Expert: Joe McSorley - 1/24/2005

Question
Hello Joe!

Is it true that Buddhists claim that reality is only an illusion? If so, how to explain that reality is an illusion, how to understand it? It reminds me the "Matrix" movie when one of the actors, looking at the spoon, at one moment says that this spoon doesn't really exist. But even if you strongly believe that we are living in a dream world, tell me please, how do you know this, because everyone can say that, for example "the spoon" doesn't exist, but I'm holding this spoon right now so how can one tell me that it's not true, that it is only an illusiuon. Do you have any thoughts on this?
Thanks!


Answer
Buddhists do not think reality is an illusion but that our version of what we think reality is, is the illusion.  In other words what our minds construct as real and true is not what is truly real but the interpretation of our mind that we see.  Though this is very difficult to explain there are many metaphors for this.  If you were to look outside and see the moon you would be sure that it is real but suppose you discovered that in fact you were looking at a mirror and not the moon at all but only its reflection?  Now you were only seeing a two dimensional reflection of something very real but you were sure it was the moon.  It was not the moon at all, only an illusion and an empty image with no substance.  In fact, the moon was always there but you missed it by only seeing the reflection.  We never see anything ‘as it is' but only as a reflection in our mind.  We don't see a tree, we see an image and create the thought ‘tree' and dwell on the thought.  The thought is not the thing, the thing is the thing, with or without our thought about it.  In that everything we see arises as a thought or reflection in our minds then what we see as reality is really an illusion and not true reality.  This is how our minds work, to separate and create a thought about it but not to see it ‘as it is'.  Just like the moon's reflection was not the moon, our thought on something is not the thing.  If you were to approach the reflection of the moon you would find that you could never reach it the same way thinking about what a tree is will never reveal what a tree is to itself.
 As far as the matrix goes it is not what Buddhism is about though it is entertaining its philosophy is weak.
        Joe