What is really
Reality?

A verifiable inquiry about the reality of the universe and of oneself.

"The reality that can be known is not the true reality.
No one can know reality, only reality knows itself."

GIORDANO VERA

What is real and what is just illusion?

This is the main question that this book seeks to answer, following a reliable method whose conclusions can be verified by anyone, without the need for special knowledge, assumptions, or unverifiable beliefs, but only a reason that is based on the undoubted facts.

As will be shown, this exploration of the nature of reality is basically an exploration of the reality of oneself, as a path of self-knowledge that answers the question "who am I?", which is not born as a mere intellectual exercise, but as the primordial need to find truth, freedom, peace and true happiness.

"Reality is unique, there cannot be two realities.
Multiplicity is illusion."

GIORDANO VERA

Book summary

Everything presented in this book can be summarized in the following points.

  1. There is only one reality/truth and there is nothing apart from it.
  2. All the diversity of things and beings is nothing but illusion.
  3. The fundamental reality is Consciousness.
  4. Illusion is reduced to Consciousness.
  5. The real 'I' is Consciousness.
  6. The inherent nature of Reality is Happiness.
  7. Therefore: You are Reality, Consciousness and Happiness itself.

If this is not self-evident, this book seeks to demonstrate that what is stated here is true without a doubt.

"Reality cannot be reached because it is what is always present, always reached, always existing as what truly exists."

GIORDANO VERA

Knowing the Reality and Living the Reality

It is important to know the Reality and it is equally important to live in it. That is why this book is made up of two parts:

PART I

Proof of Reality

The first part of this book comprises a logical, rational and verifiable demonstration of reality. The purpose of this part is to have a solid foundation that cannot be doubted.

Chapter 1Reality

Reality is provisionally defined and criteria are established to determine what is real and what is not.

Chapter 2Illusion

Anything that does not meet the criteria of reality is illusion.

Chapter 3Conciousness

It is explicitly stated what is the reality behind all illusion.

Chapter 4¿Who am I?

Once the fundamental reality is known, one inquires about the true identity.

Chapter 5The reality of illusion

What is the origin and fundamental substance of the illusion?

Chapter 6Implications

Finally, the implications of knowledge of reality in life are explored.

PART II

Living in reality

The second part indicates some practices that help to break the habit acquired by ignorance, in order to detach from the illusion and establish oneself in the reality that has been discovered. Living in reality is true happiness.

Practice 1The path of no step

Once the essential truth of all things and of oneself has been recognized, there is no more direct way to settle in reality than to live with the certainty that "I am existence-consciousness itself and only this is true satisfaction".

Practice 2Inquiry of the Self

When the mind is lost in illusion, a very effective way to bring it back to reality is by inquiring about the 'I', looking for its root or source and immersing the mind in it.

Practice 3Impersonal and impartial witness

To undo the mistaken identification with an individual Self and detach from the personal, a very effective practice is the mere impersonal and impartial witnessing of all events without being associated with a sense of Self.

Practice 4Surrender to Universal Intelligence

Everything follows an order and harmony that suggests an underlying intelligence that cannot be denied. The purpose of this practice is to surrender to this intelligence in order to achieve liberation from the shackles of illusion.

Practice 5Unconditional Happiness

In the most intimate of the heart, the fire of life burns as the source of love and the unconditional and inevitable happiness of being always full. The objective of this practice is to drink from this source from which one no longer thirsts.

"Nothing exists apart from reality, for reality is completely pervasive. It is closer than you think; in fact, there is nothing closer, nothing more intimate."

GIORDANO VERA

General information about the book

It can be answered "to know the truth", but it would be better to say to eliminate all the false beliefs that veil the truth. Not only that, but above all to live the state of freedom that the truth offers: that peace and happiness that is our deepest and most essential desire.

The main topic discussed in this book is about the nature of reality, which is strongly related to the following topics:

Non-Duality: Non-duality is a term that derives from the Sanskrit word advaita which literally means 'not two', referring to the fact that the fundamental reality is unique (non-dual) and that duality or multiplicity is only apparent and illusory.

Consciousness: The key to understanding reality is Consciousness. Ever present as the ground of all experience, Consciousness is that whose existence cannot be denied and which in fact reveals itself as existence itself, apart from which there is nothing.

Self-knowledge: Knowledge of reality necessarily implies knowledge of oneself, since there is no closer, direct and intimate knowledge than this, and certainly one cannot deny one's own existence and whatever one is, this must be real.

Spiritual liberation: Having known the reality of the universe and that of oneself, the question is to fully assimilate this new understanding in order to live firmly established in this reality, freely and spontaneously; this is what is known as spiritual liberation (enlightenment, moksha, nirvana).

This book is aimed primarily at anyone who wants to discover non-dogmatic knowledge, free of assumptions and impositions, and who is willing to question their entire belief system, even when it means breaking their entire world and even their own identity.

However, this book was written with the general public in mind, as evidenced by the fact that it does not require specific or technical knowledge to understand the message. All that is required is a sincere desire to know reality from an objective analysis and to be open in accepting its implications.

You cannot get to know the truth or reality. Why? Because the truth is what exists regardless of whether it is known or not. Only the truth can know itself, since it is the only thing that truly exists; even this is not totally true, since truth is not a knowledge. Still, there can be no knowledge without the truth being present.

However, just as it is necessary to clean a mirror so that it clearly reflects the image, so it is also necessary to clean the mind of the false beliefs that keep it subject to illusion, so that it clearly reflects the truth. That is the maximum that the knowledge can arrive: to indicate the truth in a clear and direct form. This is what this book is intended to be: a signal pointing directly to the truth. But the signal is not the truth, that is why words are limited and direct experience is what ultimately reveals the truth.

Logic is the basis of all our scientific and philosophical knowledge, since without it no reasonable conclusion can be made.

In our modern world, with the predominance of science in determining what is correct and true, and a distrust of tradition in general, it is necessary to examine whether we can objectively and rationally reach conclusions about truth or reality, as far as possible by making a logical proof, with the same rigor with which, for example, a mathematical theorem is proved.

This book would not have been possible without reading and reflecting on various texts of the non-dual philosophy, which maintains that there is only one reality.

The main work on which the logical demonstrations presented in this book were based is "On Nature" by Parmenides, specifically the second book, entitled "Discourse of Truth". This is one of the oldest works in the Western world that exposes in an amazingly condensed and logical way the nature of reality or Being.

On the other hand, the Vedanta Advaita doctrine is a non-dualistic branch of Hindu philosophy that studies the so-called Brahman, which is the fundamental and unique reality. Among the main texts that are the basis of this book are:

  • Adi Shankara's works such as The Jewel of Discernment (Vivekachudamani) and Self-knowledge (Atmabodha).
  • The works of Sri Ramana Maharshi, such as Who Am I?, Forty Verses on Reality, Be What You Are.
  • I Am That by Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj.
  • Classical works of Advaita Vedanta such as: Avadhuta Gita, Ashtavakra Gita, Bhagavad Gita and Yoga Vasistha.

Although other important texts can be cited, these are the essential ones from which much of what is presented in this book can be derived.

"Where there is lie and illusion, there is suffering.
Where reality shines without stain, the fullness of existence also shines."

GIORDANO VERA

Towards a spirituality free from dogmas

This is a path of exploration towards a truth or reality that we can determine objectively, being certain that it is true knowledge and, above all, living that reality in all its fullness.

Yes, I'm willing