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The Six Sense Organs and the Multidimensional Reality

Thich Nhat Hanh · January 14, 2001 · Plum Village, France
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The six sense organs – eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind – together with the six sense objects and the six consciousnesses arise simultaneously to undertake two main functions:

  1. generation – the manifestation of living forms
  2. reception – the capacity to perceive and enjoy existence
    To recognize the endless stream of birth and death, after the three dimensions of space, it is necessary to add:
  • the fourth dimension – time, which helps to determine before and after
  • the fifth dimension – quantity (mathematics) to understand the diversity of living forms
  • the sixth dimension – the continuity of countless life events
    and two additional dimensions: the surrounding environment and speech (language) to express and clearly understand the reality of dependent co-arising.

Three perspectives affirm that all manifestations are only manifestations of consciousness:

  • monism – all arises from consciousness, there is no independent ontological ground
  • dualism – consciousness manifests as two aspects: the subject of perception and the object of perception
  • pluralism – from dualism arise the myriad forms of sense organs and objects (for example, the six sense organs with the six sense objects)
    The three paths of One, Two, and Many lead to the understanding of Manifestation-Only, letting go of delusive thoughts and transforming the mind towards true reality.
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