Reality Doesn’t Care What You Believe
2026, March, Issue 192
Reality,
not what you think,
not what you believe,
not this shifting dream,
not this rainbow bridge,
not this spiral leading nowhere,
not this fantasy
that has you
so very immersed
within angst and sorrow,
Reality doesn’t care what you believe,
Reality is beyond belief,
Reality has no stake
in the mind games you play,
Reality has nothing to do
with insanity,
Not those magic shows
you orchestrate,
Not those illusive dreamscapes
Masquerading
with authority
Insanely fictionalizing reality,
something you think,
avoiding reality;
Reality cannot be encapsulated
By your madness.
A poem by Robert Aho © 2026
The main point of Spiritual Practice, as I have said repeatedly, is to discover reality, as it is, with nothing contrived, with an attitude of confronting and going past those things which obscure the View. We do our best to understand the real nature of our existence. This takes real commitment, a genuine attitude, as well as an almost supernatural level of grit and perseverance. This is what Awakening is all about, it means courageously going beyond all obstacles. When we begin to Awaken, we quickly realize that belief is completely useless, maybe even a problem. When we finally Awaken, we see that our beliefs are not something reality cares about in the least. Reality, as we soon discover, is something beyond our limited point of view.
It’s rather disconcerting at first, primarily because we have been conditioned to believe this or that assumption that might give us some comfort and reassurance. We discover a certain scale to things that quickly overwhelms our senses, rendering us somewhat helpless, due to the magnitude of it all. The belief that brings reassurance falls away as just another part of this great illusion. We need to be okay with not needing reassurance.
When I discuss the Spiritual Path, some people get wild ideas about just what that may mean. What it really means is that we, through our Aspiration to Awaken, have made the commitment to discover Ultimate Reality, to no longer remain in a deluded state of existence. With even a spark of this Aspiration, we are engaging in Enlightenment Mind, which means that we are tapping into reality. We don’t do this by clinging to belief or adopting assumed alternate beliefs. We Awaken through a process of discovery, which means removing obstacles that have been preventing us from knowing what is, as it is.
We soon discover that we have many layers of delusion. Our own ignorance and ego are the primary layers that cause suffering; however, the multitude of fantastical beliefs that uphold our ego are the main thing cluttering our View. Beliefs, we discover, must be abandoned along with all the other lies we tell ourselves. Reality is not dependent upon beliefs; in fact, reality doesn’t care what you believe. Our beliefs are always puny and insignificant compared to this vast reality beyond ordinary comprehension.
When I returned from the death bardo, one of the things that felt extremely depressing was that there was absolutely no reassurance. I had encountered Reality beyond any sort of personal concerns. I finally, definitively, discovered that we exist beyond what we think, beyond what we can possibly believe. We live in a turbulent condition of perpetual insanity, which is created by our own fantasies, our own beliefs in this or that. We must awaken, if we wish to ever have any idea about reality. As mere humans, we really have no idea how pathetically inadequate all of our beliefs about Reality really are. We simply can’t grasp this notion that Reality cannot be encapsulated by beliefs or concepts. So, we need to learn how to stop grasping.
Our grasping keeps us in the habit of forming fantasies and beliefs, even though this has never helped us in the past. Insanity, by definition, is the act of repeating something that does not help us or has never really helped in any way, expecting different results. Thinking that this illusion is real, trying to find something substantial in that, when nothing of the sort can ever be found, is an act of insanity. This is why we must Awaken and not worry about external reassurances.
Starting with the Aspiration to Awaken, we gather various methods that directly address overcoming our obscurations. This means we must develop courage, not caring what it might take to Awaken, facing every demon that stands in our way, without flinching, without hesitation, remaining completely at ease. It also means that we must look within, spending time in meditation and living our lives in ways that actually help us to open our heart and mind. The fruition of our Aspiration is Awakening itself. This does not mean that we create fantasies about this or that, other than on a temporary basis, if it helps, being ready to let them go when it is time. It does not mean that we need to believe anything at all, other than some vague notion that we must discover what has been obscured. This Path is one where we utilize any means that we can in order to deconstruct and dissolve all fabricated notions. We discover Reality for ourselves, not allowing ourselves to become dependent upon answers from anyone else.
Blessings in Light,
Rigdzin Robert Aho