“While it is true that, according to the Absolute View, the Universe does not exist and is only a projection of Mind, this knowledge is of little practical value to those trapped in Samsara. For such beings, the Universe feels and seems quite real. It’s causes and effects upon their conditional existence seem obvious and unarguable, and this is true even if, intellectually, they “know” that ultimately the Universe is not real.
Therefore, to deny the reality of the Universe before one has “attained” it’s unreality as more than just intellectual information is an exercise in futility. This is the genesis of the Relative View, which takes as its starting point where we are: trapped in Samsara, bewildered and confused, constantly generating karma throughout all our lifetimes.
When it comes to explaining the proper disposition towards the two views to modern people, I like to use a modern example. The Universe, in the Absolute sense, is like a virtual reality game. Or like the matrix in the movie of the same name. Imagine that you are trapped in a virtual reality. You know it is not real, but you still feel hunger and pain, suffering and sadness. Your knowledge of its ultimate unreality does not change those things.
Now. Imagine that this virtual reality is in fact, a classroom. This is the Relative View: that we should use Samsara as an opportunity to learn about our own true nature. The catch is, you are stuck in this virtual reality classroom until you graduate! Until you have learned your own true nature, you must keep coming back lifetime after lifetime, repeating the lessons until you pass!
So this gives us an indication of what should be our disposition towards all of this: knowing we are in a classroom which ultimately is not real, we should be fearless in learning our lessons! Instead of holding back our expressions of love and compassion towards one another, out of fear of negative consequences, we should realize the negative consequences are not real and be absolutely fearless in our compassion and love.
We should also be fearless in finding a teacher, or spiritual friend, who can help us with our lessons. And we should not allow pride to prevent us from asking for help. After all, our friend has been helped by others in the past and is happy to pass on that help.
One further point I would like to make today. In this virtual reality game, or classroom, you appear to have a body. Of course that body is not real, since it is also a part of this virtual reality. It, too, is a projection of Mind. Specifically, of samsaric mind, or negative ego. Projected out of your erroneous belief which denies your own true nature, it is subject to all the samsaric limitations: suffering, illness, decay and eventually death. But this is not your true nature. Your true nature is limitless joy expanding to infinity.
Thus, it sometimes happens, that if a being realizes their true nature while still in the “classroom”, their body can become a projection of their true Mind, their true nature. The body is “repurposed” so to speak, to reflect their new reality. As is the case for example when great masters have attained the so-called Rainbow Body. Or Jesus Christ attaining his “Ascension Body”. Or some who have attained bodies which neither grow old nor die and which they can materialize and dematerialize at will.
We should look at all of these as simply ways these higher beings have of interacting with us here in the “classroom”. Although they have graduated, they may still choose, out of compassion for our condition, to reinsert themselves back into our world, in order to help us. When doing so, they may sometimes choose to have a body, sometimes not. And when they choose to have a body, they may sometimes choose to have an ordinary appearing body, or they may sometimes choose to have a rainbow body or an Ascension body or an immortal one. They choose according to what their infinite wisdom tells them would be most beneficial to the beings they are trying to help. Because they are one with their true nature, they are free to choose whatever type of body, or no body, they wish.”
—-Karma Yeshe Dorje
(Aka Ray Bratcher: Karma Yeshe Dorje is the name given to me in the Karma Kagyu(Tibetan Buddhist) lineage, by Rimpoche Lama Norhla, my then guru. I sometimes use it as a pen-name when writing more Buddhist related themes).
Sacred Breath 