vinasp wrote:Hi everyone,
What does it all mean ? Why all this talk about the ceasing of the eye ? This is my understanding. The expression "six-spheres" (salayatana) is used for one of the links of dependent origination. Here it is usually understood to mean the six internal sense spheres - the eye, the ear, the nose .... the mind. This is because everyones first understanding of dependent origination is as an explanation of rebirth. When you are reborn you acquire a new body and therefore a new set of six senses.
However, the real understanding of dependent origination is very different from this. It is an understanding in which each link can be seen in the present, depends on ignorance, and is capable of ceasing. The understanding of the link "six-spheres" as the actual six senses is a major barrier to achieving this alternative understanding of dependent origination.
This is why the teachings go to great lengths to set-up an alternative understanding of "the eye", "the visible object", "the ear", "sounds", and so on. And this alternative understanding is one in which "the eye" can, and does, cease. What is this alternative understanding of "the eye" ? Here we run into a major problem. The teachings never actually say what the alternative understanding is. Since it is really quite simple they could easily say it explicitly but they don't. Why not ? Because this is the key to the higher understanding of the teachings. What they do is to set up a problem which everyone who is trying to understand the teachings must grapple with and solve. Knowledge of the teachings is not enough, a monk must have insight into his own mind in order to find that which is called "the eye" and which ceases. Understanding this is equivalent to becoming a stream-winner.
Best wishes, Vincent.
Seems that you are entirely off topic now. Perhaps you should start a thread on DO or whatever if that is what you are wanting to discuss instead of trying to cram this into a thread on right view.
Just an idea, not a criticism.