(1) The twelve classes of phenomena that bring on (stimulate) all valid cognition: the six types of cognitive objects as their focal conditions and six types of cognitive sensors as their dominating conditions. Thus, the twelve cognitive stimulators include all validly knowable phenomena. In the case of the five sensory faculties, the objects and sensors are forms of physical phenomena, such as sights and photosensitive cells. In the case of the mental faculty, the objects may be any validly knowable phenomenon, while the sensors are the immediately preceding moments of mental cognition. (2) In the list of the twelve links of dependent arising, referred to as the link of stimulators of cognition, the two cognitive stimulators of each cognitive faculty are counted as one, making six stimulators of cognition.
Tibetan: སྐྱེ་མཆེད། skye-mched
Sanskrit: āyatana
Synonyms: Stimulator; Stimulator of cognition
Other languages
Related terms
Related articles