AN ANALYSIS OF THE CONSEQUENCES OF ESNSORY PERCEPTION ACCORDING TO PRINCIPLE OF PAṬICCASAMUPPĀDA

Abstract

   This research aims to achieve three objectives: 1. To study the principle of āyatana (sense bases) according to the doctrine of paṭiccasamuppāda (dependent origination); 2. To examine sample individuals who experience the world through the āyatana in accordance with the principle of dependent origination; and  3. To analyze the effects of sense perception through the āyatana as explained by dependent origination.  This is a documentary research based on the study of the Tipiṭaka, its commentaries, and relevant academic literature and research.

The findings reveal that the principle of āyatana in the context of paṭiccasamuppāda involves the interaction between the internal sense bases—eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind—and the external sense objects—form, sound, smell, taste, tangible objects, and mental objects—along with consciousness (viññāṇa)This interaction gives rise to contact (phassa), which results in perception through each of the six sense bases: seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, touching, and thinking. This process plays a crucial role in the arising of both wholesome (kusala) and unwholesome (akusala) thoughts, depending on whether one applies wise attention (yonisomanasikāra) or unwise attention (ayonisomanasikāra). This continuous mental process gives rise to feeling (vedanā), craving (taṇhā), clinging (upādāna), and leads to becoming (bhava), birth (jāti), aging and death (jarāmaraṇa), sorrow (soka), lamentation (parideva), pain (dukkha), grief (domanassa), and despair (upāyāsa).

Examples of individuals who experienced the world through āyatana include: -Maṭṭhakuṇḍalī, who developed faith upon seeing the Buddha; -Therī Rūpanandā, who, after hearing praise of the Dhamma, listened to the Buddha’s teaching; -A monk, who became deeply reflective upon smelling the scent of a lotus; -A butcher, who suffered great pain after eating a cow’s tongue; -Elder Tissa, who was strangled by a jeweler using a cord; and -Saṅgharakkhita Thera, who, while distracted, struck the head of a senior monk with a fan.

The consequences of sensory indulgence condition beings to be reborn in either unfortunate realms (duggati) or fortunate realms (suggati) as results of sense perception through āyatana. The duggati realms are undesirable and marked by both physical and mental suffering, comprising four states: the animal realm (tiracchānayoni), the realm of asuras (asurakāya), the ghost realm (peta), and hell (niraya). Conversely, the suggati realms are favorable, characterized by happiness of body and mind, and include three states: the human realm (manussaloka), the deva realm (devaloka), and the brahma realm (brahmaloka). The distinction between rebirth in duggati or suggati depends on one’s actions (kamma). Unwholesome actions (akusala kammapatha) such as killing lead to rebirth in duggati. Wholesome actions (kusala kammapatha) such as abstaining from killing lead to rebirth in suggati. This is because all living beings proceed according to the law of kamma (kamma-niyāma)