“The Face of Truth is covered with a brilliant golden orb. Remove it, O Sun, so that I who am devoted to the Truth may behold the Truth.”
– The Upanishads
The term “smoke and mirrors” refers to the magician’s art of concealment – and perfectly applies to the means by which ignorance persuades us to accept illusion as Truth.
“Where there is smoke, there is fire” – and so behind the smoke of illusion, must be hidden the fire of Truth. As smoke is a sure indicator of flames we cannot see, so if we seek carefully, we can discern within even all-pervading illusion, clues to an underlying, unifying Truth. Many hold that the universe we perceive is an illusion, a projection of “Maya”, a cloak worn by God, which at once obscures and points to the existence of God’s true Self within. While those of us in ignorance accept Maya as reality, the wise see this illusory cloak as a sentry, guarding the doorway to Truth.
A mirror portrays only an outer appearance. The beauty we see, the truth we perceive in a mirror can only ever be outer reflections or echoes of the real, inner Truth and Beauty. Those of us in ignorance are enamoured of the reflection, clasp it to our hearts and give ourselves to it: the wise seek the origin of the reflection, knowing the Source – the Goddess of Truth and Beauty – to be infinitely more beautiful, bountiful and fulfilling.
Only our soul can perceive Truth in its natural Light. In our finite physical, vital and mental realms, ignorance is natural and inevitable; tempting and challenging us everywhere and always.
We can dance with ignorance, or transcend it. Our choice: shall we accept ignorance as our imprisoning fate – or our secret, liberating benefactor?