Can you really awaken from the "dream"? What will you find? Who will you be? Nirvana, pure bliss, absolute truth, heaven, universal consciousness, pure awareness, yourself, God?
Or will you merely awaken to another dream? Much like the last dream, but still, a different dream in which you again dream of "awakening" from the dream? Only to "awaken" to another dream of "awakening" and then another and another?
If truth is infinite is there a point at which the dreaming stops and finally becomes "real"?
Why seek to transcend the illusion, when there is nothing "real"? Note that your term "illusion" is entirely dependent on its contrasting opposite, the "real." Maybe “real” is a concept your ego conjured up so that you wouldn’t have to take responsibility for the "illusion"? Gee, isn't that convenient.
You seek to transcend the illusion, rather than change it, simply because it's not "real" and is an "illusion." Whew! Lucky for you. Just imagine if all that death and destruction were real! Then who would you be? Obviously, you would then have no choice but to seek to change the "hell" you made and if you experience "hell," then no doubt you made it. If it's all illusion, then make no mistake, it's your "illusion."
What about your loved ones? What about your children, are they illusion? Why would you love what is NOT "real"? Or maybe your "love," too, is illusion?
If it all just "arises," do you ever wonder why it arises specifically as YOU seem to experience it? Why do some seem to experience great wealth, abundance and happiness? Obviously, to be conscious OF something is to make it "real," isn’t that what quantum physics now tells us?
Maybe parts of the illusion are real, since how would your ego-self finally come to the conclusion that the world is illusory, if there was not something real IN the "illusion" that informs it of this fact? What part of the illusion informs you that it's all illusion? What are you using to illuminate the contrast between your illusion and the something else you call "real"? If it weren't for the "illusion" you would not be chasing the "real." Therefore, are you not grateful to your "illusion"? But would your gratitude make it "real"?
“Real” and “illusion” is one experience that you split in two. Illusion is as much a part of truth as anything else, otherwise why would you be 'aware' of it. Stop throwing out the baby with the bathwater. Illusion is real and real is illusion. Wrap your mind around that and stop trying to judge between the two. You can’t split truth in two. The whole is not available to the parts, but all the parts are included in the whole. Attach to one part, in contrast to another, and miss the whole entirely.
What’s the matter, don’t you like it 'here'? Then stop your spiritual whining and fix it. But then, why engage an "illusion," right? The perfect copout!
"The world is an illusion" teaches an invalid conclusion based on a faulty premise. The premise being that there is something other than “illusion” that is not "illusion." So rather than remain fixated on your spiritual brainwashing, by continuing to repeat the tired old slogan, "the world is an illusion," try closely examining your concept of ‘real.’
The ancient teachings that point to the "real" come directly from your experience of being IN a world and are part of that whole. However, the teachings seek to negate part of your experience as illusion.
But the illusion is what is teaching you it’s an illusion.
Non-dualism seeks to separate off parts based on the dualistic premise that there are some experiences that are NOT 'part' of the illusion. If it’s not illusory then, of course, this means there is a part of your experience that is "real" (or more "real") than what you now experience. Unfortunately, you just haven’t had the "real" experience yet. Too bad for you.
So what part is "real"? Well, the rules state that the ultimate reality cannot be talked about, since words only relate to the "illusion" and are symbols of symbols. Therefore, you must follow the path of austerity and realize "the real” and this realization is referred to as “awakening” or “enlightenment.” Yet, this premise has resulted in your negating one experience, while seeking out another and the villain in that negation is not the real “you,” but your ego-self.
Thus, the illusion seeks a way out of the illusion.
The claim is that, without the ego-self creating all these illusory experiences, you would be free to experience the real "you" instead. Note how the illusory “you” must now search for the "real" you, which you have not yet been acquainted with (experienced). But don’t worry, says the illusory “you,” we will find the real "you" someday, if "you" sacrifice and struggle hard and long enough in your spiritual practices. HA, what a maroon!
The ego informs you that your “Being” will finally become the ‘experiencer’ of reality, while the ego will essentially cease to exist. Yet, does an ego-self not have Being? Maybe "Being” is nothing more than experience, experiencing itself as ego? Without an ego-self, who or what will experience anything?
Ally yourself exclusively with any part and you deny the whole and this includes "real" vs "illusion." There is no separation to experience and if you choose a part of your experience of ‘world,’ as teaching you that there is no world, then you have divided experience. Experience is what you ARE. It's ALL in your experience. It comes from “you” as a whole and “you” split it in two by negating a part as unworthy of your "awareness." To "Be of one voice" is to be of one experience. The only awakening you need to experience is understanding your ego-dynamics and, not for the purpose of rejection or exclusion of the ego-self, but simply to "know thyself" (Socrates).
Know your experience of ‘self’ and experience surprise in what “you” really are, which does not exclude anything, but includes all of it. The game is infinite because truth is infinite, which means "awakening" never ends. Therefore, this means that there is NO "awakening" and dreaming never ends.
It's all a dream and the dream is real.
Sweet dreams. Hahaa!
mikeS
So many ways to put it. One is walking along, and Ah! this is it. This is what I've been looking for. This, just exactly as it is.
ReplyDeleteYep, I guess all we can do is call 'em as we see 'em. But there's no denying the 'seeing.'
ReplyDeletemikeS
Is that a rule?
ReplyDeleteawesome post.
ReplyDelete:) lenny
"Is that a rule?"
ReplyDeleteThat's up to you. Free-will allows you to choose the rules you will conform your 'self' to. It does seem apparent, from your comments, that you have chosen to abide by specific rules. Nevertheless, free-will is the only rule you cannot break, for to break it would assert it.
Thanks!
Hey Lenny!
Thanks for the kind words.
mikeS
Mike, honey sweetheart darling, "Is that a rule" was an attempt at a joke, based on apparent past exchanges. Joke? Ha ha? Irony? Abiding by rules may certainly arise. There is observation, and attempts at trying, vainly, to select some words that seem to fit, but it's just more oneness in another guise, whatever it seems to be. Nothing is definitive. There is always a little niggling wink wink, nudge nudge quality about most of the words that "I" write. However, this seems to be lost on many apparent individuals, and that's just fine too.
ReplyDeleteOhhhhhhh! kinda like "non-dual" humor? ha!
ReplyDeleteI am truly sorry, love. But what'd ya expect from a dense, simple minded dualist like me.
wink, wink...
mikeS
"my" head hurts...
ReplyDeleteand thanks you for writing.
Bad Yogi,
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome.
And Thank You,
mikeS