Is the physical world unreal?

Physical world reflects what is in your consciousness. It cannot exist alone, just like the reflection in a mirror. If you possess inner joy, it will manifest as a joyful life in the physical realm. Without joy inside, it’s impossible to discover it outside, similar to how an image requires someone standing in front of a mirror. From this viewpoint, the physical world is considered unreal.

Concept

Consider the analogy of a conscious dream where only I exist. I am all that is in my dream. Various thoughts in my mind are manifested as unique characters in my dream. I permeate all of those characters; they are all me, but various limitations imagined over me give rise to unique versions of myself. The behavior of each character reflects their distinctiveness, resulting in interesting drama when they interact. If I were to envision a butler, the limitations imposed on me result in that part of myself appear separate from myself and behaving as a butler. Just like that, by applying different limitations, an infinite number of characters can be created within me.

I am consciously dreaming of finding joy and want to witness the drama that occurs when distinct characters interact and create joy. It is only possible if all characters collaborate harmoniously. From my point of view, I observe myself in all characters, which leads me to feel love and equality towards everyone, perceiving no person as superior or inferior to another. Having diversity among the characters is crucial for creating an engaging drama, and giving them freedom of choice adds excitement instead of me controlling all of them. I transmit this message to everyone embedded in their DNA. This underlying message is the heart of all. If characters can acknowledge their innermost desires and act upon them in their own distinctive way, while still upholding the central message, a state of harmony will be achieved and I will continue to pursue my dream with great joy. In essence, all the different, limited versions of my being will experience a profound sense of happiness.

Inference

This is what exactly happening even in our world. As a soul, I am immortal and exist as is. I incarnate into various physical bodies to gain various experiences of living in physical world. As a soul, I see myself in all and hence feel unconditional love** towards all. The moment I incarnated into physical body, I am eclipsed by the core limitation of the brain (or human mind) and I see myself separate from rest of the incarnations. Over this, many layers of limitations lay over like gender, religion, nationality, doctor, actor, engineer, wife, husband, officer, clerk, manager, prime minister, president, etc. Due to these limitations, they feel separate from each other resulting in severe competition, conflicts and all sorts of negative traits. As human mind evolve with their own experiences, genetic mutations with visiting extra territorial beings, etc., bring changes in the DNA and eventually human mind could turn within connecting to the higher self, which is soul. Then the perspective of soul becomes the perspective of humans and they start experience that oneness, and feel love towards all. From this point, they all live in harmony resulting in joyful life.

** Love is unconditional by its nature and it is redundant to prefix it with “unconditional”.

Limitations

Limitations are important as they are the only way I (true self) can impose on myself, causing many to appear and there is no creation without many. There is no dream if I cannot see many characters and these characters are possible only because of limitations. But what is important is that all the forms should focus on the expression of their uniqueness and at the same time should feel the underlying oneself, which is pervading all. Only then they can feel the oneness among them, which helps them to collaborate with each other in expressing themselves and live in harmony. Without this feeling of underlying oneself, all limitations become negative separating them on many bases, like gender, colour, religion, nation, family, etc.

Once you recognize yourself, soul, you may try to drop limitations and feel your true self. I mean, you will be at the level of soul consciously, observing all the roles (limitations) instead of identifying with them. Your consciousness has now expanded from the body to the soul. When you identify with your body, you perceive yourself in every body part. When you identify with your soul, you perceive yourself in all physical bodies. You may have the scope to expand beyond soul and seeing yourself in many other souls, and this expansion would go on till infinity. At the level of infinity, you are is you are. I am That, Tatvamasi, I am That I am and you can now feel the declarations of all outstanding personalities of our past.