The Eighteen Components (Aṭṭhārasa Dhātu)
The eighteen components are useful for understanding conditioned phenomena in that they help to illustrate how our experience arises through conditions, as well as illustrating how dissatisfaction arises. The experiential identification of these eighteen components is essential if we want to begin to break down our experience into these basic phenomenological processes. The eighteen components are listed in MN 115 Bahudhātuka Sutta:
There are, Ānanda, these eighteen components: the eye component, the form component, the eye-consciousness component; the ear component, the sound component, the ear-consciousness component; the nose component, the odor component, the nose-consciousness component; the tongue component, the flavor component, the tongue-consciousness component; the body component, the tactual object component, the body-consciousness component; the mind component, the phenomena component, the mind-consciousness component. When he knows and sees these eighteen components, a monk can be called ‘skilled in the components.’
These components are listed in the following table.
| sensory object | sense faculty | sensory consciousness |
| visible form | eye | visual consciousness |
| sound | ear | auditory consciousness |
| odor | nose | olfactory consciousness |
| flavor | tongue | gustatory consciousness |
| tactual object | body | tactile consciousness |
| mental object | mind | mental consciousness |
Using this framework we can begin to understand how our experience is constructed from these components. When a sense faculty, a sensory object, and a corresponding sense consciousness come together there is contact (phassa). From contact arises feeling (vedanā), experienced as either pleasant, painful, or neutral. From feeling arises craving (taṇhā). If the feeling is pleasant it gives rise to craving as “This is good, I want this.” If it is painful it gives rise to aversion as “This is no good, I don’t want this.” And if it is neutral it gives rise to indifference. These contingent processes are described in MN 148 Chachakka Sutta:
Dependent on the eye and forms, eye-consciousness arises. The meeting of the three is contact. With contact as condition there is feeling. With feeling as condition there is craving.
Dependent on the ear and sounds, ear-consciousness arises. The meeting of the three is contact. With contact as condition there is feeling. With feeling as condition there is craving.
Dependent on the nose and odors, nose-consciousness arises. The meeting of the three is contact. With contact as condition there is feeling. With feeling as condition there is craving.
Dependent on the tongue and flavors, tongue-consciousness arises. The meeting of the three is contact. With contact as condition there is feeling. With feeling as condition there is craving.
Dependent on the body and tactual objects, body-consciousness arises. The meeting of the three is contact. With contact as condition there is feeling. With feeling as condition there is craving.
Dependent on the mind and phenomena, mind-consciousness arises. The meeting of the three is contact. With contact as condition there is feeling. With feeling as condition there is craving.
The Buddha’s insight into this situation involves seeing that these eighteen components which make up all of our dualistic sensory experiences are impermanent, changing, always becoming other than they were. This impermanence means that they are not dependable. And because they are impermanent and unreliable, they are unsatisfactory (dukkha) in that they will never bring any lasting happiness. And because they are impermanent, unsatisfactory, and occur conditionally, they are not-self (anatta) in that there can’t be found any permanent, fully autonomous agent or controller within any of the eighteen components. This is expressed in SN 35.93 Dutiyadvaya Sutta:
Dependent on the eye and forms, eye-consciousness arises. The eye is impermanent, changing, becoming otherwise. Forms are impermanent, changing, becoming otherwise. Thus this dyad is moving and wavering, impermanent, changing, becoming otherwise.
Eye-consciousness is impermanent, changing, becoming otherwise. The cause and condition for the arising of eye-consciousness is also impermanent, changing, becoming otherwise. When, monks, eye-consciousness has arisen in dependence on a condition that is impermanent, how could it be permanent?
The meeting, the encounter, the occurrence of these three things is called eye-contact. Eye-contact too is impermanent, changing, becoming otherwise. The cause and condition for the arising of eye-contact is also impermanent, changing, becoming otherwise. When, monks, eye-contact has arisen in dependence on a condition that is impermanent, how could it be permanent?
Contacted, monks, one feels, contacted one intends, contacted one perceives. Thus these things too are moving and wavering, impermanent, changing, becoming otherwise.
Dependent on the ear and sounds, ear-consciousness arises. The ear is impermanent, changing, becoming otherwise. Sounds are impermanent, changing, becoming otherwise. Thus this dyad is moving and wavering, impermanent, changing, becoming otherwise...
Dependent on the nose and odors, nose-consciousness arises. The nose is impermanent, changing, becoming otherwise. Odors are impermanent, changing, becoming otherwise. Thus this dyad is moving and wavering, impermanent, changing, becoming otherwise...
Dependent on the tongue and flavors, tongue-consciousness arises. The tongue is impermanent, changing, becoming otherwise. Flavors are impermanent, changing, becoming otherwise. Thus this dyad is moving and wavering, impermanent, changing, becoming otherwise...
Dependent on the body and tactual objects, body-consciousness arises. The body is impermanent, changing, becoming otherwise. Tactual objects are impermanent, changing, becoming otherwise. Thus this dyad is moving and wavering, impermanent, changing, becoming otherwise...
Dependent on the mind and phenomena, mind-consciousness arises. The mind is impermanent, changing, becoming otherwise. Phenomena are impermanent, changing, becoming otherwise. Thus this dyad is moving and wavering, impermanent, changing, becoming otherwise...
Mind-consciousness is impermanent, changing, becoming otherwise. The cause and condition for the arising of mind-consciousness is also impermanent, changing, becoming otherwise. When, monks, mind-consciousness has arisen in dependence on a condition that is impermanent, how could it be permanent.
The meeting, the encounter, the occurrence of these three things is called mind-contact. Mind-contact too is impermanent, changing, becoming otherwise. The cause and condition for the arising of mind-contact is also impermanent, changing, becoming otherwise. When, monks, mind-contact has arisen in dependence on a condition that is impermanent, how could it be permanent?
Contacted, monks, one feels, contacted one intends, contacted one perceives. Thus these things too are moving and wavering, impermanent, changing, becoming otherwise.
Again, this is why the Buddha exhorts us to develop dispassion towards these phenomena and abandon them. We are instructed to not conceive (maññati) of anything in terms of these phenomena which are always becoming otherwise. SN 35.31 Paṭhamasamugghātasappāya Sutta:
Now what, monks, is the way that is suitable for uprooting all conceiving? Here monks, a monk does not conceive the eye, does not conceive in the eye, does not conceive from the eye, does not conceive, ‘The eye is mine.’ He does not conceive forms... eye-consciousness... eye-contact... and as to whatever feeling arises with eye-contact as condition, whether pleasant or painful or neither-painful-nor-pleasant, he does not conceive that, does not conceive in that, does not conceive from that, does not conceive, ‘That is mine.’ For, monks, whatever one conceives, whatever one conceives in, whatever one conceives from, whatever one conceives as ‘mine’ — that is otherwise. The world, becoming otherwise, attached to existence, seeks delight only in existence.
He does not conceive the ear... He does not conceive the mind... and as to whatever feeling arises with mind-contact as condition... he does not conceive that, does not conceive in that, does not conceive from that, does not conceive, ‘That is mine.’ For, monks, whatever one conceives, whatever one conceives in, whatever one conceives from, whatever one conceives as ‘mine’ — that is otherwise. The world, becoming otherwise, attached to existence, seeks delight only in existence.
Whatever, monks, is the extent of the aggregates, the components, and the sensory spheres, he does not conceive that, does not conceive in that, does not conceive from that, does not conceive, ‘That is mine.’
Since he does not conceive anything thus, he does not cling to anything in the world. Not clinging, he is not excited. Unexcited, he personally attains complete nibbāna. He discerns that, ‘Birth is ended, the holy life fulfilled, done is what had to be done, there is nothing further here.’
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