A round mirror in a small wooden stand reflecting a golden sky on a green background.

Original artwork, not a still

Buddha

A wise man, recognizing that the world is but an illusion, does not act as if it is real, so he escapes the suffering.

Behind the line

What it means

Our interpretation.

The saying holds that a wise person sees the world as illusion and so refuses to treat it as solid or binding. Because such a person doesn't cling to appearances as though they were real, the suffering that comes from that clinging doesn't take hold. This is the speaker's teaching about insight and release.

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