Black Is Black
(untitled) (c) D Harris 2011 B uddhist thought and its central preoccupation with the concept of impermanence also leads it to delve into the realms of perception itself. The "appearance" of the world as fixed and permanent on a macro level is seen as a concept of mind, conditioned by time and space. "This floating world", a common Zen expression, encapsulates this idea. Buddhist thought influenced the Indian concept of "non-duality" or Advaita Vedanta . One of the main postulates of this idea is that when the 'I' that arises from deep, dreamless sleep arises, the phenomenal world arises, and when the 'I' ceases during deep, dreamless sleep, the phenomenal world ceases. In deep dreamless sleep, who exists? What is this 'I'? Our perception is therefore conditioned by appearances, and appearances are conditioned by time, space, and hence perspective. Is a rock alive? From the atomic perspective, we could say yes, bec