The Magic Show

From "The Magic of the Mind"

An exposition of the Kalakarama Sutta by Bhikkhu Nanananda

The Magic Show - A prologue

"...... Suppose, monks, a magician or a magician's apprentice should hold a magic-show at the four-cross roads; and a keen sighted man should see it, ponder over it and reflect on it radically. Even as he sees it, ponder over it and reflects on it radically, he would find it empty; he would find it hollow; he would find it void of essence.
What essence, monks, could there be in a magic show?

Even so, monks, whatever consciousness- be it past, future or present, in oneself or external, gross or subtle, inferior or superior, far or near- a monk sees it, ponders over it and reflects on it radically. And even as he sees it, ponders over it and reflects on it radically, he would find it empty; he would find it hollow; he would find it void of essence. What essence, monks, could there be in a consciousness?....."

Form is like a mass of foam

And feeling- but an airy bubble.

Perception is like a mirage

And formations a plantain tree.

Consciousness is a magic- show

A juggler's trick entire.

All these similes where made known

by the 'kinsman- of- the - Sun'.

                                                                                          S.III 142

The famous magician whose miraculous performances you have thoroughly enjoyed on many an occasion, is back again in your town. The news of his arrival has spread far and wide, and eager crowds are now making for the large hall where he is due to perform today. You too buy a ticket and manage to enter the hall. There is already a scramble for seats but you are not keen on securing one, for you have entered with a different purpose in mind. You have had a bright idea to outwit the magician- to play a trick on him yourself. So you cut your way through the thronging crowds and stealthily creep into some concealed corner of the stage.

The magician enters the stage through the dark curtains, clod in his pitchy black suit. Black boxes containing his secret stock-in -trade are also now on the stage. The performance starts and from your point of vantage you watch. And as you watch with sharp eyes every movement of the magician, you now begin to discover, one after the other, the secrets behind those 'breath-taking' miracles of your favourite magician. The hidden holes and false bottons in magic boxes, the counterfeits and secret pockets, the hidden string and buttons that are pulled and pressed under the cover of the frantic waving of his magic-wand. Very soon you see through his bag of wily tricks so well, that you are able to discover his next 'surprise' well in advance. Since yo can now anticipate his 'surprises' they no longer surprise you. His 'tricks' no longer deceive you. His 'magic' has lost its magic for you. It no longer kindles your imagination as it used to do in the past. The magician's 'hocus-pocus' and 'abracadabra' and his magic wand ow suggest nothing to you- for you know them now for what they are, that is: 'meaningless'. The whole affair has now turned out to be an empty-show, one vast hoax- a treachery.

Kalakarama Sutta

At one time the Exalted One was staying at Saketa in Kalaka's monastery. There the Exalted One addressed the monks saying:
"Monks"      "Revered Sir", replied those monks in assent. The Exalted One said:
"Monks, whatsoever in the world with its gods, Maras and Brahmas, among the progeny consisting of recluses and Brahamins, gods and men- whatsoever is seen, heard, sensed, cognized, attained, sought after and pondered over by the mind- all that do I know. Monks, whatsoever in the world...... of gods and men- whatsoever is seen..... by the mind- that have I fully understood; all that is known to the Tathagata, but the Tathagata has not taken his stand upon it.
If I were to say: 'Monks, whatsoever in the world....... of gods and men- whatsoever is seen....... by the mind- all that I do not know"- it would be a falsehood in me. If I were to say: "I both know it and know it not"- that too would be a falsehood in me. If I were to say: "I neither know it nor am ignorant of it"-It would be a fault in me.
Thus, monks, a Tathagata does not conceive of a visible thing as apart from sight; he does not conceive of an unseen; he does not conceive of a 'thing-worth-seeing'; he does not conceive about a seer.
He does not conceive of an audible thing as apart from hearing; he does not conceive of an unheard; he does not conceive of a 'thing-worth-hearing'; he does not conceive about a hearer.
He does not conceive of a thing to be sensed as apart from sensation; he does not conceive of an unsensed; he does not conceive of a 'thing-worth-sensing'; he does not conceive about one who senses.
He does not conceive of a cognizable thing as apart from cognition; he does not conceive of an uncognized; he does not conceive of a 'thing-worth-cognizing'; he does not conceive about one who cognizes.
Thus, monks, the Tathagata being Such-like in regard to all phenomena seen, heard, sensed and cognized, is 'Such'.
Moreover, than he who is 'such', there is none other greater or more excellent, I declare.

Whatever is seen, heard, sensed or clung to, 

is esteemed as truth by other folk;

Midst those who are entrenched in their own views

being 'such' I hold none as true or false".