ILLUSION

Another beautiful day on planet Earth. It is hard to believe it is going to be a scorcher today. The breeze is coming in from my North window and it is very pleasant. It even feels a little on the cool side. I will enjoy it while I can. We resist using our air conditioner because it cuts us off from the outside. We suffer a little in late afternoon and evening, but we generally think it is worth it. Our house stays cool until late afternoon. We do breakdown and use the air conditioning if it won't cool off at night.

I had a conversation the other day with a person who thought the use of 'illusion' could be dismissive. I have never thought about it that way. I can see how somebody might think that.

In some literature illusion is used to mean anything that is not eternal. In that view, the creative energy of all that is [God, if you will], is the only thing that is real. Everything else is transitory and therefore not 'real'.

In another view, the material universe is energy and what we see as real is how we interpret and form the energy. This view was held by some ancient Greeks as well as some modern physicists. We have reality as each individual interprets it plus a consensus reality. Each person, within their own bodies experiences the world with their five senses, sees something peculiar to them. In communication with others they form a consensus reality. The word illusion refers to how we shape the energy which makes up our universe.

The view I use most often is that we create either with love, which I see as our reality, or with our egos which is dreadful. A spiritual purist would say both are illusion, but the one created with love is obviously preferable to one created with separation, which is the ego.

I have never seen these formulations used dismissively. Perhaps I am dismissive of the world created by the ego.

In any case, illusion or not, this computer I am using is real to me. My aging body is too real much of the time. I think we take substance, energy in form, and create with it in all kinds of marvelous ways. We, along with Nature, are creating continuously. Creation is marvelous.

I don't get hung up on the idea that what I perceive is an illusion. It is going to be 'real' to me regardless. I like what Carlos Castaneda said, through Don Juan; I paraphrase. We must take everything around us absolutely seriously, meet every situation as if it is absolutely real, yet, knowing it is an illusion.

In order to take responsibility for our creation we must accept it as real. It is our life!

I don't think it is wise to get hung up on the philosophical truth of these ideas. We create and experience our lives with love or we don't.

Let's create with Love.

Have a great Memorial Day!

Love and Peace, Gregg