I re-discovered a great passage in the M today:

M43 mahavedalla (greater series of q & a)

p. 389 b.bodhi version:

"Feeling, perception, and consciousness, friend -
these states are conjoined, not disjoined, and it is
impossible to separate each of these states from the
others in order to describe the difference between
then. For what one feels, that one perceives; and what
one perceives, that one cognizes. That is why these
states are conjoined, not disjoined, and it is
impossible to separate each of these states from the
others in order to describe the difference between
them."

also, on p. 388, on the section of consciousness:
"what does it cognize? It cognizes 'this is pleasant';
it cognizes: 'this is painful'; it cognizes: 'this is
neither painful nor pleasant'

commnent:
Seems like the sutta is implying the primary function
of vinnana is to differentiate the 3 types of feeling,
rather than just a bare awareness of the 6 types of
external media coming into contact with the 6 internal
sense organs.




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