Quote:
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Originally Posted by eputkonen
Realization of who/what we are brings the end to suffering.
Let’s say you are locked in a dark room and you see a shape on the floor that looks like a snake. You would worry, fear, and basically suffer…all the while you are stuck in this dark room. But if the light was turned on for…but for a few seconds, you could see it is a piece rope. Then the light goes off again, and yet the fear and worry do not return. You have realized that what you are seeing is a piece of rope. It no longer fools you…even if the darkness returns.
There is no difficulty in living the recognition of the “snake” being a piece of rope. The difficulty lies in if it is not truly realized and it still remains unknown for what it truly really is. Instead you caught a glimpse of that shape in the light and it looked like it might not have been a snake…but the glimpse was not enough to truly be sure…and so there is still doubt. And so although you want to live from the recognition of it being a piece of rope…you are still not really sure and think it still could be snake. The illusion only truly falls away when there is full realization…not a passing glimpse that is not fully recognized and so can be doubted.
The illusion of "me" is the basis of all suffering (mentally created hurt beyond physical pain via the nerves of the body). If there is a seeing through illusion of "me"...the mirage - although still apparent - no longer causes confusion and suffering.
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Apt metaphors. Well said.
Couldn't be otherwise.