The World As a Harmonious, Luminous, Dynamic REALITY

One of my friends who posted the John Lennon quote – 'The more real one gets the more unreal the world gets' – wrote that he interpreted the quote to mean that the more real one gets, the more one sees that most people live in an imaginary world. He thought that I should not assume that Lennon meant to negate the world of material existence, or that that is how others interpret the quote. It's a good/valid point. I really don't know if Lennon wrote or others read this statement as an expression of affinity with the Buddha's teaching that ‘A wise man, recognizing that the world is but an illusion, does not act as if it is real, so he escapes the suffering.'

But, to me, it seems clear that there is a direct and definite connection, however conscious or unconscious, between the words and phrasing of the Lennon quote and the age-old misguided spiritual tendency to consider the world unreal, regardless of what Lennon actually meant or how anybody interprets the words. My friend thinks this connection to be too far of a leap, but for me it seems to be no leap at all. The actual words of the quote posit an INVERSE relationship between becoming more real and the reality of the world.

My friend thought my interpretation of the world as material existence was too narrow, and that the word 'world' could be used to mean many things. To him, in the context of the quote, I believe 'world' meant the world of mental or emotional illusions in which most people live. So I will clarify that my understanding of world and material existence includes all facets, layers and systems of life on planet Earth as nestled within the cosmos. My understanding of 'world' and 'material existence' includes the vital, emotional, mental and spiritual layers of our material existence, regardless of how un-illumined these layers may yet be in the course of our evolution. For me our world is our whole dynamic and unified being/body evolving towards full-consciousness and full-experience of our Divinity. I understand that Lennon and others may well have a less-integral or less-positive association with the word 'world' and with the world itself.

But, from my perspective, the world is a glorious wonder and the idea that the world gets more and 'more unreal', as one gets 'more real' is not a only grossly untrue, but disastrously and inevitably Self-destructive. My feeling is that individuals and our civilization will benefit much much more from striving for and achieving a higher perspective, understanding and experience of and relationship with the world than we have benefited in the past and present from the narrow mindset of considering our world and all of our worldly trials and tribulations to be so lowly as to be unreal (i.e. the antithesis of Divine reality).

I think it is good to admit and have compassion for the fact that the mind of man has not been in a good position to fully appreciate the world we have been born into. It is understandable that many have reacted to this uncomfortable position by promoting and practicing transcendence of the world and worldly existence itself. But what is becoming clearer and clearer in our new age, thanks to the teachings of Sri Aurobindo and his co-conspirators, is that we are absolutely capable of and destined to rise to a higher position, perspective or consciousness from which the world occurs as a 'Heaven on Earth', i.e. as a harmonious and luminous dynamic REALITY. If the seed of our Self is indeed designed to become THAT in the due course of time, as Sri Aurobindo and the Rishis of the Rig Veda have written, then it would behoove humanity to focus on the process of becoming THAT Divine fullness, rather than to stay cemented in and even enamored by the idea, perspective or consciousness that the world is a hostile and illusory womb or prison to be left behind for greener spiritual pastures  ... which for some is dissolution into nothingness.

Perhaps it all boils down to whether or not we see or want to see our world and our existence as FULL of purpose or EMPTY of purpose ... whether or not we see or want to see a real point to our lives to be individually and collectively realized, or no point. I think it is clear that our civilization has reached a certain critical mass wherein the point and purpose of our world, of our collective journey must be realized. It seems to me that the 'grace period' for our Ignorance is over. Welcome to the Apocalypse as predicted by Saint John. 

He who was seated on the throne said,
'I am making everything new!'

– Revelation 21:5