Real Presence as Antidote

 In the same way, the ignorant and simple-minded who are favorably influenced by the erroneous views of the philosophers do not recognize that the views that are influencing them are only dream-like ideas originating in the mind itself, and consequently they are held fast by their notions of oneness and otherness, of being and non-being. It is like a painter’s canvas on which the ignorant imagine they see the elevations and depressions of mountains and valleys. 

Gautama, Buddha. THE LANKAVATARA SUTRA (p. 6). Independent. Kindle Edition. 

When we interact with the dreamlike ideas of the mind, are we supposed to behave ethically towards them, or is the precepts not that important? I have been thinking about this since Saturday's class. One conclusion that seems clear to me is that, indeed, anything we do that harms others is harmful to the mind itself. For instance, when a person has a fit of anger, they are bound to feel regret even if the angry thought wasn't fully expressed. This is because they know that anger is based on a fundamental delusion of self as separate from others. As one participant had explained in our Introduction to Meditation workshop today, nobody ever "makes" a person angry (or even happy, for that matter) since we interpret other people's behavior through our own lenses and perceptions.  By simply letting go of the dualistic notion of self and other, we can see that harming others is no different from harming ourselves. So, it is indeed important to be ethical. After all, wouldn't harming others be like dropping bricks on our own feet? 

Concepts such as being and non being, oneness and otherness, etc. are all based on a view of the self that is founded on duality. All these concepts are ultimately the mind's projections. Now we know this, but do we really know it fully, deeply and with our hearts? I think the important thing is to be present in every situation and to treat this moment as the only moment there is. In doing this, we cut away our comparisons, likes and dislikes, and learn to fully accept this moment as the totality of our mind and awareness, rather than trying to identify with only one tiny piece of the canvas as ourselves. This also means that every thought, no matter good or bad, can be accepted on equal terms. We don't say one thought is better than another, only that one is maybe more useful and beneficial. That is why we need to be careful not to reject certain ideas or thoughts, since they are all ultimately only projections coming from the same awareness. To cast judgment on one of those thoughts is almost like the left hand slapping the right. What is the point if they come from the same source?