..."so if you think your life
is complete confusion
'cause your neighbor's got
it made just remember that
it's a grand illusion
and deep inside we're all the same"... STYX '77
One of the most fascinating concepts of Buddhism is, "Everything is an Illusion." My first introduction to the concept of illusion was from a rock band called Styx. In the late 1970's they did a song called "Grand Illusion" (partial lyrics are referenced above). A melodious treatise on the human condition of comparing our insides to the outsides of others. It was a simple yet somehow very profound revelation for me. One that I have revisited many times over the decades. The Buddha believed, lived and taught that our perceptions mislead us into believing we are separate from the elements we are made of. We don't see things for what they truly are. A flower decaying doesn't talk and complain that it is dying because it doesn't have a mind to construct such an illusion.
In meditation we come to a state where the self disappears - all notions of EGO are gone. It may be for only a few seconds - it may be longer depending on the conditions of your meditative session. If you are a Christian and the Buddhist references cause you concern - I use it only as a teaching tool - we are all one. In Christianity the Illusion of life is primarily referred to in terms of Spiritual reality over physical reality. It is often referred to as Nondualism (meaning not two) and is the state where one realizes that we are neither physical or mental. The ultimate reality is spirit.
