One of the aphorisms or slogans of mind training is to regard all appearances as if they were a dream or illusory. This is not the first time I have encountered these instructions but until now I have always been resistant to the idea. It just struck me as somehow dishonest and disingenuous to view reality in this way; it now seems that I may have misunderstood.
As I made my way through Union Square station it became abundantly clear to me that most of what I was seeing was as a caricature of the people and forms before. All that I perceived and judged was seen through the cracked and grimy lens of my delusion meaning that I was seeing a third-rate illusion of reality. Reminding myself of this I was able to prevent myself from getting so caught up with it in a way that I have yet been able to accomplish with other methods. A woman’s attractive shape or a young man’s loathesome attire are equally illusory in that they are over-exposed and unduly magnified by greed, hatred and delusion.
What a miraculous thing this mind. May we all practice the path to liberation.
Cattāri Brahmavihārā 
i really appreciate this.
By: spiewakeng on 10/31/2013
at 8:38 pm
Thank you. I often wonder if my ramblings even make sense to anyone but me.
By: Upāsaka on 10/31/2013
at 9:44 pm
completely make sense to me.
By: spiewakeng on 10/31/2013
at 10:12 pm
i think you would really enjoy my book, Body Over Mind, a mindful reality check. Then you would see why your ramblings make sense to me 🙂
By: spiewakeng on 10/31/2013
at 10:13 pm
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By: Regard All Phenomena as Illusory | Cattāri Brahmavihārā on 12/02/2013
at 5:42 pm