Eight similes of illusion
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The eight similes of illusion (Wyl. sgyu ma'i dpe brgyad) are (in the order in which they appear in Longchenpa's Finding Comfort and Ease in the Illusoriness of Things):
- Dream: like a dream, objects perceived with the five senses are not there, but they appear through delusion
- Magical illusion: like a magic illusion, things are made to appear due to the temporary coming together of causes and conditions
- Hallucination or trompe-l'oeil: like a hallucination, things appear, yet there is nothing there
- Mirage: like a mirage, things appear, but they are not real
- Echo: like an echo, things can be perceived, but there is nothing there, either inside or outside
- City of gandharvas: like a city of gandharvas, there is neither a dwelling nor anyone to dwell
- Reflection: like a reflection, things appear, but have no reality of their own
- Apparition: like an apparition, there are different types of appearances, but they are not really there