2.30. The Characteristics of Contact (T1670B2.30)

The king said to Nāgasena, “Does feeling as painful or pleasant arise together with visual perception?” Nāgasena replied, “The eyes and feeling as painful or pleasant feelings arise together due to contact.”

“What is contact?” the king asked.

“When two things touch each other, that is called contact. It is like two rams butting together, one ram is like the eye, the other is like the material form. So contact is called ‘union.’ Suppose one hand is the eye, the other is the material form, the contact or coming together of the two hands is called union. It is also like two stones, one is like the eye, the other is like the material form, the contact or coming together of the two stones is called union. It is the same with regard to eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body and mind, the contact or coming together is called union. It is also like two stones, one is like the mind, the other is like the mind-object, the coming together of the two stones is called union. It is the same with regard to the coming together of mind and mind-object. This is called union or coming together.”

“Excellent Nāgasena.”

Nāgasena Bhikṣu Sūtra, translated by Venerable Guang Xing. Buddha’s Light Edition English Sutra Translation Series, 2008. This publication is part of translation program of the Woodenfish Project.

The full text, with detailed notes, textual and historical discussion, and comparison between Pali and Chinese texts, is available for download in two separate files, Translation and Notes.

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This SuttaCentral edition was prepared by Bhikkhu Sujato.

Prepared for SuttaCentral by Bhikkhu Sujato.