He countered that there were six distinct consciousnesses, each
with its own particular characteristics. The Buddha taught that if there were only one monkey inside the house, when it looked out of an eastern window, for example, then all the other windows would be empty. But when we see something with our eyes, our ears do not become deaf. When we listen with our ears, our eyes do not become blind. We can see, hear, and smell simultaneously, within the same instant, therefore six separate consciousnesses can be identified.