耳識Ear-consciousness
心王八識之第二。前五識之第二。三能變中之了境能變（第三能變）。依耳根（→#61），緣聲境（→#66），性境現量通三性。
漢zh · Xuanzang 譯
心王八識之第二。前五識之第二。三能變中之了境能變（第三能變）。依耳根（→#61），緣聲境（→#66），性境現量通三性。
經
[共傳] 《雜阿含經》卷九（六入處段，T2n0099）：
緣耳、聲，生耳識。
[大乘] 《解深密經》卷一·心意識相品（玄奘譯，T16n0676）：
阿陀那識為依止、為建立故，六識身轉⋯⋯耳鼻舌身及聲香味觸為緣，生耳鼻舌身識，與耳鼻舌身識俱隨行，同時、同境，有分別意識轉。
——《解深密》以眼識（→#1）為典範，耳鼻舌身四識依此典範平行展開：四識皆以阿陀那識（即阿賴耶 →#8）為底層依止，皆與五俱意識（→#6）同時同境而轉。耳識所得者，非眼識之獨享教義，而是樣板之擴張。
論
《成唯識論》卷五（前六轉識三性，T31n1585）：
此六轉識，何性攝耶？謂善、不善、俱非性攝。
《八識規矩補註》（T45n1865）前五識體性頌：
性境現量通三性。
——耳識緣性境（真實相分，非帶質、非獨影），唯現量（不起比量計度），通善、惡、無記三性。相應心所 34（同前五識；→#1 已詳）：遍行五（→#9-#13）+ 別境五（→#14-#18）+ 善十一（→#19-#29）+ 中隨二 + 大隨八 + 根本煩惱中之貪瞋癡三（→#30-#32）。
諸緣
《八識規矩補註》所傳頌文（T45n1865）：「九緣七八好相隣」——耳識八緣方生，較眼識少「明」一緣：
| 緣 | 義 |
|---|---|
| 1. 空 | 距離（耳識離中取境，需空隙） |
| 2. 根 | 耳根（淨色根，→#61） |
| 3. 境 | 聲境（→#66） |
| 4. 作意 | 遍行心所（→#9）—— 警心趣境 |
| 5. 分別依 | 第六意識（→#6）—— 五俱意識同時起分別 |
| 6. 染淨依 | 第七末那識（→#7）—— 恆審思量為俱有所依 |
| 7. 根本依 | 第八阿賴耶識（→#8）—— 種子所藏 |
| 8. 種子 | 耳識自種子（第八識所持，現行所熏） |
「明」緣之缺乃耳識之決定性特徵——聲不依光明而起，故能於暗處、於閉目時、於睡眠之邊緣仍可生起。此一物理性之獨立性，正是漢傳禪修以耳根為勝門之根據（詳英段）。諸緣遞減鏈：眼 9 → 耳 8 → 鼻／舌／身 7 → 第六意識 5 → 末那 4 → 阿賴耶 4。
至佛位
前五識共轉為成所作智（kṛtya-anuṣṭhāna-jñāna；→#1 已詳；前五識總結段下詳）。耳識所轉之獨特處在於：佛之說法本即此轉識之認知之介 —— 佛以轉淨之耳識聽眾生之問，以同一識所緣之聲境而發回應之語。教法之傳承本即耳識之傳承（→#2 梵段已詳 śrāvaka / śruti 之詞源學）；至佛位則此傳承之純淨化即成所作智之起作。
按：四層引文呈耳識義之架構位置——阿含立耳識為三緣（耳、聲、識）和合之事件；解深密經以眼識為典範而推廣四識（耳鼻舌身）之平行結構，並補出底層依止（阿陀那）與共行運作（五俱意識）；唯識論於心法層立耳識通三性、純現量；諸緣段以《八識規矩頌》八緣詳列。三依（→#6/#7/#8）於諸緣表中俱現，示耳識亦非孤立——每一聞之刹那，後三識同時運作為其所依。耳識與眼識於結構上一致，唯少「明」一緣而於修行運用上分歧。
梵saṃskṛta
śrotra-vijñāna < śrotra（耳，→#61 已詳）+ vijñāna（識，→#1 已詳）。雙詞根之合：能聞（√śru）+ 分別之知（vi- + √jñā）。
śrotra < √śru「聞」（印歐祖語 *ḱlew-）—— 為瑜伽行派心識詞彙中印歐同源網絡最豐富者之一：
| 同源 | 義 |
|---|---|
| 希臘 kléos (κλέος) | 名聲；本義「所聞」 |
| 拉丁 clueō | 「被稱、有名」 |
| 英文 listen | < OE hlysnan < PGmc *hlusnōjanan |
| 英文 loud | < OE hlūd（本義「所聞、可聞」） |
⭐ 同根之 śrāvaka（聲聞，「能聞者」< √śru + -āvaka 行為者後綴）為佛教傳統中弟子之第一義名 —— 經為 śruti（所聞）之傳承，弟子為 śrāvaka（能聞者），佛法之傳承本即耳識之傳承。能聞之識即攝受聖教之識；無耳識即無 śruti 之入；無 śrāvaka 即無聖教之續。耳識於詞源學上即構成佛教傳承之認知基礎。
⚠ In Review · 《阿毘達磨集論》（Abhidharma-samuccaya）梵本無獨立之 śrotra-vijñāna 定義段 —— 《集論》之識蘊定義以 vijānana（了別）總覆八識；前五識之個別分判出自《唯識三十頌》第三能變框架（偈 8bc: viṣayasyopalabdhiḥ sā）及《成唯識論》傳統。
《唯識三十頌》（Triṃśikā）+ 安慧釋（Triṃśikā-bhāṣya [Tvbh_50, Tvbh_70]）：
rūpādiviṣayapratyavabhāsatvāc cakṣurādivijñānaṃ ṣaṭprakāram api viṣayavijñaptiḥ ǀ
以顯現為色等境之故，眼等諸識（共六種，含耳識）皆為境之了別（viṣaya-vijñapti）。
「cakṣurādi」（眼等）之 ādi（等）攝耳識於典範之內 —— 耳識之梵文定義即透過典範延伸而立，與《解深密經》眼識為典範、耳鼻舌身平行展開之架構同構。
按：成唯識論卷五「次第三能變，差別有六種，了境為性相」即《唯識三十頌》（Triṃśikā）偈 8bc + 安慧釋之逐字對應；耳識之獨立教義（八緣方生、不依明）出自玄奘成論之《成唯識論》傳統，非《唯識三十頌》（Triṃśikā）直陳。安慧之 cakṣurādi 構造與《解深密》之眼識典範延伸架構同源 —— 二者皆以眼識為 prototypical 而以「等／ādi」字將耳鼻舌身納入同一定義之範圍。耳識梵文教義之架構形式即為「延伸 by ādi」。
巴pāḷi
南傳限於六識，耳識於南北傳判攝完全共傳，皆名 sota-viññāṇa；分歧僅在 manas（→#7）與 ālaya-vijñāna（→#8）二識之有無（與眼識之南北情境同；詳 →#1）。
Pāli 對應：sota-viññāṇa。Skt → Pāli 之語音對應：śr- → s-（梵巴標準輔音群簡化）；-tra → -ta；vi-jñāna → vi-ññāṇa（jñ → ññ）。
南傳論藏《阿毘達摩攝義論》（Abhidhammattha-saṅgaha II）將 sota-viññāṇa 列為 89／121 種 citta 之中之二：一為善異熟（kusala-vipāka），一為不善異熟（akusala-vipāka）—— 視耳識為心識流（citta-vīthi）中「聞」之刹那，緣耳根、聲境、過去業之異熟而起。
《相應部·六處相應》SN 35 系列諸經之耳識生起公式：
Sotañca paṭicca sadde ca uppajjati sota-viññāṇaṃ.
緣耳與聲，生耳識。
同公式亦見《大念處經》DN 22 法隨觀·六入處段、《中部》MN 148 Chachakkasutta。「根境識三事和合」於六識皆逐字可代換，與《雜阿含》卷九「緣耳、聲，生耳識」一致。
⭐ 旁注：巴利語 sota-āpanna（入流者、預流）之 sota 與 sota-viññāṇa 之 sota 共形不共根 —— 前者出 √sru（流，印歐祖語 *srew-），後者出 √śru（聞，印歐祖語 *ḱlew-）。二根於梵文層有別（sru / śru），至巴利語層恰合於同一音形。是否雙關屬詮釋問題，非語言學確論。
按：耳識為南北傳完全共傳之教義 —— 北傳唯識補諸緣與三依之架構，南傳於 citta-vīthi 中作流程層分析；二者於機制一致而於背景架構（六識 vs 八識）分歧。耳識於南傳分析在 Abhidhammattha-saṅgaha 之 citta 分類學中，而非 Vism 四相分析（Vism 四相用於心所，不用於心王）。
漢綜述zh-synthesis
「耳識」之梵文 śrotra-vijñāna 為兩段合成——śrotra（耳，→#61 已詳，< √śru「聞」，印歐祖語 *ḱlew-）+ vijñāna（識，vi- + √jñā「知」+ -ana，→#1 已詳）。⭐ √śru 之印歐祖語 *ḱlew- 於印歐諸語皆有反映：希臘 kléos（名聲，本義「所聞之事」）、拉丁 clueō（「被稱、有名」）、英文 listen（< OE hlysnan）、英文 loud（< OE hlūd，本義「可聞的」）。同根之 śrāvaka（聲聞，「能聞者」< √śru + -āvaka）為佛教傳承弟子之第一義名；śruti（所聞，聖典）即此聞之積澱——耳識於詞源學上構成佛教傳承之認知基礎。Pāli sota-viññāṇa 承梵標準語音對應：śr- → s-（輔音群簡化）；-tra → -ta；vi-jñāna → vi-ññāṇa（jñ → ññ）。
耳識為了境能變第三之前五識分位之第二條（→#1 已詳此分位共式）。義理特徵與眼識（→#1）高度平行：性境現量通三性、34 心所相應、無分別——八緣方生（較眼識少「明」一緣）為其架構識別點。「明」緣之缺乃耳識之決定性特徵：聲不依光明而起，能於暗處、閉目時、睡眠邊緣仍生起，此物理性獨立使漢傳禪修以耳根為勝門（《楞嚴經》卷六「反聞聞自性」）。諸緣三依（→#6 分別依／→#7 染淨依／→#8 根本依）全同 →#1——每一聞之刹那皆非孤立，後三識同時運作為其所依。至佛位 → 與餘四識共轉成所作智（→#1 已詳）。南北傳判攝完全共傳，與眼識之南北情境同（→#1）。
與 →#1 同——南北傳判攝完全共傳（→#1）。
耳識之修持涵義在其不依「明」之特質——使之於暗室、睡眠邊緣皆可作為修持對象——諸色根之中耳根獨具此不依光明之覆蓋性。念佛（聲聞觀修）、念咒、聽法三種漢傳修持皆以耳識為介；漢傳「耳根圓通」之修持傳統（→梵段 śrāvaka / śruti 詞源鏈）即此識位之修道展開。
「耳識」為玄奘直譯——「耳」< śrotra，「識」< vijñāna；英譯 Ear-consciousness 沿用 →#1 Eye-consciousness 之譯式。
耳識 ——依耳根，緣聲境，了別為性；性境現量，無分別為相；通善、不善、俱非三性。
英綜述en-synthesis
Sanskrit śrotra-vijñāna compounds śrotra (the ear-faculty, see →#61) with vijñāna (discriminating awareness, see →#1). The compound joins two ancient Indo-European roots: *ḱlew- "to hear" (yielding Greek kléos "fame, what-is-heard," Latin clueō "to be called, to be famous," English listen and loud) and *ǵneh₃- "to know" (yielding cognition, gnosis). The Pāli sota-viññāṇa preserves both via standard sound shifts (śr- → s-; jñ- → -ññ-).
The same √śru root anchors śrāvaka (Pāli sāvaka) — "hearer," the canonical name for a disciple of the Buddha. Scripture itself is śruti (Skt) / sutta (Pāli) — "what is heard." The transmission of dharma is constitutively auditory before it is anything else: the disciple is etymologically a hearer before being a thinker, a meditator, or a practitioner. Ear-consciousness is therefore not just one mode of cognition among five but the cognitive substrate of the tradition's own transmission. A Buddhist tradition without ear-consciousness — one in which dharma is read but never heard — would be missing its etymologically constitutive moment.
Like all five sense-consciousnesses, ear-consciousness operates by direct perception only (pratyakṣa / 現量) — sound vibrates and is registered before any concept of what the sound is. The thought "that is a bird" is not ear-consciousness but mind-consciousness operating concurrently. It apprehends the actual auditory object (vastu / 性境) and is itself morally neutral (通三性), taking ethical valence only from the mental factors that co-arise with it. As with eye-consciousness, Asaṅga's Abhidharma-samuccaya gives no per-識 definition for ear-consciousness; the Triṃśikā + Sthiramati frame names cakṣurādi-vijñānaṃ ṣaṭprakāram api viṣaya-vijñaptiḥ — "eye-etc. consciousness, six-fold, all of them viṣaya-vijñapti" — with the ādi ("etc.") clause folding ear, nose, tongue, and body consciousnesses into the eye-paradigm. The doctrinal architecture is paradigm-extension: eye-consciousness is the prototypical case; ear-consciousness extends it.
Eight conditions. Where eye-consciousness requires nine conditions, ear-consciousness requires eight — light is not needed. The phenomenological consequence is direct: hearing operates in darkness, with eyes closed, at the edge of sleep. The remaining eight (faculty, object, distance, attention, the three deep-mind dependencies — manas →#7, mano-vijñāna →#6, ālaya →#8 — and the seed) parallel the eye exactly. The single subtraction of āloka is doctrinally minor at the level of architecture but contemplatively decisive at the level of practice: it is why the Chinese Buddhist tradition has favored hearing as the primary entry-point for sustained contemplation. As with the eye, three of the eight conditions are themselves the deeper consciousnesses operating concurrently — no moment of hearing is solitary; every instant of sota-viññāṇa is supported by manas, mano-vijñāna, and ālaya working in concert.
Ear-consciousness is shared canon, with the same alignment-and-divergence pattern as the eye (→#1). Both Theravāda and Yogācāra recognize sota-viññāṇa / śrotra-vijñāna as arising from the meeting of ear-faculty, sound-object, and discriminating cognition; the Pāli formula sotañca paṭicca sadde ca uppajjati sota-viññāṇaṃ (SN 35, DN 22, MN 148) is verbatim what the Chinese Saṃyuktāgama gives as 「緣耳、聲，生耳識」. The divergence at the deeper consciousnesses (manas, ālaya) carries forward unchanged. Sota-viññāṇa in Theravāda is one of 89 (or 121) types of citta — specifically the hearing-moment in the cognitive series, with two varieties (one wholesome-resultant, one unwholesome-resultant). The Yogācāra additions are architectural elaborations: eight conditions made explicit, three deep-mind dependencies named, the seed-storage role articulated. A subtle Pāli phenomenon worth noting: the term sota-āpanna ("stream-enterer," the first stage of awakening) shares its initial sota with sota-viññāṇa, but by phonetic coincidence rather than etymology — sota (ear) is from √śru, sota (stream) from √sru. The two roots are distinct in Sanskrit and merely homophonous in Pāli; whether the homophony was ever heard as a doctrinal pun is interpretive rather than philological.
Three features make ear-consciousness contemplatively distinctive. First, sound is inherently transient — every sound has a beginning, a duration, and an end audibly built into its phenomenology, making auditory experience a direct teaching on impermanence (anitya / 無常 →#84). The body cannot easily un-hear what it has heard; the ear-faculty cannot avert itself the way the eye can close. Second, hearing reaches further than sight and traverses obstacles that block vision. Third, the Chinese Buddhist tradition has developed a specific contemplative method around ear-consciousness: the Śūraṅgama Sūtra (《楞嚴經》卷六, T19n0945) preserves the bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara's account of "entering the stream through hearing" (反聞聞自性, 耳根圓通) — a practice in which the practitioner attends to sound as it arises and dissolves until the subject-object structure of hearing itself loosens. The same architectural reason that makes ear-consciousness require eight rather than nine conditions — its independence from light — is what makes it the most reliably available object for sustained attention across the cycle of waking, drowsing, and the threshold of sleep. Practices centered on auditory dharma transmission — recitation (念佛), mantra (念咒), and listening to teachings (聽法) — all operate through this consciousness.
Ear-consciousness — the discriminating cognition that arises depending on the ear-faculty and its auditory object. Apprehends sound directly by perception, without conceptual construction. Morally neutral in itself; takes its ethical valence from the mental factors it co-arises with.
譯translator's note
譯者按： 結構分析詳 S3-P02、S3-P06。耳識（śrotra-vijñāna，#2）相對於眼識（cakṣur-vijñāna，#1）為典範延伸而非典範語境：諸緣減一（無「明」）、語音對應一致（śr→s，jñ→ññ）、南北判攝完全共傳；其於百法之獨立貢獻在 √śru 詞源學所立之 śrāvaka／śruti 鏈 —— 佛教傳承之認知基礎本即耳識（→#1, →#3）。