Sunday, April 13, 2008

Dying and Dreaming


I lost a few friends this past few years to death. The day will come when I will lose all of them when I die.

I dreamt that I was walking along a path. This path used to be one of those that as a young boy I had often used when running about with boys from the same village. The shrubs that lined this path had leaves that were prickly and tend to cut our skin if we were not too careful which often happens when we became too engrossed in our games.

In this particular dream however the leaves were green, fresh, young and new growing off their long stems. I take this to be a good sign.

Within the same dream was another aspect. It got me thinking about how we are so much a slave to attachment and emotions. For example a young boy will forgo the opportunity, excitement and experience of studying in a foreign land simply because he has affections for a girl and being apart becomes something unthinkable.

As grown adults we too have moments when we pine for those we love. Very often we miss our family when we are away from home. Sometimes it is just the knowing that they are near that makes us feel good. Each may be going about their own individual activity.

We are very attached and emotional animals. Perhaps, the solution lies in us being able to move a plane higher by “feeling” on a mental level. That way distance and separation does not become an issue as when we are all mentally connected there is no separation. Of course, the teachings tell me otherwise. It tells me that as long as there is one iota of craving, a thought such as the one I have just talked about is but one distraction that will lead me astray.

The true path should be one that leads me to rejoin the great ocean, just like the droplets of rain rejoining the sea. That way all becomes inseparable and free of ‘you’ and ‘I’.

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