The objects which we experience are the world in which we live. At the
moment we see, the world is visible object. The world of visible object does
not last, it falls away immediately. When we hear, the world is sound, but it
falls away. A citta is that which experiences something; it experiences an
object.
Each citta must experience an object, there cannot be any citta
without on object.
Cittas experience different objects through the six
doors of eyes, ears, nose, tongue, bodysense and mind. Seeing is a citta
experiencing that which appears through the eyes. We can use the word
'visible object' for the object which is seen but it is not necessary to name it
'visible object'. When visible object contacts the eyesense there are
conditions for seeing. Seeing is different from thinking about what we see ;
the latter is a type of citta which experiences something through the mind-
door. Hearing is a citta which is different from seeing; it has different
conditions and it experiences a different object. When sound contacts the
earsense, there are conditions for a citta which experiences sound. There
have to be the right conditions for the arising of each citta. We cannot smell
through the ears and taste with the eyes. A citta which smells experiences
odour through the nose. A citta which tastes experiences flavour through the
tongue. A citta which experiences tangible object experiences this through the
bodysense. Through the mind-door citta are able to experience all kinds of
objects. There can be only one citta at a time and citta can experience only
one object at a time.
We may understand in theory that a citta which sees has a characteristic
which is different from a citta which hears, and that citta is different from a
physical phenomenon which does not experience anything. Knowing this may
seem quite simple to us, but theoretical knowledge is different from knowing
the truth by one's own experience. Theoretical knowledge is not very deep; it
cannot eradicate the concept of self. Only in being aware of phenomena as
they appear through the six doors, will we know the truth by our own
experience. This kind of understanding can eradicate the concept of self away
again. We are absorbed in and infatuated with the objects we experience
through eyes, ears, nose, tongue, bodysense and mind-door, but not one of
these objects lasts. What is impermanent should not be taken for self.
