Living in the Dream

[Starman]

Consciousness builds our life according to the patterns which we frequent; it is these patterns by which we become conditioned. Subconscious or sublime patterns that are infused in us by our surface activities of thought, speech, and by what we do, or don’t do.

Human beings are creatures of habit, but we can change our habits. Our habits create our conditioning, and often our habits become ritualistic. Conditioning or habits may be instilled by the culture we live in, family traditions which have been handed down, or our own philosophy. Habits may be harmful or helpful. The dream state of duality and ritualistic behavior is important to the awakening into oneness.

Rituals, or patterns of behavior which condition us, are important to life. They bring harmony to our way of life, as a Zen Buddhist koan says, “there is harmony even in discord.” People who try to be spontaneous also have patterns of behavior which condition them. Our patterns find their way into our subconscious, or sublime consciousness, and they influence us. We are all addicted to something, that is why it is often difficult to change our behavior patterns, etc. Behavior includes the way we think, speak, and act.

Our conditioning creates the motion, dance, or tune, which we move to. The stars and planets have their patterns of behavior, as do molecules and atoms, everything in creation is in motion, everything has a particular dance. A dance which is reflected in the micro and the macro. A cosmic dance which continues beyond duality, where we may find that we have been dancing with ourselves. Our conditioning is our dance, and the tune may change many times in one human life-time.

[Starman]

A few decades ago I learned that one of my addictions was chocolate. I went without chocolate for a number of days and I began having dreams about chocolate. While my body slept I dreamt I was swimming in chocolate; it was fun, and when I woke up I had the taste of chocolate in my mouth, even though I had not had any chocolate for about a week or so.

Often we don’t know if we are addicted to something or not until we go without having, or doing, that something. If we go through withdrawal from not doing or having that something, that is a sign of addiction. My dreams of swimming in chocolate were symptoms of me going through withdrawal. Our dreams can tell us a lot about what is going on in our subconscious.

Grieving or missing someone may be a symptom of withdrawal. There are all sorts of addictions; a person can be addicted to a particular religion, there is relationship addiction, sexual addiction, addiction to certain foods, music, places, etc. An addictive pattern may be helpful or harmful; withdrawal from a substance, person, place, or activity, may reveal an addictive behavior.

We may even be addicted to a certain way of thinking or feeling. Some people are adrenaline junkies, etc. I am addicted to inner peace. Other words for addiction are attachment or enmeshment, where we merge with something or someone.

[Starman]

In our essence we are as fluid freely flowing beings who can pour ourselves into any container, becoming one with substances and other crystallized apparitions. We are really never separate from the pure oneness of being, but in our journey we can merge with the different qualities manifested by that oneness. Some of those qualities are sharp and painful while others may be soft and pleasant.

Most human beings are recovering from their past, withdrawing from events and memories which impacted them. Trying to unravel that conditioning which may be getting in the way of them fully and constantly expressing the beauty of their freely flowing essence. We are not what has happened to us or even what has happened for us; that is our journey.

In my opinion, we shall come to know that we have always been home. The return journey home is nothing more then letting go of the illusion; the web which we feel and think we are entangled in. Its’ all about freeing ourselves, but our deeper being was never in bondage. It is only our mind and emotions which appear to restrict us. The appearance of bondage comes from Earthly conditioning.

[Starman]

The dream is just as important as being awake; our spiritual development is tested in the dream. Feeling wakefulness is about more than having spiritual experiences; it is also about navigating the dream. What we call “crisis situations” will come to test our development. Sleep is just as important as being awake, especially when we are awake while dreaming.

Who can consciously stand always in the full presence of divine spirit? A quote which was taught to me for which I do not remember its source; “ if you caught even a glimpse of him you would lose your wits, and if you should see him completely you would lose your self.” An astonishing thing that divine presence could not be endured for long, nor could we exist without it.

Most spiritual teachings speak of staying grounded in the present and in the daily affairs of this world. Being “in this world while knowing we are not of this world.” Balance is key in my opinion. But one persons balance can be another person’s extreme; we all have to find our own balance and our own tipping point. Spirit will guide us, transform us, and show us the way.

Following is a poem called the “Hsin Hsin Ming,” attributed to Seng T’San, The Third Chinese Patriarch of Zen.

"The Great Way is not difficult
for those who have no preferences.
When love and hate are both absent
everything becomes clear and undisguised.
Make the smallest distinction, however,
and heaven and earth are set infinitely apart."