Seeing Absence, Hearing Silence…

There can be nothing difficult or mysterious about seeing an absence, when we all take such passages as the following in our stride:

The outstanding feature of the interior of that shed was its complete freedom from pigs of any description.  P.G. Wodehouse

Holmes: "I followed you."
Sterndale: "I saw no one."
Holmes: "That is what you may expect to see when I follow you."  Conan Doyle

How can there be perception when we are confronted by nothing at all?
The nature of perception being eternal, we go on perceiving whether objects are present or not. Thereby we come to understand that, whereas objects naturally appear and disappear, the nature of seeing does neither of these things; and it is the same with your other senses.
The nature of hearing being eternal, we continue to hear whether sounds are present or not.
If that is so, who or what is the hearer?
It is your own Nature which hears.  Hui-hai

See, where thou nothing seest;
Go, where thou canst not go;
Hear, where there is no sound;
Then where God speaks art thou.  Angelus Silesius

Perception that there is nothing to perceive - that is Nirvana, also known as deliverance.  Surangama Sutra


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