"Robert, is the world really real or is it an illusion?"
Now the answer I give is dependent on who is asking the question.
It isn't an easy answer to give.
Those of us who are well read in Advaita Vedanta
can give these flip answers that the world is an illusion,
only Brahman is real. Everything else doesn't exist.
This may be true in the ultimate reality,
but as far as we're concerned in our every day experiences,
the world is as real as you make it.
Always remember, you are the creator of the world.
The world that you see is a creation of yourself.
All that you're involved in, the circumstances in your life,
the vicissitudes you go through every day,
are a result of what you are, nothing more, nothing less.
So, if you feel your attachments,
if you feel the world pressing down on you,
if you feel something is wrong some place,
then the world is real! It's real to you!
So I would not say it's not real.
This would be giving you the wrong advice.
The world is real as long as you feel it.
But what I will tell you to do is to go within and ask,
"Who sees the world the way it is?
To whom does this world come to?
Who is the seer?
Who observes the world this way?"
Of course you do.
But who are you who sees the world the way it is?
The world becomes illusory only to the person
who has transcended the self, the personal self, the ego self.
Then the world is only images, like the images on the screen.
People are not involved in the screen, they're involved with the images.
They know nothing about the screen,
they see the images on the screen.
Without the screen, the images would be destroyed.
The images would be bent out of shape.
But with the screen you've got a perfect image.
So it is with the world unconsciousness.
Your true Self is consciousness but you don't know it.
The whole universe is consciousness, but you don't know it.
You identify with the images.
Your body appears to be an image also, but you think its real.
Your thoughts appear good and real to you.
The thoughts appear very valid.
Your reasoning is very valid.
Therefore, the world is real to you.
And you have to go through experiences in this world,
good experiences, bad experiences, as long as you think its real.
-Robert Adams - T229 - The Choice Is Yours - 7th March, 1993
The world that you see is a creation of yourself.
All that you're involved in, the circumstances in your life,
the vicissitudes you go through every day,
are a result of what you are, nothing more, nothing less.
So, if you feel your attachments,
if you feel the world pressing down on you,
if you feel something is wrong some place,
then the world is real! It's real to you!
So I would not say it's not real.
This would be giving you the wrong advice.
The world is real as long as you feel it.
But what I will tell you to do is to go within and ask,
"Who sees the world the way it is?
To whom does this world come to?
Who is the seer?
Who observes the world this way?"
Of course you do.
But who are you who sees the world the way it is?
The world becomes illusory only to the person
who has transcended the self, the personal self, the ego self.
Then the world is only images, like the images on the screen.
People are not involved in the screen, they're involved with the images.
They know nothing about the screen,
they see the images on the screen.
Without the screen, the images would be destroyed.
The images would be bent out of shape.
But with the screen you've got a perfect image.
So it is with the world unconsciousness.
Your true Self is consciousness but you don't know it.
The whole universe is consciousness, but you don't know it.
You identify with the images.
Your body appears to be an image also, but you think its real.
Your thoughts appear good and real to you.
The thoughts appear very valid.
Your reasoning is very valid.
Therefore, the world is real to you.
And you have to go through experiences in this world,
good experiences, bad experiences, as long as you think its real.
-Robert Adams - T229 - The Choice Is Yours - 7th March, 1993
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