The Six Senses

By Victor Fontane

"The six senses are as they are, Walking and standing are completely empty, One thought does not arise, A thousand dharmas are all ended"       

These four verses are the profound teachings of Patriarch Quy Son, expressing the realm of liberation and absolute purity when reaching enlightenment. 

Explanation:                                     

1. The six senses are as they are.

The six senses: The eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body and mind — the senses that help us contact the outside world.

As they are: Means natural, uncontaminated, unattached.

Here, the six senses are as they are, referring to a state of purity, not being attached to the external world. When a practitioner reaches enlightenment, the eyes still see, the ears still hear, but are not caught up in distinguishing good and bad, likes and dislikes. The mind is completely pure, without arising thoughts.

2. Walking and standing are completely empty.

Walking and standing are actions, movements of the body in daily life.

Empty means there is no more form of moving thoughts, not being disturbed by the external world.

 The enlightened person, whether walking, standing, lying, or sitting, lives with an empty mind (no-thought), without attachment, without delusion. There is no distinction between movement and stillness, all is as it is, unmoving.

3. A single thought does not arise.

A single thought is a thought, a reflection, or any mental arising.

No-birth means not arising, not arising.

When reaching the state of absolute purity, the mind is completely silent, without the arising of any thought. Not caught up in greed, anger, ignorance, discrimination, love or hate. This is the state of no-thought — the mind completely resides in tranquility.

4. A thousand dharmas are all ended

A thousand dharmas represent all phenomena, all things in the universe.

All ended means no longer attached, no longer clinging to them.

When the mind no longer has delusions, no more discrimination, then all worldly phenomena (dharmas) become meaningless, not binding the enlightened person. This is the state of complete liberation.