‘Suchness’, is simply the nature of things as they are. All that we see, hear, know from our senses, mind, or intuition, everything material or abstract- all knowing, is included in the reality of ‘what is’, and the way everything is, is the ‘Suchness’ of things.

Only by seeing and knowing everything as it is, without distortion through our own personal preferences, can we deal with things appropriately.

When we face the world through right seeing and knowing, without interfering with its ‘Suchness’, we allow it freedom to unfold its true nature. With this view, we step in tune with the truth and reality of the Tao, the flow of the Whole.

Consider an example to understand, what the right view of ‘Suchness’ is. Suppose, we are looking at a flock of sheep grazing in a meadow. We meet them through our senses (eyes, ears, nose and brain), and we instantly label what we see, as ‘sheep’. Because, our minds have memories which associate those forms, with the name and characteristics of ‘sheep’.

We have elaborate concepts, ideas, words and images acquired from our past, about these animals (fleece, innocent, social, submissive, wool etc.), these impressions quickly flashing in our brain, make up a screen- through which we immediately filter what we actually see.

In this experience, something corresponding to what we are calling and knowing as a ‘sheep’, is real. It just is, whatever it is (the bare minimum truth, of what it really is).

The rest of the information about it, is supplied by our conditioned brain and memories, learned knowledge being recalled. This includes our personal impressions, opinions, preferences- all that we know, feel, or think (in this example, about sheep).

If we are seeing it with awareness, we can directly know it, for whatever it is, the suchness of it. But simultaneously, we are also aware of our conditioning about it. We see the sheep as it is, and we also see, our concepts, feelings, ideas, about the sheep, recalled instantly from our conditioned memories.

So, meeting the reality of ‘what is’, in front of me in this moment, includes all variables. It includes me as an observer, and if I can remember to be aware of my awareness right now, then I can also clearly see, my own conditioned thinking.

Being completely aware while looking at the sheep before me, I am able to notice, when my conditioned impressions interfere with, or distort, the simple reality of what is, right now.

If I am aware in the moment when I encounter this creature, I will not just see what it is, as it is, but I will also see everything it appears to me, due to my personal conditioning. When I am really aware, I will see everything clearly for what it is– the suchness of the sheep and the reality of my ideas about the sheep.

I will see the fact, that they are not overlapping- my ideas in this moment, are my own creation. My thoughts and feelings about this sheep, are coming from my past, they are not really the truth of this particular creature, standing in front of me, right now!

As pure awareness, we witness what is, which also includes our own memories, impressions, preferences etc. But, the difference from being unaware, or forgetting to be aware, is- that we clearly know, what is what.

We clearly discern between what really is, and what is likely being superimposed upon it, from our own conditioned mind.

In moments of such clear discernment, if a situation demands me to act, I will likely act in the right way, because my action will come from the wisdom and awareness of taking into account the ‘suchness’ of the situation.

When I am not aware, my response may come from the narrow perspective of my personal bias, my habitual reactions, my unconscious thought patterns or feelings- which may not align with the actual reality of this situation. Such a conditioned response will not be in tune with the Tao, the natural flow, or ‘suchness’ of the truth.

Suchness is whatever it is, the way it is, in each situation, here and now.

A realization of this includes seeing clearly from awareness, witnessing as an observer, looking at the whole picture- which includes our own reactions, preferences, conditioning etc.

The more we learn to see and act from a position of awareness, the more we fall in tune with an open viewpoint, which includes all possible variables (in contrast to seeing only through our own narrow restricted view), in each situation. 

We progressively, more often, act according to the ‘need’ of a situation, rather than our own personal ‘wants’, living in alignment with the natural flow of life.

This is living in tune with the ‘suchness’, the Tao, flow of nature, the whole truth of the way things are. 

We alone, are aware of our deepest conditioning. We alone, nobody from outside, no other authority- can discern for us, the truth and reality of what is, the ‘suchness’ of things. So, we trust in our own simple awareness, in each moment. 

This awareness can show us, ‘what is’, in each situation. Then, we are free to act, in the light of what we know. Not believing anyone else, testing this in the ordinary situations of our daily lives, we can see, if this works!

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Note: I am thankful to Jim Dollar, with whom I recently had a discussion on the topic of ‘Suchness’. This post is largely derived from the content of that.