Visible Appearances are Untrue

[Ram]

Visible Appearances are Untrue

"The listeners had asked previously, "If the universe (all that is
visible) is untrue then how can it be seen?" The answer is given now.
Please listen carefully." (Dasbodh - Chapter 6, Sub-chapter 8)
All appearance is Illusion (Maya) and the witness is Brahman. The
seen, the appearance, is false and the seer is Brahman. There is a
declaration in the Vedas that there are only two entities, which are
1.) that
which is seen, and 2.) the one who sees it. Vedanta declares this
repeatedly.

There is nothing apart from the seer and the seen in this world. The
One who resides in the hearts of all is Brahman, and He is "Real." One
who takes refuge in the seen perishes, and one who takes refuge in
Brahman attains That status. He becomes Brahman. Whoever worships,
will attain the object of worship. If you concentrate your attention
on the
seen (objective world), you will be destroyed along with the seen.
However, the question remains, if the seen is untrue, why is it
visible at
all?

The seen is false because it is visible. Whatever is seen is the magic
created by the eye. Hence, it is untrue. In the mirror, a face is
seen. This
implies that two faces seem to exist, but does it mean that there are
two
of "you"? The fact is that you are only one, but two of you seem to
exist
nevertheless."

A painter draws pictures with paint and says, "This is a mountain,
this
is Lord Vishnu, this is Goddess Laxmi." Do you accept it as real? You
are
the creator. What is actually wood you accept as a chair. This is all
the
miracle of the eye.

One who worships the Self will become the Self. This mortal world
is made of earth. It will eventually all be reduced to dust. The human
body comes from a womb and goes to the grave. One should eat the
kernel of a coconut and throw away the shell. One who eats the shell
only succeeds in knocking out his teeth.

- Shri Siddharameswhar Maharaj
From Amrut Laya