REAL VS. UNREAL

Perception is not reality.

Just because something is perceived (through the senses and mind), does not mean it is real (genuinely exists).

Maya (the world illusion) is believing the real (consciousness) to be unreal, and the unreal (world appearance) to be real.

In mystical circles the definition of what is ‘real’ is based only upon the concept of ‘change’ whereby:

That which never changes is real

That which changes is unreal

Hence the world appearance is considered unreal, since it is in a constant state of flux (change).

And consciousness (within which the world appears) alone is considered real, since it never changes.

That which has a birth (beginning), must have a death (end), and being impermanent is unreal.

That which has no birth (beginning) can have no death (end), and being permanent is real.

A wave arises and falls (has a beginning and an end), and hence is unreal.

The ocean (unaffected by the rise and fall of waves) remains the same, and hence is real.

A world in the dream state (svapam) is experienced with as much reality as the one seen in the waking state (jagrat).

Upon waking we realize that world never existed as a reality, but was simply imagined within our consciousness.

Before a dream, the subject (dreamer) exists. During a dream, the subject exists. After a dream, the subject alone exists.

The dream is full of movement, and hence is unreal (only imagined)

The dreamer never moves, and hence is real (genuinely exists)

Even so in the so called waking state (jagrat):

Before life in a body, you remain still as consciousness (the subject).

During life in a body, you remain still as consciousness

After life in a body, you remain still as consciousness

Consciousness (which alone exists) being immaterial never creates anything, for there is no material to create anything.

And consciousness being non-spatial never goes anywhere, for there is no space to enable any movement.

Since consciousness never creates nor moves, all experiences can only be imagined within it (and hence are unreal).

The body, mind and world appearance are subject to change, and hence cannot be real.

The consciousness within which they appear never changes, and hence alone is real.

Hence from the absolute viewpoint, anything that moves (whether a thought, emotion or object) cannot be real.

So for balance in what never changes and freedom to play with what is imagined for play, be aware of the absolute truth:

If it moves (changes), it is not real (being imagined for play)

If it does not move (change), it is real (genuinely exists)

by Pardeep