Deep Commentary

Worldly phenomena are inherently dualistic and subject to dependent origination; therefore, they are ultimately illusory. Spending one's whole life chasing after these temporary phenomena is like trying to catch a shadow, or like someone with a visual impairment seeing spots in the air and believing they are real flowers. Due to our ignorance, we mistake these illusions for reality. We are like people lost in a long, deep dream. While dreaming, we experience joy and sorrow, entirely unaware that it is a dream until we wake up. The Buddha taught that all unenlightened beings are living in such a dream. The 'Supreme Truth' the Buddha mentions is our true, unconditioned nature—our Buddha-nature. This ultimate truth is permanent, unchanging, and inherent in all of us. The only difference between Buddhas and sentient beings is that Buddhas are fully awakened, having cleared away all defilements, like pure gold extracted from ore. We possess the same gold, but it is currently obscured by the ore of ignorance. To reveal this pure gold, we must diligently 'polish' our minds by eradicating defilements through spiritual practice. Using the wisdom of Prajna, we learn to distinguish truth from illusion, realizing that worldly phenomena are merely reflections in a mirror. For too long, we have mistaken the reflection for our true self and suffered as a result. Once we truly recognize this Supreme Truth, the illusions fade. It is as if our vision has been completely healed, and we are met with the profound clarity of a vast blue sky.