What Is Sparsha?

Contact means touching and encountering, and is divided into conscious contact and unconscious contact. Unconscious contact refers to the physical touching of objects, while conscious contact is the contact of the consciousness mind, which is the mental factor of contact. Only after contact occurs can subsequent discernment take place; people recognize each other when they meet, but without meeting, they cannot recognize or understand each other. The contact between the manas-indriya and dharmas (mental objects) is conscious contact. After consciousness arises, the three—manas-indriya, dharmas, and consciousness—subsequently come together in contact, meaning all three mutually interact. If contact ceases, consciousness disappears, and subsequent discernment also ceases. At this point, the manas-indriya contacts both dharmas and consciousness, while consciousness contacts both dharmas and the manas-indriya. Therefore, consciousness discerns dharmas and also perceives the thoughts of the manas-indriya, while the manas-indriya coarsely discerns dharmas and also perceives the thoughts of consciousness. Dharmas are simultaneously contacted by both the manas-indriya and consciousness, and are also discerned by both simultaneously. Furthermore, the manas-indriya discerns dharmas again through the discernment of consciousness, thereby gaining clear knowledge of dharmas.

However, the contact of the six consciousnesses is further divided into intentional contact and unintentional contact. Intentional contact involves mental attention first—which is deliberate and purposeful—followed by contact with the intended dharmas. Unintentional contact involves contacting dharmas first and then mental attention; this is unconscious and unintentional contact, occurring under the complete dominion of the manas-indriya. It is generally sudden contact, occurring without preparation.