Cakkhuṁ

neuter

the eye (nom. sg. cakkhuṃ) Vin.i.34; SN.i.115; MN.iii.134 etc.)

I. The eye as organ of sense

1. psychologically cakkhunā rūpaṃ disvā “seeing visible object (shape with the eye” (Nd ii.on rūpa q.v.) is the definition of this first & most important of the senses (cp. Pv.ii.6#1 dakkhiṇa c. = the most valuable thing): the psychology of sight is discussed at DN-a.i.194 sq., and more fully at Dhs.597 sq. (see Dhs-a.306 sq; Dhs trsl. 173 sq.); cp. cakkhunā puriso ālokati rūpagatāni Cnd.234. In any enumeration of the senses cakkhu heads the list, e.g. Vin.i.34; DN.i.21; DN.ii.308, DN.ii.336 sq.; DN.iii.102, DN.iii.225, DN.iii.244 sq.; DN.iii.269 Ne.28
   ■ See rūpa. Also combd. with sota: MN.i.318 MN.iii.264; AN.i.281
   ■ cakkhusmiṃ haññati rūpehi SN.iv.201 hata˚ AN.i.129. passāmi naṃ manasā cakkhunā va “I see him with my mind as with my eye” Snp.1142
   ■ Vin.i.184; SN.i.32, SN.i.199; SN.iv.123; Dhp.360; Ja.iv.137; DN-a.i.183; Ne.191. Vism.444 sq. As adj. (-˚) seeing, having or catching sight of: eka˚ (dvi˚) one-eyed (two˚) AN.i.128 sq.; āmisa seeing an object of sensual enjoyment SN.ii.226; SN.iv.159; Ja.v.91 (= kilesalola). acakkhu blind AN.iii.250, AN.iii.256; Pts.i.129
2. ethically: as a “sense” belonging to what is called “body” (kāya) it shares all the qualities of the latter (see kāya), & is to be regarded as an instr. only i.e. the person must not value it by itself or identify himself with it. Subduing the senses means in the first place acquiring control over one’s eyes (cp. okkhitta cakkhu with down-cast eyes Snp.63, Snp.411, Snp.972; Pv.iv.3#44; & indriyesu guttadvāra; ˚indriya). In this connection the foll passages may be mentioned: Vin.i.34; DN.i.70; SN.iv.123 SN.ii.244 (aniccaṃ, etc.); SN.iii.255 (do.), SN.iv.81, SN.iv.128 (na tumhākaṃ); Pts I.132 (aniccatṭhaṃ). Numerous others see under rūpa

II. The eye as the most important channel of mental acquiring

as faculty of perception & apperception; insight, knowledge (cp. veda, ολδα to vid, to see). In connection with ñāṇa (γη ̈ωσις) it refers to the apperception of the truth (see dhamma-cakkhu): intuition and recognition, which means perfect understanding (cp. the use of the phrase jānāti passati “to know and to see” = to understand clearly). See e.g. SN.ii.7–⁠