Reality and reality II

The thing is to first understand, then practice the idea that there is another way of seeing things and being in the world, an alternative to my habitual, every day ways of seeing and being; that what I take to be ‘reality’ is merely one of a number of realities, most of which are dominated by the ego – my small, tiny, limited self.  Spirit –my generous, compassionate, unlimited Self, is the essential alternative to the ego.  In fact, spirit is more than an ‘alternative’ way of seeing and being, it is Reality Itself.

The ego’s ‘reality,’ what we take to be real reality, is merely a dream of Reality, a mere shadow of Reality.  Introducing Reality into reality is like lucid dreaming.  Lucid dreaming is a learned technique for managing our dreams and turning our nightmares into happy dreams.  With lucid dreaming we know we’re asleep and dreaming, but we consciously choose to access the power/vision/truth always present outside the dream and bring it into the dream, to consciously change the dream from a nightmare to a happy dream. 

Introducing Reality into reality when I think I’m awake, works the same way. First I understand I’m dreaming, that what I take to be reality is a bad dream.  Then I understand that I have access to my greater Self, that that is my real identity, not the ego, and I consciously, mindfully choose to identify with and come from that Self, not my self. Then, the nightmare can be changed from its reality to its Reality, the happy dream of our peaceful, kind and compassionate oneness with all that is.

Conscious choice and mindfulness are crucial.  The more I consciously and mindfully choose to engage in the process of exchanging reality for Reality, the better it works, and the seeming difficulties, which are legion, fade away. 

I practice; realizing that everything, absolutely everything, is an opportunity to choose Reality instead of reality.  I practice; I remember that while in the dream, the dream seems real, all encompassing and without an alternative.  I practice; knowing that despite this experience of dreaming, it is still only a dream and not Reality.  I practice; claiming my Reality, my Self, and releasing my reality and little self, without attack and struggle, peacefully and gratefully turning them over to my Reality and Self.  And the more I practice, the better it works and gradually, oh so gradually, I find myself spending more and more time awake in Reality as my Self than I do in reality with my little self.