Illusions are not to be despised; this is their wonderful utility.
Some people describe that upon awakening, they realize everything is an illusion, and thus feel pessimistic and world-weary, believing life is meaningless, like a dream, and that living has little significance…
At this moment, I want to ask: Are you sure that these thoughts and emotions arise because you have seen the illusion or because everything is an illusion? In my view, these are merely the sentiments of someone who has “heard” about illusions but has not truly seen them. To truly see the illusion is not like this.
To truly see the illusion requires extraordinary mental acuity. When you truly see the illusion, you cannot help but praise its beauty. All things manifest countless forms through their non-illusory essence, bringing beauty and abundance to human life. In this process, the nature of transformation plays a significant role. If things were not illusory, how dead and dull the world would be! When you truly witness the illusion, you will be captivated by this marvelous mechanism and form of existence; you cannot help but exclaim how “wonderful” it is! Where then is there room for pessimism or aversion? When one truly sees the illusion, one becomes an admirer of it. In the eyes of an admirer, there exists no feeling of aversion, emptiness, or pessimism.
What is an illusion? An illusion is when something that is not A is perceived as A; something that is not B is perceived as B; or something that is A is perceived as B; and one believes it to be true. What then is truth? Truth lies in recognizing this point. Recognizing that an illusion is indeed an illusion constitutes truth. Truth and illusion are not two different things but rather different understandings of the same thing. Correct understanding of the same thing constitutes truth; incorrect understanding constitutes an illusion. The real and the illusory are non-dual; they share the same essence but differ in perception.
Illusion expresses impermanence and non-self in another form; it reveals a truth—an actual existence. The form in which things exist in the mental realm constitutes illusions. If you despise illusions, it means you despise true reality. True reality serves as the principle behind illusions; illusions are the marvelous application of true reality. Once you comprehend this, you cannot help but simultaneously love both true reality and illusions—you must be grateful for and embrace this profound method. You will love illusions just as you love truth. No awakened being despises illusions; all enlightened individuals are admirers, possessors, and enjoyers of illusions.
If you feel pessimistic or world-weary due to “illusions,” feeling that life is empty or boring, then you have not truly seen illusions—you are merely reacting based on your misconceptions about them. There cannot be a sorrowful Buddha nor a world-weary Dharma master nor a detached Huineng—true awakening cannot coexist with pessimism, world-weariness, or detachment. Illusions and reality stand in contrast to each other; when you attain understanding, both become equal without attachment. There are no wise individuals who despise illusions nor any Buddhas who favor truth alone. Those who attain understanding view true reality and illusions as equal and non-dual.
An illusion that isn’t an illusion can still be called an illusion. A truth that isn’t a truth can still be called a truth. Both falsehoods and truths lack inherent nature—wholly illusory equals wholly true while wholly true appears illusory. Truths differ from falsehoods based on perception alone. Truth represents essence while falsehood represents function—how could anyone who awakens to truth harbor disdain for illusions? Illusions should not be despised; therein lies their wonderful utility! When lost in confusion there exist illusions; when enlightened even truths may vanish! Transcending both what’s illusory and what’s real begins as all Buddhas perceive it—not reacting to what’s illusory nor clinging too tightly to what’s real! Both can exist freely—that’s what it means to belong to Buddhism.
by – Taiwan Fearless Tathagata Ya Great Perfection Zen Meditation Center