What is the essence of form-object?

The material sense-objects (rūpa-viṣaya) seen by the eye consciousness all arise and cease in every instant. What does this mean? It means that the material sense-object arises in one instant and ceases in the next instant, then arises in one instant and ceases in the next instant again, and in this way, continuously and unbrokenly, countless intermittent patterns of material sense-objects are formed. It is only because these patterns are so numerous and connect so rapidly that the eye consciousness cannot detect that the material sense-object is formed by countless patterns linked together. Each pattern is static, but when linked together, they seem to be dynamic, as if constantly evolving. In reality, they are intermittent, just like a film reel: when played, the reel spins so fast that it creates a continuous storyline, which is called a movie or television program.

Since it is called a "movie" (diànyǐng, literally "electric shadow"), it is a shadow produced by playing with electricity; all the characters, scenery, and objects within it are shadows, not real material form (rūpa) that can be touched. All the material sense-objects seen by the eye consciousness are as unreal as shadows; they are a kind of false appearance resembling reality, and they are static, yet they feel dynamic to the eye. Therefore, we should not believe that all the material forms seen by the eyes have real existence or real function—a shadow is, after all, a shadow, not a real object. Since it is called "television" (diànshì, literally "electric vision"), the meaning is that only when electricity is connected can one see those continuously appearing shadows. Likewise, if a material sense-object is to be seen by the mind consciousness, it also needs to be "connected to electricity"—so what does this electricity refer to?