Many people know that a life destined for spiritual cultivation is often one with shallow ties to close family and relatives. This is because the soul has reached a certain level of maturity and is preparing to transcend this dimensional space. In our impression, spiritual practitioners are usually reclusive and detached from worldly life, which leads us to mistakenly believe that cultivation means cutting ties with family and society. But in reality, reclusive practice is merely a physical form of isolation.
True spiritual practice, once it reaches a certain depth, is a state of non-attachment.
You may recall the mirror analogy I often share in my videos: when we truly understand that the external world is an illusion, and that this "self" is not the real Self, the soul begins to truly awaken. At that point, you’ll notice fewer mirrored encounters—fewer reflections from the outside world—because your inner world is shifting. The heart no longer clings to external conditions, but returns to the Creator’s perspective. You begin to see that the foundational fabric of the desire realm is simply desire itself.
It is precisely because of desire that we constantly seek pleasant sounds, beautiful sights, and so on. This brings us to today’s theme:
“To leave all appearances is to be in accord with all dharmas.”
Let’s first understand what appearance (相, "xiang") means. It is the manifestation of an information bundle—a projection of the mind. But due to the discriminative minds of individuals, these appearances are never fixed. Even socially agreed-upon appearances differ in interpretation from person to person. More intriguingly, even the same person can perceive different appearances at different times, depending on mood, place, or context.
For example, take the word “peach.” Everyone will visualize a different image—some see large ones, others small, some see white peaches, others yellow or nectarines; some imagine sweet, some sour. Those with heavy conditioning might even associate it with a woman’s body. These appearances are like illusions in a mirror or reflections in water—impossible to define.
Just like the frequently asked question: Does life have meaning?
Ask yourself that in the morning, then again in the evening—you may give two different answers. Your answer at age 20 may differ from that at 50. This shows that none of these are absolute truths. True Dharma must be unchanging. All appearances are just our projections while experiencing this space.
When it comes to spiritual cultivation, if you practice based on appearances, you are creating illusion within illusion.
It’s like laughing at a monkey trying to grab the moon’s reflection, while failing to realize—you are that very monkey.
This also explains why true Dharma is not easily passed on. When someone isn’t ready to seek the truth of life, even if you share the method, their own mind will project various “appearances” onto it. These become the mind’s defense mechanism—and also its prison.
If your spiritual practice is entangled in appearances, you may build countless prisons within your own mind. That’s why some so-called practitioners appear more stubborn than non-practitioners—because they have formed a fixed “appearance” of cultivation:
What does it mean to practice based on appearances?
A common example: the obsession with being kind or compassionate.
Some practitioners believe they must do only good, be tolerant, never harm a fly. But this isn’t true compassion—it’s naïve kindness. It shows an aversion to consequences, not awareness of unconscious negativity.
So what does that imply? You’re not truly cultivating; you're merely avoiding punishment. Of course, don’t swing to the opposite extreme and intentionally do harm just to prove a point. The key is to understand how this world works. We shouldn’t restrict our behavior just to avoid consequences—especially if we’re not even aware of what we’re avoiding.
Outcome is determined by the subconscious—not something we can manually control.
Another example: reaching certain meditative states or spiritual visions—seeing deities, entering realms of light, gaining powers. Some take these as signs of spiritual accomplishment. But these are still appearances, still mental projections. You’ve merely expanded your perceptual dimension, but as long as you remain attached, you haven’t escaped the prison of the mind.
The three realms and six paths of existence are still within the cycle of rebirth. If we become obsessed with spiritual experiences and forget to keep progressing, we will simply return again.
If you genuinely want to attain true liberation and great inner freedom through spiritual cultivation, don’t cling to appearances. In the early stages, we may need to “use illusion to cultivate truth,” but never forget what the Diamond Sutra teaches:
“Even the Dharma must be relinquished—how much more so that which is not Dharma.”
If even the raft must be let go, how much more the illusions it helps us cross?
Cultivation is the process of simultaneously building and dismantling.
To leave all appearances is to be in accord with all dharmas.