The Eye

The Eye is the symbolic representation of attention - which is the most fundamental of human virtues. All experience is born out of attention, all is seen through the Eye. What you direct you gaze towards (what you pay attention to) determines the quality of your life. We are admonished to “keep our eye on the ball” and stay focused on the goal towards which we have oriented ourselves. And while all the senses are channels for perception, vision is singled out as representative of attention due to its directed nature - it is the most directly under conscious control. Hearing, smelling, and feeling are more passively receptive senses. When properly developed, one’s vision sees beyond the material world - beyond the here and now. The Eye is able to see into the spiritual realm and see the Truth of things.

““Awareness is the place of the deathless; Unawareness is the place of death. The aware do not die; The unaware are as though dead already.””

— The Dhammapada

““The source of all forms is the eye, for it is by the eye that all forms are seen. The eye is behind all forms, even as Brahman is behind the eye.””

— Brihad-Aranyaka Upanishad

“A student said to Master Ichu, “Please write for me something of great wisdom.” Master Ichu picked up his brush and wrote one word: “Attention.” The student said, “Is that all?” The master wrote, “Attention. Attention.” The student became irritable. “That doesn’t seem profound or subtle to me.” In response, Master Ichu wrote simply, “Attention. Attention. Attention.” In frustration, the student demanded, “What does this word ‘attention’ mean?” Master Ichu replied, “Attention means attention.””

— Zen Parable

““Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back - whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. What I say to you, I say to everyone: ‘Watch!’””

— Jesus (Mark 13:35-37 NIV)

““Attention is a moral act: it creates, brings aspects of things into being, but in doing so makes others recede.””

— Iain McGilchrist (The Master and His Emissary)

Featured

The Eye of Horus

Horus is depicted as a falcon (which have excellent sight) who, through his excellent vision, is able to effectively take action to rescue his father Osiris from the betrayal of Set. Egyptians ascribe the meaning of “to make or do” or “one who does” with the hieroglyph of the Eye, indicative of the relationship between attention and the ability to effectively take action in the world.

Odin's Eye

Odin sacrificed his own eye to drink from the pool of wisdom. Thus Odin trades some of his ability to see the material world for a deeper understanding, to see beyond the material. He walks the world as a clocked wanderer to see the world as humans see it and when he sits upon the throne at Hlidskjalf, he can see all things.

Third Eye

The Third Eye allows the seer to view beyond the physical world and into the world of the spiritual and transcendent. The Third Eye is a Portal to another realm of consciousness. It emerges out of the development of attention - through the strength of concentration.

Commentary

Here is my commentary.