Perception without objects - Hyakujo & Osho

[Guest guest]

You can perceive an object, but how can you perceive nothing? The question

is very philosophical, but it is good to face it because some day it may

arise in you too, that when you are absolutely silent, just a mirror,

nothing to perceive, how do you know? Nothing to perceive -- can you

perceive nothing? You can perceive no-thing, and that perception of

no-thing, gives you the idea of nothingness. There is no-thingness around

you, no objects but just a pure space.

Have you ever thought about the word `object'? We call things `objects'.

`Object' simply means that which obstructs, hinders, prevents. It is an

objection; you cannot go. It is a barrier. Things are called objects

because they prevent you from moving beyond them. They are like walls; they

are not like doors. No object, or no thing simply means there is nothing

around to " object " you.

This is the perception that as far as you can see, there is no thing left.

The mirror is pure, unreflective, centered in itself in deep blissfulness.

 

Hyakujo replied: " THAT WHICH OCCURS WHEN WE ARE CONFRONTED BY ALL SORTS OF

SHAPES AND FORMS IS CALLED PERCEPTION. CAN WE SPEAK OF PERCEPTION TAKING

PLACE WHEN NOTHING CONFRONTS US? "

" YES, " REPLIED HYAKUJO.

" WHEN SOMETHING CONFRONTS US, IT FOLLOWS THAT WE PERCEIVE IT. "

If we can perceive something, it means that when something will be removed,

we will perceive nothing.

 

The question continues: " BUT HOW CAN THERE BE PERCEPTION WHEN WE ARE

CONFRONTED BY NOTHING AT ALL? "

HYAKUJO ANSWERED BY SAYING: " WE ARE NOT TALKING OF THAT PERCEPTION WHICH IS

INDEPENDENT OF THERE BEING AN OBJECT OR NOT. HOW CAN that BE? "

" THE TRUE NATURE OF PERCEPTION BEING ETERNAL, WE GO ON PERCEIVING, WHETHER

OBJECTS ARE PRESENT OR NOT. "

A mirror can exist without reflecting. Just take that case, that a mirror

can exist without any reflection. A consciousness can exist without any

perception. There is no need, no necessity. The mirror and its mirror

quality is not dependent on anything and its reflection. For example, the

lake can go on existing whether the moon comes or not. If it comes, it will

be reflected; if it does not come, who cares? The lake is perfectly

satisfied unto itself, so is the case of the inner lake of consciousness.

" THEREBY WE COME TO UNDERSTAND THAT, WHEREAS objects NATURALLY APPEAR AND

DISAPPEAR, THE NATURE OF PERCEPTION DOES neither OF THOSE THINGS. "

The mirror remains; things come and go. Consciousness remains, awareness

remains, witnessing remains; things come and go. Life comes, death comes,

your mirror-like witnessing remains eternally. It is the only thing in the

whole of existence which never changes.