Sparśa


Sparśa is a Sanskrit term that is translated as "contact", "touching", "sensation", "sense impression", etc. It is defined as the coming together of three factors: the sense organ, the sense object, and sense consciousness. For example, contact is said to occur at the coming together of the eye organ, a visual object, and the visual sense consciousness.
Sparśa is identified within the Buddhist teachings as:

Theravada

The Atthasālinī states:
Nina van Gorkom explains:
Nina van Gorkom also explains:

Mahayana

The Abhidharma-samuccaya states:
Herbert Guenther explains:

Six classes

The Theravada and Mahayana traditions both identify six "classes" of contact:
  • eye-contact
  • ear-contact
  • nose-contact
  • tongue-contact
  • body-contact
  • mind-contact
For example, when the ear sense and a sound object are present, the associated auditory consciousness arises. The arising of these three elements – ear-sense, sound and auditory consciousness – lead to "contact".

Within the twelve nidanas

Sparśa is the sixth of the Twelve Nidānas. It is conditioned by the presence of the six sense-openings, and in turn is a condition for the arising of pleasant, unpleasant or neutral 'sensations' or 'feelings'.
Dan Lusthaus explains:
Jeffrey Hopkins explains:
Alexander Berzin provides an explanation of the sixth link in the context of the development of the fetus; he states:

Within the five aggregates

In terms of the Five Aggregates, sparśa is the implicit basis by which Form and Consciousness lead to the mental factors of Feeling, Perception and Formations.

Alternate translations