The Buddhists tell us to not stress about things in the world, because the material world is just an illusion.
Don't stress about it. Don't worry. Just let it go, and enjoy life anyway.
But if the material world is just an illusion, how do we know that reality is not just a computer simulation programmed by an irresponsible person with temper fits, a bum, and we are not just at their mercy?
Look at the world. Look around.
How often do you see a logical contradiction?
Never. It all makes sense.
The world never says, 'Error message'!
If the material world is an illusion, then whoever created that illusion sure put a lot of hard work into it.
You never see a plot hole, or a logical contradiction.
Whoever created this illusion really put a lot of good work into it.
And created wonderful things.
Created the Grand Canyon.
Created the stars of the night sky.
Created the pictures that the Hubble Space Telescope brought back of our universe.
Whoever created this illusion sure put a lot of good work into it.
And whoever created this illusion sure put a lot of wonderful things into it.
God does not want us to stress out over things in the material world.
We get to pick and choose what parts of the material world are real to us.
We get to choose, if we want to, to not stress out about bad things in the material world- it is just the material world, after all- but to believe in all the beauty and wonder out there, and to appreciate how well-constructed this illusion is.
God put a lot of work into the illusion that is the material world.
He doesn't want us to stress out over things that go wrong in it.
He wants us to not stress out about it, just like the Buddhists teach.
But God sure put a lot of good work into that illusion.
And He sure put a lot of wonderful things in it for us to enjoy- if we only learn to not stress out over the bad parts, to let it go, and to just enjoy the good parts when they come our way. And to look for those good parts. For they're out there.
That's how we know that God is a God of love- He could have made us His slaves. Instead He not only let us be free and make our own mistakes, He created this immense beautiful world for us to have as our home! If that isn't Love, I don't know what is!
And the Buddhists assure us that there is one thing that is not part of the illusion: your mind.
And the mind of all the people you love.
Mind, Consciousness, is not an illusion. I think, therefore I am. Your mind is real.
And, naturally, so is everyone else's mind. Why would you be the exception?
I think, therefore I am. And presumably, so does everyone else, including all the people you love.
The person you love, their mind, is real. Mind is real. There may be far more to mind than we think, we may be more than just separate individuals, but that is another Buddhist lesson for another day.
The material world is just an illusion. It's nothing to worry about. Nothing to stress out about. But, like a wonderful movie, we can sure enjoy all the wonderful things along the way!
God loves you!
Sincerely,
David S. Annderson