Do We Slumber?

The greatest part of mankind—nay, of Christians—may be said to be asleep, and that particular way of life which takes up each man’s mind, thoughts, and actions may be very well called his particular dream.  --- William Law, 1866-1781

This seems to me to be an apt thought, true in its meaning. 

The first thing that came to my mind was that it is at least a partial explanation of the hostilities between people and even nations. If most of us are dreaming different dreams, dreams that seem real to each of us, we speak and act from different realities. Just as the dreams of the night cannot be shared, these waking dreams too are at least hard to share. 

It does appear we congregate with those whose dream is of the same genre. There are clusters then of conservatives, liberals, realists, idealists, artists, the practical, exercise enthusiasts, couch potatoes, fighters,lovers, atheists, believers, freedom lovers, authoritarians, and on and on. Their dreams are similar, and they cling together. And, generally speaking, they agree that other dreams are rubbish or even dangerous.

The dreams keep the ego/egotistical busy in their own private worlds. But some awaken. Jesus to!d us to have eyes that see and ears that hear. That is simple but also difficult, as is much of the teachings of awakened ones.

Right now is a particularly dangerous time. There are nuclear threats that could wipe out much of the life on earth. There are Communist/Marxist threats. There are breakdowns in many systems and places. So it is urgent for us to awaken out of our individual dreams, our private realities.

This is a very good time to engage in practises of awakening, for our own sakes and for the sake of us all.

The Divine Presence is with you, in you, around about you, the breath you breathe, the ground upon which you stand. It is time to awaken to it, today.