LATENT TENDENCIES (ANUSAYA DHAMMA)

When an object impinges the eye, one will think about it (note it), contemplate on it and if supported by the presence of latent tendency (Anusaya), consciousness will station (or position) on the object. Even if the person does not think about the object or does not contemplate but latent tendency is present thus stationing of consciousness will take place, in other words whether the person make any response or not, stationing of consciousness occur if supported by latent tendency and as it does, it will grow & establish in Name Matter forming sense bases which is the origin of suffering. Six Sense bases conditions formation of craving & clinging on sensations arising from contact, leading to renewed becoming & eventual suffering. This takes place both in this life momentarily and in future existences as a continuum through re-link consciousness, hence, we are not free from suffering due to decay and death.

In Cetana Sutra, Buddha has preached that regardless of our responses in form of noting or contemplating (or not), stationing of consciousness takes place due to presence of latent tendency.

If we think about an object that we have seen, heard or smelt, that’s referred to as ceteti in the Sutra and if we think over and over again about the same it’s referred to as pakappeti[1]. For instance, when an object that is not seen before impinges the eye, it’s the former (ceteti) and our contemplation to know it by thinking over and over again is the latter (pakappeti), when we already know a thing that comes in front of our eye we recognise it straightaway and that is due to pakappeti. It can also be said that what we know as we ‘think’ (or note) is the former and what comes in to our mind (about what is seen, heard etc.) is the later.

How do we know that consciousness is stationed? The proof is we have a notion that things we have seen or heard exist even after we move away from the object. If we have thought and contemplated about an object we can recall that sense experience with descriptions, if we haven’t contemplated we still can remember the sense experience alone. Therefore the way we can make sure that consciousness has stationed in the object is our ability to recall that things we saw or heard exist out there. Our ability to know descriptions of the object provides further evidence that consciousness has stationed. What comes in front of the eye are mere shapes with colour yet when consciousness stations in them, we perceive them as gold, silver, car, house etc.

The consciousness that is stationed has information gathered through mind consciousness usually as things that exist so that we can go in search of those objects. Therefore, we can connect visual experience to an audible experience and vice-versa. For instance, a pleasant smell is tied to a jasmine flower or a briny taste to salt so that we can always go back in search of jasmine flower for a pleasant smell or salt crystals for the taste of salt. We develop a liking or disliking to such mental constructions of our own but not on what exist in reality.

Regardless of our thinking either wholesomely or unwholesomely, we are not free from decay & death, we may do deeds of merits or demerits (punyabhi or apunyabi sankara) but suffering remains. We could move to a higher state or lower state of existence according to the level of merits or demerits we gather. If we remain nonresponsive or observe equanimity, dhyana states can be achieved, however, we cannot free ourselves completely due to the presence of latent tendencies and therefore we are prone to suffering due to decay and death.

Defilements function at three different levels which are known in the Buddhist scripts as Anusaya, Parivutthana & Veedhikrama.  Anusaya is the state the defilements remain dormant and Parivutthana is the state where they arise in form of greed, hatred & delusion forming obsession type defilements which are also referred to as cankers or fermentation (asrava). The next state, veedikrama is where these get turned into actions (or deeds) in from of thought, speech & bodily action.

Tathagatha has described seven types of Anusaya Dhamma that remain dormant with the potential to let defilements to rise as fermentations (Asrava) when the conditions are present. It is said to be a nature of the mind that brings about the notion of ‘existence’ and ‘presence’.

Also explained as latent tendencies the seven Anusayas are,

1.    The latent tendency to sense-greed (kāma-rāga),

2.    The latent tendency to aversion (patigha),

3.    The latent tendency to speculative opinion (ditthi),

4.    The latent tendency to skeptical doubt (vicikicchā),

5.    The latent tendency to conceit & pride (mana),

6.    The latent tendency to craving for continued existence (bhava-rāga),

7.    The latent tendency to ignorance (avijjā)

(Translation - Bhikku Nayanatiloka 1952)

For instance, the notion that things that we like ‘exist’ is the latent tendency to sense-greed or kama-raga anusaya while the notion that things we don’t like ‘exist’ is the latent tendency to aversion or patigha anusaya. The latent tendency to speculative opinion or ditthi anusaya is the notion of presence of sentients or persons.

The state of dormant or latent tendency is best understood by examining the condition opposite to it, for instance, darkness cannot be described without relating it to light. Where light is present there is no darkness & when light is removed darkness reappear. Similarly the latent tendency is best explained by the condition which is free of it and that is the supermundane state of having the Right view. In other words Latent Tendencies can only be abandoned with by gaining the Right View at super mundane state or by achieving emancipation (Lokottara Samma Ditti ).

Until one is emancipated the person is not free from latent tendencies and whether he or she thinks or contemplates on an object, or not & perhaps even be observing equanimity, stationing of consciousness will occur. A person who is within fire and make an attempt not to get burnt by moving from one side to the other or make no effort and stays nonresponsive, gets burnt either way as long as he is in the fire.

This is further explained in Maha salayathana sutra where it is said that stationing of consciousness does not occur only when one sees things as they really are[2], or in other words when one achieves deliverance by gaining the Right View. It is further said that one with such a state of mind does not gather Kamma which is pivotal in continuation of the cycle of births & deaths (samsara)

The seven forms of latent tendencies described by the Buddha are removed as one treads on the path to enlightenment as follows,

The latent tendencies to speculative opinion & skeptical doubt at the state of Sotapatti (Stream Winner), early stages of sense greed and aversion at Sakurudagami (once returner) state, remaining sense greed and aversion at Anagami (Non Returner) state and the other three latent tendencies, conceit , craving for continued existence & ignorance at ultimate emancipation.

We need to examine how one can achieve it?

If a person does not think or contemplate on an object seen or heard and there is no latent tendency, consciousness will not station. As a result he realises that things do not exist after any sense experience, be it visual audible or tactile etc. He further realises that what he recalls occur within his mind and not externally. For instance we know that we see our face in the mirror but we also know that it disappears when we move away from the mirror. We still can think and recall the image but the proof that the consciousness is not stationed is that we are certain that the mirror image is not there anymore. We know that it is non-existent and just appear when we look into the mirror.[3] That is the state we want to reach and we need to examine what we must do to get there.

It is clear that one who realises things as they really are by discarding ignorance (or delusion) can be free from latent tendencies and will not to let consciousness to station and those who do not realise cannot be free. This can be related to a person having realisation of the Four Noble Truths or not having realisation of the Four Noble Truths.

We need to note that the visual object is always external and that it is caused by ignorance, kamma and craving, we also need to note that it is a form that associate the four great elements[4] . We should further note that being non-existent it arises and ceases after seeing[5] . The above applies to sound heard by the ear and smell felt by ear, nose & so on.

We have divided this existence of ours as external and internal but one needs to comprehend that in terms of objects everything is external, for instance, we can’t say that a particular sound is somebody else’s sound and another is mine as both are external to the ear.

As what we encounter are forms that associate the great elements (upadaya rupa) we can’t interact with visual objects, for instance a reflection of an object, say a flower, on water cannot be touched, smelt or tasted as what you actually can interact with is merely the water. The reflection on water is only an image which is similar to what we see as an upadaya rupa- a form that associates four great elements.

If we are able to see that the object is different to what we think it is, the seed of consciousness can’t germinate. As it has been discussed before what we associate are mental images or name- matter & what is out there is different to what we behold. An example is our perception of gold or silver as valuable metals which in fact are mere manifestations of mental constructions with values added in our mind.

Objects do not exist either before or after they appear (or are heard, smelt etc.) and hence are impermanent (Anithya). If we comprehend the reality of form (visible, audible etc.) as discussed above, we will be disenchanted with our own perceptions & hence will get detached. There won’t be craving anymore to go in search thus a cause to re-link consciousness is removed. Having gained the Right View we will be free from delusion (ignorance) and therefore no more formations that causes consciousness. The seed of consciousness is destroyed! We will be free from all forms of latent tendencies having reached the ultimate bliss of ‘nirvana’. 

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[1] Duthiya Cetana Sutra : Samyutta Nikaya

[2] cakkun bikkhawe janan passan yatha butan

[3] Yankinci samudays dammam sabbattan Nirodha Dhammam

[4] upadaya rupa’ present due to mahabuta

[5] ahuthwa sambutan hutwana bhavissati

Maintaining Unrestricted Mind - Vesak Article

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Deliverance through Insight to the Visible Form

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).

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[1] The Five Aggregates (Skandas) are also referred to as Nama- Rupa which is translated as Name -Form

Understanding Impermanence as a phenomenon of Cause & Effect

In his very first sermon, Dhamma Cakkapavattana Sutra, Tathagatha revealed to the five disciples the cause and effect phenomena[1] in all conditioned things when he preached, “Whatever that is subject to arising all that is subject to cessation"[2].

What is referred to as 'all' here is nothing but the twelve sense bases i.e., eye, ear, nose, tongue, body & mind as well as forms seen by the eye, sound heard by the ear and so on. The one who sees the momentary nature of these sense bases comprehends that they do not exist before or after the occurrence of seeing, hearing etc. but arise to the occasion and cease thereafter without leaving anything behind.

Seeing forms hearing sound etc. are experiences of the senses or the state of consciousness. Seeing things as they really are is the wisdom.

Mirror Image

When we are in front of a mirror we know that it produces a reflection on it and that is due to the presence of several factors, i.e. Mirror, our body and light. We also know that the image formed on the mirror disappears when we move away from the mirror and therefore, we do not grasp the mirror image as a thing that exists permanently. It is said that if one can meditate on that occurrence alone the person can develop wisdom to remove the delusion he or she is subject to in day to day visual encounters, in the process realising the impermanent nature of all things. One will know that the eye, the object and eye consciousness are not permanent and just arise to the occasion and cease thereafter. The person will see nothingness in what he or she crave for and cling onto as things that exist permanently, like the image falling on the mirror.

Animals don’t have the wisdom that we demonstrate in the above instance and hence react to its image on the mirror noting it as another animal; nevertheless, we do not use our acuity in this particular experience, elsewhere in our day to day life to see beyond the world.

The challenge we have in front of us is to see and note cessation of sense basses similar to how we do when interacting with the mirror image.

The Fridge example

When a fridge door is opened we see that its interior is illuminated by a light bulb. However, one may not know whether it looks the same prior to opening the fridge or after closing the door and hence will assume that the fridge interior is illuminated all the time. Even if we tell the person that the light is not on all the time and that it turns on only when the door is opened, he (or she) will not agree for the simple reason that each time he opens the fridge he finds that the bulb is always on. This is the perception of existence that we adhere to in all our sense experiences. It is due to our ignorance that things do not exist before or after but arise to the occasion, or our lack of wisdom.

On account of this experience one may attempt to understand the philosophy of impermanence by contemplating on the fact that the light emitting from the filament is momentary and that it does not exist permanently. However, such observation is limited to the extent of his contemplation as his attention is on a light bulb he has already perceived as one that exists & turned on. This is considered as merely an assumption of impermanence of something that is already perceived as a thing that exists. Meditating in this manner is no different, it is said, to contemplating on impermanence of things, say a house while having noted and accepted the existence of the house already. Here one can only contemplate on transformation of the elements rather than impermanence. This practice does not conform to the noble practice of observing impermanence as a phenomenon of cause and effect due to arising and cessation of sense bases as revealed by the Buddha.

The notion that we have a house that we left this morning and that we will see it when we get back later in the day is the perception of existence, similar to what we discussed above in the fridge example. It is this notion of existence that makes us to enjoy worldly pleasures as a result of which the feeling of me mine and myself develops. Ignorance of causality fosters the notion that things exist and are permanent.

In order to demonstrate the switching mechanism of the fridge light we need to open the door and reveal the switch that is concealed and show how it turns off the light as it get pushed in when the door closes and similarly, how it turns on the light as it is released when the door is opened. This develops the knowledge of the observer that the light is not on before the fridge is opened or after it is closed but turns on only when the door is opened. This is an example for the assumed knowledge of cause and effect.

Similarly, when the eye meets an object eye consciousness arises and the three together through contact creates sensation and thus perception of form. When the eye ceases the contact ceases and hence the perception of form or what is seen, without leaving anything behind. The notion that things exist is simply a mental perception and not the reality. According to the Buddha’s teachings, such notion of existence or becoming is driven by craving and clinging.

'We are only aware of the arising of aggregates but not their cessation, therefore,' says Venerable Sudassana, 'we keep accumulating defilements'. Coming back to the Fridge example, if the person keeps on opening not one but several fridges, his notion will be that the light inside all those fridges exist all the time. Similar to the person’s delusion in the said example, we are deluded in our day to day experiences, assuming that things we have seen, heard smelt and so on, exist. However, if we are able to see cessation of the aggregates as well, we will comprehend that nothing remains after the occurrence of seeing, hearing etc. and therefore nothing exists, and moreover, we will also know that there is no one who exists as ‘me’, an experiencer, either.

Liberation from all six senses releases us from the feeling of an entity or a being that exists or in other words from the personality (or identity) view. In reality no one uses the six sense bases concurrently and the one who believes that he (or she) does is tormented by suffering.

All that we have grasped are considered purely as defilements. When these defilements of greed, hatred and delusion cease we won’t have any things or persons that exist externally to worry about. This realisation is only achieved through the path to liberation which is the Noble Eight Fold Path.

Morality (Sila) is essential in this practice and when it is observed with the Right View it’s known as ‘dittinca anupagamma sila’ as taught in the teachings. Restraining action and speech helps with restraining the mind which is essential to develop concentration (Samadhi).

Insight meditation requires concentration developed through tranquillity meditation (Samatha Bhavana). Contemplating on the impermanence and unwholesome nature of aggregates helps one in subduing greed and hatred; however, it is difficult to address each object individually to achieve this.

Walking on a land of thorns.

The person who wants to walk on a land, say a forest, that is covered with thorns adopts a simple method of wearing a slipper or a shoe to cover his feet rather than covering the whole ground filled with thorns, with timber planks, for instance. Similarly, one should restrain the mind by particularly focusing on areas where craving arises and dwells. It is said that grasping as ‘me’ which usually extends to grasping as ‘my family’ entail craving and clinging encompassing all other related factors such as my house, my car etc. When one is released from such form of grasping, starting from  grasping as 'me', everything else gradually falls apart. In this endeavour one has to contemplate on everyone that is noted as a sentient or a person. Further, he needs to consider both himself and the others, noting both as bodily formations made of hair nails, teeth, flesh etc. and not as sentient or person (Four States of Mindfulness meditation). The aim is to see differently to how the worldly beings see, with a vision that is beyond this world.

The reason to the animal’s deception in regard to the image on the mirror is it’s inclination to the image. Similarly, though we are not deceived by the mirror image we in fact are in our worldly encounters, which is said to be owing to our inclination to objects. An Enlightened person is the one who has no inclination whatsoever under any circumstance.

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[1] hethu-pala dahama

[2] Yan kinci samudaya dhammam sabbantham nirodha dhammam

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.