“Do not judge by outward appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.” – John 7:24 [New American Standard Bible]
In spiritual work, we often need to “translate” appearances into deeper truths. This process can face resistance from the mind, which constantly seeks logic, reason, and tradition. While these are useful in the physical world, the mind isn’t always the best tool for understanding the spiritual realm.
I see spiritual study as the pursuit of understanding the “essence” of reality. Many people may feel uncomfortable with the word “spiritual” because of its religious associations. They may argue that there is no spirit, but most would agree that all life has an essence. At some point, we’ve all sensed that there is more to the world than what meets the eye. For example, we can see and touch a rhinoceros, but we can also imagine one—a rhinoceros that exists only in our mind.
Spiritual translation can be more complex than that, however. Imagine receiving a gift from a four-year-old that looks like a crumpled lump of clay. “It’s you, Daddy!” they say. Though it may seem like nothing more than a lump of clay, you can easily look past its appearance and see the love behind it. This gift represents pure love, and it’s why you keep it for the rest of your life. Seeing the love in something that appears broken or imperfect is kind of what it means to “judge with righteous judgment.” It’s spiritual translation. Appearances, on their own, often fail to capture the true essence of reality.
When you experience something spiritually, don’t be too concerned if your mind starts questioning it. With time, you’ll learn to ignore the mind’s doubts. The mind is focused on appearances, so it isn’t always helpful in spiritual matters. Still, part of translating appearances spiritually is reaching some kind of understanding with the mind. “Yes, I see that it looks this way, mind. I understand your point.” Your mind will insist that a lump of clay is just that—a lump of clay. It will argue that you are only the body you see before you. Yes, it does appear that way, but there’s more to it.
Stay aware that the true nature of any situation is almost always beyond its outward appearance. Just like desert mirages or train tracks that seem to meet at the horizon, appearances can be deceiving. The truth is often hidden behind the surface. The mind will try to convince you that life is made up of separate individuals, objects, thoughts, and events happening at different times and places.
But the simple reality is this: everything is just awareness being aware of itself.