The Mask

Imagine putting on a mask, and suddenly forgetting who you really are. Then you start to identify with the attributes of the mask, mistaking them for your own. Soon, you are so totally engulfed in this identity that if any one tells you that it is not who you really are, you take them for a lunatic. Now you can stop imagining because this is the average human experience.

To make it even more interesting, not only do we mistake ourselves with this mask, we also believe we are all the concepts and ideas we identify with. We believe we are poor or rich. We believe we are good or bad. We believe we are right and others are wrong. In other words, we take what is relative for the absolute truth.

Sometimes life events cause a perspective shift. We are able to become detached enough from who we think we are (the ego identity) are realize that we are so much more. No matter how brief a glimpse this might be, it is like awakening from a dream like illusion. It is also the beginning of a process that will continue to take us closer and closer to a fully awakened state.

We are all in the midst of this awakening process, no matter what level or stage. The most beneficial thing we can do for ourselves and everyone else is to embrace and enjoy the journey. Enjoy the mask. Enjoy the dream like illusion. When you know you are so much more, it becomes fun.

6 comments:

bometernally said...

LOL was my first response to the picture on your post. Everything you have said is so true. It reminds of the story of Lord Vishnu who incarnated as a woman. He became so into being the woman (mask) that he forgot he was the Lord Himself (his true nature).

Thanks for the post.

Ta-Wan said...

We are on similar paths of enquiry :)

Val said...

"The most beneficial thing we can do for ourselves and everyone else is to embrace and enjoy the journey."

Absolutely!

C. Om said...

@ bometernally
The story of Lord Vishnu is all of our stories, really. Our true nature is infinite divinity.

@ Tao
Good company is always welcome. :-)

@ Val
Thank you for visiting! I like your blog as well!

Anonymous said...

"Then you start to identify with the attributes of the mask, mistaking them for your own. Soon, you are so totally engulfed in this identity that if any one tells you that it is not who you really are, you take them for a lunatic."

This is such an amazing and true statement. We completely forget about all the choices we made to create the mask. Thanks for the post!

Rizal Affif - The Soul Sanctuary said...

Very nice. We know and we depict it similarly :)

After all, we are One; only wearing different mask :D