Appearance and Reality

Every visible and invisible creature is a theophany or appearance of God.  Erigena

The notion that a man has a body distinct from his soul is to be expunged; this I shall do by melting apparent surfaces away, and displaying the infinite which was hid.  Blake

In reality only the Ultimate is. The rest is a matter of name and form. And as long as you cling to the idea that only what has name and shape exists, the Supreme will appear to you non-existing. When you understand that names and shapes are hollow shells without any content whatsoever, and what is real is nameless and shapeless, pure energy of life and light of consciousness, you will be at peace - immersed in the deep silence of reality. Nisargadatta.

Human beings actually have no more independence or autonomy in living their lives than do the characters in a dream. Neither do they have anything to do with the creation of the dream or anything in it. They are simply being lived along with everything else in this living dream of the manifested universe. The entire dream is unreal. Only the dreamer is real, and that is Consciousness itself. Consciousness has produced this play. Consciousness has written the script. Consciousness is playing all the characters. And Consciousness is witnessing the play. It's a one man show. Ramesh Balsekar.

Am I the body, senses or mind? No. If I claim to be anything, that must be with me wherever I go. Doing, perceiving, thinking and feeling do not go with me wherever I go. 'Knowing' alone is always with me. So, I am knowingness of Consciousness alone. I am that always, and I am free. I can only be that which remains over when the object or active part is separated from the perceiver, perception or percept. Atmananda Krishna Menon.

You are like a mirage in the desert which the thirsty man thinks is water, but when he comes up to it he finds it is nothing. And where he thought it was, there he finds God. Al-'Alawi. 

There is no death of anyone but only in appearance, even as there is no birth of anyone but only in appearance. Apollonius of Tyana.