Saṃyuktāgama (291), Part One

(1) Original text: 尔时。世尊告诸比丘。我说内触法。汝等为取不。时有异比丘从座起。整衣服。稽首礼足。合掌白佛言。世尊所说内触法。我已取也。时彼比丘于佛前。如是如是自记说。如是如是世尊不悦。尔时尊者阿难。在佛后执扇扇佛。佛告阿难。如圣法律内触法。异于此比丘所说。阿难白佛。今正是时。惟愿世尊。为诸比丘。说贤圣法律内触法。诸比丘闻已。当受奉行。

Explanation: The World-Honored One told the bhikṣus, "The inner-contact dharma that I have taught—do you all think it can be grasped and taken up?" At that time, a bhikṣu who had come from outside rose from his seat, arranged his robes, bowed his head to the Buddha's feet, and with palms joined said to the Buddha, "The inner-contact dharma that the World-Honored One has taught, I have already taken up." Then this bhikṣu, before the Buddha, expounded various teachings to validate himself, and no matter what he said, the World-Honored One was not pleased with what he heard. Thereupon the Venerable Ānanda, behind the Buddha, held a fan and fanned the Buddha. The Buddha said to Ānanda, "The inner-contact dharma as taught in the noble Dharma and Vinaya is different from what this bhikṣu has said." Ānanda said to the Buddha, "Now is precisely the right time. May the World-Honored One please expound to the bhikṣus the inner-contact dharma of the noble Dharma and Vinaya. When the bhikṣus have heard it, they shall accept and practice it."

What is the inner-contact dharma? It is the contact that occurs within the supreme faculty (indriya): the eye contacts forms, the ear contacts sounds, the nose contacts odors, the tongue contacts flavors, the body contacts tangible objects, and the mind contacts dharmas. After contact, consciousness arises, and consciousness then contacts the sense objects.