In
essence, all the events that followed Adam's falling asleep are
a part of his dream. Metaphysically,
Adam represents all of us. We, too, have entered into a deep sleep.
As individuals, nations, and a planet, we have forgotten where
we have come from, who we are, and where we are going.
An
honest look at the troubles we have created for ourselves reveals
that we have painfully lost sight of the visions that once painted
our future. What began as a happy dream seems to have tail spun
into a nightmare. Struggling in the murky shadows spun by the
bony fingers of fear, it appears as if there is no escape from
the labyrinth of the problems we perceive. The heaviness of our
sleep has drawn dark curtains over the memory of our golden origin.
But nightmares always end with awakening. While the dream may
seem overwhelming when you are in it, it becomes as nothing the
moment you open your eyes.
Sometimes
the awakening is gentle, light, and easy. Often it is startling
and feels jarring. But if we are having a painful dream, one in
which we see ourselves as powerless, small, or unlovable, is it
not worth the shake-up in order to wake up?
The
Citadel of Fear
Every
sojourner of spirit must face the time when the walls that protected
his old world begin to crack. Sooner or later the chisels of life's
trials pick away at our armor. And this dismantling is wonderful,
for there is no greater tragedy than hiding behind something that
we are not, living a life that is less than we are. The universe
is continuously working to remind us of our identity and our purpose.
If we are living a life that is untrue to our soul's calling,
our inner guide will not let us rest until we step back onto our
true course. The time comes when we can no longer find refuge
in our defenses. We discover, often with awe, that it is precisely
our defenses that have kept us in darkness! We tire of straining
to protect ourselves, and we feel stifled and restricted by the
walls we have built between our hearts and others. Our defenses
are not worth the love we lose in hiding. We cannot afford to
maintain a citadel of fear at the cost of peace. In our efforts
to keep pain away from our heart, we have also denied entry to
joy.
The
moment arrives when we must break free and make a stand for who
we are. That moment is now. The time has come to cast aside our
cloak of smallness and don the robe which honors our true magnitude.
We must claim the strength to live in the dignity befitting our
identity. When I first set onto my path of awakening, I felt as
if my whole world was falling apart. Many of the things to which
I had devoted my time, attention, and energy suddenly became meaningless.
It can be very startling and unnerving to discover that the values
for which you lived no longer seem real. I did not find the same
satisfaction or communication with the friends I was used to spending
time with. I wondered why I was doing the kind of work I was in.
The
social pursuits which had formerly brought me pleasure no longer
held gifts for me. I felt that most of the goals that I had strived
for were no longer worthy of my continued attention. My entire
sense of purpose had shifted. I had a brief taste of something
more and better, but I did not know how to make it a lasting element
of my life. I felt lost sometimes even as if I was going crazy.
It was a dark night of the soul. If you are passing through such
a night, or have ever done so, take comfort in knowing that such
a void is a very important, helpful, and necessary part of the
journey. When planting a garden, the earth must be turned over,
tilled, and smoothed out before new seeds can grow; otherwise
the old weeds will overtake the seedlings. In the same way, before
a new and shining building can be erected, the old, dilapidated,
and useless structures standing on the lot must be cleared away.
We
must make space for something new and better to enter our lives.
While it may seem that we are out of control or subject to forces
greater than ourselves, it is important to remember that there
is a wisdom in the events that we attract to us. All is for learning,
growing, and healing. God is very present, and we are not alone.
Such a time calls for faith, the knowing that everything somehow
works out for the best. It is not your world that is shattering,
but your illusions. God's world can never be shattered, for God's
world is founded in love, the only indestructible energy in the
entire universe.
If
you feel disillusioned, then take heart; dis-illusion means the
end of an illusion. Disillusionment is the best thing that could
happen to anyone. It means that something false has been undone,
and the truth behind it is available to be discovered. The truth
is always healing. Only illusions are painful. There fore be glad,
even proud, that you have had the courage to learn a lesson that
would break your illusions and replace them with greater strength
and wisdom. Our pains and tribulations are the chipping of the
cement off the Golden Buddha. The armor falls away to reveal the
gold. A worthless image is crumbling, and the treasure is coming
forth. It is the end of the cover-up and the beginning of the
radiance. In such a birth, there is great cause for joy.
Peace
Must Come
Once
you have begun to awaken, you can never really go to sleep again.
Oh we can doze a wink or two here or there, but once the climber
has caught sight of the mountaintop, nothing can stop her from
reaching the summit. We have come too far to turn back now. We
have played out many of our fantasies and idle wishes. We have
been teased, tantalized, titillated, and seduced by the cheap
perfume of shallow dreams, and somehow the aroma just doesn't
turn our heads like it once did. Now we want peace more than idols.
To
dare to be yourself means to live in the spirit of power rather
than weak ness; to proceed from peace instead of clamoring to
maintain defenses; to want the reality of love more than the nightmare
of fear. And we do. The time has come for us to be released from
the burden of living for dreams other than our own. Armoring is
for protection, not expansion. The Golden Buddha must stand in
the sunlight. We are living in the age on earth when men and women
are stepping forth to claim freedom. There is a great wave of
awakening that cannot be denied, suppressed or reversed. Those
who align with the expansion are empowered and uplifted by a Force
much larger than themselves. And those who resist or oppose it
are gripped in only deeper struggle.
We
must choose between love and fear, and learn the truth of the
one and the uselessness of the other. Peace must come to those
who ask for it. Strength must be given to those who claim it.
And love must bring healing to all who open their arms to receive
it. The time of awakening is at hand.
