The Six Sense-Spheres PART I
Sutra: Again, one dwells contemplating mind-objects (dhammas) as mind- objects (dhammas) in terms of the six internal and six external sense- spheres. And how does one dwell contemplating mind-objects as mind- objects in terms of the six internal and external sense-spheres?
Here one knows the eye, knows forms, and knows the fetter that arises dependent on both; and one also knows how an unarisen fetter can arise, how an arisen fetter can be removed, and how a future arising of the removed fetter can be prevented.
Here one knows the ear, knows sounds,…knows the nose, knows odors,… knows the tongue, knows flavors… knows the body, knows tangibles…, knows the mind, knows mind-objects and knows the fetters that arise dependent on both; and one also knows how an unarisen fetter can arise, how an arisen fetter can be removed, and how a future arising of the removed fetter can be prevented.
Insights
1.“In this way, one dwells contemplating mind-objects (dhammas) as mind- objects (dhammas) internally (in our self), or one dwells contemplating mind-objects as mind-objects externally (in others), or dwells contemplating mind-objects as mind both internally and externally .
2.Or else one dwells contemplating in mind-objects their arising factors, or dwells contemplating in mind-objects their vanishing factors, or dwells contemplating in mind-objects both their arising and vanishing factors. What causes these fetters to arise and pass away?
3.Or else mindfulness that “there are mind-objects”(dhammas) is simply established to the extent necessary for bare knowledge and continuous
mindfulness. And one abides independent, not clinging to anything in the world. Mindfulness is established to know and see things as they are.
That is how one abides contemplating mind-objects as mind-objects in terms of the six internal and external sense-spheres.
Sutra “…the six internal and external sense- spheres” Commentary
Twelve Sense Spheres
The twelve sense spheres (six internal and the six external) describe the world of experience from a unique perspective. Whereas when we previously examined the “five aggregates” we were challenged to see how a “personality view” influenced the creation of a “self”, the sense spheres challenge us to see in our own experience that simple impersonal sense experiences cause a mental proliferation of thoughts that cause “fetters” to arise giving rise to a belief in a permanent self once a gain.
The six internal sense spheres are the six sense organs, and the six external sense spheres are their corresponding objects. The eye sees forms; the ear hears sounds; the nose smells odors; the tongue experiences tastes; the body feels sensations; and the mind, or consciousness, encounters mental objects.
It is the sixth sense sphere, or the mind, that “makes sense” out of the interaction between all the internal and external sense bases.
They are also called “sense bases” because they function as the basis for the arising of the corresponding type of consciousness (eye consciousness, ear consciousness, and so forth).
Awareness directed to these sense-spheres will reveal that subjective experience is not composed of a self, but is made up of the interaction between the six external and the six internal sense spheres, and the corresponding sense consciousness. And all the interactions between the six external and internal sense spheres and the corresponding sense consciousness are dependently arisen based upon various causes and conditions.
It all seems so commonplace. Of course, there needs to be a sense organ, a sense object, and sense consciousness for a sense experience to occur. However, the critical difference in our understanding in this teaching is that there is no permanent self, seeing, hearing, thinking, and so forth. It is all occurring without a permanent self behind, as part of, or in control of the experience.
We can be so filled with a sense of self-importance, believing what we are doing is essential in some ways. What is it that is really happening? Eyes see forms, ears hear sounds, nose smells odors, tongue perceived tastes, body feels tangibles, and mind cognizes ideas. Please reflect on this and not let it just pass through the mind. The totality of our experience is nothing but this.
Sutra “Here one knows the eye, one knows forms, and one knows the fetter that arises dependent on both”
Commentary The Fetters
A fetter is a mind state, which binds or attaches the mind to an experience,
not allowing us to see things as they really are.
Venerable Sariputta and Venerable Kolita were speaking about desire and attachment. Kolita gave a striking analogy that reveals the nature of the fetters. He says that there is a black bull and a white bull joined together by a yoke. He asks if the black bull is a fetter (chain, shackle, or restraint) for the white bull, or if the white bull is a fetter for the black bull. He is answered that neither bull is a fetter for the other; it is the yoke around their necks that acts as a fetter, binding the two bulls.
Similarly, Kolita states that it is not our sense organs that fetter us to sense objects, and it is not sense objects that fetter us to our sense organs. It is actually our underlying greed, hatred, and delusion that fetter the sense organs to their corresponding sense objects. A fully enlightened being has sense organs and experiences sense objects, but is not fettered to them, since all traces of greed, hatred, and delusion have been eradicated.
When we realize how greed, hatred, and delusion fetter us to the experiences that arise, how they keep us in psychological and spiritual bondage, we become disenchanted. We come out of and are no longer under the spell
of this enchantment. We directly see how suffering is related to these fetters or defilements.
The primary three underlying fetters of greed, hatred and delusion can be further broken down into ten specific fetters. They do not arise in any particular order:
1. Personality view (the view that there is a self as part of, behind, or in control of the mind and body)
2. Doubt (or uncertainty) about the efficacy of the Buddha’s teachings.
3. Attachment to various rites and rituals (believing that they can result in
the purification of mind).
4. Sense desire (craving, greed, attachment, etc.) in all its forms.
5. Ill will (hatred, aversion, etc.) in all its forms.
6. Desire for rebirth in the fine material realm (a more refined level of consciousness than the human realm).
7. Desire for rebirth in the immaterial realm (an even more refined level of consciousness than either the human realm or the fine material realm)
8. Conceit (pride; arrogance; comparing oneself to another believing you see things more clearly).
9. Restlessness (distracted states of mind).
10. Ignorance (not directly realizing the Four Noble Truths).
You will notice that four of the five hindrances (we previously studied) are listed (doubt, sense desire or craving, ill-will and restlessness). Sloth and torpor or fatigue of the body and mind is not listed since it is not considered to be a fetter.
KEY: There is an important distinction to be made between a hindrance and a fetter, although they appear similar when they arise.
Hindrances are more temporary – they arise and pass away. They can easily be removed through concentration practice. The hindrances arise because of the presence of the deeply rooted tendencies (habits). Our continual daily practice both on and off the cushion is to free us of these fetters and the underlying tendencies toward greed, hatred and delusion.
A fetter is deeply rooted in us and is very difficult to remove. It remains glued to the mind and arises both on the meditation cushion and throughout the day. Although we may trim the branches through working with the hindrances, the fetters are deeply rooted in our minds. They repeatedly arise and trouble our minds. To have a fetter arise is to experience suffering.
Sutra “…and one also knows how an unarisen fetter can arise…”
Commentary
Fetters arise when we move past the stage of merely registering sense experiences, and begin to deliberate about what is being experienced. It is considered, “unwise attention.” In Buddhist teachings the sequence of events related to cognition is as follows:
1. The confluence of the eye, visual forms, and the corresponding eye consciousness (i.e., contact occurs).
2. The arising of perception, cognition, and feeling. A bit of explanation is needed here: When the sense organ encounters an object (including the mind encountering a thought) there is sense consciousness and a thought. This is quite neutral (so far). Until we are completely free of greed, hatred and delusion, there are “underlying tendencies” (toward greed, hatred and delusion) that are present below the level of awareness. These underlying tendencies cause a “conceptual proliferation” of thoughts —-(ever) notice this in your own daily experience?)
3. Deliberating (conceptual proliferation) about the sense experience which may include reflecting on similar previous experiences, imagining what the experience will lead to, planning what to do about the present experience, and so forth, all of which lays the foundation for the arising of the fetter.
3. With the proliferation of thoughts one of the fetters arise and manifest.
At the beginning of the sequence there may be the arising of a hindrance (stage #3), but because of conceptual proliferation, the fetter will manifest.
This process is the same for all six kinds of sense contact – not just for eye contact. See if this is true in your experience.
Sutra “…how an arisen fetter can be removed…”
Commentary
To remove the arisen fetter we need to apply “wise attention.” This is accomplished by “mindful reflection.”
With a simple hindrance (for example when we are meditating and a attractive sensual thought arises), paying bare attention and returning to the breath is sufficient. But when a fetter is present, mindfulness needs to be more active since the fetter is so strong. We need courage, vigor, and effort. This will be explained in greater detail below in the practice section.
Sutra “…and how a future arising of the removed fetter can be prevented.”
Commentary
When the proper effort is applied and the fetter subsides, we need to maintain our effort to avoid deliberating about our sense experiences so that the fetter does not have an opportunity to arise again. However, this is just a “preliminary level” of removing the fetter. They are finally eradicated at the “ultimate level” when enlightenment is realized.
The Final Eradication of the Ten Fetters
In Theravada Buddhism there are four stages of enlightenment. There is much confusion regarding these stages and the “fruition” or the benefits that follows their realization.
Each stage and the corresponding fruition does not occur in a split second. One enters the stage and continues to cultivate the qualities associated with that stage, which means to continue working on removing the related fetters. When all the fetters associated with that stage are eradicated, that is considered to be the moment of fruition.
When you destroy any of the first three fetters, you are at stage #1. When you destroy all three, you have realized the fruition associated with that stage.
When you have weakened either of the next two (#4 and 5) you are at the second stage of enlightenment. The way you know that either of these two fetters (sense desire and ill-will) are weakened, is because you have lost interest in them. When you have weakened both, you are experiencing the fruition of that stage.
When either sense desire or ill-will is completely eradicated from the mind, you are at the third stage. When both have been completely destroyed, you are experiencing the fruition of that stage.
When you have destroyed any of the last five, you are at the final stage of enlightenment. When all five is destroyed (the last to go is ignorance), you have reached the final fruition and the end of the journey.
The Buddha said that “Those who delight in entertaining (conceptual proliferation) sensory objects, delight in suffering.” He encouraged his students to “Try and cultivate interest in solitude.” He did not mean going away from the distractions of the city or family. He meant that if we do not understand the danger in entertaining sense pleasures, we have constant companions.
Who are these companions? The Buddha said that sense pleasures lead to delight, which leads to infatuation, which leads to the arising of the fetters. When the fetter arises one is dwelling with a companion. The companion is the fetter or bondage to this relative and conditioned realm of existence.
Practice #1
Please study all that has been discussed regarding the six internal sense spheres, the six external sense spheres, and the underlying tendencies (toward greed, hatred and delusion) and fetters that arise dependent upon them. Understand how the sequence of cognition unfolds and reflect on ots unfolding in your own experience.
Practice #2
For the next month, work on paying close attention (becoming mindful) of the difference between a hindrance and a fetter when they arise to consciousness. This clarity is important if we are going to provide the right antidote to the difficulties that arise in our practice and life. Work on noticing the hindrances that arise during your daily meditation and see for yourself that most of the time these can be easily dealt with by noticing its presence and returning to the breath.
Then notice when you are completely caught up in some aspect of craving or anger and see how much stronger this fetter is than our temporary hindrances. It may actually feel as though it’s coming from a different place in our consciousness. This is a fetter!
Practice #3
There are two levels in working with the fetters. One is to intentionally remove them from the mind after they arise. The second, the preferred, is to prevent the fetters from ever arising in the first place.
There is a threefold process in removing the fetters once they have already arisen:
1. Recognize that there is no fetter present when there is no fetter that has arisen. Is there one present right now?
2. Notice how the unarisen fetter arose through a mental (conceptual) proliferation of many thoughts regarding a particular sense experience.
3. Apply mindful reflection to temporarily remove the arisen fetter. The following is a detailed explanation of “mindful reflection:”
Mindful reflection is needed to remove the arisen fetter. With a simple hindrance, paying bare attention is sufficient. When a fetter is present, however, mindfulness needs to be more active since the fetter is rooted so deeply in our minds. We need courage, vigor, and effort.
a. Apply bare attention to the arisen fetter (bare of judgment, and of identifying with the commentary that may arise).
b. Deeply and continuously reflect on how dangerous it is to maintain the fetter since it binds us to this conditioned, relative, and dualistic realm of being. Reflect on this until the fetter temporarily dissolves. This is the difficult step because we are so caught up in the
fetter.
c. Consider how degrading it is in that it prevents all wholesome or
skillful states from arising until the fetter dissolves.
d. Reflect that the fetter arose from a sense contact, and a thought followed by a proliferation of thoughts.
The process of mindful reflection helps to illuminate the benefit of renunciation, and allows the mind to let go of, abandon, or disengage from the fetter.
We are making “right effort.” And this effort needs to be balanced so that we do not exhaust the mind through too much effort at any one time. Our practice is incremental. Slowly, step by step! Gently!
Most of us do not break the wall of ignorance or spiritual blindness since we never think anything is wrong with constantly seeking, enjoying, and deliberating about sense pleasures. We need mindful reflection to destroy this wall of delusion.
Here, you can read this paragraph again!! Most of us do not break the wall of ignorance or spiritual blindness since we never think anything is wrong with constantly seeking, enjoying, and deliberating about sense pleasures. We practice continual mindful reflection to destroy this wall of delusion.
This exploration and work with the sense spheres is the last exploration of mind and “self forming” in the Satipatthana Sutta. It is the culmination of all the explorations we have done thus far. It is here that we are asked to examine and see for our self:
1.How the presence of underlying tendencies toward greed, hatred and delusion cause thoughts to proliferate from a single thought arising from a sense experience.
2.How thought proliferation (conceptual proliferations) cause the manifesting of fetters.
3. How the arising of fetters cause unskillful behaviors that lead to suffering.
4. How paying mindful attention to a sense experience and mindfully noticing the arising of thoughts doesn’t lead to a proliferation of thoughts. We can mindfully notice this and practice with it by letting go of the attachment to thought proliferation.
5. How practicing with this leads to the disappearance of the underlying tendencies (toward greed, hatred and delusion), so that thought proliferations dissipate and fetters no longer arise and are abandoned.
I hope you apply great effort with the exercises this month. Please let me know if you have any questions about this work. It is very important. Floyd
PS We will move on to the last two sections of the Sutta next.
