Not creating delusions is enlightenment.
BodhidharmaRead
If you use your mind to study reality, you won't understand either your mind or reality. If you study reality without using your mind, you'll understand both.
Interpretation
What this quote means
True understanding arises from direct experience rather than intellectual analysis.
Bodhidharma's quote highlights the limitations of the mind in grasping the essence of reality. It suggests that purely intellectual study of reality does not lead to real understanding; rather, true comprehension comes from engaging with reality through direct experience, which allows one to see beyond the confines of thought and the mind's limitations.
Themes
MindRealityUnderstandingExperiencePhilosophy
In practice
Example use cases
In a meditation class, one might say this quote to emphasize the importance of direct experience over conceptual thinking.
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Freeing oneself from words is liberation.
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