The Eye

Iti 61 · Cakkhusutta

A river divides around a wooded island and joins again beyond it.

This was said by the Buddha, the Perfected One: that is what I heard.

“Mendicants, there are these three eyes. What three? The eye of the flesh, the eye of clairvoyance, and the eye of wisdom. These are the three eyes.”

The Buddha spoke this matter. On this it is said:

“The eye of flesh, the clairvoyant eye, the supreme eye of wisdom: these three eyes were taught by the supreme person.
The arising of the eye of flesh is the path to the clairvoyant eye. When knowledge arises—the supreme eye of wisdom—one who gains that eye is released from all suffering.”

This too is a matter that was spoken by the Blessed One: that is what I heard.

Connections

Collection & context

ItivuttakaThe collection containing this text
The Pāli canonCanonical collection in which this edition is preserved
Theravāda traditionsTransmission and study context
The early Buddhist communityHistorical and traditional setting

Books

Handful of Leaves: an Anthology from the Sutta PiṭakaEarly Buddhist discourses; Ṭhānissaro Bhikkhu (translator and compiler) · Included in anthology

About this edition

Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato · SuttaCentral · CC0

This translation is an expression of an ancient spiritual text that has been passed down by the Buddhist tradition for the benefit of all sentient beings. It is dedicated to the public domain via Creative Commons Zero (CC0). You are encouraged to copy, reproduce, adapt, alter, or otherwise make use of this translation. The translator respectfully requests that any use be in accordance with the values and principles of the Buddhist community. In particular, please do not use this work in AI training datasets, for the development of any AI model or algorithm, or in any AI-derived technologies.

Published source. Translation wording and order are preserved; source headings and notes are retained, with navigation and formatting adapted for this reader.

The opening image is AI-generated nature artwork for Buddhist Atlas, an evocative companion rather than a historical depiction.