Don't Chase Shadows
Do you know one of the songs by Anggun C. Sasmi entitled Shadow Bayang-bayang Ilusi? This is what the lyrics say in English, “Should I live in a dream. Cultivate thousands of dreams. Should I run and keep running. Chase the illusionary shadows. Illusionary shadow. Just fantasy. Illusionary shadows."
This song was a hit in Indonesia in the early 1990s. I was tempted to respond to the question in the song. Should we live in illusions and illusions? The answer is clear: no.
Illusion Shadow
What is an illusionary shadow? An illusion is something that appears to be real and exists, but is not really there. It is like a shadow. In our lives, there are many illusions that make life no longer clear.
These illusions include hopes, thoughts, feelings, emotions, opinions and everything that is received from the five senses, namely information from the eyes, nose, ears, skin and tongue. All these things have no real form within us. It is an illusory image, as if it exists, but is not really there. Modern physics has shown us that the matter in the world basically cannot stand alone, apart from human consciousness.
What happens, if we chase the illusory shadow? What happens, if I pursue my hopes, ideas, dreams and ambitions? What happens, if I make a decision based on my emotions and feelings?
The Circle of Suffering
The answer is simple: you will enter a cycle of suffering. Every human being has a peculiarity in him. When he gets what he wants, he doesn't want it anymore. The desire deceives us, and eventually leads us to the door of suffering.
A life filled with chasing after illusions is like riding a lightning vehicle in Dunia Fantasi, Jakarta. You will go up and down, non-stop. Sometimes, you are on top, because your wish is achieved. Sometimes at the bottom, because what you get must be let go, either separated by death, or someone takes it from your hands.
This kind of life is a life that goes awry. That desire is completely wrong. Unfulfilled, we suffer. If it is fulfilled, we suffer too. There is only one way to get out of this cycle of suffering.
Don't Chase Shadows
When an illusory shadow comes, whatever its form, don't chase it. We are simply aware of the shadows that exist, and are in that awareness. This is the starting point that lies before all thoughts and emotions arise. In this point, we will find clarity and peace.
We are no longer enslaved by illusions. We are masters of it. We can then choose what thoughts or feelings are worth following, according to the circumstances at hand. We can make good decisions, especially decisions that involve other people's lives.
Living in awareness, before pursuing illusory shadows, is a life filled with freedom and wisdom. People are no longer enslaved by their thoughts and emotions. He can also be right to respond to all the things that happen in his life. When the time comes, he can leave his body in peace, because he knows, and experienced firsthand, that consciousness is eternal.
Isn't that the highest thing that can be achieved in human life?