English
There, this mass of flesh established in the eye-socket, bounded below by the eye-socket bone, above by the eyebrow bone, on both sides by the eye corners, inside by the brain, outside by the eyelashes. In brief, "the four elements, color, odor, taste, nutriment, origin, shape, life, essence, body-sensitivity, eye-sensitivity," are the fourteen requisites. In detail, "the four elements." The elements, and those arising dependent on them, color, odor, taste, nutritive essence, and shape, these ten, being fourfold arisen, are forty. Life, entity, body sensitivity, and eye sensitivity, these four are exclusively karma-arisen. In terms of these forty-four forms, there is a forty-fourfold aggregate. What the world perceives as white, the eye, broad, distinct, extended, they recognize as "eye," but they do not recognize the eye, they recognize the object from the eye. That lump of flesh is established in the eye socket, bound to the brain with a tendon thread, where there is also white, black, and red, earth, water, fire, and air. What is white is due to phlegm excess, what is black is due to bile excess, what is red is due to blood excess, what is broad is due to earth excess, what flows is due to water excess, what burns is due to fire excess, what stirs is due to air excess, this is called the eye with its aggregate. Whatever sensitivity is here, bound here, arising from the four great elements, this is called eye sensitivity. That, in the middle of the black circle surrounded by the white circle of that eye with its aggregate, in the visual field, which is the place of origin of the body's shape, facing directly, like oil-soaked wicks in seven wick layers, pervading seven eye layers, like a prince served by four nurses with the duties of holding, bathing, adorning, and sowing the seed, benefiting from four elements with the duties of supporting, binding, ripening, and stirring, sustained by seasonal thoughts and food, nurtured by life, surrounded by color, odor, and taste, in size like the tip of a louse, fulfilling the object-door function for eye-consciousness and others as appropriate, it stands. And this was said by the general of the Dhamma: "By which eye sensitivity, one sees forms; Limited, subtle, this, like the tip of a louse." The eye and that which is the sense base, is the eye sense base. That which is the eye, sensitivity arising from the four great elements. Just as "dha" is used for emphasis, so too is "eva" in the expression. The meaning is: the refined matter that arises dependent on the four great elements. By this, he takes only the refined eye, and rejects the other eyes. But what was said in the Indriyagocara Sutta, "The refined matter dependent on one great element, the earth element, is included with three great elements, the water element, the fire element, and the air element," and in the Catuparivatta Sutta, "The refined matter dependent on two great elements, the earth element and the water element, is included with two great elements, the fire element and the air element," that was said by way of explanation. For this is called Suttanta discourse, a teaching by way of explanation. And that refined matter dependent on the four great elements, that refined matter given to each of them, even to two of them, is indeed refined matter; thus, the teaching came there by way of explanation. But Abhidhamma is called a teaching without explanation. Therefore, here it is said, "refined matter dependent on the four great elements." Because it is grasped by the ignorant as 'This is my self,' the body is called self-existence, and also the five aggregates. Included in that, dependent on that, the eye-consciousness included in self-existence cannot be seen, hence it is invisible. Because impact and resistance arise here, it is with resistance. In "By which," etc., this is the condensed meaning: By which instrumental eye, this being saw in the past, sees in the present, or will see in the future this form of the kind described above, if he had an unimpaired eye, or if he sees a form that has come into range, or saw a past form with a past eye, sees a present form with a present eye, will see a future form with a future eye, if that form comes into the range of the eye, he would see that form with the eye; this is the hypothetical statement here. Because it accomplishes the function of seeing, it is the eye faculty; because it is the meeting place of perceptions, it is the eye base; because it is empty, without essence, it is the eye element. And because it causes the characteristic of seeing to be accomplished. The eye of a ghost. The world is a ghost, because it is broken and destroyed. The doors are ghosts, because they are bolted. The ocean is a ghost, because it cannot be filled. White is a ghost, because it is pure. The field is a ghost, because it is the birthplace of contact and so on. The foundation is a ghost, because it is the support for those same things. The self is a ghost, because it shows what is equal and unequal, leading it. The guidance is a ghost, because of that same meaning. This shore is a ghost, because it is included in the existing body. The village is a ghost, because it is shared by many, and because it is ownerless. Thus, with these four terms, beginning with "saw," the fourteen names, beginning with "the eye of a ghost," are connected, and the four ways of determining the eye-base are to be understood. How? Here, by which eye, without seeing, with resistance, one saw form, which is visible and resistant, the eye of a ghost...pe...the village is a ghost, this is that form, the eye-base, this is one way. Thus, the rest are to be understood. 597. Now, because at times such as when lightning flashes, even if one does not want to look, form strikes the eye-sensitivity, therefore, to show that manner, the second explanation is begun. There, "in which eye" means in which eye, which is the locus. "Form" is a singular term. There, "struck" has a past meaning. "Strikes" has a present meaning. "Will strike" has a future meaning. "Might strike" has a conditional meaning. Indeed, past form struck in the past eye. Present form strikes in the present eye. Future form will strike in the future eye. If that form were to come into the range of the eye, that form might strike in the eye, this is the supposition here. But in reality, form strikes when it impinges on the sensitivity. Here too, the four ways of determining are to be understood in the same way as before. 598. Now, because when one wants to look at form by one's own will, bringing the eye to the form, the eye strikes against the form, therefore, to show that manner, the third explanation The turn has begun. So it is clearly meaningful. Here, however, the eye, receiving the object, is said to strike against the form. Here too, the four methods of determination should be understood in the same way as before. 599. From here on, ten turns are shown, five in terms of showing the arising of the five aggregates beginning with contact, and five in terms of showing the arising of those same aggregates dependent on the object. There, "relying on the eye" means relying on the eye, making it a condition. "Concerning form" means coming to, referring to, depending on form as the object. By this, the conditionality of form for the contact and so on, which have the eye-base as their material object, which are included in the eye-door impulsion series, is shown by way of the pre-nascence condition, the object-dominance condition, and the object-support condition. In the other five turns, "form is its object" means that the conditionality is shown merely by way of the object condition. Just as in the previous three, so too in these ten turns, the four methods of determination should be understood. Thus, to answer the question, "What is that form, the eye-sphere?" and to show the eye, which has been raised, in various ways as "this it is," thirteen modes of exposition are shown, the previous three and these ten. And it should be understood that each of these is adorned and shown with the fifty-two methods, since the four methods of determination are included in each. 600. In the expositions of the ear-sphere and so on that follow, the same method applies. The only difference here should be understood as follows: "It hears," therefore it is the ear. That, within the ear-hole with its equipment, in a place shaped like a finger-drill, lined with fine, thin hairs, stands making assistance by the elements spoken of in the manner described, being supported by season, mind, and food, being maintained by life, being surrounded by color and so on, accomplishing the function of a material door for ear-consciousness and so on as appropriate. "It smells," therefore it is the nose. That, within the nose-hole with its equipment, in a place shaped like a goat's foot, having the assistance, support, maintenance, and surrounding spoken of in the manner described, for nose-consciousness and so on as appropriate. The basis for the sense of taste stands, establishing its role as a physical doorway. The tongue, in the sense of tasting. That tongue, together with its supporting elements, being an attendant, sustainer, and retinue, on the upper surface of the middle of the tongue, in a form like the tip of a lotus petal, as has been described, stands, establishing its role as a physical doorway for tongue-consciousness and so on, as appropriate. However much appropriated material form exists in this body, everywhere is the body-base, like oil in a cotton cloth, being just an attendant, sustainer, and retinue, as has been described, it stands, establishing its role as a physical doorway for body-consciousness and so on, as appropriate. Herein lies the difference. The remaining variations in the text and the meaning should be understood in the same way as described in the section on the eye.