Fundamental Verses on the Middle Way (III) — by Nagarjuna

III.1. Vision, hearing, smelling, tasting, touching and thought
Are the six sense faculties.
The area of their concern is that which is seen heard, smelled and so forth.

III.2. Certainly vision does not in any way see its own self.
Now if it does not see its own self, how can it possibly see something else?

III.3. An understanding of vision is not attained through the example of fire which, itself, burns.
On the contrary, that example of fire together with vision is refuted by the analysis of “present going to,” “that which is already gone to,” and “that which is not yet gone to.”

III.4. When no vision occurs, nothing whatsoever is being seen.
How, then, is it possible to say: Vision sees?

III.5. Therefore, vision does not see, and “no-vision” does not see.
Nevertheless, it is explained that also the “seer” is to be known only by his vision.

III.6. There is no “seer” with vision or without vision;
Therefore, if there is no “seer,” how can there be vision and the object seen?

III.7. As the birth of a son is said to occur presupposing the mother and the father,
Knowledge is said to occur presupposing the eye being dependent on the visible forms.

III.8. Since the “object seen” and the vision do not exist (independently, on their own),
there is no four-fold consequence: knowledge, etc. cognitive sensation, affective sensation, and “desire”.
Also, then, how will the acquisition (upadana) of karma and its consequences i.e., existence, birth, aging, and death be produced?

III.9. Likewise hearing, smelling, tasting, touching and thought are explained as vision.
Indeed one should not apprehend the “hearer,” “what is heard,” etc. as self-existent entities.

Source: Orientalia