Reality vs Illusion

 

Vivekchudamadi 109 – Neither does it exit, nor does it not exist…. Nor is it both. It is neither separate from Brahman, nor one with Brahman… nor is it both. It is neither made up of parts, nor is it partless… nor both. Maya is extremely amazing. It is beyond words. Maya… can never be described in words. It is that powerful!

"Let's delve into the concept of illusion. What comes to your mind when you hear this word? Generally, an illusion is believed to be something that is not real. Therefore, in discussing illusion, we must first attempt to understand reality. I hold the opinion that reality gives birth to illusion, mystifying the world and often rendering most of us blind to its true nature. It's crucial for us to comprehend the origin and nature of this illusion so that we can uncover islands of truth hidden in the vast ocean of consciousness."

(What is Illusion? Ask yourselves, think… and then continue reading.)

"Let's begin with an example: it's commonly understood (as a generalization) that a dream is an illusion. But is it truly so? If it is, then why does our body react to it? This happens because our senses don't distinguish between reality and dreams. To them, every experience, whether in a dream or the conscious world, is reason enough to evoke a physical and mental response in our body. This leads to an intriguing proposition: how can we be certain about our faculties when they occasionally deceive us by mistaking a dream for a real happening in the conscious world?

In my humble opinion, our perception of reality is directly influenced by our thoughts (the information collected from the world) and our senses (sight, hearing, taste, touch, and smell). If our thoughts and senses shape our reality, then what creates our illusion? At times, I see these as two different facets of the same coin. As mentioned earlier, reality creates the illusion, but the most pressing question is, 'Is what we consider reality truly real?'"

"One of the defining characteristics of Reality or Truth is its immutability—it remains constant across the past, present, and future. Following this reasoning, it becomes evident that anything subject to cessation in our material world cannot be considered Reality. Both my body and the realm of desires are destined to cease existing one day. If I solely identify with my body, I become an illusion, for it is bound to end with my death. I am certain that my body, at the very least, is not the truth, as it undergoes constant change. On the contrary, if I subscribe to the belief in reincarnation, the question arises: What persists beyond the body's departure?"

One may argue that energy can neither be created nor destroyed; therefore, it is the Truth. By this logic, every object we see, and sound we hear is the Truth because it can never be completely destroyed since it is a collective form of energy displaying itself in different things. I completely agree with this explanation, but it instigates further contemplation. if everything is made up of energy, it must be infinitely versatile, creative, and the only Truth.

Having laid the foundation for Truth, let's now turn our attention to Illusion. In light of the earlier explanation, Illusion can be seen as ignorance about one’s own identity, which doesn't exist beyond the purview of our human civilization. It involves not having the vision to see the underlying force and being stuck in the infinite chaos of what we call life. When people identify with materials and perceive them in the context of something that can be attained or lost, they complicate their lives, which is essentially a manipulation of the underlying force from which everything is made. A life like this is a slow suicide, as every life manipulates the life force from which it is comprised. Over time, these modifications accumulate to the point where the true form is forgotten. Therefore, we need to undergo the process of unlearning things to penetrate the layers of facade we have built over the years. 

My grandfather was very much real when I was younger. Now, I only have his photos and the knowledge he imparted. But it was not his knowledge that he shared with me. It was of this world. It came from the world; he collected it and shared it with others. His photo that I have has come from the world. The colors in the photo are different shades taken from the world. His body is gone too. So, in a way, he came from the earth, ate from the earth, borrowed knowledge and body from it and returned it in the end.

Now, my grandfather is only a memory in my brain. Memory that can be lost with a little damage to my brain. This memory that I hold has to eventually go one day, maybe then my grandfather will not be anything more than a graphic photo if it manages to survive. My family lineage is nothing but a thought to me because that’s what we have been taught. I don’t know who my great-great-great grandfather was, he is lost, forgotten and nothing more than an illusion.

Is it true that my great-great-great grandfather is an illusion? If I go by the aforementioned explanation of reality, then yes, he is an illusion because he does not exist in present, and for him to be real he should have been there in past, present and future. Most of you will not accept this and may relate to another explanation of reality that relates to “Energy” or “Consciousness”, probably the concept of a “Soul” or “Atma” seems very logical. I am sure that he was there in the past, but I know that he does not exist in the present nor will in the future.

Nobody invents anything in this world; they are just conscious enough to discover what others cannot see. Every thought or idea is waiting to be discovered; it is already there in the world. In this sense, the universe is already full of everything; we come from that wholeness, create chaos at our individual level, and submit to it in the end.

From the example of my grandfather, it is clear that everything that is bounded by the laws of material change is an illusion because it is only a shadow of the Truth. Truth or Reality is something that can’t change. If it changes, how can you trust it. To children, ghosts are very real, you can make them believe so and their mind will forever be frightened by something that they do not know. An example of Truth according to people is that “Sun rises from the east”. I can’t deny it for now, but do you think it is always going to be the same. Some scientists believe that the sun is dying. They also propose a theory of ice age that earth has gone through in the past. It means that sun was not there or must not have kept the temperature of the earth in control for life to happen. Then there are theories about black hole that it can consume a whole planet if it comes close enough to consume Earth. If the world has gone through many changes over billions of years, then “Sun rises from the east” can’t be an all-time reality.

I am changing every moment; A thousand cells die and regenerate within my body. Each cell wants to survive, and I am alive because of them. I am collection of life force within and around me, once this vessel can’t sustain that force, it leaves the body, maybe to take another form. I don’t know what happens after that; it is a mystery to me.

What I want to know is the source of creation and life because it can be the only thing which is constant. Everything else is fickle. Even my identity as a human is only true as long as I am alive. Later, they will burn me, my body will turn into ash, smoke and broken bones. I will return everything that I had taken from earth. At the same time, I don’t think myself as my body. Even if I lose both my hands and legs, even then I would be as capable to experience life like any other young man except that I would not be fully functional. My brain would be as intelligent as any other and I would also not lose my identity. What does that indicate? It indicates that I am not my body.

People also talk about out of body experience, but it may be an illusion. I have seen many dreams in my life but only when I wake up, I understand its illusory nature. Is it possible that this conscious world is also a dream from which one needs to wake up like the sages of India have talked about for a long time.

Is enlightenment what we should call waking up to Reality? Did Krishna, and Buddha know Truth? Is It something that Vivekananda was much closer to in his life? Or should we say ‘Nirwana Shtakam’ by Shankaracharya explains the way for us to explore more? Buddha called it Nirwana. Nirvana is described as the ultimate goal of spiritual practice, in which an individual achieves complete freedom from suffering and the cycle of rebirth. According to Krishna, the true nature of the self is spiritual and eternal. The self is distinct from the body and mind, and it is immortal and indestructible.

For sure, I can’t see the Truth for now, but I do see veils of illusion all around me. The journey will continue…