Dreaming Spiritual Words
as much as the next. Take the word 'glimpse'. We use it, suggesting that
the 'individual' which is in fact part of the dream, can experience the
Absolute. In reality, what occurs is that for a moment, the Self shines, or
reflects (all inadequate) through to the mind and says it has a glimpse of
the Reality.
So imagine it like this. You are dreaming, and for half a moment, you wake
up, and then fall back asleep. The dreaming self, which is entirely a dream
creation (the dream body, the dream mind, the dream world) and 'remembers'
a moment of being awake and 'thinks' that it had a 'glimpse' of being
awake. So from this 'awake' perspective, we can recognize that the dream
person had no experience or glimpse of being awake; they simply remember in
the dream state that there was a place of not being asleep. That dream
person will not ever wake up...they will disappear entirely upon waking up.
They will no longer exist. So, the idea of a glimpse is a misnomer.
Which brings us to the 'How to do it?' that several people inquired about.
How does the dreamer wake up? In one way, it is easy. Right now, even as
you are reading this, recognize, or suggest to yourself or imagine, or ???
that all this is a dream. Everything you see, feel, taste, hear, etc. is
simply part of this dream, including, and perhaps especially, you (your
body, your mind, your history) is the dreamed. You are NOT the dreamer, you
are the dreamed. Your family, your job, your partner, your children, are
all part of the dream. That doesn't mean you ignore them, because you are
part of the dream as well. Recognize that what you call you - the
'Fred-ness' or 'Susan-ness' or whatever, will continue to 'do' what it does
in the dream. That 'Fred-ness' or 'Susan-ness' can't 'become' enlightened,
because in order for them to be enlightened, their dream nature must
disappear - die, if you will.
So, what becomes enlightened? Nothing, at least from the dream perspective.
The dream continues, and 'behind' the dream, or that from which the dream
is arising, is the infinite space of Awareness.
So as I said before, right now, and from this moment on, see it all as a
dream. Like Nisargadatta says, you can love the dream or hate the dream...
it doesn't really matter; but just see it as a dream, (and don't forget
that your body, mind, life are included in that), and the Truth of
Awareness, God, Presence, Emptiness, will remain.
Oh, and if you don't like the dream analogy, another 'method' is from this
moment on, to see it ALL as God- all of it, everything that is seen, heard,
tasted, thought, (again, including you, your body, your thoughts, your
history)...all the play or expansion of God. Either 'approach' works just
fine.
And, by the way, the question, 'Who am I?' points at the same exact thing.
It shows us, not so much what we ARE as what we are NOT, and what is left
is the same Reality!