Regard All Phenomena as Illusory

Posted by: Michael Rickicki | 12/02/2013

Regard All Phenomena as Illusory

I recently wrote about my experience with this maxim and how I came to understand it in a way that was congenial to my views (yes, in case there was any question I’m still lost in a thicket of views). Some of the traditional ways of phrasing the second slogan are “Treat everything as a dream” and it was precisely with this that I took issue because it seemed to me that to treat life as a dream was in some way to deny the existence of suffering. Upon closer examination it is obvious that this is not the case.

I think what this lojong phrase really speaks to is the fact that our wrong view tricks us into believing that there are static entities out there with permanent qualities while simultaneously fooling us into belive that we, too, exist as discrete selves. Despite the “truth” of the statement, however, I am yet to understand its role in helping us cultivate more compassion and loving-kindness. Still, there’s much work to be done and we’re only on the second of the 58 maxims we are working through.