1) That this life is nothing more than an advanced form of virtual reality, where nothing is truly real, other than the living beings you encounter. The bodies are fake, but the consciousness driving the body is real. The purpose of this VR is unclear, though it appears to be a training simulator, where the participants learn a series of things by living different "lives". Just like in a video game, when you die, you start over as a new character, seemingly equal to your last, except you have gained wisdom and learned lessons with your last character that you will not have to learn again, so this life you spend experiencing other things. This process repeats, over and over. Buddha said you can escape this process much earlier, and end the suffering one endures within it. To do this, one must become "enlightened", which means basically that you learn to see reality for what it really is. Once you see this, your suffering stops, because you realize it's all just a game. Not many people, especially Buddhists, would put it quite this way, but it is true nonetheless.
2) That though suffering is caused by false ideas and ignorance, the suffering itself is very real, because you can measure it's results. So, because suffering is real, when you encounter it in the world, be compassionate. If you understand that the world is false, chances are the person you encounter does NOT understand this, and suffers fully. Feel their pain. Remember your own. Just as a normal person is so caught up in their own pain that they fail to see the pain they are causing in others, an "enlightened" person can become so detached from the world because they realize it's all just a simulator, that they fail to remember that the pain in others is REAL. Remain grounded to the suffering of others.
3) Because the suffering of other living beings is real, one must refrain from CAUSING suffering to these beings. Causing pain is a "negative" action, one which lowers your own and others "experience" and makes life worse as a result. Some call this Karma.
4) Cause and effect is the true law of nature, and the only real law here in this "reality". It is responsible for all that exists, and all that ever will. Once the machine was set in motion (some call this "The Big Bang", I call it "Beginning The Simulator"), simple cause and effect predicated all that would ever happen. This means that TRUE free will does not exist, since when you choose something, the variables which caused you to choose that specific thing are so numerous and varied, that there is no way it could all be consciously considered. Instead, all that we do is pure reaction, controlled by every single event we have ever experienced, from our own unique perspective.
5)Our inner monologue or values system is truly just a justification system to rationally explain why we do what we do, instead of giving in to the maddening truth that we aren't really in control of what happens next. For a person immersed into the world of the VR, the better they are at justifying their actions and life experiences, the better mental health that person has. Hence why psychology is becoming so popular. It promises all the answers to our ever growing psychosis. Psychosis caused by living a life that deep down subconsciously we know is not real. Through psychology, we gain ever more complex explanations for why our actions betray our values, or why our thoughts betray our actions. We grow ever more confident that the answers to life can be gained from a psychologist or scientist, instead of from our own experience. We rely on others expertise, because we are caught in a system of dependence on external stimulation. We have to spend a large portion of our lives working for a wage in order to afford that external stimulation, thus depriving us of the time required to develop insight and wisdom of our own. Through this lack of wisdom or insight, we either seek out religion (which again is dependence upon others) or we seek science to give the answers that will put our curiosity at ease. Surely using others viewpoints and opinions as a launching point of your own ideas is a practical and useful method, but too many people get "stuck on the diving board" instead of actually launching unique ideas.
6)Though anger is real, it is almost ALWAYS caused by ignorance, and therefore not to be trusted whenever it arises. It must be dissected and analyzed before being responded to, in order to maintain it's authenticity. Anger usually arises out of wounded pride. This is NOT a good response to wounded pride. Pride comes from a belief in the "self". That the physical body and persona that is being maligned is "you". And that this "you" is being insulted in some way and will cause that person and others to doubt the validity of this "self-image", this idol that represents "you". We panic in these situations and arise in anger to defend our self-image. But really, that is not "you". It just a collection of processes that has a vague awareness of itself. The real you is somewhere else, just watching the adventure unfold like the most lifelike movie you've ever seen! Except YOU are actually playing a role as well! How cool, right? But just like how some people get so into a movie, that they yell at the screen or wonder why the stupid bitch decides to open that door, most people get so caught up in their "story" that they forget it's not real, and grow defensive of their character, thinking it to be them. Do not do this. Always remain equanimous, for growing happy or sad or angry at anything that happens here, is to be reacting to a game as though it were real. This causes many delusions and psychosis. Fear, comes first. Fear of loss. Fear of pain. Fear of death. To alleviate this pain, this paralyzing illusion, we engage in yet more illusions. Fear of loss? Well just get so much of "it", that you'll never run out! Fear of pain? Well just make enough money that you can pay any doctor or shrink to take any pain away that you may ever have! Fear of death? Well just have children, a male preferably! They will ensure your bloodline continues, which is ALMOST as good as living forever, right? All this reaction to fear, is called greed. Greed is ALWAYS a reaction to fear. The greedier a person is, the more scared he is. His greed is the remedy to his fear, replacing one psychosis for another, but instead of just harming himself, the greed harms himself AND those from whom he takes more than his share.
7) That you are not to interfere in the experience of others. Of course, as you will inevitably interact with other living beings, you will affect their world, and they yours. Knowing this, try to make the affect a positive one, for it will ensure your experience will stay pleasurable and you will have the knowledge that you aided another on their journey. However, in other circumstances, such as trying to dictate how others should live their life, never try to impose your views on others. This never works out. Not unless you have an army behind your back. Just live your life, make your views known but do not condemn others, even if their actions seem cruel and ignorant. Know that these people are on their own path, and you have NO IDEA what part of the path they are on, Unless they just so happen to be at the right part, the only effect your ranting will get is condemnation and a bad impression of the truth. If they ask, explain, and do so with kindness and understanding.
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