I have been requested to talk about what is real and what is not. After some hesitations here are few thoughts.
When asked to define reality and non-reality the Buddha replied in many ways often contradicting himself. Maybe his contradictions had a purpose since he did not like metaphysical or philosophical stuff, preferring being down to earth. For example he would rather answer the following: What are the causes of suffering and how to prevent them? Regarding what is reality and not, he replied the following:
“If you think, nothing is real because our thoughts are immaterial”
Another day he would teach this: “Everything is real when I am using my 5 senses.”
Or in modern English he also said: “I don’t know the difference, what is the point of your question?”
So, this is a difficult topic to talk about and I am not sure about its practical value in making your life easier, better and more serene. However this is a good challenge for discussion.
The first step is to try to define and differentiate 2 key words that seem somewhat similar: To exist and to be real. Is there a difference between them?
By definition, nothing exists per se if not present in the present moment.
Its antonym is immaterial, virtual.
This distinction is very important and should help somewhat in the following second step.
Let us use 2 practical examples to differentiate the 2 words
If I pinch my skin I am aware of it because my skin does exist in the current moment and is real because my skin is material with a proven concrete reality. In fact, by using our 5 senses one can confirm that something exists – that is now- and is real or not.
2) B exists; does it mean that B is real? The answer is NO in the following example.
You have a thought. Does this thought exist? Yes of course, because this thought is present in the current moment. But your thought, whatever true or not, is not real because it does not have any material reality.
The distinction between ”what is existing” and “what is real,” sounds purely academic and useless. However its im