<p>As per my dictionaries: </p>

<p><strong>Phassa</strong> <em>(sanskr. sparça)</em>: contact, touch, tangibility, tactile sensation, a momentary union of the sense-object, sense-door, and sense-consciousness.</p>

<p>It's a standard term coming all the way back from the Pali Canon and used widely by Theravada and Abhidhamma.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-12-17T18:12:32.097Z
So to avoid passa you would sit in a room with your eyes shut?
hellyale
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-12-17T18:14:09.080Z
As per "hinayana"-level understanding, I suppose so. Per "mahayana"-level understanding you avoid phassa by not reifying the object nor the subject of the sensation as truly independently existing.
Andriy Volkov
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2015-12-17T18:29:04.697Z
On a side note, what dictionaries do you use? I could use a good resource for terms like these.
hellyale
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2015-12-17T18:47:49.523Z
Good answer @AndreiVolkov , But please don't use the word "hinayana" again. Because "hinayana" means the lesser path. It is clearly an insulting word and it is pointed at a single community in my country and few others. We have kept the oldest tradition alive for 2600 years and this is the reward we get. I am completely aware of this word's meaning because it belongs to my language and i kindly request you not to use this word again.
Theravada
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2015-12-17T18:49:35.727Z
@Theravada I don't use it to refer to Theravada, I use it to mean "primitive/basic level of understanding" (whether in Theravada or in Mahayana). See [my answer here](http://buddhism.stackexchange.com/a/2399/43) for more details. You don't disagree there are people who have simplistic understanding and people who have more in-depth understanding? That's what I use it for.
Andriy Volkov
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-12-17T18:52:59.357Z
@hellyale for Sanskrit I use http://spokensanskrit.de/ and for Pali http://dsal.uchicago.edu/dictionaries/pali/
Andriy Volkov
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-12-17T23:11:07.077Z
the union of the sense-object and the sense-consciousness at the sense-door doesn't produce sense-perception?
Ryan
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2015-12-17T23:37:55.390Z
@Ryan no, because this is not a materialistic perspective, this is a phenomenological perspective. Sense-object is a mind-made model.
Andriy Volkov
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2015-12-18T00:32:26.623Z
Oh, so its apples and oranges?
Ryan
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2015-12-18T01:06:24.153Z
Why? It's only oranges. No apples.
Andriy Volkov
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2015-12-17T18:11:24.047Z
2015-12-17T20:56:13.590Z
2015-12-17T20:56:13.590Z
Andriy Volkov
<p>Some places where it's defined or described:</p>

<ul>
<li>Wikipedia: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spar%C5%9Ba">Sparśa</a></li>
<li>PTS dictionary: <a href="http://dsalsrv02.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/philologic/getobject.pl?c.2:1:3149.pali">Phassa</a></li>
<li>Nyanaponika's dictionary: <a href="http://www.palikanon.com/english/wtb/n_r/phassa.htm">Phassa</a></li>
<li>Access to Insight: <a href="http://www.accesstoinsight.org/index-subject.html#phassa">Phassa (contact)</a></li>
<li>Obo's Glossology: <a href="http://obo.genaud.net/backmatter/glossology/glossology/phassa.htm">Phassa, Phassaharo</a></li>
</ul>

<p><em>Phassa</em> is Pali, and Access to Insight references its being used in Pali suttas.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-12-17T23:28:48.147Z
2015-12-17T23:28:48.147Z
ChrisW
<p>The answer on this <a href="https://buddhism.stackexchange.com/questions/13127/whats-the-buddhist-perspective-on-permanently-eradicating-bedbugs-extinction">question</a> mentions passa in the comments. </p>

<p>Having never encountered the term in my studies, what is an overview of the term? What school of Buddhism does it originate from? </p>

<terminology>
What is the definition of passa ?
# What is the definition of passa ?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2015-12-17)

The answer on this [question](https://buddhism.stackexchange.com/questions/13127/whats-the-buddhist-perspective-on-permanently-eradicating-bedbugs-extinction) mentions passa in the comments.

Having never encountered the term in my studies, what is an overview of the term? What school of Buddhism does it originate from?

**Tags:** terminology


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## 2 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2015-12-17. Score: 9

As per my dictionaries:

**Phassa** *(sanskr. sparça)*: contact, touch, tangibility, tactile sensation, a momentary union of the sense-object, sense-door, and sense-consciousness.

It's a standard term coming all the way back from the Pali Canon and used widely by username_2 and Abhidhamma.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: So to avoid passa you would sit in a room with your eyes shut?  
> **username_1**: As per "hinayana"-level understanding, I suppose so. Per "mahayana"-level understanding you avoid phassa by not reifying the object nor the subject of the sensation as truly independently existing.  
> **username_0**: On a side note, what dictionaries do you use? I could use a good resource for terms like these.  
> **username_2**: Good answer @AndreiVolkov , But please don't use the word "hinayana" again. Because "hinayana" means the lesser path. It is clearly an insulting word and it is pointed at a single community in my country and few others. We have kept the oldest tradition alive for 2600 years and this is the reward we get. I am completely aware of this word's meaning because it belongs to my language and i kindly request you not to use this word again.  
> **username_1**: @username_2 I don't use it to refer to username_2, I use it to mean "primitive/basic level of understanding" (whether in username_2 or in Mahayana). See [my answer here](http://buddhism.stackexchange.com/a/2399/43) for more details. You don't disagree there are people who have simplistic understanding and people who have more in-depth understanding? That's what I use it for.  
> **username_1**: @username_0 for Sanskrit I use http://spokensanskrit.de/ and for Pali http://dsal.uchicago.edu/dictionaries/pali/  
> **username_3**: the union of the sense-object and the sense-consciousness at the sense-door doesn't produce sense-perception?  
> **username_1**: @username_3 no, because this is not a materialistic perspective, this is a phenomenological perspective. Sense-object is a mind-made model.  
> **username_3**: Oh, so its apples and oranges?  
> **username_1**: Why? It's only oranges. No apples.  

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### Answer by username_4 on 2015-12-17. Score: 6

Some places where it's defined or described:

* Wikipedia: [Sparśa](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spar%C5%9Ba)
* PTS dictionary: [Phassa](http://dsalsrv02.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/philologic/getobject.pl?c.2:1:3149.pali)
* Nyanaponika's dictionary: [Phassa](http://www.palikanon.com/english/wtb/n_r/phassa.htm)
* Access to Insight: [Phassa (contact)](http://www.accesstoinsight.org/index-subject.html#phassa)
* Obo's Glossology: [Phassa, Phassaharo](http://obo.genaud.net/backmatter/glossology/glossology/phassa.htm)

*Phassa* is Pali, and Access to Insight references its being used in Pali suttas.


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