Jihvaviñña

Jihvaviñña refers to a concept within certain Buddhist traditions, specifically related to the sense faculty of the tongue. It translates to "tongue-consciousness" or "taste-consciousness." This consciousness arises in dependence upon the tongue and its contact with an object of taste. It is one of the six types of sense-consciousness, alongside eye-consciousness, ear-consciousness, nose-consciousness, body-consciousness, and mind-consciousness.

In Buddhist philosophy, sense-consciousness is considered a conditioned phenomenon. Jihvaviñña, therefore, is not a permanent or independent entity but rather a fleeting mental event that arises and passes away. It is the awareness of a taste, experienced through the interaction of the sense organ (the tongue) and the sense object (the substance being tasted).

The arising of jihvaviñña is often described as a process involving three factors: the sense organ (the tongue), the sense object (the taste), and the consciousness that arises from their contact. This consciousness is inherently neutral, meaning it is neither inherently pleasant nor unpleasant in itself. However, it becomes the basis for subsequent mental reactions, such as craving or aversion, depending on the nature of the taste and the individual's conditioning. Understanding jihvaviñña is part of the broader Buddhist framework for analyzing the nature of experience and the arising of suffering.