The Sense Bases

The sense bases include two sets of six: six sense organs (or internal sense bases) and six sense objects (or external sense bases).

Based on these six pairs of sense bases, a number of mental factors arise.

The twelve sense bases, that is, the sense organs and their objects are :

1) Eye and Vision
2) Ear and Hearing
3) Nose and Olfaction
4) Tongue and Taste
5) Skin and Touch
6) Mind and Thought

Thus, for instance, when an ear and sound are present, the associated consciousness arises. The arising of these three elements – ear, sound and ear-related consciousness – lead to what is known as "contact" which in turn causes a pleasant or unpleasant or neutral "feeling" or "sensation" to arise. It is from such a sensation that "craving" arises.

To overcome craving and its resultant suffering, one should develop restraint of and insight into the sense bases.

The Buddha's Great Disciple Sariputta shares that the actual suffering associated with sense organs and sense objects is not inherent to these sense bases but is due to the "fetters" (here identified as "craving") that arise when there is contact between a sense organ and sense object.

Buddha states that one abandons the fetters "when one knows and sees ... as impermanent".