Also known as: External Senses, Six Thieves
Refers to the six sense objects: form, sound, smell, taste, touch, and mental objects. These six sense objects are like dust that obscures true nature. Because they are external objects, they are called external objects. They are like thieves and robbers, stealing all wholesome Dharma, hence they are called the Six Thieves.
The six senses (Lục Căn), six objects (Lục Trần), and six consciousnesses (Lục Thức) are important components of the Buddhist theory of the Twelve Links of Dependent Origination, (Thập Nhị Nhân Duyên: Mười Hgai Nhân Duyên Sanh)) which aim to explain the true nature of the world. The most fundamental is ignorance (Vô Minh), which is the first cause in the chain of the twelve links. Beginningless ignorance and a single thought of ignorance are the two keys that open up the universe, all things, the world, and humanity.
Science explains the universe starting from the Big Bang. Before the Big Bang, there was another universe. After the Big Bang came the universe we live in. According to Buddhism, the Big Bang and what happens afterward are all beginningless (Vô Thủy, Vô Chung) ignorance. ‘Beginningless’ means no start. ‘Ignorance’ means not clear, confused, and that is the number one cause that brings the universe and all things into being. The term ‘beginningless ignorance’ means that everything is just a psychological phenomenon, not real. Because it’s not real, there is no start, no end, no birth or death. Due to ignorance, we see a material universe and the cycle of birth and death, which is why there is reincarnation (Luân Hồi), suffering, and pleasure. The Buddha, based on the deluded mind of beings, especially humans, taught the Twelve Links of Dependent Origination.
To give them a rough idea of why from Nothing, which is nothing at all, the Three Realms come into being. The Three Realms are three worlds: The Desire Realm is mainly the world of Humans, full of desires, the material world with mass and weight. Above the Human realm is the Heavenly realm of the Six Senses (Lục Dục Thiên), where beings have much longer lifespans than in the human world. Below the Human realm are the realms of Asuras (阿修羅; asura, of three types: evil gods, demons, monsters), Animals, Hungry Ghosts, and Hell. – The Form Realm is a realm with forms but without mass or weight; the matter in this realm has become just aura, light, information, waves, and energy. Beings in this realm have few desires, no longer possess physical bodies, but still have forms that can be seen and heard. – The Formless Realm is a realm with no forms left, only information; the scriptures mention a Heavenly Realm called the Realm of Neither Perception nor Non-Perception, which is a Formless Realm. Beings in this realm communicate directly through thoughts; when one being generates a thought, another being already understands it, no words or language needed. …
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Note: Form can be translated as “apparent beauty”
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