SEEING BEYOND FORM: INSIGHT TO REALITY

Albert Einstein one day asked his friend, the Danish scientist Neils Bohr, ‘Do you really think the moon isn’t there if you don’t look at it’? Bohr’s response was, “Can you prove to me the opposite that the moon is there when we don’t look? it is not possible.”

Paradoxes of quantum physics baffled even Einstein.

Reality and Modern Science

Since early last century Quantum Physicists began to focus on emerging theories on the reality of physical matter in their attempts to explain how quantum mechanics inform our understanding of nature. Some argued that physical objects appear only when we look at them and disappear when we look away, perhaps they do not exist at all in physical form. 

Stephen Hawkings in his program called Grand Design, discusses the notion of reality as explained by models of Physics, he questions if a coffee table in the middle of a room is still there when the observer leaves the room.  

‘How do you know the table still exist if you go out of the room? Can it pack up and disappear out of the window? Could even pay a visit to the international space station; perhaps even fly to the moon, before it returns to the exact same spot instantly before you re-enter the room? This seems like an unlikely scenario, says Hawkins, ‘but one, that we can’t rule out!’ (Stephen Hawking’s, Grand Design, BBC 2012)

‘It is easier to assume that the table stays put when you are not there, that is our best fit model of reality. This is what we do in science; we create best fit models of how we believe the universe actually work’, adds Hawkings.

Reality is a best fit model as our mind can perceive and not probably what is out there.

These scientists have been experimenting on formation of matter for number of years and yet were unable to determine the true nature of the reality as they continue to seek answers from the external. Quantum physicists have been able to make predictions of the composition of the sub atomic particles of matter. In 1960s they predicted the existence of tiny particles called Quarks, proposed to be the building blocks of sub atomic particles, protons. However, this model also applied that there is no way that one can ever see a single isolated quark. If they cannot be seen can we say they exist?

Theoretical Physicist, Lenny Susskind proposed the holographic principle in his attempt to find where information that is fundamental to reality is stored. He went on to say that if reality is holographic our three dimensional world is an illusion projected from information stored in the outer universe. (‘What is Reality ‘, BBC Horizon, 2011)

Physicists such as Anton Zeilinger used the double slit experiment to demonstrate that atoms and molecules (particles) behave strangely and not as we assume them to be. It made them to believe that tiny particles can be at different places at the same time. However, to the astonishment of the researchers conducting this experiment, particles did behave as they expected initially, when they are being observed. That made the scientists to agree that we can change how reality behaves just by looking at it.

             

Double Slit Experiment: When single photon particles were fired, one at a time, the projection on the screen which expected to create two lines, created 3 or more. But when detectors were placed in front of the slits only two lines were displayed.

Source: New Scientist

Cosmologist Max Tegmark suggested the existence of a parallel universe in trying to explain how particles can be at different places at the same time. Later, he attempted to explain the reality through mathematics and proposed that everything around us can be explained through mathematical formulas and that the entire universe is a giant mathematical structure.

Notwithstanding, the scientists seem to agree that though they know how to use and even to make predictions of quantum mechanics no one understood it fully. There are fundamental limits to what we can know, says Stephen Hawkings.

What appears to be the principle error in these observations is that the scientists examine the products formed by our senses rather than directing their attention to the conditions that cause formation. Once we accept the form as we perceive, with designations, the error has been made and any study that follows will be not to avail, In other words it is closing the stable after the horse has bolted.

The Buddhist Perspective

According to Buddhist teachings we do not see things as they are, in other words, all objects sensed through our sense bases are identified only as how we interpret them to be. Formation occur as a mental fabrication which takes place in accordance with how we perceive information sensed through the six sense bases as visible form, sound, smell, taste, touch and dhamma. The one gripped with form believes that things that we see exist and remain even when we are not looking. This is what we are made to believe, due to ignorance, but we need to change this view in order to see beyond the form.

Shapes or forms do not belong to objects or the particles that it constitutes of. We don’t note particles in forms neither do we see atoms in objects. The eye derives relevant aspects of object particles (colours etc.) to create shapes and forms. For instance, when we look at stars from far away we see shapes formed in the sky. In ceremonial parades , when a number of parade participants wearing different colours are grouped in a particular order, interesting colour patterns and shapes are displayed, e.g. Olympic parade formations. Similarly, colourful formations of light can be seen during night time in a busy town centre when seen from far. In these instances colour components of modules (Stars, human figures and lights) placed far apart are gathered closer, together by the eye to create different forms, patterns and shapes.

Thousands of participants rehearse a formation on Tiananmen Square in Beijing

Source: Telegraph Media Group Limited

City by Night: Lights and colour patterns highlight building forms

This occurrence in the eye is a form of distortion of view resulting from what is known in Buddhist teachings as Densities or Crowding (Ghana) which in this instance is noted as Density of Whole (Samuha Ghana).

The Densities or crowding (Ghana) are of continuity, of whole, of function and of Object which give rise to illusions or distortions (Vipallasa) by three functions of the mind i.e. by perception (sanna), by thought (citta), and by view (ditti) as to create four false notions of Permanence, Wholesomeness, Happiness and Self in what are essentially Impermanent, Unwholesome, Unsatisfactory and without Self.

Density of Whole is the notion of wholeness of a body whereas it consists of parts and units such as when one imagine a chariot as one whole body though it consist of many parts. (Jayasuriya, W.F, 1988, Psychology and Philosophy of Buddhism) Chariot example is referred to in the commentary with regard to corporeal, as a shape formed due to combination of several components such as hair, skin, nails, teeth & flesh etc.

In the parade formation example the patterns usually change momentarily as the participants changes positions and make different body movements so that the spectators see a pattern in motion for eg. a waving Flag. In the night city view example cars in motion with lights turned on, create interesting patterns when viewed from a distance. This aspect of Crowding is called the Density of Continuity (Santati Ghana), an occurrence comparable to seeing a single ring of light when a torch is whirled.

Another example for Density of Whole is seeing a heap of sand when in real terms it’s a pile of sand particles grouped together.

Heap of Sand Example

Heap of Sand

Our belief is that the heap of sand exists and remains even when we are not looking at it. That’s the perception of the world. The teachings guide us to examine this with insight through a vision beyond how worldly beings perceive. 

Renowned Dhamma teacher, Venerable Mankadawala Sudassana thero, proposes a simple experiment, “Let’s assume that we ask thousands of people to remove sand from the heap, the rule is that one person can only remove one particle. We see that when all particles have been removed the heap is gone too! Where is it now? No one removed the heap? Now, let’s assume that everyone brings back the particle they removed and place as it was before. We see the heap again. Furthermore we also note that when we touch we only touch the sand particles, not a heap. “The shape of the pile of sand or ‘Heap’ is a formation of the eye which appears when the eye consciousness arises and disappears when we look away, without leaving any trace.

The notion of ‘Heap’ arises within the mind and hence belongs to the mind and not to the external space or sand particles.

Similar to sand particles which are piled up in space, the four great elements are grouped in different ways in space and when sighted we see a shape & colour, for e.g. round or rectangular, red or blue as formed by the eye.

Four Great Elements are identified as Patavi (Earth Element), Apo (Water Element) Tejo (Fire Element) and Vayo (Wind Element) being the most basic or primary elements of matter.

We can’t touch these ‘forms’ or feel them to experience any sensations for e.g. as pleasant or unpleasant or as cold or hot, since they do not exist externally. When we touch we feel the element of solidness as a form of touch, which is unrelated to the visible form. Note here that the eye consciousness that arises when the eye meets the object (visual stimuli) is different to body consciousness resulting from touch (i.e. tactile stimuli).

The four Elements or Mahabhutha do not pose as they are but appear in disguise hence are called ‘Bhutha’, meaning ‘spirit’. What is seen by the eye is described in the script as ‘Upadaya Rupa’ meaning, a shape that associates the Four Great elements subject to other factors. 

The Venerable goes onto explain this Buddhist theory of ‘Form’ (Rupa) with reference to an image (or reflection) falling on water when one looks into a pond. We cannot interact with this image by touching or smelling and it appears when we look into the water and disappears when we move away. If we reach to touch it we will feel the water but not the image.

Reflection in Water

He further relates the state of perceiving visible form to a wall painting (mural). We see people, buildings and flowers in it with real surroundings though it is just a series of paint brush strokes on the wall, if we attempt to feel a flower for instance, we will touch the wall. The reality identified in the mural is framed entirely in our mind. The Enlightened one pointed out that there is no substance in the form that we sense and compared it to a lump of foam. We add substance to form with defilements and fermentations (Klesha or keles and asrava or asava) we have accumulated, grasping them as people and things. 

There is no difference in the experiences mentioned above, it is said, to what we experience in our day to day encounters with external objects. We sense mere shapes and colours but our defilements and fermentations come to the fore and make them real. Not only we create the world around us consisting of things and people that are formed in our mind, we continue to believe that they exist out there regardless of us looking at them or not.

Moreover, the dilemma is that we tend to tie our sense experiences, for instance, a visual experience to an experience from another sense door, such as smell, taste, touch etc., which in reality occur in isolation of each other.

Identifying individual sense experiences in isolation is the key to see form as it is which is called in teachings as being skilful in Sense Bases (Ayatana Kusala). As soon as eye contact ceases the act of seeing ceases and nothing remains, however, we attempt to connect say, a hearing experience that may follow to what has just been seen. We often integrate what is sensed through mind consciousness as something that we saw or heard before whereas it is only a thought arisen in the mind in contact with a mental object. Our defilements grow upon things we retain as seen, heard, smelled etc. integrated at mind consciousness level and we continue to believe that they exist out there.  

  

Venerable Sudassana relates to an experiment to explain how we form a ‘net of craving’ by connecting sense experiences. Post six pegs on ground in a circle, say at equal distance, and each one with a rope tied to its top end. If the other end of the rope belonging to each peg is tied to another peg in the circle a net will be created automatically connecting all pegs. The six pegs represent our six sense bases and the ropes tied to them denote relevant sense experiences. Similarly as we tie our sense experiences to experiences from other senses, creation of a net of craving is inevitable. Instead, if we tie each rope around the peg that it belongs to, the net will disappear, hence, the Venerable stresses, unbraid the ‘net of craving’ that entraps you in samsara by refraining from integrating sense experiences.

Net of Craving

One should not be able to go in search, looking for an object, with reference to another sense experience say, something heard, smelt or tasted. In simple terms we should not go in search of an elephant after hearing a trumpet.

This may sound bizarre in the worldly sense as the expectation is completely the opposite; however, the teachings focus on deliverance from the world in absolute terms.

The Buddha revealed how we misinterpret sense experiences by tying experience from one sense base to another constructing the sense of an entity in the process as an expereincer. The integrations, he has said, takes place at mind consciousness state creating an illusory self in mind, which results in formation of ego and conceit. On the other hand, by tying one sense experience to the others we compose a person or a thing in our mind as one that continue to exist out there and hence we come back in search of  that person/thing to experience or re-cognise - forming Re-link consciousness (prathisandhi vinnana) .

The blessed one identified this fundamental error and urged to refrain from tying experience from one sense door to another. In his discourse to Bahiya Darucheeli, the ascetic wearing trees bark. The Buddha preached,

"Then, Bāhiya, you should train yourself thus: In reference to the seen, there will be only the seen. In reference to the heard, only the heard. In reference to the sensed, only the sensed. In reference to the cognized, only the cognized. That is how you should train yourself.

When for you there will be only the seen in reference to the seen, only the heard in reference to the heard, only the sensed in reference to the sensed, only the cognized in reference to the cognized, then, Bāhiya, there is no you in connection with that.

When there is no you in connection with that, there is no you there. When there is no you there, you are neither here nor yonder nor between the two. This, just this, is the end of suffering." added the blessed one. ("Bāhiya Sutta" (Ud 1.10), translated from the Pali by Thanissaro Bhikkhu. Access to Insight (Legacy Edition), 3 September 2012).

It is said that Bhahiya Darucheeli became an Arhat having listened to this sermon.

The functioning of the mind in its attempt to integrate sense experiences has been demonstrated in an experiment by scientists recently. “By staging an experiment that manipulates the senses, we can explore how the brain draws – and redraws- the contours of where our selves reside.”(New Scientist 23 February 2013)

In its article titled “Where are You” the writer, Anil Ananthaswamy, explains the experiment,

“One of the simplest ways to see this is in action is via an experiment that’s now part of neuroscience folklore, the rubber hand illusion. The setup is simple: a person’s hand is hidden from their view by a screen while a rubber hand is placed on the table in front of them. By stroking their hand while they see the rubber hand being stroked, you can make them feel that the fake hand is theirs (see diagram).”

Source: New Scientist

It is evident here that the person experiencing the stroking (touch) is attempting to integrate the tactile stimuli to visual stimuli and in the process to redefine the boundaries of self.

Anil goes on to say, “The mind integrates various senses to create aspects of our bodily self, in the rubber hand illusion; the mind is processing touch, vision and proprioception  - the internal sense of the relative location of our body parts.  Given the conflicting information the brain resolves it by taking ownership of the rubber hand. “

"one's own", "individual" and perception, is the sense of the relative position of neighbouring parts of the body and strength of effort being employed in movement’

We believe that we are born to a world that exists consisting of things and people including ourselves as experiencers. The Buddha preached otherwise, having realised the reality of the world as it is he called upon the worldly beings to see the reality by themselves and to realise from within than looking for answers from outside. 

The Eye is the Ruler

The Eye cannot be seen and it is known by its function only, the faculty of the ‘eye’. The eye arises when it meets an object formed by the four great elements, and ceases when there is no more contact. When the two are in the presence of each other the eye cognition occurs.  What we identify as eye being part of our body is yet another object that is external seen by eye faculty .Here; we combine the function of the eye with an external form in the process of forming ‘my eye’. 

Similarly ear or nose can’t be known in isolation of their function, hence they are called senses. Only the external objects can be seen.

The role of the eye is to compose forms depicting colour and shape.  Say, there is a coloured sticker on our external window, anything that comes in front of the window, say a white car, will be seen in colour through the window. The sticker determines what we see. If a child, from his birth, sees outside through a coloured glass window he would think that everything outside is of the colour of that glass. He won’t see what really exist out there until such time he walks out of the house one day.

The Eye is called indriya for its role as a ruler; it governs the act of seeing by composing groups of particles into form. What we see is conditioned by the eye, like the glass in the above example. If we don’t see the eye as it is with insight, we will continue to see forms that exist externally.

The two examples, the heap of sand and the reflection in water, discussed above conforms to the Buddhist theory of impermanence of conditioned phenomena, being non-existent things arise due to conditions and cease when the conditions cease. (‘Yan kinci samudaya dammam sabbattam nirodha dhammam’)

Venerable Sudassana relates to the Buddha’s word when he states, “associate forms but be free from it.” He further reminds, “You  associate with your image in the mirror to comb you hair and so on, but you do not ‘leave’ the image behind when you move away. “

The realisation of the act of ‘seeing’ as a mental process (with insight), identifying what is seen is not an object that exist externally but an image formed in the mind by the great elements that are present out there, develops the Right View which is paramount in breaking the cycle of re-birth.  

Seeing beyond form

The Buddha advised to see beyond the form, as a name-matter composition formed due to combination of factors, a product of the cause and effect phenomenon. He pointed to the causality & momentary nature of form and stressed the importance of observing the arising and ceasing phenomenon to recognise its impermanent nature. By pursuing in this manner through insight meditation, he has said, one can realise that things do not exist before or after the occurrence of ‘seeing’ but arise to the occasion when conditions are present  and cease thereafter when conditions cease to exist.

With regard to the question that baffled Scientists, it can now be stated that the moon, round in shape and luminous, is not there unless we look at it.

Though we can contemplate on the form and the eye as discussed we still can’t see their momentary nature through our senses due to hindrances and our defilements and fermentations. (Five Hindrances are Sense Desires, Ill will, Slope & Toper, Restlessness and Doubt.)

We cannot witness it ourselves as personality get in the way; however, when hindrances are removed things begin to appear as they really are. 

The Buddha declared that the one who sees beyond form with insight reach the state of a non-returner (anagami), the fourth state of enlightenment, and will not be born again in the sensual realm.

Meditation, through Tranquillity (Samatha) and insight (vidarshana) methods are recommended as essential in this regard, the former to calm the mind and the latter to see the reality of existence with insight. One need not give up the lay life completely to practice such meditation but can do it while leading a normal life. Adherence to moral conduct while restraining the senses helps with cultivating concentration that enables insight to see things as they are, the right view, which is inevitable to see beyond the form. The one who reaches this state proceed on the Noble Eight Fold Path, detached from worldly perceptions & formations, to be free from craving and consequently, future becoming.

He, who is liberated from six levels of worldly perceptions, sees beyond form and thus the world, hence, is not called a man, a god or a brahmin but an Enlightened one.