṭaṁ gaccheyya, atha dutiyaṁ sakaṭaṁ katamena gaccheyyā”ti?
“What do you think, your majesty? If one cart goes first, then which way would a second cart go?”

“Yena, bhante, purimaṁ sakaṭaṁ gataṁ, tampi tena gaccheyyā”ti.
“It would go in the same way as the first cart, venerable sir.”

“Kiṁ nu kho, mahārāja, purimaṁ sakaṭaṁ pacchimaṁ sakaṭaṁ āṇāpeti ‘yenāhaṁ gacchāmi, tvampi tena gacchāhī’ti, pacchimaṁ vā sakaṭaṁ purimaṁ sakaṭaṁ āṇāpeti ‘yena tvaṁ gacchissasi, ahampi tena gacchissāmī’”ti.
“Does the first cart, your majesty, instruct the later cart, ‘where I go, you should go,’ or does the later cart instruct the first cart ‘where you will go, there I will go?’”

“Na hi, bhante, anālāpo tesaṁ aññamaññehi, ciṇṇattā gacchantī”ti.
“Certainly not, venerable sir, there is no conversation between them, they go because of habit.”

“Evameva kho, mahārāja, ciṇṇattā yattha cakkhuviññāṇaṁ uppajjati, tattha manoviññāṇampi uppajjati, na cakkhuviññāṇaṁ manoviññāṇaṁ āṇāpeti ‘yatthāhaṁ uppajjāmi, tvampi tattha uppajjāhī’ti, nāpi manoviññāṇaṁ cakkhuviññāṇaṁ āṇāpeti ‘yattha tvaṁ uppajjissasi, ahampi tattha uppajjissāmī’ti, anālāpo tesaṁ aññamaññehi, ciṇṇattā uppajjantī”ti.
“In the same way, your majesty, because of habit eye consciousness arises, then mind consciousness arises. And not because eye consciousness instructs mind consciousness, ‘where I arise, you should arise,’ nor does mind consciousness instruct eye consciousness ‘where you will arise, there I will arise’. There is no conversation between them, they arise because of habit.”

“Kathaṁ, bhante nāgasena, samudācaritattā yattha cakkhuviññāṇaṁ uppajjati, tattha manoviññāṇampi uppajjati?
“How is it, venerable Nāgasena, that because of practice mind consciousness arises where eye consciousness arises?

Opammaṁ karohī”ti.
Please give me an analogy.”

“Yathā, mahārāja, muddāgaṇanāsaṅkhyālekhāsippaṭṭhānesu ādikammikassa dandhāyanā bhavati, athāparena samayena nisammakiriyāya samudācaritattā adandhāyanā bhavati.
“Just as, your majesty, a beginner might be clumsy in the arts of hand reckoning, calculation, mental reckoning, and writing, but then, after some time, with careful working and practice, he would become skilful.

Evameva kho, mahārāja, samudācaritattā yattha cakkhuviññāṇaṁ uppajjati, tattha manoviññāṇampi uppajjati, na cakkhuviññāṇaṁ manoviññāṇaṁ āṇāpeti ‘yatthāhaṁ uppajjāmi, tvampi tattha uppajjāhī’ti, nāpi manoviññāṇaṁ cakkhuviññāṇaṁ āṇāpeti ‘yattha tvaṁ uppajjissasi, ahampi tattha uppajjissāmī’ti, anālāpo tesaṁ aññamaññehi, samudācaritattā uppajjantī”ti.
In the same way, your majesty, because of practice eye consciousness arises, then mind consciousness arises. And not because eye consciousness instructs mind consciousness, ‘where I arise, you should arise,’ nor does mind consciousness instruct eye consciousness ‘where you will arise, there I will arise’. There is no conversation between them, they arise because of practice.”

“Bhante nāgasena, yattha sotaviññāṇaṁ uppajjati, tattha manoviññāṇampi uppajjatīti …pe…
“Venerable Nāgasena, does mind consciousness arise where ear consciousness arises? ...

yattha ghānaviññāṇaṁ uppajjati … yattha jivhāviññāṇaṁ uppajjati … yattha kāyaviññāṇaṁ uppajjati, tattha manoviññāṇampi uppajjatī”ti?
where nose consciousness arises … where tongue consciousness arises … where body consciousness arises?”

“Āma, mahārāja, yattha kāyaviññāṇaṁ uppajjati, tattha manoviññāṇampi uppajjatī”ti.
“Yes, your majesty, mind consciousness arises where body consciousness arises.”

“Kiṁ nu kho, bhante nāgasena, paṭhamaṁ kāyaviññāṇaṁ uppajjati, pacchā manoviññāṇaṁ, udāhu manoviññāṇaṁ paṭhamaṁ uppajjati, pacchā kāyaviññāṇan”ti?
“Venerable Nāgasena, does body consciousness arise first, then mind consciousness after, or does mind consciousness arise first, then body consciousness after?”

“Kāyaviññāṇaṁ, mahārāja, paṭhamaṁ uppajjati, pacchā manoviññāṇan”ti.
“Body consciousness arises first, your majesty, then mind consciousness arises after.”

“Kiṁ nu kho, bhante nāgasena …pe…
“Venerable Nāgasena, does …

anālāpo tesaṁ aññamaññehi, samudācaritattā uppajjantī”ti.
... there is no conversation between them, they arise because of practice.”

“Kallosi, bhante nāgasenā”ti.
“You are clever, venerable Nāgasena.”

Cakkhuviññāṇādipañho sattamo.
Question on Eye Consciousness, Etc. seventh