As Practice Deepens, the Eyes That See Also Change
In the study of observing body and mind, it matters from what stage a person sees the world. At a lower stage, one sees another person only as a body or an object of desire. As practice deepens, the mind and its condition, compassion, and wisdom begin to be seen.
This does not mean that we must believe and follow chakra explanations literally. Rather, they can be used as a metaphor for the stages of practice. When the root is stable, fear lessens; when one rises to the place of the heart, the mind of compassion opens.
When I examine from what place I am seeing another person, I can also see where my own practice now stands. Depending on whether I see through desire, through the mind, or through compassion, the same person appears entirely differently.
Today too, may we not see others only through lower discrimination. May we take one step upward toward the stage of seeing with the eyes of compassion and wisdom.
Rather than asking us to believe chakra explanations literally, this teaching lets them serve as a metaphor for the stages of practice. When the root is stable, fear lessens; when one rises to the place of the heart, compassion opens. By examining from what place I see another person, I can also see where my own practice now stands.
