Part 18-1
“Subhuti, what do you think—does the Realised One have the physical eye?” “Yes, World Honoured One; the Realised One has the physical eye.”
“Subhuti, what do you think—does the Realised One have the celestial eye?” “Yes, World Honoured One; the Realised One has the celestial eye.”
“Subhuti, what do you think—does the Realised One have the wisdom eye?” “Yes, World Honoured One; the Realised One has the wisdom eye.”
“Subhuti, what do you think—does the Realised One have the dharma eye?” “Yes, World Honoured One; the Realised One has the dharma eye.”
“Subhuti, what do you think—does the Realised One have the Buddha eye?” “Yes, World Honoured One; the Realised One has the Buddha eye.”
Commentary:
Although the six kinds of eye appear to be different from each other, there is no difference at all between them. In fact, an eye is described in six ways just as a woman can be identified as a mother, a wife, a daughter, a friend, a grandmother and a granddaughter.
The physical eye means the ordinary eyes we have, but the other five eyes imply the ones we have when we have attained enlightenment. The celestial eye means to be able to see the whole universe, the wisdom eye means to be able to see everything as it is without being deluded by its form, the dharma eye means to be able to see the dharma that is the true-Self, and the Buddha eye means to be able to see just as the Buddha sees. These five eyes are essentially the same although they sound different from each other.
Student: “How is it possible to see the whole universe?”
Master: “When you can see everything as empty, seeing that which is before you is the same as seeing that which is millions of miles away because they are all empty.”
©Boo Ahm
All writing ©Boo Ahm. All images ©Simon Hathaway
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