Looking back in time, I recall my earliest memory of this life being baptized as a baby. Since that time, life has continued to flow uninterruptedly like a river across the mind, senses and perceptions creating a panorama of happy and sad dream experiences.
There is a Sanskrit word from India called ‘Lila’ which means “Divine Play”.
As young children, we have many simple dream fancies playing in our mind and hearts from walking, learning to ride a bike, playing in a sandbox, celebrating birthdays, chasing after butterflies, going to elementary school, eating sweet treats, walking on the grass barefoot, playing with new friends, getting a hug from a parent, along with many others. Recently while meditating, I was taken back in time to elementary school and the ice cream socials we had from time to time. Those were wonderfully exciting times as are the sweet memories!
As a teenager, our dreams evolved from the very simple to dreams about being liked in school and within our circle of friends, doing well and being popular, what the current fashion trends were and how to look “cool” while out with others, meeting a nice person to share some meaningful time with, learning to drive and having a bit of freedom from the parents. Most of those dreams as a child and teen were more centered about the self and less about others.
As a young adult, our dreams became more complex with dreams primarily of the future. From going to college or trade school, making money, buying a car and having independence to exploring who we are and how we’re going to make a difference in the world. This period of time seemed to focus more on becoming all that we could be and attaining the perceived goal in life, which is success and happiness.
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For some, there was a lot of struggle during those times against the self-imposed dream limitations that we put on ourselves and that which we perceived to come from family, friends and the world around us. Also at this point in our lives, the hard knocks from the many tough lessons may have caused some to rebel or dream of escape through artificial and destructive avenues such a smoking, sex, drinking, drugs and other addictive roads that all lead to dead ends and unhappy times. Those who were fortunate were able to break free of the limitations and move on with the next dream chapter of their lives. For those who haven’t been so fortunate, these destructive habits may be still going on today.
As an adult, some may have been able to accomplish their dreams and goals such as a college degree, a good job or career, starting a business, buying a house, getting married and having a family. And with these fulfilled dreams, pretty much everyone desires and hopes that the good stays good without any calamities to shake the foundation of our peace and happiness.
But, as my fellow readers will know, this dream of life can be so unpredictable that long lasting happiness and harmony is rarely the case in this relative dream world of matter. At one time or another, our happy dreams may crash down around us due to the many unforeseen events that can turn happy times into seeming nightmares. Things like an unstable economy, job layoffs, divorce, stock market crash, this pandemic, disease, accidents and death. Any of these unwelcome dream-nightmares can knock us off our happy balance if we are not firmly rooted in our true nature, which is spirit.
As we move into the last phase of this life that many call being a senior citizen, our remaining dreams tend to focus on continued health minus the many potential health challenges that can befall us during these golden years. Others may also dream of having enough money to last through life with a measure of comfort. Lots of others who haven’t been as fortunate worry about having enough money to cover the food and bills each month. Also, many tend to reflect on the past dreams of earlier life and events that have flowed by in the river of time hoping to recall all the good times while avoiding the heartaches and regret that tend to follow us like pesky mosquitoes.
Whether we’re looking back in time or into the future unknown, it seems our dreams weave together the past, present and future to make a quilt of each person’s life upon this infinite ocean of cosmic consciousness, which few truly understand. With each new life, we create another quilt of dream experiences. It’s like being on a grand carousel that spins around and around. With each completion, the dream screen changes to give us a new body and a new set of dream experiences.
Learning to be awake in spirit and detach from these dream experiences is our key to lasting peace and joy. For in reality, we are individualized souls within the ocean of spirt who are dreaming we are these bodies and the world of relativity around us. To awaken to our true nature as children of spirt and heirs to our kingdom of eternal peace and joy, this should be our primary goal in life.
For, if we are not awake in spirit, we’re most likely sleep walking through this dream called life.
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