What is and What is not

Since perception and experience are necessarily limited, they can't be relied upon to give a true picture of reality.  What can?  If one relies on others' perceptions and experiences, on collective perception and experience, the picture is the same; as just because many see something some way, there is no guaranty that their collective sight is accurate.  In fact, it won't be.  It won't be because collective sight is collective and most will modify their vision so as not to violate cohesiveness.  The only solution then is to sharpen one's own sight to make that sight clearer.  That's the goal of meditation and contemplation.  To make one's vision clearer so that the perception of reality is better, is enhanced.  The goal goes beyond that however.  The reason one aspires to a clearer picture of reality is to change it: to have the power to change what is.  Most waste their lives wanting to change what is not, in some futile wishing they had the power for changing something that doesn't really exist, the power to change something that could never exist.  Usually that something is the past and the past does not exist. What was is what is not now. This futile wanting to change what can't exist in the NOW is the human delusion, and that's why we meditate and contemplate; so as not to caught up within the net and by the trap of others' and of our own delusion.