I have been trying to find the ‘right’ words to convey my thoughts on this for a while and thanks to a book ‘One Minute Nonsense’* have found the analogy I wanted:
A journalist is interviewing a Spiritual Master (pick thy prefered flavour, banana, strawberry, chocolate etc)!
“What, concretely, is Enlightenment?”
“Seeing Reality as it is.”
“Doesn’t everyone see Reality as it is?”
“Oh no! Most people see Reality as they 'Think' it is.”
“What’s the difference?”
“The difference between thinking you are drowning in a stormy sea - and knowing you cannot drown because there isn’t any water for miles around.”
To me this represents the ability to take a step back from the ‘problem’, taking a few breaths, and then ascending the previously insurmountable!
Now in this sense, ‘Reality’ isn’t an illusion as such, but our perceptions/conceptions about it are, or at least based on ‘thought projections’ rather than seeing the world/situation as it truly 'is'.
We project all sorts of expectations on a scenario and are often surprised when events turn out ‘differently’ to them. Why should A occur, when B, C or even J are equally viable/possible options? Because we were only prepared for the occurrence of A! Do we therefore adapt our concepts? No, we more usually reinterpret the outcome in terms of A, no matter how difficult/complicated that is compared to any other interpretation. This would usually be considered at least ‘Unsane’ behaviour, or 'floundering in an ocean of one's own imagination!'
* One Minute Nonsense - Anthony De Mello
http://www.amazon.co.uk/One-Minute-Nonsense-Anthony-Mello/dp/8187886285/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1285673933&sr=1-1
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