At Sāvatthi.
“Bhikkhus, I will teach you the |diversity of elements::varied and manifold sense impressions [dhātunānatta]|. Listen to it, pay close attention, and I will speak.
And what, bhikkhus, is the diversity of elements? The |form element::the elemental basis for visual objects—such as shapes, colors, light, bodily forms, gestures, ornaments, scenery, or textures visible through the eye—anything whose appearance enables seeing and may condition perception, attraction, or craving [rūpadhātu]|, |sound element::the elemental basis for auditory experience—such as tones, voices, musical patterns, shouts, praises, speech, or ambient noise—anything whose vibratory quality enables hearing and can become a basis for perception, emotional response, or craving [saddadhātu]|, |odor element::the elemental basis for smells—such as fragrances, stench, food aromas, floral scents, perfumes, or earthy odors—anything whose scent-bearing nature forms the condition for olfactory experience and may lead to craving or attachment [gandhadhātu]|, |taste element::the elemental basis for gustatory experience—such as sweet, bitter, sour, salty, spicy, or subtle flavor properties that arise in dependence on tongue contact with substances, forming the condition for taste perception and potentially giving rise to craving or attachment [rasadhātu]|, |tangible object element::the elemental basis for touch sensation—such as hardness, softness, warmth, coolness, pressure, movement, or contact with textures and bodies—anything that, when contacted by the body, can give rise to tactile experience and potentially become an object of desire, arousal, comfort, or emotional attachment [phoṭṭhabbadhātu]|, and |mental object element::the elemental basis for mental phenomena—such as thoughts, emotions, perceptions, volitions, conceptual constructs, and internal representations—that arise within the mind and form the condition for knowing, imagining, interpreting, or craving [dhammadhātu]|. This is called the diversity of elements.