Realism vs. Believing

I like this one:

Back when I was in San Diego studying the western esoteric tradition, I had the following exchange with the teacher of the school I had joined.

"Teacher, you've been saying that the whole world and everyone in it is an illusion. If that's true, then aren't you just my illusion and I'm really just teaching myself?" I asked.

"That's right." she said.

"Well, in that case, if you are just a figment of my imagination; then what am I to you?" I inquired.

"A figment of my imagination. Either way you look at it, I'm still teaching myself," was her response.

Source:
nichirenscoffeehouse.net...

The thought of oneness stikes again.

These people who say that world with it's manifestations are just illusion, are having big illusions.

If they believe so, why don't they break that illusion (by putting a bullet into the head, for example) and flee the illusion?

-v

Originally posted by v01i0
The thought of oneness stikes again.

These people who say that world with it's manifestations are just illusion, are having big illusions.

If they believe so, why don't they break that illusion (by putting a bullet into the head, for example) and flee the illusion?

-v

The Mayayana Buddhists said the first-biggest mistake was clinging to appearances. They said the second-biggest mistake was clinging to emptiness.

In other words, once people have realized the illusory aspect of reality, they often become intoxicated with this knowledge and form an attachement to the idea of illusion. In truth life is neither illusory nor non-illusory.

Regarding your "break the illusion" question, its worth noting that in Medieval Japan many followers of Amida Buddha did just that, drowning themselves in rivers in hope of being reborn in Amida's Pure Land. The Amidst masters Honen, Shinran, and Ippen, among others, all condemned the practice as evincing an excessive attachment to emptiness, but it happened anyway.

reply to post by Never Despise


The inquiry of the matter you brought up would most likely require several tomes to be addressed properly. Now, being short in time, I really cannot answer in required extent.

Originally posted by Never Despise
In truth life is neither illusory nor non-illusory.

I tend to agree, yet I don't know about it's truth value for I think that the truth is dependent on situation. I acknowledge that our thoughts can be very illusionary sometimes.

The oneness is just one side of the coin. We may be one in the sense that we are all emanations of single reality and same archetypal form of matter, but nevertheless we are distinct units of it and experience reality due our individual observations.

Our conceptions of reality can be illusionary, for we can attribute phenomenas and creatures with properties that they don't have, hence we have prejudices. However, I tend to think that life can be lived without illusions, and this requires that one observers reality without prejudices, without expectations, but rather to take the life as it appears.

The thought is the most contributing factor for the illusions we might have. We label and categorize stuff in certain way by the thought. While not saying that thought and thinking is bad, I claim that it can be deceptive if it's used inproperly and on matters where it is not needed. It is a dual edged sword; bad in a sense, if it's employed both misplaced in time and situation, good when it is employed properly in situations where it is needed.

Originally posted by Never Despise
Regarding your "break the illusion" question, its worth noting that in Medieval Japan many followers of Amida Buddha did just that, drowning themselves in rivers in hope of being reborn in Amida's Pure Land. The Amidst masters Honen, Shinran, and Ippen, among others, all condemned the practice as evincing an excessive attachment to emptiness, but it happened anyway.

Never follow anyone in spiritual matters, once you yield to someone's guidance, you are quite likely to be misled. Considering the task of the guru, it is not one's task to tell someone how to walk, but merely point the direction, if even that. I tend to think that all guru's (and other spiritual teachers) are more or less charlatans, intentionally or not.

In my opinion, one has to roam alone the path of spirituality. It is the loneliest place, it is the most dry desert where many want to offer you poisonous water and you are thirsty and eager to drink.

-v