strike against each other, or two hands were to clap against each other; one hand would represent the eye, the second the visible object and their collision contact.  Thus contact has the characteristic of touch and the function of impact [Footnote ref 1]’.  Contact is the manifestation of the union of the three (the object, the consciousness and the sense) and its effect is feeling (vedana); though it is generated by the objects it is felt in the consciousness and its chief feature is experiencing (anubhava) the taste of the object.  As regards enjoying the taste of an object, the remaining associated states enjoy it only partially.  Of contact there is (the function of) the mere touching, of perception the mere noting or perceiving, of volition the mere coordinating, of consciousness the mere cognizing.  But feeling alone, through governance, proficiency, mastery, enjoys the taste of an object.  For feeling is like the king, the remaining states are like the cook.  As the cook, when he has prepared food of diverse tastes, puts it in a basket, seals it, takes it to the king, breaks the seal, opens the basket, takes the best of all the soup and curries, puts them in a dish, swallows (a portion) to find out

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[Footnote 1:  Atthasalini, p. 108; translation, pp. 143-144.]

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whether they are faulty or not and afterwards offers the food of various excellent tastes to the king, and the king, being lord, expert, and master, eats whatever he likes, even so the mere tasting of the food by the cook is like the partial enjoyment of the object by the remaining states, and as the cook tastes a portion of the food, so the remaining states enjoy a portion of the object, and as the king, being lord, expert and master, eats the meal according to his pleasure so feeling being lord expert, and master, enjoys the taste of the object and therefore it is said that enjoyment or experience is its function [Footnote ref 1].”

The special feature of sanna is said to be the recognizing (paccabhinna) by means of a sign (abhinnanena).  According to another explanation, a recognition takes place by the inclusion of the totality (of aspects)—­sabbasa@ngahikavasena.  The work of volition (cetana) is said to be coordination or binding together (abhisandahana).  “Volition is exceedingly energetic and makes a double effort, a double exertion.  Hence the Ancients said ’Volition is like the nature of a landowner, a cultivator who taking fifty-five strong men, went down to the fields to reap.  He was exceedingly energetic and exceedingly strenuous; he doubled his strength and said “Take your sickles” and so forth, pointed out the portion to be reaped, offered them drink, food, scent, flowers, etc., and took an equal share of the work.’  The simile should be thus applied:  volition is like the cultivator, the fifty-five moral states which arise as factors of consciousness are like the fifty-five strong men; like the time of doubling strength, doubling effort by the cultivator is the doubled strength, doubled effort of volition as regards activity in moral and immoral acts [Footnote ref 2].”  It seems that probably the active side operating in sa@nkhara was separately designated as cetana (volition).