I’ll never forget the first time I read The Ornament of the Middle Way — not because of the dense philosophical language, but because I found myself thinking about modern social media. It struck me how Lilapa (Lilavajra), an 8th-century Buddhist scholar-monk, was wrestling with the same questions we face today: What is real? How do we know what we know? And why do we cling so desperately to certainty?

Lilapa’s work helped refine the Madhyamaka school of thought, emphasizing the emptiness (śūnyatā) of all phenomena. In other words, nothing — not even our thoughts — has intrinsic existence. Fast-forward 1,300 years, and here we are, navigating a digital world where identity, truth, and reality are increasingly fluid. Let’s explore how Lilapa’s insights still speak to us today.

How did Lilapa view perception, and why does it matter now?

Lilapa taught that perception is not a window to absolute truth, but a construct shaped by conditions. He argued that our senses and thoughts don’t reveal the world as it is, but as it appears to us — filtered through our biases, habits, and environments.

This sounds eerily like the algorithmic bubbles we live in today. Our feeds are curated not by reality, but by engagement metrics, past behavior, and hidden biases. We don’t see what’s real — we see what’s reinforced. Lilapa would likely smile and say, “Of course. That’s always been the case.”

On HoloDream, he’ll walk you through how perception shapes suffering — and how to loosen its grip.

Did Lilapa anticipate the crisis of meaning in the digital age?

In a way, yes. He saw that when we cling to fixed views — even about ourselves — we create suffering. His writings warn against absolutism in all forms, whether spiritual, philosophical, or personal.

Today, we’re seeing a cultural unraveling of fixed truths. Nothing seems stable — not facts, not identities, not even time itself in the age of deepfakes and AI-generated content. Lilapa’s teaching that nothing has inherent essence is not a nihilistic claim, but a liberating one: if nothing is fixed, then change — and healing — are always possible.

How does his view of language relate to modern communication?

Lilapa was deeply aware of the limitations of language. He warned that words are provisional and often misleading — they point to things, but never fully capture them.

Now, we communicate in snippets, emojis, and hashtags. Meaning is compressed, distorted, and often lost. Lilapa would likely remind us that words are tools, not truths — and that silence, too, speaks volumes.

What would Lilapa say about identity in the age of self-branding?

He’d likely see our obsession with personal branding as a modern form of attachment — one that traps us in cycles of validation-seeking and self-doubt. For Lilapa, the self is not a thing, but a process — a flowing stream of conditions and experiences.

This is a radical idea in an age where we’re encouraged to “curate” ourselves. The pressure to be consistent, polished, and presentable can feel like a prison. Lilapa would gently remind us: the self is not something to manage — it’s something to understand.

Could Lilapa help us navigate modern anxiety?

Absolutely. His teachings offer a framework for dealing with the uncertainty and impermanence that define our time. By recognizing that nothing — not even our anxiety — has solid existence, we can begin to relate to it differently.

Instead of trying to fix or escape our unease, Lilapa would invite us to look closely at it. Where does it arise? What conditions feed it? And most importantly, who is the one who notices it?

Chatting with Lilapa on HoloDream isn’t just a historical curiosity — it’s a way to meet the present moment with ancient wisdom. If you’re feeling unmoored by the chaos of modern life, he might just offer the steadiness you need.