How can the physical reality be called illusion?

Question

Some ancient Hindu philosophers thought that all that we see
is Maya (illusion). Their reasons are many which are above
that of common knowledge. A few of them are mentioned below:

(1) At the physical level: Science knows that the
inter-atomic space is much more compared to the space
occupied by atoms in a molecule. Your big body consists of
many billions of molecules. Compared to the hugeness of
inter-atomic space inside your body, you are nothing.

(2) At the mental level: Your sub-conscious mind is
influenced by Adhi Bhouthika (lower collective psychic
energy). Your conscious mind is influenced by Adhi Atmika
(human collective psychic energy). Your super conscious mind
is influenced by Adhi Daivika (higher collective psychic
energy). Compared to those psychic energies, your personal
freedom to think is nothing.

(3) At the soul level: The Advaita Siddhantam says that
Atma (soul) present in your body is a piece of Paramatma
(infinite soul, Almighty). Almighty is eternal. Almighty is
Omnipotent. Almighty is infinite. Compared to the infinite
Almighty. you are nothing.

But yet....you know that you are real!

The Almighty has chosen you, and every other person for
a particular purpose. The aim of life is to understand
the greatness of the creator. And to search for the
purpose for which a soul is given human life. This
purpose differs from person to person because it is
dependent on the past Karma of the soul. (It is as
different as our finger prints, no two are alike). But
one thing is sure. Human beings are the highest of all
creation. The rest of the creation is intended for the
use of human beings. All people are expected to enjoy
the creation.

Since creation itself is divine, all people are expected to
keep their lives as happily as possible without interference
with others.

When you understand the pupose of your life, then you will
derive the highest happiness of your life.

In olden days, Gurus used put the above
questions to disciples to test their
knowledge.

There are many ancient Indian texts
on Tarka Sastra (science of logic and
reason). They discuss many limitations
of logic. The following is from a modern
text:

In the 1930s, Austrian mathematician Godel proved a
theorem which became the "Godel theorem" in cognition
theory. It states that any formalized 'logical' system
in principle cannot be complete in itself. It means
that a statement can always be found that can be
neither disproved nor proved using the means of that
particular system. To discuss about such a statement,
one must go beyond that very logic system; otherwise
nothing but a vicious circle will result. Psychologist
say that any experience is contingent - it's opposite
is logically possible and hence should not be treated
as contradictory.

Only when a person transcends the
limitations of logic and reasoning,
he will understand higher knowledge.

In olden days, Gurus used put the above questions to
disciples to test their knowledge.

There are many ancient Indian texts on Tarka Sastra
(science of logic and reason). They discuss many
limitations of logic. The following is from a modern
text:

In the 1930s, Austrian mathematician Godel proved a
theorem which became the "Godel theorem" in cognition
theory. It states that any formalized 'logical' system
in principle cannot be complete in itself. It means
that a statement can always be found that can be
neither disproved nor proved using the means of that
particular system. To discuss about such a statement,
one must go beyond that very logic system; otherwise
nothing but a vicious circle will result. Psychologist
say that any experience is contingent - it's opposite
is logically possible and hence should not be treated
as contradictory.

Only when a person transcends the limitations of logic
and reasoning, he will understand higher knowledge.

By mistake, previous 'additional details' got posted
twice, I am sorry.

Mr. Old D..
I don't have that kind of monkey wrench, why don't you
send me one! ... Thank you so much! It made me smile many
times ...

Mr. Jacob W
It is my aim to 'keep expanding' my knowledge. I accept
the fact that I am 'not omniscient'.

Mr. Richard
May be it is safer for some persons to assume certain
things as illusions and forget them than to digest them
as hard facts. Is this your theory!

Answer 1

You have answered your own question!

Perhaps "illusion" is misleading as it suggests that it doesnt exist when it clearly does even if only as a conscious experience. I would say the "physical reality is not how it appears to us to be"

Another example is the fact that we cannot see the full lightspectrum and can't hear the full range of sound. Who knows what else we cannot perceive that we haven't even thought to try to measure!

Answer 2

What u see is physically not a illusion.the term maya is used in the context nari-woman. lobh is ur lust for money,moh is ur love for ur brother ,father,mother or the whole world itself.maya is the thing that has been made to cheat u.lakshmana was told not to be overwhelmed by the maya-the illusion of meghnath. a balance is required to be maintained between reality and illusion.All physical matters are reality but there are such things which dont have phisical dimensions. ur soul does not has lenth breadth or hieght. it also dont have the dimension of time(4th dimension out of 11).ur soul does not has wieght even.then what does it mean? that u dont have any soul. no u know that u r not merely a piece of flesh.u have a feeling a desire to live ,like and love.also scientifically u have a soul.so we see that natural things are not illusion,some things may be supernatural but they r very much scietific like ur soul is electromanetic.

in ancient times people can not see this or measure such things ,so the only conclusion they cud get was supernatural.however there is something like god. may be one or two or more.shaolin monks do not believe in god but they believe in way to get moksha.
Try to get moksha while living through considering this whole world or perhaps nari ---a maya

Answer 3

This is more easily understandable if one considers the actual scale of the components of an atom. If one takes into account the fact that the neutrons, protons and electrons of an atom actually have huge spaces between them it becomes clear that the atoms that make up seemingly solid objects are made up of 99+ percent empty space.

This alone does not seem too important till you add the idea that the atoms that make up seemingly solid objects are more of a loose conglomeration that share a similar attraction but never really touch each other.

At first glance this does not really seem relevant, but closer analysis reveals that this adds a tremendous amount of empty space to solid objects that are already made up of atoms that are 99 percent space. When so-called solid objects are seen in this light it becomes apparent that they can in no way be the seemingly solid objects they appear to be.

We ourselves are not exceptions to this phenomenon.

These seemingly solid objects are more like ghostly images that we interpret as solid objects based on our perceptual conclusions.

From this we must conclude that Perception is some sort of a trick that helps us to take these ghostly images and turn them into a world we can associate and interact with. This clever device seems to be a creation of our intellect that enables us to interact with each other in what appears to be a three dimensional reality.

I hope that helps to answered your question.

Love and blessings Don

Answer 4

Physical reality is not an illusion.

Do not say that you're afraid to trust your mind because you know so little. Are you safer in surrendering to mystics and discarding the little you do know? Live and act within the limit of your knowledge and keep expanding it to the limit of your life. Redeem your mind from the hock-shops of authority. Accept the fact that you are not omniscient, but playing a zombie will not give you omniscience--that your mind is fallible but becoming mindless will not make you infallible--that an error made on your own is safer than ten truths accepted on faith, because the first leaves you the means to correct it, but the second destroys your capacity to distinguish truth from error.

Answer 5

from a non hindu perspective can i have a stab at this one?

"the only reality is that which compels us to connect the various forms of illusion as we do" - crowley

or to rephrase, there is evidently a texture to lived existance, which coresponds to what materialists call "reality" but this is such a discursive, contextual phenomena that it does not make sense to call this real despite its apparant persistance, therefore it is better at least theoreticaly to think of it as an illusion.

Answer 6

Perspective, look for something hard enough, want it to be there bad enough, you will find it everywhere. the Illusion is that you dont know all that you know is not defined.

Answer 7

Prasad ....you got too many monkeys in your brain. Go out and buy a monkey wrench; then wrench the damn things out.

Answer 8

Additional reading for you.....Deepak Chopra.