Everything is an illusion according to many forms of philosophy and spiritual

enquiry. This line of argument goes along several paths. One is that reality is only a
dream and that we are some sort of spiritual entity dreaming a script to learn lessons.
Another is along the lines that the whole universe is a hologram and that substance does
not exist.

The one I like is the reverse of Descartes' 'I think therefore I am' This version is 'I
am because I think.' We are nothing more than an intelligence that thinks up a reality so it
can get around. That one has interesting possibilities.

The idea of the world being an illusion goes back thousands of years. It was
popular amongst Roman philosophers and seems to be part of the Tao Ti Ching. I say
seems to be because the Tao Ti Ching is almost an illusion in itself. Much of it can be
whatever you want it to be.

Over the years the meaning of the illusion seems to have been corrupted out of all
recognition to the original intent. The original meaning of the illusion was that it is the
value we place on reality that is the illusion.

The idea that material possession equals success and power is the sort of illusion
the old writing referred to. A big house is a big house. That is not an illusion. The idea
that the owner of the house must be special and important is the illusion.

A President of a country must be special to become President. That is an illusion.

There are many of becoming President of a country, and few of them require anything
more than being ruthless. A person's job or profession defines their intelligence. That is
an illusion. There are plenty of over educated air-heads in charge of very large
corporations. Position has nothing to do with intelligence.

One of the most blatant examples of illusion is that a person's physical body in
some way defines whether or not they are sexy. And as a result lots of very important
people make lots of money selling products that are supposed to make us conform to the
illusion. Illusion feeds on illusion.

This is the illusion of reality that a person following a spiritual path will have to
confront at some time. It is fundamental that we must go past the illusion.
This does not mean that we have to be poor, ugly, or a door mat. What it means
that the idea that physical reality has any more meaning than just being what it is is an
illusion. A house is a house, a flower is a flower and a person is a person.

A persons position or wealth in no way defines there value. It is impossible to say

a person is worth three billion dollars. A person's worth cannot be defined in money.
Money is only a means of exchange so does that mean that this person can be exchanged
for three billion little bits of paper? In that case a person can be bought and sold. Worth
no more than a slave.
 Our worth depends on who we are. Who we are creates the physical world we live
in. The world is just the world, what we do with it is what we create. Our worth is defined
by our actions. 'By your actions you are known' (Jesus). Do you create love or hate? Do
you create Plenty or poverty? Do you look after this planet or pollute it?

These are things that will define who you are, not the illusions created by your
physical possessions or lack of them. But as soon as you place importance on yourself
because of what you do the illusion returns. Worth come from within, and that is the
worth worth having.