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tongue, body, and visible form; Sound, smell, taste, female and male faculties, life. 628. The two bodily and verbal announcements, space, and the lightness triad of material form. 629. Growth, continuity of form, decay, and impermanence; These twenty-four are called derived forms. 630. Relying on the great elements, not separated, arisen; This is called derived form, by one whose mind is without clinging. 631. Earth is due to spreading, wind is due to blowing; Fire makes forms burn, water makes them flow, protecting. 632. Now I will explain the characteristics of these forms; When characteristics are known, the phenomena become clear. 633. A common feature or nature is considered the characteristic of phenomena; Its function or attainment is declared as flavor (rasa). 634. The result or manifestation, or the mode of manifestation; And the proximate cause, that is called the foundation (padaṭṭhāna). Therein, the earth element has the characteristic of hardness, its flavor is supporting, its manifestation is receiving. The water element has the characteristic of flowing, its flavor is enhancing, its manifestation is cohesion. The fire element has the characteristic of heat, its flavor is ripening, its manifestation is providing softness. The wind element has the characteristic of distending, its flavor is propelling, its manifestation is bringing forth. It should be understood that for each of these, the other three elements are the proximate cause. It sees, therefore it is the eye; it makes forms clear, that is the meaning. 635. Therein, the eye is said to be of two kinds, distinguished as wisdom and flesh; Therein, the wisdom eye is indeed of five kinds. 636. By the names of Buddha, Dhamma, Samanta, knowledge, and divine; Understand from me their diversity in due order. 637. Knowledge of latent tendencies, and of the superiority and inferiority of faculties; Is designated as the Buddha-eye by the Sage, the eye of the world. 638. Knowledge of the three lower paths is called the Dhamma-eye; The knowable, the Samanta-eye, is indeed omniscience. 639. That which is said, "the eye arose," is the knowledge-eye. aṃ; The wisdom born of higher knowledge, is called the divine eye. 640. The fleshy eye is also twofold, from its components and its sensitivity; That which has components, is established in the eye-socket. 641. Below by the bone of the eye-socket, and above by the eyebrow bone; On both sides by the eye-ridges, and internally by the brain. 642. Externally by the eyelashes, and that which is delimited; Bound by a network of sinews, is called a lump of flesh. 643. And this whole world, like the petal of a lotus; Knows the eye to be, broad, wide, and blue. 644. The eye is not that, it is called its base; But this is described, as the eye with components. 645. Color, smell, taste, nutrition, and also the four elements; Existence, origin, form, and also life. 646. The sensitivity of the body and eye, these are the fourteen components; And also in detail, these are the four elements. 647. Color, smell, taste, nutrition, and also form and origin; These ten are born from four causes, they become forty. 648. The eye, the sensitivity of the body, existence, and life itself; Are forty forms, and indeed there are four. 649. By means of these forms, this is gathered; This eye with components, is declared by the wise. 650. And that which is white here, a small binding; The sensitivity born of kamma, of the four elements. 651. This is called the sensitive eye, declared by the five eyes; And this is in the middle, of that eye with components. 652. By its white circle, completely surrounded; Or in the middle of the black circle, in the established pupil. 653. By the four elements, with their functions of support and so on; Having rendered assistance, by season, mind, and so on. 654. Being sustained by it, protected by life; Surrounded by forms, such as color, smell, taste. 655. Serving as the base and door, for eye-consciousness and so on; In size like a louse's head, the measure it stands. For it has been said: 656. “By which eye-sensitivity, one perceives forms; This is subtle and minute, like the head of a louse.” 657. And the same method should be understood for ear and so on, by one who discerns; I will speak only of the distinctions here, from now on. “It hears” means ear. That, in the region shaped like a finger-bore covered with fine, soft hairs, stands having been made helpful by the elements of the aforementioned kind, being sustained by season, mind, and food, being preserved by life, establishing the state of being a basis and door for ear-consciousness and so on. “It smells” means nose. That, within the nostril with its components, in the region shaped like a goat’s foot, stands having been of the aforementioned kind. “It tastes” means tongue, or “it invites life” means tongue. That, above the middle of the tongue with its components, in the region shaped like the tip of a lotus petal, stands having been of the aforementioned kind. “The abode of loathsome impurities” means body. But as far as there is appropriated matter in this body, the body-sensitivity, like oil on a cotton cloth, stands everywhere having been of the aforementioned kind. Here, I will speak of their characteristics and so on: The eye has the characteristic of sensitivity arisen from karma rooted in the desire to see, and from the elements; its function is to draw in forms; its manifestation is the basis for eye-consciousness; its proximate cause is the elements born of karma rooted in the desire to see. The ear has the characteristic of sensitivity arisen from karma rooted in the desire to hear, and from the elements; its function is to draw in sounds; its manifestation is the basis for ear-consciousness; its proximate cause is the elements born of karma rooted in the desire to hear. The nose has the characteristic of sensitivity arisen from karma rooted in the desire to smell, and from the elements; its function is to draw in odors; its manifestation is the basis for nose-consciousness; its proximate cause is the elements born of karma rooted in the desire to smell. The tongue has the characteristic of sensitivity arisen from karma rooted in the desire to taste, and from the elements; its function is to draw in tastes; its manifestation is the basis for tongue-consciousness; its proximate cause is the elements born of karma rooted in the desire to taste. Karma rooted in the desire to touch The body, characterized by the arising of sensitivity, its function is to be drawn to tangibles, its manifestation is to be the basis for body-consciousness, its proximate cause is the karma-born elements that are the basis for the desire to touch. Some, however, say: 658. The sensitivity of the elements where fire predominates, is the eye; The rest are for those where space, wind, water, and earth predominate. 659. They should be told thus: "Bring forth the Sutta!" And surely, they will not see any Sutta at all. 660. If there is a distinction among the elements, how can there be sensitivity? For the sensitivity of the elements is declared to be uniform. 661. Therefore, for the four elements that are the basis, completely abandoning this postulation of distinction, 662. The distinctiveness of the sensitivities should be known by the distinctiveness of karma; For their distinctiveness does not arise from the distinctiveness of the elements. 663. Thus, among these, the eye and the ear apprehend without contact; But the remaining three, nose and so on, apprehend with contact. Form (rūpa): It is form because it takes form, meaning it reveals its presence in the heart by undergoing changes in color. It is characterized by striking the eye, its function is to be the object of eye-consciousness, its manifestation is to be the range of that same (consciousness), its proximate cause is the four great elements. As this is, so are all derived material phenomena. Sound (sadda): It is sound because it sounds. It is characterized by striking the ear, its function is to be the object of ear-consciousness, its manifestation is to be the range of that same (consciousness). Taste (rasa): It is taste because one tastes with it. It is characterized by striking the tongue, its function is to be the object of tongue-consciousness, its manifestation is to be the range of that same (consciousness). Odor (gandha): It is odor because it makes itself known, it indicates itself. It is characterized by striking the nose, its function is to be the object of nose-consciousness, its manifestation is to be the range of that same (consciousness). Femininity faculty (itthindriya): 664. This state of being female, born of karma, arises at the moment of rebirth-linking; And that which is the female sign and so on, that is not the faculty. 665. Dependent on the femininity faculty, the female signs and so on arise and manifest; They do not arise at rebirth-linking. thought. 666. And that is not to be known by the eye, it is to be known by the mind. Are female characteristics, etc., to be known by the eye or not? 667. This same method should be known for the other male faculties as well. This is for the first aeons, both are in the process of becoming. 668. It should be understood as arising in rebirth from another. Even in the process of becoming, it arises, and revolves within the process of becoming. 669. By great evil karma, manhood is destroyed. By great wholesome karma alone, the male faculty is born. 670. By weak unwholesome karma, the female characteristic is destroyed. By weak merit alone, womanhood is born. 671. For one with both characteristics, there might be one faculty. If this is so, then there is an absence of the second characteristic. 672. And why should there be no absence? That is not the cause of the characteristic. Its karmic companion, the mind of lust, is the cause.