nick,
(1) No, we are capable of much more.
(2) don’t you mean “if no”? The best way to continue if you want to escape the trap of desire, is to remove desire. If you want moderation, you can still enjoy being in the mud and still feel the tinges of enlightenment.
(3) I don’t want to live in a world where something doesn’t matter.
(4) Who determines “what is more real”? Are my trials more real or more difficult than your own? Do I see the sky in a deeper shade of blue than you? Does that make it “more” real?
The weight of subjective reality.
(5) it’s not about “imagining” reality, it’s about HOW you view reality. Through the fog colored illusive glasses of desire, or through the objective transcendental glasses.
Reality looks very different depending on how you view it.
If reality changes is it real?