Knowing the Eye: An Inquiry into Consciousness
An extract from a discussion between Venerable Alawwe Anomadassi Thero and few lay disciples Knowing the Eye: An Inquiry into Consciousness Q: When we speak of "knowing of the eye," does it refer to what is known by the eye (form), or does "knowing the eye" refer to knowing an eye that already exists? Could it be both, since consciousness is inherently the nature of knowing? I’ve considered that if the eye doesn't know it is an eye, and the form doesn't know it is a form, how do we know anything? Does consciousness only arise when "I" creeps in, turning the eye and form into named conventions ( nama-rupa )? A: The Buddha preached the Dhamma with reference to our experiential world. Those who are not satyavadi (truthful) assume that things exist independently for an "I" to encounter. For such individuals, how a vimutti-kami (one desiring liberation) relates to the world remains beyond comprehension. The parlance of those who ...