The World is a Shadow
Shadows are really interesting and somewhat mysterious, yet often forgotten or ignored. I mean who actually even remembers they have one stuck to them all the time? When they do notice it, oftentimes it is seen as an inconvenience or hindrance. An example is when taking outdoor photos, professional photographers prefer mornings, late afternoons, near sunset, or on cloudy days just so they do not have to deal with shadows. On the other hand, some masterly make use of shadows to accentuate and dramatize their artistic works. Children too are fascinated with shadows, just as with any unexplored discovery in this world of new endless possibilities. Shadow plays at bedtime stir their young creative right brains.
Often times the world is expressed as a reflection of the mind. Then why would I choose to call it a shadow instead? Shadows and reflections are both the effects of light. Shadows are formed when objects block a source of light while reflections are caused by light bouncing off objects. Shadows are dark whereas reflections have color and both follow the shape of the form. Reflection is often used because it represents closely how we experience the external world through the five senses of the physical body - see, hear, smell, taste, and touch. So whatever the mind perceives is projected as a three-dimensional experience which we call the world. The mind however is not a physical entity like the body. It has no form, no shape, and no color. It is not something or somewhere. Hence, like a shadow.
A shadow is dependent on another. It cannot exist by itself. It is similar to the "object" but it has no details or essence of it. It is an empty shell with no meaning except merely as an appearance or impression. That is exactly the world. The world that we perceive as external to our body is only an appearance projected by the mind. It is an impression of what is going on in the mind but it is not exactly it - only a shadow that is empty and meaningless. Yet, we live and experience the world like it is real and we seek to make it meaningful when it is not. It is merely a shadow. So why grasp and strive tirelessly to make it more colorful, fun, or even happy? At the end of the day, it cannot possibly be more than just a shadow. We have been fooled. That is how deluded we have become.
Not understanding the reality of this world has grave repercussions. For one, when we see others and believe that they are trying to hurt us, we may react negatively in an attempt to defend ourselves. Any action done whether to oneself or onto others leaves an imprint in the mind. As a consequence, it becomes the potential to recur when the right causes and conditions are present. If repeated over time, it becomes a tendency or habit. Should the action be unwholesome or unbeneficial, the results will be identical. But if we are aware that what we experience in the world is just a shadow, then we can leave it be or choose to respond in a wholesome or beneficial way instead. In that way, we gradually overcome the delusion that has veiled us from reality.
Knowing about this reality requires an understanding of what and how the mind works. Then only can we awaken and not be caught up by the experiences of the world. If you are searching for the meaning of this existence, this life, then there is a whole other "world" that you need to learn about first. Join us in Mindfulness—A Starting Point at WISE as your first step to discovering this new world. Be rest assured that your life will be turned right side up again for the better. See you there.
In grace,
Khan Hui Yee
24 May 2022