Map Versus Reality

One Must Not Mistake
The Map With Reality

To summarize, this is a very personal story about how my perception and comprehension of life have been and continue to be developed by the Psychology of Buddhas; an inward trans-personal approach, placing much emphasis on mindfulness and impermanence, that share what seems to be a profoundly sensual foreign word, linguistically borrowed into English, 'Dukkha' or, 'pervasive unsatisfactoriness': “Temporary instances of happiness culminate in inevitable unhappiness. Thus, our current state is one where we are always yearning for something more.

I have realized that there is no end to the process of discovering oneself on the challenging path concerning the development of a healthy ego. What I have found, during all this time, is that on the road to developing an inner spiritual self, there are numerous false turnings toward real progress which seem so wholly convincing as actual advances. Obstacles reveal themselves as better concealed detours now. I am not one to deny the very real possibility of a person having a spiritual awakening, but experience has shown me, this does not equate to erasing the history of personality. Unintegrated, unconscious neuroses may well become even more intense and throw a summary shadow over this newly awakened consciousness. What is important here is to note problematic or persistent reactionary behaviours which must be acknowledged and integrated as they are indicative of identification that is still taking place; a lack of awareness about the self or in other words departure from the state of pure pristine silence.
The quest for unified consciousness and constant happiness can be another subtle trap, preventing true freedom. Over the years, it has become very clear to me on a practical level that real freedom is not based on any assumption of shared experience or collective awareness (unity consciousness), permanent state of happiness (euphoria) or transcendence. Freedom is realizing how my own hurt and suffering organize themselves around much less tangible notions of “I” or “mine.” Therein limitation lies spiritual enlightenment not involving transcendence but breaking through at the core illusion: new feelings tenaciously attaching themselves to some notion of ’I,’ and possession itself as two spiritual traps incessantly meeting every single honest step taken on the path toward real liberation. Clearly, hard work has to be done inside to notice what mature integrated enlightenment is. So often, it is just another fascinating illusion; a dream which deceives and eventually eludes grasp. Dramatic but mistaken realizations sustain in very subtle yet effective way an incipient spiritual ego if the awareness of them as illusions - realized strongly by turns - is lacking.

Momentary experiences of ecstasy are very often confused as a permanent state of liberation; this is one among the most cunning traps. The experience feels real, intensely so, and convinces the person that he has seen the ultimate truth. However, such return craving only keeps alive the play of desire and its attendant frustration. Therefore, the path to spirituality should not be mistaken as a pursuit for high moments but rather an investment in developing steady conscious awareness through all highs and lows that life brings .

Another one of the very common traps: Knowledge for its own sake, particularly spiritual knowledge. In the acquisition of wisdom, however much more complicated philosophies we master and add to our storehouse with which to impress others about how much we know, only the ego is being inflated by a false sense of security within itself. Real understanding comes when one has direct experience; not through intellectual acrobatics but actualization of the teachings in daily life. "The finger pointing at the moon is not the moon," goes a Zen saying - the map should not be confused with territory, concept should not be confused with reality.