Sense Consciousnesses - Verse Twenty Eight

Based on mind consciousness,
the five sense consciousnesses,
separately or together with mind consciousness,
manifest like waves on water.

The five sense consciousnesses arise with the five sense organs - eye, ear, nose, tongue and body as their base. Their objects are sight, sound, smell, taste and tactile objects. They manifest like waves upon water. The mind consciousness is like water.

They function together with the mind consciousness or separately. When we look at a flower and recognize it as a flower, the eye consciousness and the mind consciousness are working together. When we are looking at a flower but the mind is elsewhere, they are functioning separately.

Similarly the sense consciousnesses may function together or independently. For example, the eye and ear consciousnesses work together when we are watching television.

At times we may be so engrossed in an activity like watching a game or an interesting show on TV that we may not notice someone playing with our hair or writing something on our back.

When working without the mind consciousness, the sense consciousnesses can touch ultimate reality. Monks practice certain types of  meditation to experience this for themselves.

Dzogchen practitioners try to catch the moment just after a thought has subsided to experience how a mind without thoughts, with all the sense consciousnesses touching suchness feels like. They believe that between the moment a thought has subsided and the moment a new thought arises, there is a moment where we touch suchness. We touch reality.

(Based on the teachings of Thich Nhat Hanh.)

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