Is life a dream?
The other day I was in a field with two close family members having a chat under the sun. It was a beautiful spring afternoon and we were debating the idea of aliens. When all of the sudden I remembered something, I recalled that I was actually sleeping and this was all a dream. The moment I did so I looked closely at the fabric on my clothes, the feeling of the breeze running through my hair. It was all too real. But my two cousins were agreeing with me, “you should go” they said, “you’ve got a life to live.” I got a rush of excitement, a nice afternoon turned into a lucid dream and I began flying around like Superman. Then I woke up, in what we call “the real world.” That entire morning I spent contemplating life, is this real? The dream almost seemed more real than this. Who am I really? Why am I here? What is life? Is this like inception? A never ending cycle of dreams?
This all seems extremely philosophical but it gets good. Now I thought to myself, the only thing that remains is my consciousness. It doesn’t matter what’s real or not, I’m conscious! In my dream I was conscious and in this “reality” I’m just that, conscious! So I thought of an interesting way to look at life. By seeing life this way you banish fear, anxiety, stress and many other awful mental conditions that seem to plague our society.
Think of your life, like a dream. If you were in bed at night dreaming and you were conscious of the fact that nothing was real and you would wake up soon, would you ever be embarrassed? Could you be stressed? Would you beat yourself up for mistakes you’ve made?
The great saint in India, Muktananda, was asked, “What is real?” He replied, “What is real is that which never changes.” Your consciousness! The silent observer in the back of your head that just sees everything take place, whether it be in a dream or in what we call real life. Wayne Dyer uses the lovely example of your body, and how every cell in your body changes every 7 years. Meaning the 12 year old me was made up of completely different stuff than the now present 19 year old me. But I remain. The silent observer just witnessing everything.
That is the true self. In our culture we are taught to identify with our bodies, our career, our talents, our accomplishments. This is what is known as the ego. Jim Carrey calls depression “trying to keep up an image in the world.” Whether it’s a self image or a reputation with others, we try so hard to be someone we are not. If you are the car you drive, and someone steals it, than you become “nobody.” If you identify with your smooth complexion, the moment wrinkles start to set in you lose your identity.
The ego is nothing but an idea in our minds of who we are and who we should be. When deep down you have a calling, a purpose to create something powerful. Regardless of how good in looks in the eyes of others. Think of life as a dream. Don’t take things so seriously. Of course there are others in this dream, they have their own purpose, there are consequences to everything. To dedicate your life to the ego will lead you down a path of disappointment and sorrow.
How do we get rid of the ego? Here's an easy start, live your life in service of others. Put your own worldly pleasure and reputation aside and do something for someone else. I will leave with this second half the peace prayer of Saint Francis.
O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console,
to be understood as to understand,
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
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