Reality Is…What?

Posted by Paul Reynolds on Dec 14, 2021 in Inspired Readings, Western Insight | Comments Off on Reality Is…What?

The net of our thought can only grasp fragmented concepts about reality, but reality as such is always beyond its reach.

So, the inadequacy of our conceptual maps for a full understanding of reality pushes us to make them more and more intricate, on the assumption that, once they become complex enough, then they will finally be able to grasp the whole ‘truth’ from every possible point of view, which is tantamount to taking countless photos of a river in the impossible task to reproduce the actual flow of its stream. No matter how many there are, fixed photos will never be able to replicate any movement.

Reality is not a problem that should be solved, however complex we can imagine it is; reality is a mystery indeed.

We cannot ‘solve’ a mystery as if it were a problem; we can only fall into it and realize that we don’t need to ‘understand’ it, because we are it anyway.

Yet, out of frustration for being unable to understand the whole truth, we keep on creating more and more complex maps, instead of surrendering to the evidence that the mystery of existence is actually too simple to be known by mind’s complications – so simple, that it eludes any attempt to grasp it by thought.

However, sooner or later, our belief in concepts and mental maps spontaneously collapses – and this occurs in our life more often than we expect, though we usually don’t realize it consciously.

Then we may find ourselves free-falling in the unknown emptiness where the utter simplicity of being explodes into the wonder of this multifaceted universe.

In the light of this recognition, it becomes totally irrelevant whether our conceptual maps are at work or not, since they too – as any other experience- are just a momentary expression of the utter simplicity of being.”

– Mauro Bergonzi
Thank you Natalie Sudman for this find

Posted by | Paul Reynolds

“Not Christian or Jew or Muslim, not Hindu, Buddhist, Sufi, or Zen. Not any religion or cultural system…..” - Rumi

For over 30 years Paul Reynolds has collected and shared inspiration from a wide variety of sources. Embracing the philosophy that at the core of all these expressions is the reminder that we are loved and supported every moment. This unending stream of inspiration, imagination and wisdom is posted via his weekly ‘Living the Question Blog’, which has become ‘home’ for those discoveries. If you would like to receive the readings and share them with those you feel will benefit, please fill out the ‘Subscribe’ form to the right and Paul’s selections will come to your email every Friday.