Not Quite Opposites

We may have heard before that the Truth is the opposite of what we believe, know or understand. Well, not quite. Not by far, in fact. It is not only the opposite but also, out of the world, or box, as one famous saying goes. It is easy to see how this misconception comes about, after we have realized some insights to the Truth. It is mainly due to the conditioned tendency of our minds to think in polarities, like in black and white, yes and no, or good and bad. Hence, sometimes we see the term 'transcendent' used in reference to the Truth. It is only to distinguish it from how we usually think of anything as having an opposite.

But what is the big hoo-ha about seemingly plain semantics? Let me share and you may reflect on whether it does make any difference to how your mind thinks after that. Let me use an example to illustrate where I am going with this. Suppose you have been told that you are already an enlightened being as compared to you are on the way to being an enlightened being, what would your immediate perspective be on each? Maybe one would feel more familiar, safe and true to you while the other would feel strangely unfamiliar, unsafe and untrue i.e. the polarity or opposites.

But what if you understood it very differently? So now, I tell you that whether you are on the way to being an enlightened being or you are not on the way to being an enlightened being is the polarity. While if you know that you are an enlightened being, it is not the opposite of knowing that you are not an enlightened being. Simply because an enlightened being will not have the reference point of a self. The true understanding of an enlightened being is the realization that everything is just nature; causes and conditions of conceptual formations. The "you" used in reference to itself as an enlightened being is meaningless in the ultimate sense.

How then can there be an opposite of the other, which is knowing that you are not an enlightened being? Opposites only make sense in the conceptual realm. Because both are equally untrue in the ultimate or Truth. And which we have been told is wonderful news. Only then are we able to distinguish what is the Truth, as the uniqueness of this path of transcendent wisdom-based mindfulness. It is this realization that establishes what is true and nothing else exists. So it is meaningless to say "think out of the box", because thinking only happens within the box. So-called beyond it, is another reality not realized yet. So-called because there never was a beyond, let alone other.

Opposites is a myth. I invite you to break through the belief in an illusion of delusion and wake up to what has always been the only reality. If you wish to explore, here are some areas for contemplation. How can we learn to understand our moment-to-moment experience not from the same thought system of opposites? Why do we hesitate to traverse unknown territories when there is a greater wealth awaiting us? What makes it easier to disrupt the norms of society in the way we live our lives? Come join me at WISE to explore fun and interesting ways to discover all you need to know to awaken.

In grace,
Khan Hui Yee
9 September 2025