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← Saṃyutta Nikāya

Not Diversity of Contacts

SN 14.3 · Nophassanānattasutta

A small island of river foam drifting on quiet water.

At Sāvatthī.

“Mendicants, diversity of elements gives rise to diversity of contacts. Diversity of contacts doesn’t give rise to diversity of elements. And what is the diversity of elements? The eye element, ear element, nose element, tongue element, body element, and mind element. This is called the diversity of elements.

And how does diversity of elements give rise to diversity of contacts, while diversity of contacts doesn’t give rise to diversity of elements? The eye element gives rise to eye contact. Eye contact doesn’t give rise to the eye element. … The mind element gives rise to mind contact. Mind contact doesn’t give rise to the mind element. That’s how diversity of elements gives rise to diversity of contacts, while diversity of contacts doesn’t give rise to diversity of elements.”

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Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato · SuttaCentral · CC0

This translation is an expression of an ancient spiritual text that has been passed down by the Buddhist tradition for the benefit of all sentient beings. It is dedicated to the public domain via Creative Commons Zero (CC0). You are encouraged to copy, reproduce, adapt, alter, or otherwise make use of this translation. The translator respectfully requests that any use be in accordance with the values and principles of the Buddhist community. In particular, please do not use this work in AI training datasets, for the development of any AI model or algorithm, or in any AI-derived technologies.

Published source. Translation wording and order are preserved; source headings and notes are retained, with navigation and formatting adapted for this reader.

The opening image is AI-generated nature artwork for Buddhist Atlas, an evocative companion rather than a historical depiction.