| "The world of the mind encloses the whole universe in | | | | fascinated is man with these shadows that he builds |
| its light. It is a cosmic life and a cosmic spirit, and at the | | | | great systems of science and philosophy around these |
| same time an individual life and an individual spirit." D.T. | | | | phantoms. Then one day, somebody escapes from |
| Suzuki was a turn of the 20th century teacher of Zen | | | | the cave and sees reality. He returns to the cave and |
| Buddhism in Japan. He is credited with being the | | | | says: "Guys you're not going to believe this but..." |
| pioneer in teaching Zen outside of Japan and his | | | | There are many people escaping from the cave |
| writings are vast and enlightening. I don't have to | | | | today, to see their own reality. There is so much |
| practice the religion of Buddhism to understand what | | | | information available to assist anyone who feels the |
| he was teaching in the above quote. The world of the | | | | need to escape. Feeling is the language of our |
| mind is my reality and I am connected to the universe | | | | complete self, the one that D.T. Suzuki talks about. We |
| in consciousness. | | | | have the ability to walk out of the cave at any time, |
| Plato the Greek philosopher born around 428 B.C., | | | | and feel the grander self that rests within us. We are |
| wrote about reality and how much of it we are really | | | | all connected, but we are individuals that create the |
| aware of. Somewhere in our history, we closed our | | | | world we live in. Each of us does it differently and that |
| minds to certain beliefs and created a world, that is an | | | | is the wonder of contrast. It allows us to experience |
| illusion. | | | | and expand our own world and become the cosmic |
| Plato maintained that man, in his natural state, is living | | | | spirit, that expresses love for all life. Separation |
| like he is sitting in a cave, with his back facing the | | | | becomes obsolete and unity reigns supreme. |
| opening in the cave. Outside the opening lies the light of | | | | Compassion, gratitude and sharing are universal. Love |
| eternal reality. But man, because his back is to the light, | | | | of self is the vessel that holds love for our reality. |
| sees only shadows of reality dancing across the back | | | | Prayer is the feeling of achievement. Achievement is |
| of the cave, and with his attention on the wall, sees | | | | the joy of connection. Connection is the universal |
| only dreams and reflections, never reality itself. So | | | | experience of love. Love is All There Is. |