A good mirror helps us
to see things as they are.
A poor mirror ‘helps’ us
to distort things from what they are.
Enlightened minds work like perfect mirrors.
What encountered is simply reflected as they are,
without attachment that clings to the pleasing (when passing),
without aversion that frets the displeasing (when coming),
without delusion that mars the seen (when present).
Perfect mirrors are always calm and clear,
reflecting completely, all around,
never sticking to liked images.
never rejecting disliked images.
never defiling either liked or disliked images.
Unenlightened minds work like broken mirrors.
What encountered is simply not reflected as they are,
with attachment that clings to the pleasing (when passing),
with aversion that frets the displeasing (when coming),
with delusion that mars the seen (when present).
Imperfect mirrors are often agitated and blurred,
reflecting incompletely, never all around,
always sticking to liked images.
always rejecting disliked images.
always defiling both liked and disliked images.
Note: A contemporary ‘broken mirror’ example
is the self-centred taking of phone selfies,
with attachment that ‘refines’ one’s appearance,
with aversion that ‘deletes’ one’s blemishes,
with delusion that ‘edits’ one’s ‘original’ face.
A mirror reflects anything
when anything is to be reflected.
A mirror reflects nothing
when nothing is to be reflected.
