Page 113 - Extinguishment of self, in search of dhamma

(A practitioner answers: Our feeling is empty). Why? This is the next question—this is the contemplation of natural conditions. (A practitioner answers: The serenity is in the mind). Move the serenity here—observe—what is the dimension of the image? (A practitioner answers: Do not see the form of a box). Do not see a box—what do we see? You say there is no box, but do you “see”? (A practitioner answers: See). But, by supposition we know that it is a form (Translator’s note: Of a box). Here, we can tell that it is a form, we supposedly call it according to descriptive reality (banyat) that it is a form.
But, how many dimensions does this form have, when we experience it with serenity? (A practitioner answers: Two dimensions). While it has two dimensions, observe whether it has any taste (Translator’s note: A taste in the sense that the image/object affects our feelings). (A practitioner answers: No). It is like a still photo. Now, try this, take our current feeling and use it to see people. See each person like a photo hanging on the wall. The taste will then disappear. Observe that when we see people like a photo, the vision that emerges in our mind is just like a picture re ecting in our feeling. But, because there is a consciousness (vinnana) controlling inside the image so it becomes alive. And, most of the time, we do not see an image, but we see an image as a thing having tastes, having dimensions, being alive.
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