Dhammānupassanā —Twelve Sense Bases (Exercise 34 in Satipaṭṭhāna Practices) Reflections by Bhante Dr. Chandima

4.3 Dhammānupassanā: Contemplation of the Twelve Sense Bases (āyatanesu)

Puna caparaṃ, bhikkhave, bhikkhu dhammesu dhammānupassī viharati chasu ajjhattikabāhiresu āyatanesu. Kathañca pana, bhikkhave, bhikkhu dhammesu dhammānupassī viharati chasu ajjhattikabāhiresu āyatanesu?

Again, further, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu dwells contemplating mental phenomena as mental phenomena about the six internal and external sense bases. And how, bhikkhus, does a bhikkhu dwell contemplating mental phenomena as mental phenomena about the six internal and external sense bases?

• This passage introduces sense-based contemplation (āyatana-anupassanā) as a mode of dhammānupassanā. The emphasis is not on sensory objects alone, but on the entire experiential field where internal faculties and external objects meet, forming the primary ground for craving, aversion, and delusion.

4.3.1  Eye and Visible Forms

Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu cakkhuñca pajānāti, rūpe ca pajānāti, yañca tadubhayaṃ paṭicca uppajjati saṃyojanaṃ tañca pajānāti, yathā ca anuppannassa saṃyojanassa uppādo hoti tañca pajānāti, yathā ca uppannassa saṃyojanassa pahānaṃ hoti tañca pajānāti, yathā ca pahīnassa saṃyojanassa āyatiṃ anuppādo hoti tañca pajānāti.

Here, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu understands the eye, understands visible forms, and understands the fetter that arises dependent on both. He/she understands how the arising of an unarisen fetter comes to be; he/she understands how the abandoning of an arisen fetter comes to be; and he/she understands how the non-arising in the future of an abandoned fetter comes to be.

• This contemplation reveals that bondage does not lie in forms themselves, nor in the eye alone, but in the reactive bond (saṃyojana) formed through their conjunction. Seeing, when infused with craving or aversion, becomes a site of attachment. Insight here protects the thoughts at the door of the visual sense.

4.3.2 Ear and Sounds

Sotañca pajānāti, sadde ca pajānāti, yañca tadubhayaṃ paṭicca uppajjati saṃyojanaṃ tañca pajānāti, yathā ca anuppannassa saṃyojanassa uppādo hoti tañca pajānāti, yathā ca uppannassa saṃyojanassa pahānaṃ hoti tañca pajānāti, yathā ca pahīnassa saṃyojanassa āyatiṃ anuppādo hoti tañca pajānāti.

He/she understands the ear, understands sounds, and understands the fetter that arises dependent on both. He/she understands how the arising of an unarisen fetter comes to be; how an arisen fetter is abandoned; and how a fetter that has been abandoned does not arise again in the future.

• Hearing conditions reactive judgment, emotional memory, and proliferation. This contemplation trains sensitivity to how praise, blame, noise, or speech trigger mental bondage—and how mindful listening dismantles it.

4.3.3 Nose and Odours

Ghānañca pajānāti, gandhe ca pajānāti, yañca tadubhayaṃ paṭicca uppajjati saṃyojanaṃ tañca pajānāti, yathā ca anuppannassa saṃyojanassa uppādo hoti tañca pajānāti, yathā ca uppannassa saṃyojanassa pahānaṃ hoti tañca pajānāti, yathā ca pahīnassa saṃyojanassa āyatiṃ anuppādo hoti tañca pajānāti.

He/she understands the nose, understands odors, and understands the fetter that arises dependent on both. H/shee understands the arising of an unarisen fetter, the abandoning of an arisen fetter, and the future non-arising of an abandoned fetter.

• Smell operates subtly, often activating memory-based craving or aversion. This contemplation sharpens awareness of how even faint sensory contact can condition clinging, revealing the depth of latent tendencies (anusaya).

4.3.4 Tongue and Tastes

Jivhañca pajānāti, rase ca pajānāti, yañca tadubhayaṃ paṭicca uppajjati saṃyojanaṃ tañca pajānāti, yathā ca anuppannassa saṃyojanassa uppādo hoti tañca pajānāti, yathā ca uppannassa saṃyojanassa pahānaṃ hoti tañca pajānāti, yathā ca pahīnassa saṃyojanassa āyatiṃ anuppādo hoti tañca pajānāti.

He/she understands the tongue, understands tastes, and understands the fetter that arises dependent on both. He/she understands how fetters arise, how they are abandoned, and how they do not arise again in the future.

• Taste is a primary gateway for sensual craving (kāmacchanda). This contemplation transforms eating from indulgence into insight, revealing how desire is conditioned—not inherent.

4.3.5 Body and Tangible Objects

Kāyañca pajānāti, phoṭṭhabbe ca pajānāti, yañca tadubhayaṃ paṭicca uppajjati saṃyojanaṃ tañca pajānāti, yathā ca anuppannassa saṃyojanassa uppādo hoti tañca pajānāti, yathā ca uppannassa saṃyojanassa pahānaṃ hoti tañca pajānāti, yathā ca pahīnassa saṃyojanassa āyatiṃ anuppādo hoti tañca pajānāti.

He/she understands the body, understands tangible objects, and understands the fetter that arises dependent on both. He/she understands the arising, abandoning, and future non-arising of fetters.

• Bodily contact conditions comfort-seeking, resistance to pain, and identity with physical states. Insight here dismantles clinging to pleasure and aversion to discomfort, grounding equanimity (upekkhā).

4.3.6  Mind and Mental Phenomena

Manañca pajānāti, dhamme ca pajānāti, yañca tadubhayaṃ paṭicca uppajjati saṃyojanaṃ tañca pajānāti, yathā ca anuppannassa saṃyojanassa uppādo hoti tañca pajānāti, yathā ca uppannassa saṃyojanassa pahānaṃ hoti tañca pajānāti, yathā ca pahīnassa saṃyojanassa āyatiṃ anuppādo hoti tañca pajānāti.

He /she understands the mind, understands mental phenomena, and understands the fetter that arises dependent on both. He/she  understands how fetters arise, how they are abandoned, and how they do not arise again in the future.

• This is the subtlest sense base, where views, emotions, and identities crystallize. By observing mental objects without appropriation, the practitioner directly undermines self-view (sakkāya-diṭṭhi), leading mindfulness toward liberating wisdom.

4.3.7 Iti ajjhattaṃ vā dhamme dhammānupassī viharati, bahiddhā vā dhamme dhammānupassī  viharati, ajjhattabahiddhā vā citte dhamme dhammānupassī  viharati;

Thus, he/she dwells contemplating the mental phenomena internally, or he/she dwells contemplating the mental phenomena externally (universalizing the nature of the twelve sense bases), or he/she dwells contemplating the mental phenomena both internally and externally.

• The triadic formula—internal, external, and both—broadens mindfulness beyond the self. Observing one’s hindrances (ajjhattaṃ) cultivates introspective clarity; observing others’ hindrances bahiddhā) nurtures empathy and detachment; observing both dissolves the boundary between self and other, revealing universality in the mental phenomena processes.

4.3.8 Samudayadhammānupassī vā dhammesu viharati, vayadhammānupassī vā dhammesu viharati, samudayavayadhammānupassī vā dhammesu viharati.

They dwell observing the mental phenomena as subject to origination, as subject to vanishing, or as subject to both origination and vanishing.

• This section deepens contemplation into anicca-saññā—the perception of impermanence. One sees the mental phenomenon as a process, continuously arising and ceasing. Awareness of this flux uproots craving and builds insight into dukkha and anattā. The thought is no longer “mine,” but a transient flow of conditions.

4.3.9 ‘Atthi cittan’ti vā panassa sati paccupaṭṭhitā hoti. Yāvadeva ñāṇamattāya paṭissatimattāya anissito ca viharati, na ca kiñci loke upādiyati.

Or mindfulness that ‘there is a thought’ is established to the extent necessary for knowledge and mindfulness. And they dwell unassociating, not grasping at anything in the world.

• At this stage, awareness becomes purified of grasping. The practitioner does not think “I am the mental phenomenon,” but merely recognizes “there is a mental phenomenon.” This detached observation marks the maturity of mindfulness: awareness for the sake of knowing, not for owning. One abides free from worldly attachment (anissito ca viharati).

Evampi kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu dhamme dhammānupassī viharati.

In this way, monks, a monk dwells observing the mental phenomena in the mental phenomena.

Further Notes on the Twelve Sense Bases  (Exercise 34 in Satipaṭṭhāna Practices)

Why the Twelve Are Called “Sense Bases” (āyatana)

• Internal bases (ajjhattika āyatana) are called “bases” because they are the conditions that allow experience to arise (eye enables seeing, ear enables hearing, etc.).

• External bases (bāhira āyatana) are called “bases” because they are the fields or domains (conditions) that impinge upon the faculties.

• Bondage does not lie in either alone, but in the reactive link (saṃyojana) that arises dependent on both (tadubhayaṃ paṭicca).

This is why the Buddha places sense-base contemplation under dhammānupassanā: it exposes where fetters actually arise and cease.

The Refrain to Be Understood (applies to all six pairs)

For each pair, the practitioner understands:

1. Yathā ca anuppannassa saṃyojanassa uppādo hoti
   → how an unarisen fetter comes to arise

2. Yathā ca uppannassa saṃyojanassa pahānaṃ hoti
   → how an arisen fetter is abandoned

3. Yathā ca pahīnassa saṃyojanassa āyatiṃ anuppādo hoti
   → how a removed fetter does not arise again in the future

1. Eye (cakkhu) & Visible Forms (rūpa)

Why They Are Bases

• Cakkhu = internal capacity to see

• Rūpa = visual field (shapes, colours, screens, faces)

How a Fetter Arises

• Seeing → pleasant form → liking → wanting to possess
• Example: social media images → comparison → self-image clinging

Fetters: lust (kāma rāga) or identity-view (sakkāya diṭṭhi), mental striking (paṭigha) or conceit (māna)

How is it abandoned

• Seeing is known as seeing, not as “beauty” or “me.”

• The image is seen as impermanent, constructed, and  dependently arisen

How does it not arise again

• Repeated non-identification weakens the habit

• Visual stimulation no longer automatically produces craving

Daily-life importance

• Prevents envy, lust, and body-based insecurity.

• Trains ethical seeing in advertising, social media, and consumer culture.

2. Ear (sota) & Sounds (sadda)

Why They Are Bases

• Sota = auditory sensitivity

• Sadda = praise, blame, noise, music, speech

How a fetter arises

• Hearing criticism → resistance → anger
• Hearing praise → obsession → identity inflation

Fetters: lust (kāma rāga) or identity-view (sakkāya diṭṭhi), mental striking (paṭigha) or conceit (māna)

How is it abandoned

• Sound is known before interpretation.

• Words are heard as conditions, not personal attacks or validations.

How does it not arise again

• Reduced emotional reactivity to speech.

• No automatic entanglement with opinions.

Daily-life importance

• Stops gossip-driven harm.

• Supports right speech and patient listening.

3. Nose (ghāna) & Odors (gandha)

Why They Are Bases

• Ghāna = olfactory sensitivity

• Gandha = pleasant or unpleasant smells

How a fetter arises

• Smell → memory/perception → craving

• Example: food smells → compulsive eating

Fetters: lust (kāma rāga) or identity-view (sakkāya diṭṭhi), mental striking (paṭigha) or conceit (māna)

How is it abandoned

• Smell is clearly known as a passing sensory event, not as satisfaction.
• Pleasantness is observed without mental grasping or imaginative elaboration.
• One recognizes: “This is only odor, arising and ceasing.”

How does it not arise again?

• Reduced habitual chasing of pleasant smells or avoidance of unpleasant ones.

• Strengthening sense-restraint (indriya-saṃvara) at the level of the nose faculty.

• Less emotional conditioning is tied to scent-based memory.

Daily-life importance

• Prevents unconscious mood shifts caused by scent-triggered memories.

• Reduces attachment to atmospheres, products, or identities linked to smell.

• Cultivates calm neutrality when encountering attractive or repulsive odors.

4. Tongue (jivhā) & Tastes (rasa)

Why They Are Bases

• Jivhā = taste sensitivity

• Rasa = flavors

How a fetter arises

• Taste → indulgence → dependency.

• Example: emotional eating, sugar craving.

Fetters: lust (kāma rāga) or identity-view (sakkāya diṭṭhi), mental striking (paṭigha) or conceit (māna)

How is it abandoned

• Eating with clear comprehension (pariṇṇā).
• Taste is experienced without appropriation.

How does it not arise again

• Mindful eating weakens greed.

• Taste no longer dictates behaviour.

Daily-life importance

• Prevents excess consumption.

• Cultivates contentment and health.

5. Body (kāya) & Tangibles (phoṭṭhabba)

Why They Are Bases

• Kāya = tactile sensitivity

• Phoṭṭhabba = pressure, heat, pain, comfort

How a fetter arises

• Comfort → obsession. 

• Pain → aversion.

• Example: obsession with comfort, avoidance of discomfort.

Fetters: lust (kāma rāga) or identity-view (sakkāya diṭṭhi), mental striking (paṭigha) or conceit (māna)

How is it abandoned

• Touch is known as sensation, not as threat or reward.
• Pain is observed without hatred.

How does it not arise again

• Increased tolerance and equanimity.

• Less reactivity in discomfort.

Daily-life importance

• Supports patience, resilience.

• Prevents impulsive behaviour driven by bodily states.

6. Mind (mano) & Mental Phenomena (dhammā)

Why They Are Bases

• Mano = cognitive faculty

• Dhammā = thoughts, memories, emotions, views

How a fetter arises

• Thought → identification → proliferation (papañca)

• Example: replaying insults, future anxiety

Fetters: lust (kāma rāga) or identity-view (sakkāya diṭṭhi), mental striking (paṭigha) or conceit (māna)

How is it abandoned

• Thoughts are known as events, not truths.
• Mental content is observed, not believed.

How does it not arise again

• Less mental proliferation

• Freedom from compulsive thinking loops

Daily-life importance

• Prevents anxiety, rumination, and ideological rigidity

• Foundation for wisdom (paññā)

Why These Six Pairs Matter in Daily Life

Together, they:

• Show where unwholesomeness actually begins

• Shift practice from suppression to understanding

• Train in sense-door mindfulness, the first defence against greed, hatred, and delusion

• Transform ordinary life into a continuous field of insight

Unwholesome states do not arise randomly —
they arise at the sense doors,
and they cease at the sense doors.

Final Integrative Insight

The Twelve Sense Bases are not a theory of perception; They are a map of liberation in daily life.

By knowing:

• the base,

• the contact,

• the fetter,

• its arising,

• its abandoning,

• and its future non-arising,

One learns how not to become unwholesome before unwholesomeness fully forms.