Imagine the reflection
of a tree on water.
Can we interact with
that image? If we reach out to touch it we only touch the water and if we try
to feel the taste of the image all what we can feel is the taste of the water.
Any sound that we may associate with the image usually is caused by something
dropping into the water but has no connection to the image. Likewise any odour
we may experience does not belong to the image but to the water. The
interaction we can have with the image or the reflection on water is only a
visual experience. It neither can bring us luck or bad luck nor benefit or
harm. This Dhamma applies to other sense experiences as well and therefore The
Buddha preached “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 cognised, only the
cognised”. (Bahiya Sutra)
Our day to day
experiences with visible forms that we encounter through eye contact is
identical to the above experience with the reflection of the tree on water,
says Venerable Mankadawala Sudassana Thero. “Visual objects we encounter are
mere shapes of different shades and colour. However, we develop our own
opinions on those objects, aided by defilements and cankers we have in store,
and project those opinions on to the objects to interact with them. 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.”
Making reference to the Teachings, the Venerable further adds, “the dilemma is that the visual consciousness that arises due to conditions ceases when the conditions cease to exist, however, we tend to tie the corresponding thought that arises in the mind to that visual experience. This is to identify the object seen and to know with descriptions, so that we can think, speak and act upon it. This, he says, is how we collect new Kamma and the difference between us and an enlightened person is that he or she does not combine the thought arising at the mind consciousness level (mental experience) to the visual experience.
The Enlightened One called
upon the worldly beings to achieve deliverance or ‘cessation of the world’ (loka
Nirodhaya).
The world according to
Buddha Dhamma comprises of the three existences known as Sensual World,
Material World (Form Realms) and Immaterial World (Formless Realms). The Buddha
preached that the one who sees the ‘Form’ (Rupa) as it is with insight
liberates himself from the Sensual World. When the person sees (with insight)
the arising of ‘Name’ (Sensations, Perceptions and formations - Nama)[1] due to contact he or she moves
beyond the Form and hence from the Form Realms. Finally, when the person sees the cessation of ‘Name’ (nama
dhamma) as a result of cessation of contact and realises its nature
of dependent origination, he or she relinquishes ‘Name’ and thus liberates from the
immaterial world to eventually reach the ultimate bliss (become Lokottara).
[1] The Five Aggregates (Skandas) are
also referred to as Nama- Rupa which is translated as Name -Form
