Not biting the hook
Ren_in_black
Georgia Veteran
There's an image that's helped me lately that I thought I would share. Others may have already expressed it. I think Pema Chodron has spoken many times about "not biting the hook."
I think in terms of plastic bait this is pretty straightforward: don't fall for the illusion. But in the case of real worms, it's a little trickier. The worm itself is not an illusion. It's real, it has sustenance, it would allow you to continue your life as a fish.
So the illusion is the fact that this "good" thing is, in some cases, hiding a hook. That is where I get tripped up the most, usually around the arts and music, fine food, and sex. Or even things like self-help books, or something like being lazy on the beach or at the pool.
I could never reconcile the dismissal of those things as illusions because I knew they were real and positive forces. But now I DO understand that I have to look closer at each moment, because this real thing could be hiding a hook.
It has helped me be more mindful.
Of course, the problem with the metaphor is the question of What/Who is baiting and dangling the hook in front of me? What larger force wants to consume me? 
(I ask this partially in jest. My main point in posting was reconciliation of considering real, positive things merely as illusions. They're not illusions in and of themselves, they are only illusions if they are hiding a hook, in my opinion.)
Comments
Nice, @Ren_in_black … it makes a lot of sense that a deep understanding of the metaphor also makes you more mindful of your own life choices.
Uroborus, the well known Alchemical Buddhist magickal dragon, gives birth to his own consumption...
Sometimes the dragon is a worm. Sometimes the rescuer of the pure.
One of the most difficult aspects of Yogacara Buddhism is the idea that we are the creators of reality/existence. The limited Trump/Dali type crazy, believe they are the center of the universe.
So what!
Some of us are crazy enough to try to do good with such a great responsibility. We are the 'mother of dragons'? Or just a minded worm?
https://www.lionsroar.com/how-do-we-create-our-reality/
I love this quote from the article: "This is not to say that the world doesn’t exist; it’s just that we’ve never lived in it."
In my opinion this is a great way to explain the idea of illusion to people newly approaching Buddhism. If they hear "everything is an illusion" when they are clearly living a life in the world, there is a danger there that part of their mind senses an obvious contradiction and will close the door on it.