Let's do a self-exploration on the waking dream and the sleeping dream.
From the chapter number 9,
Responses of Memory.
From the book,
I Am That.
Let's close our eyes,
Sit comfortably and relax.
The sages say that the waking state is not different from the dreaming state.
But why do we feel that the waking state is different?
Let's explore experientially and figure this out.
The saints call the waking state as the waking dream and the dream state as the sleeping dream.
We will use the same terms for this meditation.
The saints say that both the waking dream and the sleeping dream do not last.
But we feel that the waking state lasts.
The saints say that it only appears to last and appearances are deceptive.
So let's dive deep into this and see if we can break this deception.
Become aware of the now.
Recognize that there is only the now,
Moment to moment to moment.
There is nothing like the past or the future.
The idea of the past or the future is simply a mental construct.
There is nothing like time.
There is just the now.
The now is not even the present.
The idea of a present would imply the existence of a past or the future.
In fact,
The now is simply equal to I.
If there is nothing like time,
What sense does the statement make that the waking state seems to last?
Isn't time implied in this statement?
As time is only a mental construct.
Something lasts or does not last is simply a mental idea.
There is no proof of anything lasting because there is no time.
Then what creates this idea of something lasting?
Examine carefully.
Isn't it your memory that tells you that my house lasts,
My relationship lasts,
My money lasts?
Isn't it memory that gives you this false lasting story?
Let's look for this memory.
Turn inwards,
Look within.
Can you locate a box called memory within?
No.
Memory is simply a thought.
A repetitive thought.
The thought is not even an exact replica of the previous thought.
It is actually a new thought which has a similar sounding feel to it.
It is a recurring thought.
Bring to your mind what you had for dinner last night.
The memory is nothing but a label for this thought that gives you the image of what you had for dinner.
It is simply a recurring thought.
And notice that the thought disappears.
Every thought disappears.
Look at the current thought in your mind and notice that it disappears too.
Moment to moment,
Thoughts disappear.
Moment to moment,
You become blank.
That is why if I ask you what you did on the 30th of the last month,
You won't be able to recall.
So if you keep forgetting like this and you keep drawing a blank,
Moment to moment,
Everything disappears.
Thoughts,
Feelings,
Sensations,
Perceptions.
Moment to moment,
It disappears.
How can you say the waking state lasts?
If you examine carefully,
This waking state only appears to last because of these few recurring thoughts called memory.
These are like broken bricks that you place one on top of the other.
And create your tower of thought stories.
Examine carefully.
Look within and you will see that you have created stories about who you are,
Where you live,
What you do.
Who are your friends and enemies?
What is happening in the world around you?
What is good,
Bad,
Right,
Wrong,
Happy,
Sad,
Etc.
,
Etc.
All these stories are put together and you label that as my life.
Any story that is repeated again and again obviously appears to feel real.
It appears to last.
It appears to be my life.
This is how you create and project a false personal world.
And you perceive the same world that you have projected.
You perceive your own mental construction of stories.
Projection is done from memory.
And perception is of nothing else other than memory.
All that I perceive,
Sight,
Sound,
Smell,
Taste,
Touch,
Is only my own memory.
And memory is nothing but a recurring thought.
I perceive my own thought.
I perceive my own life.
When I firmly believe in what I have perceived,
It is called mental conditioning.
I hold on to it.
I stick to it.
I become rigid about it.
This becomes an obstacle on my path because I do not see reality as it is.
When I learn to cut through this mental conditioning and see reality as it is,
All I see is the now.
In that now,
There are constantly arising thoughts.
These thoughts constantly disappear.
There is nothing else besides that.
The story construction is simply a false idea.
A private,
Unshareable world.
Created by me and perceived by me only.
Wake up.
See the reality as it is.
If you are happy,
It is because of your own personal projection.
Your projection is private,
Unshareable.
And you perceive your own projected world.
Similarly,
If you are suffering,
It is because of your own personal,
Unshareable,
Privately projected and perceived world.
All sufferings are man-made.
To break out of the suffering,
You will have to break out of the personal,
Unshareable,
Privately projected and perceived world.
There is no other way out.
Drop the wrong conditioning.
See reality as it is,
Not as you want it to be.
To be able to see reality as it is,
All you have to do is ignore the illusion of your personal world.
Just like you ignore the mirage while walking through the desert.
Your personal world is the same in the dream state and the waking state.
It runs automatically,
On its own,
Like a software program.
Don't pay any attention to it.
Stop thinking about it.
Stop interfering with it.
Eat up your world.
Eat up your world.
Eat up your world.
Eat up your world.
