“A Perceiving Eye” is the individual’s most important window on reality. From the epistemology of enlightenment, the key point is that the eye does see supreme, ultimate, real reality, connects to it realistically, has the capability to open the mind and heart to understanding. Problems arise only when ignorant, misconceiving thought and culture as ideology and habit intervene, and distort the interpretation of what the perceiving eye sees.

“What we see is what we deal with, and, hey! — we can become, and know completely. When we see realistically, without superimposing confused notions inherited from past misunderstandings, we automatically rejoice in what we see, we connect to its beauty, and we love it, we are moved by love’s will to share our joy. When our sight is distorted by confusion, fear, hatred, discontent, greed, and the pain that these inflict, we recoil from what we think we see and we disconnect, or we lash out to destroy.

“Fortunately, our ancestors in full enlightenment found a way to clear away confusions, see clearly, act lovingly, discover and be moved by happiness, and they shared this all with us. And yes! — we do have the ability to unlearn our confusion and to learn the wisdom of openness and feel the joy of real freedom. When we do this our eye perceives in the ultimate way, our subjectivity overflows its habitual boundedness and we merge with what we see, we realize we are one with all of it, our eyes and minds and hearts find blissful union with all that can be seen or even imagined.

“This is the joy beyond death as well as any sort of painful life — it is life unbounded. The great Emerson expressed this as becoming a great open eye in the midst of nature, seeing simultaneously in all directions, transparent, glowing, pure receptivity and free-flowing love. Jesus calls it discovering the kingdom of God within. Sophia affirms our natural right to awaken to it. Krishna dances exquisitely and plays his flute and loves passionately every one and every thing. Buddha appears to smile in silence, but when asked by Brahma, describes it as profound, peaceful, luminous, untroubled, uncreated, bliss-freedom-indivisible reality…”