00:30

Real Vs. Unreal - How To Tell The Difference And Why

by Yaron Etzion

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Meditation
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This conversation focuses on the Real and the Unreal in life- how to tell the difference and why it is important. Conversations on the path to a whole heart. Join us for this unique opportunity to engage deeply in the journey of conscious evolution. Traditionally, knowledge is shared through a Q&A format, where the disciple sets the direction and pace. Join us to share your questions, insights, and doubts as we grow together on the path to a whole heart. Feel free to bring a friend, and together, let’s spark a movement toward collective sanity

SpiritualityConsciousnessSelf AcceptanceEnlightenmentSelf RealizationDualityAcceptanceUnconditional LoveFreedomSelf DoubtPresent MomentReal Vs UnrealSpiritual AwakeningPresent Moment AwarenessFreedom From External CircumstancesSpiritual ConversationAcceptance Of LifeSpiritual Masters

Transcript

Hello,

Hello,

Dear people,

Welcome.

The opportunity we give ourselves to stop the rush,

Hold hands,

And walk the path together.

Not just as individuals,

But also as a united consciousness,

This asking and answering and evolving during this process.

That's your opportunity to contribute at this discussion by sharing your questions,

Sharing your doubts,

Your fears,

Your difficulties,

Everything that you feel that still stands between you and an awakened consciousness.

Is there anybody here who's here for the first time?

So we are all veterans,

You can dive deep today.

Who would like to be the first one to jump into the water today?

There's always one person who is the first one,

So why don't you be that person today?

Charlie cannot sound the voice of the sincere seeker because we are still on different continents,

But she's here with us.

Charlie's asking,

I'm reading a spiritual book now that talks about real and unreal.

I find this hard to follow in order to seek truth and enlightenment.

There are many questions in one sentence.

Let's start with real and unreal.

Without sounding too spiritual about it,

It's a challenge.

What is real versus unreal?

This is something spirituality is referring to in many ways.

Many books,

Many philosophies,

What is real,

What is unreal.

It's generally described as the difference between the changing versus the non-changing.

What is real?

Let's start with what is unreal.

Unreal is everything that is changing.

If you're trying to determine,

To find the criteria to make the difference between the two,

That's the most popular criteria on spiritual scriptures.

So basically,

Everything you experience is unreal.

If you use this criteria,

Think about it,

All the things that we experience change.

Those experiences,

By definition,

Are changing all the time.

The realm of phenomena is defined as change.

How do we know that there is a phenomenon now?

Because it's different from what there was a second ago.

Correct?

We don't know if it's comfortable,

If it wasn't uncomfortable a minute ago.

Because now there is the two,

Right?

This duality exists,

So you can compare and you can make the difference between the two.

Now,

Like in the Old Testament,

You know,

The first sentence is,

In the Genesis,

There was chaos.

So there was no two,

There was just one big scramble of everything.

But then God divided the heaven and the earth,

So he created this duality.

Within this duality,

You can start generating life and experiencing that.

It's a beautiful way to describe it.

And you can find it in any culture,

Any spiritual literature.

So why is it important?

Because we are too focused on the unreal,

Hypnotized by the unreal.

Our complete attention is to the realm of phenomena.

What is happening and especially what shouldn't happen versus what is happening.

All the ideas we have about it.

And these also change all the time.

Everything we experience changes.

So when spiritual masters are inviting you to experience what is real,

They basically are trying to invite your attention from the realm of phenomena to the essence of your consciousness.

Like we did in the beginning of this meeting,

Where you find the unchanging,

Which is referred to the only real thing in reality.

Why is it more real than the realm of phenomena?

That's a good question.

Why is it more real?

Not a matter of better or worse.

Yeah,

It's important to understand.

It's not a question of hierarchy.

But it's a way to get your attention,

Your focus on what is essentially a spiritual awakening,

Where you realize that the observer is free from the realm of phenomena.

Because what happens is we are seeking freedom out there as a consequence of the realm of phenomena.

Hoping for some different reality to happen,

Waiting for something else to manifest,

Believing that only then we can truly be free.

And that is an illusion.

So when you stop searching outside in the realm of phenomena,

And you're more and more coming back home to the very essence of who you are,

What you are,

You are less and less dependent on external circumstances.

And freedom is a natural consequence of that.

So the whole spiritual journey,

It doesn't matter which path you're choosing,

Is about you realizing the nature of your self,

Of what an amazing awakened consciousness is there waiting for you.

And that is not hiding in the realm of phenomena.

So in that sense,

That's the difference between unreal and real.

It's not that this table doesn't exist.

It's not real.

Yeah,

Of course it's there.

But it's not helping you to realize who you are.

In that sense,

It's unreal.

And of course,

You can start philosophizing about is it really there,

This table?

But I'm not going to go there.

It's not helping in any way on our path.

Yeah,

Physics tells us that the table is not a real entity.

It's just a matter of atoms organizing themselves in a certain way to create a certain matter.

But still,

Atoms are just a set of possibilities.

Not a real thing in a physical sense.

So if you go down to the very atomic level of matter,

It's again a mystery more than a concrete thing.

But there's no reason to go there.

Okay,

So that's the difference between real and unreal.

And now I find out how to follow in order to seek truth.

If you're looking to seek truth,

My recommendation is don't go anywhere.

Don't seek it.

Because the word seek in itself,

By itself,

Suggests that it doesn't exist where you are,

As you are right now.

It has to be somewhere else,

Some other time,

Other circumstances.

Do you see that?

If you want to realize truth,

You have to stop seeking for it.

You wake up to find it where you are,

As you are.

Truth is the present moment.

The problem is that you are waiting for a different moment.

So you can't find the truth.

Do you see the irony of it?

H22.

Believing that this is not perfect,

It's not good enough.

And especially enlightenment.

You want to seek the truth and enlightenment?

Enlightenment is not something you can ever find.

Enlightenment is not what you achieve at the end of your efforts.

Enlightenment is not what you achieve at the end of your efforts.

So,

As long as you keep seeking enlightenment,

I guarantee you will not find it.

Enlightenment is the natural state of what you are already.

Just beyond your doubts.

It's just waiting for you one inch beyond your doubt.

See what I'm saying?

Ask yourself,

What would you be one inch beyond your doubt,

When you're completely free from doubt,

Self-doubt?

When you are a manifestation of total comfort in your skin,

As you are.

A long answer or a short question.

What else?

The image Michelangelo painted of the outreach hand of God and the human hand almost touching.

It is not beyond our reach to seek,

But to recognize it as what already is.

You know,

Look carefully at that picture.

You know the picture of Michelangelo on the wall?

On the Sistine Chapel of God sitting on a cloud,

Reaching out to man and the man is sitting there.

Now,

Look close in that picture.

It's interesting because if you look closely,

You can recognize that God is making the effort and man is sitting there nonchalant,

You know,

Barely even trying.

Just,

You know,

Casually lifting his finger and God is like reaching out,

Trying to touch.

It's quite funny if you look at it again.

Search it out on Google.

Human hand is relaxed.

God is stretching.

Yeah,

Exactly,

Making like an effort.

That's how Michelangelo saw it.

Yeah.

Isn't it beautiful?

It's not and can never,

Cannot ever be a result of your efforts.

Yeah.

The truth wants to be found,

Barbara is saying.

And I would say not found but realized,

Experienced.

The truth is there already.

You don't need to find it.

You need to stop searching for it.

Believing it must be something else.

Yeah.

Wake up and realize you are that.

Realize that all your misery,

All your difficulty,

All your conflicts,

All your drama,

All your suffering is not because of circumstances but because of your doubt.

You're unwilling to accept,

To realize perfection in the present moment,

As the present moment.

Yeah.

No,

No,

No.

I know,

I know what should have happened.

Let you go and search for your truth somewhere else,

Some other time.

Good luck with that.

Yeah.

God is reaching out and you just casually,

Effortlessly,

Gracefully,

Answer.

Yes.

I am what I am.

I was just saying,

Man doesn't even have the motivation to put any clothes on.

Yes.

Yes.

Yeah,

This is an invitation for every one of us to stop and really contemplate on that.

What conditions do we put in the relationships we manage in life,

With life?

What kind of conditions do we put?

No,

No,

No.

This,

This is not,

This is not working.

Something else would happen.

Every time you find yourself caught in that trap,

To realize it and become aware of it,

And remind yourself,

You are pushing yourself away from an awakened consciousness.

If what you truly long for,

What is most important to you in life,

Is an awakened consciousness,

Then this is counterproductive.

And then ask yourself,

What is more important to you?

Is it to win an argument?

Ask yourself that again and again and again and again.

To guard your principles,

To protect your agenda,

Etc.

,

Etc.

Or to experience life with a whole heart and a willing soul.

What is more important to you?

This is the right path.

It's paved by people who choose again and again to experience life with a whole heart and a willing soul.

If you feel that this is truly the most important thing for you,

Then the right path is the right path for you.

What do you say?

I want to hear some feedback now.

Come on,

Wake up.

Shoot me some feedbacks.

Especially those people who are here for the first time.

April is asking if I'm following astrology.

Not really.

No.

I mean,

Yeah,

Definitely we are all a part of creation and are being influenced and influencing everything around us,

Including the positions of planets and stars.

But how exactly does that influence is a mystery that in my journey is not meant to be resolved.

I don't presume to know how planets and stars can personally influence one's journey.

I'm a simple person,

But that's me.

Oops.

How do we keep up high vibrations when surrounded by pain and negativity?

I've been trying many things to combat or build positive wall against outside forces.

Well,

First thing I would say building a wall is not a good strategy.

You want to be free.

You cannot surround yourself with walls,

Can you?

How can you be free when you are surrounded with walls?

See,

The only reason you can surround yourself with walls is because you are afraid of what life has to offer.

Otherwise,

Why protect yourself against life?

Correct?

Starts by arguing with life and then stop being afraid of life and then embrace life and love it.

Love the opportunity you have to experience everything that life has to offer.

And that leads you to melt into life.

Realize there is no difference between you and life.

This is the way our consciousness evolves.

And it starts with you saying yes.

Yes.

Yes to life.

Whatever it has to offer.

Sometimes it's pleasant.

Sometimes it's unpleasant.

Sometimes it's happy.

Sometimes it's sad.

Sometimes it's positive and negative.

Whatever.

You know,

Of course,

Life is never positive or negative.

Life is happening.

It's you who's judging it one way or the other.

This works for me.

This doesn't work for me.

Right?

An awakened consciousness doesn't split life like that into these two groups.

What works for me,

What doesn't work for me.

The mouse is saying I knew you were going to say that.

Yes,

Can't protect yourself against life.

Embrace life.

Yeah.

And yeah,

We know these answers.

We know them but we still need to be reminded again and again.

Maintain high vibes sounds better more than negative.

So if you want,

You know,

What drags you down of course there is no need to surround yourself with people who drag you down or situations that drag you down.

There's no need for that.

So if you can,

You know,

Change your environment or replace your friends do that.

Help yourself in that sense.

But nevertheless don't confuse yourself to believe that only when your situation is different and only then you can be free.

That's an illusion.

If somebody is touching a sensitive nerve tell just the messenger.

Don't kill the messenger.

See if you can heal that injured nerve.

They're just pointing out what is still unresolved.

You know this story this beautiful story about this righteous woman that dedicated her life for the sake of humanity Mama Teresa kind of person and she died and went to the gates of heaven and the angel is looking at the list and he's saying listen I'm sorry but we can't let you in and she's like what?

I mean I dedicated all my life for the sake of humanity what more can I do?

And he's saying there's one lesson we're not completely sure that you mastered and that is accepting people as they are.

So the woman says okay so send me for another we'll go another time see if I can learn that.

So he says yes but just a minute let me come back to you.

So he goes to heaven and is asking all the angels he meets in heaven if somebody is willing to go down with her and abuse her.

So they can see if she accepts him the abuser the messenger then they know that she's ready for heaven.

But the point is that nobody wants to go down with her because she's such a beautiful righteous woman I can't do that for her whole lifetime it's too much,

You're asking too much.

So she's stuck she cannot go down she can't come in,

They don't know what to do they go to God and tell him the story and God is saying you know you know there is one angel he is extremely angelic you go and ask him and he will agree.

So they look for that angel and they find him resting meditating under the tree and they tell him the story and he's saying okay I'll take that responsibility I'll go down with her and we'll make sure that she loves accepting people and situations as they are.

That's the story.

So next time Mercy when you meet your messenger can you recognize he was the whitest angel in heaven brought down especially for you to learn your lesson once and for all.

We all have that abuser at least one not many those people that knows how to touch our buttons and rub against an open nerve right next time you meet that person look beyond the story that you tell yourself about this person see if you can recognize the whitest angel in heaven in his eyes or her eyes What do you say?

You repeat that repeat what?

I promise I'm gonna put the recording of this meeting on my inside timer page so you can listen to it again anyways we need this reminder again and again and again that's what we're doing here keep reminding ourselves what do we really want more than anything else time for one last question who didn't ask?

What is still standing there between you and an awakened consciousness I'm gonna summarize our homework for the coming weeks we're gonna have a meeting next week because I'm traveling back to Canada so we have some time to practice and the homework is every time you find yourself doubting the present moment seeking for something else believing that whatever is right here right now is not good enough every time this happens remind yourself this is counterproductive you are not helping yourself and ask yourself this question what do you prefer do you prefer to be just to win an argument to stand your ground all that or do you prefer to experience whatever is happening right here right now with a whole heart and a willing soul gracefully whether it fits your plans or contradict them do that again and again and again and again don't forget to face that question what do you prefer what do you choose that is truly the only choice you can make the rest are just illusions it's the only real choice you can make the difference between real and unreal that is the only real so keep on asking we'll meet again probably in two weeks or maybe three I'm not sure we'll see but I would be curious to see what did you gather from practicing this so next meeting come with your resolutions write it down so you don't forget yes thank you very much lovely people for spending this hour with me kindly do appreciate it it's a privilege to share that moment of growth with you and we'll meet again soon enjoy your summer love you very much bye bye

Meet your Teacher

Yaron EtzionEdmonton, AB, Canada

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