Contemplating illusion and seeing things as they are, the "house of cards" analogy definitely came to mind. It felt like looking out from a high tower that was collapsing beneath, like jade dominoes, into a huge cloud of dust. I didn't send the dust cloud spewing as far as I could have, but I wondered what I would find when the dust settled. It turns out there's still a hefty foundation that needs to me removed before I can see what's beneath.
As I envisioned what a simpler layer of illusion might look like, the mental cloud of dust made me think of a little, dome-shaped, mud hut, with small windows and a small door. The dust-covered dominoes and cards, still laying about from the collapse, brought my mind back to Mumbai, where the taxi pulled into a slum to fill up on gas. If my life were to be stripped down to their experience, how much illusion would I continue clinging to? What would my perception be? Would the same illusions arise or would it be a purifying experience?
I may be testing the Dhamma Realm to ask such a question, but there it is.
Unfortunately, (and fortunately!) all illusions and delusions are based in the mind, so in my experience the place and circumstances aren't the solution (I said fortunate, because our thoughts and attitudes are things we can do something about.) I found that even after becoming a monk, all of the worry and concern that previously accompanied $5,000 dollars, now shifted down to $50 dollars! It wasn't the money, it was the stuff I brought with me.
ReplyDeleteFor some reason, I can't be too hard on myself once I've seen through a layer of illusion. I guess it's because while it's a bit embarrassing and even humiliating, I really didn't know any better at the time. Also, I think the aspect of practice where we let go of both sides, what's going well and what's not, what we understand and what we don't, also helps with the recriminations.
As I was posting this, that's pretty much what my thoughts were telling me. I think I got lost somewhere between the metaphor and the object.
ReplyDeleteI think where I was trying to go with it was more keeping with the analogy of stripping away illusions.
Thank you for a tried and tested insight!