And then what?

“Before enlightenment; chop wood, carry water. After enlightenment; chop wood, carry water.”

But, that's the short form and doesn't talk about what it is to live out a Story, ride the meat, with awareness of IS reverberating through the Locus-Formerly-Known-As-Me.

You still ride the merry-go-round. Unless your body is dead and "you" have melted back into the IS, there is a still Story unfolding with You playing the lead. We are all the protagonists in our own stories.

Ramin Bahrani makes movies about people living lives of quiet desperation. And he doesn't ever finish the story of his characters. He just stops telling that one.

His characters aren't world changing heroes. They are people getting by the best way they can. Most characters in the Great Story that is the IS are doing just that.

Would being Aware that they aren't Really Real take way their suffering? Maybe yes, maybe no. How many stories have characters fighting against the idea of being creatures ruled by Fate rather than beings with volition. Thousands? Millions? All of them?

All of Us?

And when "you" let go of the steering wheel...what? Fear? Or relief?

Falling or flying?

I think "suffering", in this context, could just as well be translated "struggling".

The story keeps rolling along, with or without a hand on the steering wheel. It goes where it's going. Like a child sitting in her parent's lap "driving" the car. We may have the illusion of being in control or we may know we are not controlling a damn thing. Our knowing doesn't change the direction of the car.

I find it restful to leave the driving to the IS and just watch the scenery.