The Delusional Series
Compiled according to the teachings of the Master
Author: Fafu
The Delusional Series: Part 10 –26 Inner Journey 11
Therefore, it is crucial to accurately discern between suffering and happiness, and to understand how suffering can be concealed within happiness, and vice versa. The nature of one’s experience depends entirely on the mind with which one approaches it. The same experience can be perceived as either suffering or happiness, depending on one’s mindset. When one attains the highest level of understanding, one can freely experience both suffering and happiness at will. At this point, the distinctions between suffering and happiness, and between reality and illusion, become irrelevant.
One must clearly discern between illusion and reality. If something is illusory, it is forever beyond our grasp. True reality, on the other hand, is always present and requires no pursuit. Why then do we chase after dreams and illusions? The pleasures we seek are merely conditioned mental formations, rooted in habitual patterns. In reality, they are suffering, though we perceive them as happiness. No matter how much we pursue them, we can never truly attain them. Moreover, we always believe them to be good, only to discover that they bring us pain. Our experiences are shaped by our desires and attachments. If we cannot cease clinging to these illusions, we will remain trapped in this cycle of suffering. Whether they are perceived as pleasant or painful, these experiences are all conditioned phenomena, like dreams. And just as dreams can be shaped, so too can our waking experiences.
That which is illusory is, in a sense, also real. Without the illusory, the real cannot manifest. Just as a screen is necessary for the display of images, the illusory provides the canvas upon which the real appears. Thus, when we say that the illusory is real, we mean that it is the condition for the manifestation of the real. As the ancient saying goes, “The withering yellow flower is nothing other than wisdom.” So, is the illusory itself real? Does it not contain within it a measure of the true? Through contemplation and investigation, one can come to understand that reality and illusion are intertwined, yet distinct. The real can manifest the illusory, but the illusory cannot be the real, nor the real the illusory. However, it is through our actions and intentions—the real aspect of ourselves—that we create the conditions for the manifestation of various experiences.
