What Is the Essence of Material Sense-Objects?

The material sense-objects seen by the eye consciousness all arise and cease moment by moment. 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 again, and in this way, continuously, countless intermittent patterns of material sense-objects are formed. It is only because these patterns are so numerous and connect so quickly that the eye consciousness fails to detect that the material sense-object is formed from countless patterns linked together in succession. Each pattern is static; when linked in succession, it appears to be dynamic, as if constantly evolving. In reality it is intermittent, just like a film reel: when played, the reel spins so fast that a continuous storyline is formed—this is called a movie or television.

Since it is called a movie (电影, literally "electric shadow"), it is a shadow produced by means of electricity. All the characters, scenery, and objects within it are shadows, not real material form that can be physically touched. All the material sense-objects seen by the eye consciousness are unreal, like shadows—a kind of pseudo-reality resembling the real thing—and they are in fact static, yet they feel dynamic to the eye. Therefore, we should not believe that all the material forms seen by the eye have true reality or true function. A shadow, after all, is a shadow, not a real object. Since it is called television (电视, 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 too needs to be connected to electricity. What does this electricity refer to?