Friday, January 15, 2010

Everything is a perception, be careful not to call it reality!

We can only perceive based on what input we get from our sense organs (including brain). We process the inputs, create a perception based on it and act upon it. Somewhere along this process, we get strongly attached to this perception and consider it a reality. It is real, but only in the context of our perception. We are co-creators of this reality and it does not exist without us. A simple example is birds don't feel as cold as humans because their body temperature is higher. What is cold to us is not cold to them. Same thing for mental formations. My mental formation might be different from your based upon how we relate to a particular situation. The thing that causes me a lot of agony might not bother you and vice-versa. The point is that if we can keep in mind that what we think as reality is only one facet of reality, based upon our conditions, we might be able to let go easily and not get stuck on things. We also can become more tolerant of other people's views, their conditions and their reactions.

8 comments:

  1. Yes! Ultimately there is nothing but The Self :)

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  2. What????????? Did you mean that you believe that there is a self that exists by itself?

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  3. Can you elaborate a little more please..:)? Do you mean a universal self encompassing all Universe?

    It is always good to know your thoughts..you help me see the perspective that I am missing at times..:)

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  4. You know it well :)

    We can call it The Self, God, Zen, Tao, All-That-Is, Infinite Being, Consciousness, The One, and many others... but ultimately, they are just names used to point at Oneness from which infinite forms (and point of views) rise and fall.

    I guess the name "The Self" could be confusing some times. I myself like that name because it reminds me that it is Me, not some separate Presence out there--since there is nothing separate, nothing outside nor inside. Just That is.

    Good to know I could help you see the missing perspective... you know you do the same for me too. Thanks :)

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  5. Thanks, Rizal..this was a good discussion..:)

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  6. Hello,

    I wanted to see if you would be interested in having your blog added to the Zen Community, an aggregator of Zen Buddhist blogs that I operate at http://community.zen-sangha.org.

    Please let me know if you are interested.

    (If you are interested and reply, please remind me of your blog url in the e-mail as I am contacting a number of blogs today!)

    Gassho!
    Al Jigen Billings

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