See Phenomena and Principle Together

As we live, we first meet the phenomena visible to our eyes. We see people's words and expressions, the results of events, and situations that appear before us, and we easily judge and draw conclusions. But what is visible is not the whole of things. Behind what appears on the surface, there are principles and circumstances of their own, and at times phenomena can even cover the principle.

The teaching says that phenomena may reveal principle, and at times may also cover it over. In the opposite way, principle can be the ground that forms phenomena, and can also show a deeper meaning beyond phenomena. So if we hold only to phenomena, we miss depth; if we speak only of principle, we miss reality.

Practice means not staying on only one side. We see what is visible without being bound only to it, and we examine the unseen meaning without making it empty talk. When we see surface and depth together, events and mind together, phenomena and principle together, then we can understand things correctly.

This is true of people and of worldly affairs. What is seen on the surface may not be everything, and the result now revealed often cannot tell us the whole inside. Therefore, rather than judging hastily, we need the wisdom to look a little deeper and wider, seeing both what has appeared and what has not appeared.

Today, may we not decide too easily from only what is visible. May we also examine the principle within, and spend the day seeing both surface and depth.