Sūtra on the Aggregates, Elements, and Entrances, Part One

(2) Original text: 彼名字因缘身六入受。眼耳鼻舌身心。是名身六入受。彼六入因缘身六思望。眼耳鼻舌身心。是名为身六思望。彼思望因缘身六痛。眼耳鼻舌身心。是名为身六痛。彼痛因缘六身爱。色爱声爱香爱味爱触爱法爱。是名为六身爱。彼爱因缘受为四受。一欲受。二见结受。三戒愿受。四身结行受。是名为四受。 

Explanation: Because of the condition of nāma-rūpa, the six entrances of the physical body arise—the eye entrance, ear entrance, nose entrance, tongue entrance, body entrance, and mind entrance; this is called the six entrances of the body. Because of the condition of the six entrances, the six mental strivings of the body arise—the eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind; this is called the six mental strivings of the body. Because of the condition of the six mental strivings, the six feelings of the body arise—the eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind; this is called the six feelings of the body. Because of the condition of these feelings, the six loves of the body arise—love of form, love of sound, love of scent, love of flavor, love of touch, and love of dharmas; this is called the six loves of the body. Because of the condition of love, there is receiving as four kinds of receiving: first, desire-receiving; second, receiving bound to views; third, receiving bound to precepts and vows; fourth, receiving bound to the actions of the identity-view. This is called the four receivings. 

Why is the contact of the six faculties with the six sense objects called the six mental strivings? Because this contact is chosen by the manas. The manas makes this choice because it has ideas, hopes, desires, and aspirations; otherwise it would not choose to contact the six sense objects, and without contact there would be no subsequent feeling, perception, and formations. Contact is a crucial link\: the purpose of contact is to discern and distinguish, to engage in some activity, to come to know something. This shows that the manas is not tranquil, that it has grasping and clinging, and that it wants the dharmas to continue on. It is because the manas has these mental activities that it decides to make contact, and thus the six faculties contact the six sense objects—this is precisely the manifestation of the manas acting as the master consciousness. When faculties and objects contact each other, consciousness arises; after the six consciousnesses arise, they discern and distinguish the six sense objects, and thereafter come to know the subtle dharmas of the six sense objects. When the six consciousnesses know the six sense objects, the manas accordingly knows the subtle aspects of the six sense objects, and its purpose is gradually fulfilled. 

From the link of contact, one can see whether a person has cultivation, whether the mind is calm, whether they are inwardly restrained or drawn to external objects, whether they seek something or seek nothing, and whether they are in tranquil stillness with meditative concentration. After contact, many conflicts and disputes arise; without contact there are no conflicts, the mind is tranquil, and one is liberated with respect to the six sense objects; conversely, there is bondage. 

Original text: 彼受因缘有。为三有。一欲界二色界。三无色界。是名为三有。彼有因缘生。为上五阴。六持六入。己有如有生。聚已住堕致分别根。已入得有。是名为生死。为何等名。为人人所在。在所住已。住坏已过。死时是命六根已闭塞是为死。上本为老。后要为死。是故名为老死。 

Explanation: The existence produced by the condition of grasping is existence in the three realms: existence in the desire realm, existence in the form realm, and existence in the formless realm; this is called the three existences. The living being produced by the condition of existence is the five aggregates, six faculties, six sense objects, and six consciousnesses mentioned above. With the three existences, there is again a living being; after the living being aggregates and arises, the six faculties become complete, and one falls into the three existences—this is called birth-and-death. Why is it called birth-and-death? Birth-and-death is something everyone has: the process of arising, ceasing, and changing of the five-aggregate body is called birth-and-death. After birth, while life persists is called abiding; after abiding, decay is called aging; when life has passed away and the six faculties are closed off and no longer function is called death. First there is aging, then death; this is called aging-and-death.