I do not know if you have observed anything
– the mountains, the hills, the valleys,
the beautiful trees – with all your senses.
Please, as you are sitting under these trees, dappled light,
observe, if you can see, the trees, the hills,
with all your senses totally awakened.
Or you merely observe either visually,
or observe through words,
or have you ever observed with all the attention,
which means with all the senses totally awakened.
When you look at the sea, the blue Pacific,
the light, the sparkling waters and the far-reaching waves,
do you observe it? Or you merely say how beautiful it is,
– you are so anxious to reach your goal.
So, we hardly ever observe anything
with all our senses fully awakened.
That is real sensitivity.
And when you so observe with all the senses
there is no centre from which you observe.
This is not something mysterious...
Just observe for yourself, you will see.
Our senses inform the brain
whether it is pleasant or unpleasant,
it’s painful or not painful, and so on.
So senses are very important.
But those senses are destroyed by drugs,
alcohol, tobacco, over-indulgence, with impatience.
So senses help to observe.
That is, first you perceive with your senses,
then there is a contact, then there is a sensation. Right?
You are following? Are we meeting each other?
Come on, sirs!
The seeing, the contact, then from that contact sensation.
Then – please observe closely for yourself,
don’t accept what the speaker is saying, ever,
but look at it for yourself – seeing, touching, the sensation.
Then thought creates the image,
and at that moment, desire is born.
Right?
It is very simple. Explanation makes it a little complex
but it's really quite simple.
You see a robe, a shirt, or trousers, or a dress in the window,
go inside, feel it – the sensation.
Then thought says, ‘How nice it would be if I was in it.'
Right? Then desire begins.
Understood?
I'm not telling you. You are watching it for yourself.
Seeing, contact, sensation, then thought creating the image
– you sitting in the car and driving.
So, desire begins when thought creates the image
and, at that moment, desire is born.
Is it clear for ourselves?
You are not accepting the speaker’s explanation.
They are merely words.
They have no significance if you are merely accepting the words.
But if you see it for yourself, directly,
then you will understand
– please follow this a little bit closely –
then you will understand whether the seeing, contact, sensation,
whether it can stop there, and not let thought create the image.
You have understood? Have you captured this a little bit?
In that learning, there is discipline. You understand?
Not control.
One of the factors of our education is that there is a controller
separate from that which is controlled.