Do Not Abide in What Exists or in What Does Not Exist

Everything we see, hear, feel, and think seems to appear clearly before us. But when we look closely, it cannot be grasped as a fixed substance. This is why Buddhism says that all phenomena are empty.

Yet we should not think that emptiness means there is simply nothing at all. Phenomena clearly appear, and the mind also moves and functions in response to them. The problem is that we fail to see them as they are and instead remain stuck on one-sided thoughts such as "it exists" or "it does not exist."

If we cling only to objects that appear outwardly, we cannot deeply see the working of the mind. On the other hand, if we think only that everything is absent, it is difficult to clarify the true meaning of emptiness. Therefore, practice is in not leaning to one side, but in rightly illuminating both phenomena and the movement of the mind.

Do not be pulled along by what is seen, and do not abide in the words "it is empty." Quietly observe the thoughts and feelings that arise, and the outer conditions before you. When we notice how they arise and pass away, attachment begins to thin and wisdom grows.

Today, may we not be bound only by what appears, not abide in the thought that nothing exists, and spend the day calmly illuminating our mind and the phenomena of life.