Understanding that life and death are nothing but empty words is one thing, and internalising the fact through physical experience is another. This is why practice is needed. For example, if I give you detailed explanations about a traditional Korean food — its shape, its colour, its taste, its ingredients — repeatedly many times, you can have knowledge about it and guess what it is and tastes like. Then, you can think you know it and even explain it to others, although you have never tried it.
Strictly speaking, it cannot be said that you know the Korean food, but you think that you know it. That is referred to as dry knowledge in Buddhism, another name of an illusion. In the same way, you are not aware of the fact that everything is empty, because you have never experienced the words ‘everything is empty’ in person. I am sure you can surmount your problem sooner or later if you practise hard.
©Boo Ahm
All writing ©Boo Ahm. All images ©Simon Hathaway
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