Translation guide
In Buddhist philosophy, the six sense organs (眼耳鼻舌身意) are the faculties through which we perceive the world. This entry explains how to refer to them in Japanese, from the standard list to individual organs.
Referring to the complete set of six sense organs in Buddhist context.
The standard Buddhist term for the six sense organs: eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind.
a practice to purify the six sense organs
A more descriptive, modern phrase meaning 'six sensory organs'. Less technical than 六根.
In Buddhism, the six sensory organs are expounded.
Enumerating the six sense organs one by one.
The standard list of the six sense organs in Buddhist terminology: eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind.
The six sense organs are the eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind.
A more everyday listing using common words for the organs. Note that 'body' and 'mind' replace the technical terms 身 and 意.
Referring to a specific sense organ using the technical Buddhist term.
The eye as a sense organ (visual faculty).
The eye faculty sees forms.
The ear as a sense organ (auditory faculty).
The ear faculty hears sounds.
The nose as a sense organ (olfactory faculty).
The tongue as a sense organ (gustatory faculty).
The body as a sense organ (tactile faculty).
The body faculty feels tactile objects.
The mind as a sense organ (mental faculty).
The mind faculty cognizes mental objects.
In everyday conversation, Japanese people rarely refer to the 'six sense organs' as a set. The term 六根 is primarily used in Buddhist or philosophical contexts. If you need to talk about the senses in daily life, it's more natural to list them individually using common words like 目 (eye), 耳 (ear), etc.
The six sensory organs are the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind.
The nose faculty smells scents.
The tongue faculty tastes flavors.