Just as the flow of water is not seen, but its wave is visible; similarly, consciousness is not seen, but the body is apparent.

Imagine looking at the ocean. You don't directly see the vast, invisible current moving beneath the surface, do you? What you do see are the ripples and waves dancing on top. This beautiful couplet uses that image to explain something profound about ourselves. Just as the current is hidden by the waves, our true essence, our consciousness or 'Chid', isn't something we can see with our eyes. What we do see is the body, our 'Ang'. The teaching here is that our physical form is just a manifestation, like the waves. The real 'us' is the unseen, underlying consciousness that animates everything. It encourages us to look beyond the visible to understand our deeper nature.