Originally Posted By: Revlgking
TT, when you say
Quote:
The enlightened know suffering is an illusion ...
are you quoting yourself? Or who?

I'm quoting from the Science and scripture of Yoga, and speaking from my own direct experience.


Originally Posted By: Revlgking

And, what do you think such a statement means to those of us who would like to be--here, I am inclined to include myself--but who do not feel we are fully enlightened, yet?
What of the partially enlightened?
What of those trapped entirely in their somas and psyches?
Would it make any sense at all to them?

As a great master once said, those with the eyes to see and the ears to hear understand.
One would have to be situated only in the Now to understand how illusions are created and perceived by the ego.
Originally Posted By: Revlgking

Consider the following scenario:
I live in an area where, I am happy to say, we are all good neighbours to one another.

For example, currently, all of us do a good job keeping our properties neat and tidy. If, for whatever reason, any one of us lost our marbles, stopped keeping our property tidy, became paranoid and developed a violent, insulting personality and threw our garbage on the properties of others, do you think that all the rest of us would say: Not to worry; smile it is just an illusion?

Nope. Because you all are attached to the order of surface appearances, any disruption would cause you great dissatisfaction, stress and confusion (that'd be suffering or what is also called the experience of hell).

Such was the case 2000 years ago when the followers of Jesus kept hoping that he would clean up their neighborhoods but instead he helped those that were wanting to clean up their understanding of reality.
For those that were attached to their personal neighborhoods there was no comprehension of the message of his teachings.
He spoke of that which was permanent within themselves and how to bring that out so that those things that were temporary would not be placed above the permanent. But they who could not see or understand what he spoke of went back to protecting their neighborhoods and found great distress when it was invaded or someone through garbage on their property.

They died, trying to keep their paragraphs short and using headings to emphasize their main points, wink and without ever understanding what was spoken of regarding the illusions of belief, in the attachments of the ego.


I was addicted to the Hokey Pokey, but then I turned myself around!!