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Dhatus vs Ayatanas
FullCircle
Explorer
Hello everyone,
Can anyone tell me where to find what sutta to find what the Buddha said about Dhatus and Ayatanas (which maybe are Mahayana terms).. What is the main difference - seems like the 12 already are in the 18. Why did he add the 12? Thank you!
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Comments
In the suttas dhatu means property or element, most commonly referring to the four great elements of earth, water, wind and fire, and their derivatives. Ayatana means sphere, most commonly referring to the sense bases, eg eye and form, ear and sound.
This is a useful reference site: http://www.accesstoinsight.org/
Could you explain a bit further what you mean about the 12 being in the 18?
Hi Spiny,
I thought the 18 dhatus were the 6 sense organs, the 6 sense objects, and the 6 sense consciousnesses. Then the 12 Ayatanas are the same but just don't include the consciousness part? I need to study up but that's what I remember at the moment ..
So I wanted to understand why the Buddha separated these like this. Thank you:)
In Devnagari or Prakrit language.
Now a days a word 'Dhatu' commonly used to refer 'metal'. It also means solid materials or elements.
"Yatana" word refers to "pain" or sensation (generally unpleasant). 'A/अ' prefix used as 'non or un' of English to reflect opposite of the word.
There is other word Aayat which means diagonal.