Subject Or Object

The Buddha said, “There are two things, either subject or object, in this very world”. What are subject and object? Subject is mind and body and object is external things such as visible object, audible object, sensible object, tangible object and mental object. This can also explain that subject is an internal world and object is an external world it is revealed that subject is surrounded by objects. This may seem clear, but these subjects and objects can be confused if we don’t observe them closely. There is an example of confusion about this. Here is the detail:

There was once a Chinese Zen teacher named Hogen, who lived alone in a small temple in the country. One day four traveling monks appeared and asked if they might make a fire in his yard to warm themselves. While they were building the fire, Hogen heard them arguing about subjectivity and objectivity. He joined them and said, "There is a big stone. Do you consider it to be inside or outside your mind?" One of the monks replied, "From the Buddhist viewpoint everything is an objectification of mind, so I would say that the stone is inside my mind." "Your head must feel very heavy," observed Hogen, "if you are carrying around a stone like that in your mind".

This shows that confusion can take place in us if we just discuss and talk without practice. There is no problem if we have real experiences without forming opinions about things which we perceive. Argument, confusion, discussion etc. can go on endlessly, on the contrary, real experience can put it to an end. Subjectivity or objectivity, come and experience it by yourself; you will know through your own experience, as if advised by the Buddha, you acknowledge things as they really are and don’t hold on to them, let them go. If we cannot let go of things, we must feel very heavy in our head as the Zen teacher said, "Your head must feel very heavy, if you are carrying around a stone like that in your mind".

Are you ready to experience things as they are revealed and let go of them?