Earlier this week I had a moment of clarity. Due to the angle of sunlight streaming in through the window, I saw the emptiness of ‘the man on a horse ornament’ hanging from the window. It made me think of an example in the first chapter in the Saṃdhinirmocana Sutra that we studied this summer at Nitartha.

re: a magician and his magical illusions 

 

“Those who are not naive or confused but have wisdom perceive the grass, leaves, twigs, pebbles, or stones. They see and hear those magical tricks and understand that whatever appears does not exist—that these regiments of elephants, horses, chariots, and soldiers or collections of jewels, pearls, beryl, seashells, crystal, and coral, as well as this abundance of wealth and grain, treasuries and granaries, do not exist.”

 

— Saṃdhinirmocana Sutra (chapter 1, section 1.4, paragraph 3, p40)