The Buddha postulated a different view.

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.