The central basis for the understanding of our personal evolution - of our self - is knowing that we are not these physical bodies. Let's go over this again for clarity.
We are each spiritual individuals who are temporarily residing in physical bodies. These physical bodies are not us. They might also be compared to driving a car. The car driver sits down in the car to drive it for awhile, then gets out. The driver may then even buy a new car and drive that one instead.
The physical world might also be compared to a virtual computer game. To play a computer game, we sit down at the computer and take on a temporary virtual "avatar" in order to play the game. Once we sign on to the computer game with our "avatar," our "avatar" is subject to the rules of the computer game. These rules may include warfare or other contests in which our "avatar" becomes hurt, damaged, or even killed.
Do we die if our computer game "avatar" dies? Certainly not. We can simply turn off the computer and walk away. Why? Because we are of a different substance from the virtual computer game.
This is almost precisely the same situation occurring within the physical world. While the physical world is real in that it certainly exists, its programming tricks us into thinking that we are these physical bodies and this is our home.
If we compare this again to the computer game, we can imagine a computer game that is so real looking and so complete that we think it is real life instead of a computer game.
We can see this example in the fact that many computer games have become very sophisticated and have drawn in millions of 'gamers' who are beginning to feel that what happens in the computer game is more important than what happens in their 'real' lives.
Some of these games that hook people are interconnected over the internet and draw in people from around the world who play against or with others from different parts of the world.
And the interesting thing is that as they identify themselves in the internet computer game, the other players do not know their physical status - where they are from. They will identify the player with the icon without knowing who is behind that icon.
This is precisely what is occurring within the physical world as we identify ourselves and others with these physical bodies. Because we are not seeing the underlying spiritual self, we are simply identifying ourselves as these temporary vehicles - these physical bodies which are aging and will die at some point soon.
If we compare this again to the computer game, we can imagine a computer game that is so real looking and so complete that we think it is real life instead of a computer game.
We can see this example in the fact that many computer games have become very sophisticated and have drawn in millions of 'gamers' who are beginning to feel that what happens in the computer game is more important than what happens in their 'real' lives.
Some of these games that hook people are interconnected over the internet and draw in people from around the world who play against or with others from different parts of the world.
And the interesting thing is that as they identify themselves in the internet computer game, the other players do not know their physical status - where they are from. They will identify the player with the icon without knowing who is behind that icon.
This is precisely what is occurring within the physical world as we identify ourselves and others with these physical bodies. Because we are not seeing the underlying spiritual self, we are simply identifying ourselves as these temporary vehicles - these physical bodies which are aging and will die at some point soon.
