The journey of unveiling reality begins with a simple question about the world around us. Have you ever wondered how real the world around you actually is? Things seem so solid and tangible. But what if everything is much more complex? Let’s explore this fascinating question together.
Unveiling Reality: Why Things Are Not What They Seem
Every object we see around us is actually something completely different from what we think. All created things that appear so real to us are essentially just reflections of a deeper force. The process of unveiling reality starts with understanding this fundamental truth.
Imagine sunlight illuminating the earth. This light is merely a radiance emanating from the sun itself. If you could see sunlight within the solar sphere itself, you would understand that there the light doesn’t exist as a separate entity – there is only the sun itself.
Similarly, all created objects appear to exist to us only because we don’t see the force that creates and sustains them at every moment.
The Secret of Continuous Creation: What Is Hidden from Our Eyes
If our eyes were able to see the true nature of things, we would notice that the materiality and density of objects are merely an illusion. We would see a constant flow of energy that continuously creates each object anew at every moment.
Without this life force, any object would instantly turn into nothing. Just as before the beginning of creation, when nothing existed. This force is the only reality that truly exists in every created object.
Sunbeams: A Simple Metaphor for Unveiling Reality
Take the example of sunlight. Light spreads from the sun and illuminates the earth. We see this light as something that really exists. But if we could observe the same light inside the sun itself, we would understand that there it has no separate existence.
Within its source, light completely dissolves, as if it doesn’t exist. It becomes “nothing” in relation to its source. And only at a distance, where the source is not visible, does the light appear to be an independent reality.
Why Do We See the World as Solid and Material?
All creation is like this light. It appears material and solid to us only because we don’t see its true source. We perceive only the outer shell, not understanding that it is merely a reflection of an invisible creative force.
But there is an important difference between the example of the sun and reality. In the case of the sun, the source of light (the sun itself) is absent where we see the light (on earth). But in the case of creation, the source is constantly present within each object, we just don’t see it with our physical eyes.
Unveiling Reality: Seeing Through the Veil of Concealment
Why then do created objects not dissolve in their source if it is always within them? Why do we see the world as dense and material if it is actually being created anew constantly?
The answer lies in a special power of concealment. This power allows us to perceive the world as something separate and independent, although in reality all creation is like rays of light that completely depend on their source.
If we imagine that this veil suddenly falls away, we would see that the entire world consists of various manifestations of a single reality, not a multitude of separate objects. This is the ultimate goal of unveiling reality.
Practical Steps Toward Unveiling Reality in Daily Life
Understanding this profound idea can change our relationship to the world. When we realize that each object is not just a “thing” but a manifestation of a deeper reality, we begin to see the world in an entirely different way.
Instead of a fragmented world of separate objects, we begin to perceive an interconnected reality where everything is united in its true essence. This realization can bring a deep sense of harmony and connection with everything that exists.
This article is based on the third chapter of the book “Tanya (Part 2) – Shaar HaYichud VehaEmunah – Chapter 3” by Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi, one of the greatest Hasidic thinkers.
Afterword: The text of this article has not been approved by any sage, Torah scholar, or rabbi and is merely a simplified adaptation of the sacred text for general understanding. For comprehension of true wisdom and a deeper understanding of the original text, you should refer to the sources.
This and all other article texts of the Mega-Charity.Org resource express only the personal opinions of the authors who compiled them. They are intended only for general and superficial understanding of the real sources of wisdom. References to which are provided.
