What is the physical world?

[Aupmanyav]

Reality/illusion is just another false dichotomy. To me, it's all real, just different levels of observation.

How do you define reality? What about the virtual particles?

 

[BilliardsBall]

Pain is only a reaction to an action done in the past. impermanence.

Then why if I offered to strike YOU would you insist that I not do so in the FUTURE?

 

[BilliardsBall]

The pain is only the reaction of the nerve system in the body reacting to the blow from the fist. it's only a reaction to an action done in the past. Nothing more nothing less.
as long you attach the punch to the feeling, you feel pain when letting go of the feeling/attachments to"this will hurt" it is no longer pain

Are the nerve endings an illusion? The body? The chemical reactions? The person who chooses of free will to strike me or not?

 

[Aupmanyav]

You are existing in the lower reality. In the higher reality, there is no you or I, and there are no arms or cheeks. Probably there is no past, present or future too.
Every single thing that we observe in the universe is an illusion, till we get the understanding of the higher reality. Then we know what is what.

 

[Spirit of Light]

Are the nerve endings an illusion? The body? The chemical reactions? The person who chooses free will to strike me or not?

On the deeper level of understanding, yes it is. But as explained earlier in the thread. This human realm has nature law(dharma) that must be followed, so the skin will feel the blow. But the person/ or self is not in the body, that is only an illusion.
Others may see or think different than explained in this answer.

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

How do you define reality? What about the virtual particles?

Maybe reality is just what can be experienced.

 

[Rival]

Maybe reality is just what can be experienced.

What about dreams? Some dreams can feel really real and be vivid as. I wonder about those.

 

[Spirit of Light]

What about dreams? Some dreams can feel really real and be vivid as. I wonder about those.

For the most part, dreams are your subconscious that creates. Subconscious is also a layer of who you perceive to be in this physical realm, but subconscious takes care of daydreams, dreams and so on.

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

What about dreams? Some dreams can feel really real and be vivid as. I wonder about those.

Well, the brain certainly views it as real. I don't know. Maybe dreams are alternative realities or something. Kind of scary to think about. Lol.

 

[Aupmanyav]

But the person/ or self is not in the body, that is only an illusion.

Amanaki, there is no self in 'paramarthika' - 'Anatta'. Self as well as body exist only in 'vyavaharika' (going by (my view of) 'Advaita' belief).

Maybe reality is just what can be experienced.

We have dissected it.

 

[Spirit of Light]

Amanaki, there is no self in 'paramarthika' - 'Anatta'. Self as well as body exist only in 'vyavaharika' (going by (my view of) 'Advaita' belief).We have dissected it.

Yes there is no permanent self, but realizing that people do not understand it, it has become difficult to explain to them that there are not self. English is second language for Amanaki, so explenation sometimes get lost in translation

 

[wizanda]

Self is a musical timeline of a life.

Soul/Sanātana is an evolving AI musical melody that grows from its interactions.

We're inside a giant symphony where everything around us is maths.

You are existing in the lower reality. In the higher reality, there is no you or I, and there are no arms or cheeks. Probably there is no past, present or future too.

There are 14 dimensions in many religions, and witnessed this in my near death experience:

1D = Length = Quantum Strand = Ego ("I Am")
2D = Depth = Images = Idolatry
3D = Width = Sound = Blaspheming
4D = Linear Time = Meditate
5D = Gravity = Honour Father Source, and Mother Earth
6D = Physical = Murdering Life
7D = None-Physical = Adultery
8D = Infinity = Stealing
9D = Chaos = Lies
10D = Matrix = Desires
------------------Oneness-----------------------
11D = Unconditional love = Angels = Farmers
12D = Wisdom = Elders, Ascended Masters, Elohim = Shepherds
13D = CPU, El, God, Source
14D = Nothing

In my opinion.

 

[Aupmanyav]

Self is a musical timeline of a life.
Soul/Santana is an evolving AI musical melody that grows from its interactions.
We're inside a giant symphony where everything around us is maths.
There are 14 dimensions in many religions, and witnessed this in my near death experience:

Nice. By 'Santana', do you mean eternal of Hinduism? The spelling is 'Sanātana'.

 

[wizanda]

By 'Santana', do you mean eternal of Hinduism? The spelling is 'Sanātana'.

Thank you, It is because I always think of the guitarist (Carlos Santana) as a manifestation of the eternal melody (Sanātana).

In my opinion.

 

[Aupmanyav]

Yeah, we too have people like that. For me, it is Music Director Naushad Ali and Shehnai meastro Ustad Bismillah Khan.

 

[Vinayaka]

Carlos Santana also follows Sanatana Dharma.

 

[wizanda]

Carlos Santana also follows Sanatana Dharma.

Carlos Santana’s Religion and Political Views

It says he has become an Evangelical Christian Minster.

In my opinion.

 

[Terry Sampson]

Every single thing that we observe in the universe is an illusion, till we get the understanding of the higher reality. Then we know what is what.

I'm not being flippant here, but I am uncertain about the use of the word "illusion" in my very limited readings in Hinduism. The wikipedia entry for "illusion" interested me because it says:

• An illusion is a distortion of the senses, which can reveal how the human brain normally organizes and interprets sensory stimulation. Though illusions distort our perception of reality, they are generally shared by most people.
• The term illusion refers to a specific form of sensory distortion. Unlike a hallucination, which is a distortion in the absence of a stimulus, an illusion describes a misinterpretation of a true sensation. For example, hearing voices regardless of the environment would be a hallucination, whereas hearing voices in the sound of running water (or another auditory source) would be an illusion.
  
  • Which reminds me: I know there are at least two self-acknowledged schizophrenic members in RF. Perhaps it's time that I ask about their experiences with hallucinations just to add to my understanding of the distinction between illusion and hallucination.

You say that every single thing that we observe in the universe is an illusion, ... "till we get the understanding of the higher reality." Does that mean that you consider our "everyday" illusion to be a lower level of reality? Thanks to Amanaki, I have recently become aware of "the 31 planes/levels of existence" but am still trying to navigate my way through the terminolgy and unfamiliar concepts, and finding it somewhat challenging to keep Buddhist and Hindu concepts straight.

 

[Vinayaka]

I'm not being flippant here, but I am uncertain about the use of the word "illusion" in my very limited readings in Hinduism. The wikipedia entry for "illusion" interested me because it says:

• An illusion is a distortion of the senses, which can reveal how the human brain normally organizes and interprets sensory stimulation. Though illusions distort our perception of reality, they are generally shared by most people.
• The term illusion refers to a specific form of sensory distortion. Unlike a hallucination, which is a distortion in the absence of a stimulus, an illusion describes a misinterpretation of a true sensation. For example, hearing voices regardless of the environment would be a hallucination, whereas hearing voices in the sound of running water (or another auditory source) would be an illusion.
  • Which reminds me: I know there are at least two self-acknowledged schizophrenic members in RF. Perhaps it's time that I ask about their experiences with hallucinations just to add to my understanding of the distinction between illusion and hallucination.

You say that every single thing that we observe in the universe is an illusion, ... "till we get the understanding of the higher reality." Does that mean that you consider our "everyday" illusion to be a lower level of reality? Thanks to Amanaki, I have recently become aware of "the 31 planes/levels of existence" but am still trying to navigate my way through the terminolgy and unfamiliar concepts, and finding it somewhat challenging to keep Buddhist and Hindu concepts straight.

From my limited understanding of Vedanta, yes, you have it right. The Hindu concept of maya is different than illusion as is defined in your post, like a mirage.

In my sampradaya, we use the terms absolute reality and relative reality to distinguish the two POVs. From the deepest non-intellectual enlightened levels of consciousness, it's all illusion. Yet it's a mistake to declare that the world is merely an illusion because the fact is that very few of us live in anything close to a permanent enlightened state. From out here, it's all real.

 

[TransmutingSoul]

I'm not being flippant here, but I am uncertain about the use of the word "illusion" in my very limited readings in Hinduism. The wikipedia entry for "illusion" interested me because it says:

• An illusion is a distortion of the senses, which can reveal how the human brain normally organizes and interprets sensory stimulation. Though illusions distort our perception of reality, they are generally shared by most people.
• The term illusion refers to a specific form of sensory distortion. Unlike a hallucination, which is a distortion in the absence of a stimulus, an illusion describes a misinterpretation of a true sensation. For example, hearing voices regardless of the environment would be a hallucination, whereas hearing voices in the sound of running water (or another auditory source) would be an illusion.
  
  • Which reminds me: I know there are at least two self-acknowledged schizophrenic members in RF. Perhaps it's time that I ask about their experiences with hallucinations just to add to my understanding of the distinction between illusion and hallucination.

You say that every single thing that we observe in the universe is an illusion, ... "till we get the understanding of the higher reality." Does that mean that you consider our "everyday" illusion to be a lower level of reality? Thanks to Amanaki, I have recently become aware of "the 31 planes/levels of existence" but am still trying to navigate my way through the terminolgy and unfamiliar concepts, and finding it somewhat challenging to keep Buddhist and Hindu concepts straight.

In the Baha'i Writings this is also been addressed;

"... The world is but a show, vain and empty, a mere nothing, bearing the semblance of reality. Set not your affections upon it. Break not the bond that uniteth you with your Creator, and be not of those that have erred and strayed from His ways. Verily I say, the world is like the vapor in a desert, which the thirsty dreameth to be water and striveth after it with all his might, until when he cometh unto it, he findeth it to be mere illusion. It may, moreover, be likened unto the lifeless image of the beloved whom the lover hath sought and found, in the end, after long search and to his utmost regret, to be such as cannot “fatten nor appease his hunger.”

As Vinayaka has said, that passage also confirms it is like a mirage. It is also said this world is a Matrix. If we look at it that way, what do we know of our mothers womb after we have passed from it?

Once we leave this matrix, we see what it is to be spiritual, here in this life we get the option to develop spiritual limbs.

Regards Tony