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DHARMA IN EVERYDAY LIFE
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- WHEN THE EYES
- KNOWS CULTIVATION
By Nhat Quan
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---o0o---
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The six senses organs include:
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- Eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, mind.
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Of these six senses, you often use your eyes the most, so
the sins caused by your eyes are also countless. The main
function of the eyes is to see and observe, but when
comparisons arise, distinguishing between good and bad, love
and hate, friend and foe... then it's the idea. From the
eyes to the body and mind, thousands of differences arise.
Mind is the most dangerous criminal, but that doesn't mean
the eyes don't create crimes.
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Because the senses are all closely related to each other:
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- Eyes see,
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- Ears listen
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- The mouth utters words of right and wrong,
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- The body acts,
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- The tongue immediately distinguishes,
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- Nose smells fragrant, or impure,
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- The mind rises, rolls, runs, jumps.
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As a student of Buddhism, you know that the mind relies on
the Six organs of sense to recognize the six sense objects
and differentiate them into six consciousnesses, while the
five aggregates change very quickly, so the human mind also
has to follow. Racing thoughts arise in your mind. The next
idea replaces the previous idea, so the delusion never
stops. If false thoughts remain, the true mind disappears.
That is, when senses and objects collide, consciousness will
be born, so when one sense understands the source, the other
senses will also become clear. That is, at that time, the
Six organs of sense are no longer mundane, but the six sense
organs become six magical powers, which are:
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1- Divine Eyesight: The ability to see everything in the
world of form. The ability to see what you want to see.
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2- Divine ear: The ability to hear all sounds. Ability to
listen and understand any language.
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3- Ability to perceive other people's thoughts: Being able
to read other people's thoughts, enlightened beings reach
high or low levels depending on their success.
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4- Magical powers: The ability to go anywhere and do
anything at will.
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5- Remembrance of one's former state of existence: The
ability to know the past and future of oneself and others.
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6- Supernatural consciousness of the waning of vicious
propensities: The ability to end impurities and bring the
mind to freedom from all desires.
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As for writers and poets, when talking about eyes, they
often describe:
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- The eyes are the windows of the soul.
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Truly, the eyes are the window, so all good and bad things
are received. But, usually, you view evil very carefully. On
the contrary, evil is good. You take good things for
granted, not knowing whether they are heavy or light. Your
obsession with beauty causes countless sins. More
importantly, because of ignorance, you cannot see your true
face, so you are forever sinking and floating in the three
realms and six roads. As a student of Buddha Dharma,
everyone recognizes that the six organs of sense, the six
consciousnesses, and the six sense objects are all false,
unreal dharmas. However, the six sense organs are the
internal body because it has the habit of coming into
contact with the six sense objects, which are the external
environment, and the external environment always has an
attraction that fascinates the six sense organs. Therefore,
when the six consciousnesses, meaning ideas and thoughts,
are generated, your mind is filled with delusions,
constantly changing. If you want the six sense organs to not
be tempted by external circumstances, you must keep your
mind completely pure and eliminate all attachments, then
ignorance and delusion will be destroyed.
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Recalling the old days, before the Buddha attained
enlightenment, he had to fight day and night with the Maras.
Inside, there are the five aggregates of demons, the dharma
practice of demons, the four cessations of demons, and
outside there are the heavenly demons.
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Indeed, fighting internally is much more difficult than
fighting externally, because if you keep the six sense
organs pure, no matter how seductive and attractive the six
sense objects are, it is impossible to change your clear
mind. One of the methods to keep the mind pure is to
practice the Eightfold Path.
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As once said, the eyes are an important part of receiving
all information from the outside, so when expressing hunger,
instead of having to use the mouth to eat, now you eat with
your eyes, drink with your eyes, enjoy the beauty with your
eyes, the look seems condensed, containing in its worship,
so there is a saying:
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- Looking satisfied.
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Because the eyes are the windows of the soul, so:
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- There are times when you are dreamy and absent-minded,
there are times when you let your mind go wild, there are
times when you are sad and restless, there are times when
you dream about overcoming barriers, there are times when
you are restless and worried. But sometimes happiness
overflows. All such phenomena will make it easier for the
other person to discover the secrets hidden here and there
in one's soul. And from there, when you look at someone's
eyes, you will see:
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- The eyes of those who love and remember, the eyes of fear
and insecurity, the eyes filled with sadness, joy,
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- Eyes that look at life with a rosy color filled with
happiness, or filled with painful consequences,
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It all depends on your vision, your emotions, the ups and
downs of insecurity, or the peace that spreads in each of
your minds.
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Because the eyes are the windows of the soul when your eyes
are open you can see the outside world, so of course the
subject can also see some part of your inside if you don't
know how to cover it up, if you don't know how to cover it
up, you are not skillful in disguise. Eyes that know how to
talk, laugh, know how to be sad, know how to be happy, know
how to remember and love, when there is good news, there
will be a flash of hope.
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There are times when you dream, there are times when you
miss your love to the point of excess, your eyes will shed
tears of pain, your sparkling, dreamy, wet eyes look far
away at the old place, and then:
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- Sad eyes also shed tears
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- Happy eyes also shed tears.
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Especially when you are angry, your eyes will turn purple.
With such anger, the eyes will turn red as if wanting to
devour the other person. If you let your uncontrolled nature
and emotions constantly surface, it will hurt your eyes and
make you very miserable. But when the soul is peaceful and
filled with joy, the eyes will become gentle and cute,
creating peace of mind and sympathy, and bringing peaceful
energy to the other person.
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The change in your soul can be seen through your eyes,
revealed for everyone to see, and difficult to hide. From
the outside to the inside, the sights and people make the
eyes express more emotional colors, the eyes see the mind
arise, and your consciousness follows it.
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In addition, the eyes are not only used to distinguish and
identify, but they are also a river of imagination like the
poet Tham Tam, the day he set out with his friends to go to
the war zone against the French, his girlfriend took him on
the road, but she didn't say a word but just waved goodbye,
and her eyes silently shed tears, and the poet once said:
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- Farewell you, I'm not taking you across the river
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But why is the sound of the waves in my heart?
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In a quiet moment somewhere left, the eyes are also the
place where scenes and people are buried, gathering
memories, the indelible marks of the days of giving and
receiving, looking forward to the future. While loving and
remembering, these eyes are tired of waiting for the loved
one, suffering the consequences for the loved one, getting
sick because of the loved one, and shedding tears are also
these eyes.
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The eyes are two doors, open to welcome the wind or closed
tightly covered with dust and moss. Open to enjoy all the
beautiful colors, or closed to hide harsh feelings, creating
more pollution, tiring the eyes, and harming the mind. Is
that door of the soul, that consciousness, that person still
entangled with worries and ups and downs, counting, or is it
wide open to reach higher without any hindrance?
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Coming here, I would like to share with you, but also give
you a warning. There was a Buddhist who complained that a
monk came to Duoc Su Temple to attend the ceremony, and then
hooked up with some Buddhists at the Temple, so even though
he had returned to Vietnam, those Buddhists continued to
donate and send money to him to build bridges and roads. He
took advantage of the Buddhists' kindness but did unworthy
things, so the whole group was very angry. This is the story
of monks and nuns. I don't want to have an opinion, but to
share it with you at the same time to avoid future mistakes.
I would like to borrow the words of the Tibetan Dalai Lama
to express his thoughts when he spoke with psychologist Dr.
Jack Engler and psychology professor Jean Shinoda Bolen. I
would like to quote the original translation as follows:
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- Firstly, the fault belongs to the Buddhists: Because they
foolishly considered the Monks as gods, and mistakenly
thought that all the actions of the Monks were noble, so
they showed excessive obedience and pampered the Monks,
causing harm to the monks for damaged monks. The important
thing is not to rush to take the Sangha too seriously when
you don't know much yet. Because that is a very important
connection. You have to wait a long time, sometimes five or
ten years, or even longer, to observe that person's
behavior, teaching style, and practice ability accurately.
During that time you should only consider them as a good
intellectual friend. You should not trust them at all.
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If a Buddhist sees a teacher acting unworthy or unethical,
you have the right to immediately criticize those actions.
In the scriptures, Buddha taught very clearly:
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- You should only study with teachers who have good
qualifications. If anyone unworthy, says unethical things or
acts wickedly, Buddhists must stay away immediately. As a
Buddhist, you must know this. You should not let your eyes
see the flashy styles on the outside, your ears should not
be drawn to the path of sin.
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As for the monks, the Dalai Lama also summarized it as
follows:
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- As for the Sangha, they must be responsible for their
actions. If a monk or nun allows Buddhists to seduce him
into an unjust path, he shows that he is still greedy, lacks
internal strength, and lacks the personality of a
practitioner. While preaching Buddhism and acting in the
name of a practitioner, monks and nuns themselves commit
mistakes that they often advise others to avoid, that is,
they betray the work they are doing. What a shame.
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So when the eyes look and then the mind immediately arises,
because your mind gives rise to discriminating, calculating,
and comparing, the mind accumulates mental impurities, so is
it your mind or is it the eyes?
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And if the eyes only do one thing: seeing, capturing that
moment, that moment of existence, seeing the road, seeing
the path, seeing the scene, seeing people, then are the eyes
still eyes?
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Looking and seeing are normal functions of the eyes, but how
to look and how to see is a matter of your mind. Looking one
way, seeing a distorted view, a comparative look, looking
outside or looking inside. If you see the outside but don't
see the inside, you often see other people's mistakes and
can't see your own. Thus, with clear eyes and a sharp mind,
you must see every movement and harmful barrier. Whether
outside or inside, you must clearly show and fully see the
changes of dharmas, the floating back and forth of the mind,
and see and live completely in the joy and freedom of each
moment and go.
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In meditation, there is the eye of wisdom, which is a clear
and clear eye that goes beyond attachments, never lingering,
never holding back, not sinking in the scene, not lingering
in the mind, clearing away confusion.
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Look without attachment, see without lingering, without
arising. But seeing is simply seeing, seeing as if not
seeing, seeing clearly and truly, seeing the complete and
ultimate nature of all dharmas, that seeing is true. Eyes
with a realistic look, a simple and sincere look, a
beautiful timeless look, a comprehensive look, a
compassionate look that escapes other people, me, this,
that. The view of freedom goes beyond all separations and
all dualistic categories of knowledge. The empty, peaceful
look inside reveals itself to the outside, warming the
hearts of others. The view is no longer born or destroyed,
is not constrained or forced, the nature of seeing is fully
revealed, the view of right view. With such a view, life
will be forever happy.
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You live in a modern environment, with countless means, so
there are also too many temptations constantly lurking. In
just a split second, if you don't control it well, you can
let your mind wander and take your eyes off your mind,
leading you to dreams, excitement, real and virtual that are
difficult to separate, and then you are deceived and
poisoned damages the eyes and infects the mind.
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The Internet, a global information network that brings
people together, is very convenient, but at the same time,
it is also full of pitfalls and risks. The world you are
often told is virtual, but it has the power of temptation, a
captivating charm, with thousands of sparkling colors, with
many seductive tactics that constantly attract impact. It
makes you lose direction, run after being immersed, then
keep your head down, and nose down, blurry eyes, tired
hands, wasting energy and time constantly jumping into it,
getting involved in living in those illusions.
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You think it's virtual because you can't see its face, but
when you use it, it appears. Virtuality can also be real, no
matter what you call it, you have to admit one thing, more
or less it participates in your life. Every time you use it,
it is immediately associated with your thoughts and actions,
meaning you create karma, giving karmic results. Unless you
don't care about it and don't use it, it won't create karma.
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In that virtual world, you can easily disguise yourself,
hide your face, change your name, freely speak
indiscriminately, freely condemn, freely accuse, and stab
other people in the eyes and hearts, but you are indifferent
and do not need responsibility for your actions is yours.
That's talking about people who don't know how to practice
and don't know cause and effect. But if you are a Buddhist
who knows how to practice, you must know clearly that
everyone who does it will suffer, everyone creates what they
deserve, whatever you do, you will suffer, if you don't do
it, you won't be able to bear it. The law of cause and
effect will follow you like a shadow without leaving anyone
behind.
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Even though you're looking for a little fun to forget your
sadness, kill time, forget the months and days of rain and
shine, if you're not smart, you'll get involved and get
stuck forever, not being able to let go. So, other people's
stories, your stories, your confidences, the feelings of
others, compete with each other to bloom, compete with each
other, lose your way, let your soul entwine tightly in your
heart, whether you close your eyes or open your eyes always
linger.
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So is it because of them or because of you? Is it someone's
fault or your fault?
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Every time you pick up your phone, every time you text,
every time your fingers tap on the keyboard, countless
things just flood into your head and brain. Many times it's
none of your business, it's a big deal, but why are there so
many mixed feelings, gossip, and troubles in your mind that
keep calling day and night? Stories in the alley, stories in
the house, stories at the beginning of the village, stories
at the end of the village. Things from the past, and things
from now, compete with each other to linger, making your
mind always stressed like it's about to explode...,
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In the end, your head is tired, your mind is listless, you
are always busy and busy, day after day, night after night,
you forever hold your worries in your heart, bury them in
your heart, covered in each breath, difficult can escape.
Wander around and around, then you live in it, just drifting
like that becomes your habit, your way of life without even
realizing it.
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Is it because you can't control yourself, don't recognize
the true nature of each problem, overuse it, and then fall
into delusion, making your body and mind tired, bored, and
afflicted? predestined to jump in and cause trouble?
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The internet is just a means, so when used, there are always
good and bad sides, advantages and disadvantages. What is
important is that the person using that means knows how to
be smart and responsible in choosing carefully and knows how
to stop at the right time. This will not make your eyes or
mind tired, drain your energy, and cause more problems
entanglement, creating more karma. If you use it honestly,
following the Dharma, and for the right purpose, you will
learn more understanding, which will be helpful for your
practice and entertainment in moderation, and then it will
bring essential value. Most importantly, you must constantly
control and be alert in every situation, recognize the
source of each problem, and not let it drag you away forever
without seeing where the shore is.
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The things you think are real may not be real, the imaginary
things you mistakenly think are real, and the things you
think are reasonable may be unreasonable. The boundary
between reasonable and unreasonable, good and bad, real and
virtual is also very fragile. It all depends on whether you
have the right view of the dharma, and whether you have
wisdom or not. If you do not know how to observe clearly, it
will be difficult to recognize the truth. It is present
everywhere, virtual people, virtual minds, and virtual
scenes, making it difficult for you to recognize, so you
keep following and rushing forward. Meanwhile, the real
thing is far away, somewhere far away, sometimes it's so
close yet so far away that you're out of breath chasing it.
If you make an effort to seek, sit quietly, and look far
ahead, you will realize that what is virtual is virtual,
what is real is real, what is virtual, what is real. In the
virtual there is reality, in the real there is virtuality.
That is also progress in cultivating your mind and nature,
at least you can discover where the karma you created leads
you.
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The eyes of nearly a thousand years ago and the eyes of
today are also very different. The eyes are now cunning
thanks to modernity, there are thousands of sceneries, pink,
and purple, easily making you blind, and polluting your
mind.
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As an honest person, you must always ask questions. Do you
love and appreciate your eyes?
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If you love and appreciate these eyes, you should find a way
to let them rest, close your eyes, and sit quietly, to see
each peaceful breath circulating. Don't force, don't lie,
don't let your eyes see things that they don't want to see.
You don't abuse it and make it teary or miserable, nor do
you make it dry and indifferent. As a practitioner, use your
eyes to look at suffering and injustice to generate
compassion. Seeing the cycle of birth and death leads to a
desire for liberation, realizing that life is impermanent,
that the human condition is fragile, and early in life, in
the evening it disappears. Seeing those things, being fully
aware of that is to serve as luggage and material to
sublimate life and rise to find a way to live, a true
change. Practice and perfect your way of life to make it
perfect and complete, to cleanse your mind and worries, and
to keep your mind and body always bright. Only then will
those eyes and that look of yours become valuable, bringing
light and wisdom to yourself and others.
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In short, you have seen the extremely harmful consequences
caused by false thoughts, which are the source of all karma
to tie you to the sea of suffering of samsara. Therefore,
you must wisely use wisdom to dispel all delusions and
ignorance to bring peace and purity to your mind.
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Furthermore, the cool water of compassion will extinguish
the fire of troubles. Patience is a strong armor against all
three poisoned arrows. Buddhism is the light that dispels
the darkness and fog. With these thoughts, you are
determined to eliminate all desires to increase your
strength, defeat the harsh wheel of samsara, and find the
place of Bliss. Therefore, when the eyes know how to
practice, and those who know how to practice the eyes, can
they see the value, and it is a truly necessary practice.
Look but don't make distinctions, don't run after illusory
scenes, causing you to lose your sight, lose your mind, and
tire your mind. Instead of being absorbed, drawn in, and
dependent on external views, you turn to look straight
inside, contemplate the depths of your heart, and see all
the excitement, impacts, and movements in your mind, pure,
clear, ultimately, allowing your enlightened nature to
awaken. You try to focus your attention on one point of
reality. You must be wise and constantly awake, applying
wisdom in all thoughts and actions. Wisdom arises because
you put effort into practicing, eliminating afflictions, and
purifying ignorance. Once you see the true nature of all
dharmas, it is time to restore their true value, at that
time there is nothing left, and nothing can bind or hold you
back.
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Remember, when you want to look beautiful, dress up, please
beauty, and chase after beauty, for yourself and others to
admire and praise, the consequences will cause you pain in
body and mind. Only with compassionate eyes, a mind that
thinks well, does good, and benefits oneself and others,
beauty comes from the heart, beauty that is honored beyond
time, perfect beauty that does not change, the beauty of
true dharma.
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Because of understanding like that, even though you have
been living and still live in a temporary illusion. But if
your mind doesn't cling, don't get attached, and don't
indulge in it, you will be overcoming the illusion to return
to the pure mind that is fully available in each of you.
---o0o---
If you have any recommendations,
please e-mail to:
chuaduocsu@duocsu.org
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