The Relative and the Absolute

The physical world we live in is called the Relative world, because it is continually changing. Every object of our experience, indeed, every experience itself, is bounded in space and time. Objects are created and destroyed, experiences begin and end. Even our consciousness is continually changing... every day we move through the three Relative states of consciousness: Waking, Dreaming and Sleeping.

And these Relative states of consciousness are unique and complete unto themselves. As the saying goes: "The gun in the Waking state cannot kill the tiger in the Dream state."

Throughout our lives we continually seek out new experiences, but as we mature, we come to realize that eventually we will grow bored and will begin to look for a new experience. Regardless of how enthralling the object of our affection, how delicious the meal, how gorgeous the clothes, how thrilling the entertainment, how absorbing the task or how compelling the political, religious or social cause, eventually we will have experienced it as completely as we can, we will become satiated and bored. And in that moment our senses will begin to scan our environment for the next new sensory stimulation.

This is the nature of the Relative world, and there is no end to it, because fulfillment in the Relative world is only relative, and thus temporary. True fulfillment cannot be found in the Relative world. It cannot be found by scanning outward with our senses. True fulfillment, true bliss, true happiness can only be found in the Inner World in which we transcend the finest, subtlest levels of our own thoughts and directly contact the transcendent Absolute that lies within us. And for that we need only begin to meditate: Meditation Instructions