Mind is a bundle of "illusions'.

What are illusions? Illusions are unreal things taken to be real. In a philosophical point of view, the world is a great illusion. All things, we cognize through the sense organs are mere perceptions and not real. What are perceptions? For instance, travelers in deserts often are afflicted with intense thirst. Sometimes, they may view some ‘mirages’ which gives a false sense of ‘oasis in the desert. They may visualize a water body in the near distance. As they try to approach the ‘oasis’, it seems to move far away! Now what is a mirage? It is a visual imagination. Due to intense heat and reflection of sun over the desert sand coupled with hot air, gives a vision of water body near. Even in cities where the temperature is high, motorists find water pools in the tar roads. This is also a visual illusion. Here also, the reflection of sun and hot wave over the tar roads create an illusion of water patches. As the motorist approach such places, they find that it is plain tar road.

Hence these visual illusions create an imaginary thing over the real. The real is not seen in true sense. Some thing else seems to be super imposed over the real. How is it possible? I have explained these phenomena in many of my previous hubs. It is a false ‘snake’ over real rope, coiled in the middle of the road. If there is clear daylight, we can see it as a rope only. As evening advances, in the twilight hours, darkness is slowly enveloping the road. Everyone will see a snake coiled on the path. Those who proceed along the path, suddenly stops in haste, out of fear. “Snake, snake” cries one man. Some one bring a lantern light or torch light to see clearly what type of snake is lying on the path? What is the reason behind their fear? It is a common sight in villages, such poisonous reptiles cross the road in summer to reach the other part. Hence there is every possibility that snakes are seen crossing the roads. But in this particular case, there is a rope lying coiled on the path. But, due to bad light, it is seen as a snake only!

Hence illusions are always possible. We might have attended ‘magic shows’ as children or youngsters. The magician swiftly brings out several things from an empty hat! How? This is a clear case of trick. Many magicians have clearly accepted that they are clear cases of tricks of hands. But seen from the distance, it may seem that birds and flowers are emanating from the empty hat. When you ascend the podium, you can see the tricks used by the magicians in close ranges. Of course, some of the magic show is as a result of mass hypnotism. The entire audience is hoodwinked to believe certain things. Hence truth will not be perceived visually. We look at many persons and take them to be different individuals. But the scriptures clearly state that they are all manifestation of single entity called the self or Atma! Hence seek the truth out of the illusory creation.

The mind is really capable of hiding something and projecting some other thing. It is the mind which feels the pain and pleasure through the ego. There is neither pleasure nor pain. There is only One, which is always Present. There is nothing else other than the One. This is the Advaita philosophy. Advaita means, ‘no two’. If two things are seen, it is a clear case of deception by the mind. The mind exists in duality. Creation is possible due to duality. Imagine that there is only one color, ‘white’. Who can perceive if there is only white? In a similar manner, If there is one alone, where is the question of multiplicity and creation? They are mere imaginations of the illusory mind. The mind itself is a deception! In fact, there is nothing called ‘mind’. Thoughts are considered as ‘mind’. When all thoughts are pulled out, there is no mind.

For instance, what is a cloth? It is the threads which criss cross in a pattern. Remove each thread carefully. There won’t be any mind ultimately. What are threads? It is only “cotton”! Likewise, every thing is self and nothing else!