WAKING SLEEP

Melvin McLeod & The Editors of the Shambhala Sun, The Best Buddhist Writing 2013 (Boston & London: Shambhala, 2013) (From Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse, "Not for Happiness": "Millions of people in this world are interested in some version of meditation, or yoga, or one of the many so-called spiritual activities that are now so widely marketed. A closer look at why people engage in these practices reveals an aim that has little to do with liberation from delusion, and everything to do with their desperation to escape busy, unhappy lives, and heartfelt longing for a healthy, stress-free, happy life. All of which are romantic illusions." Id. at 54, 61-62. From Ezra Bayda, "Breaking Through": "The first obstacle to practice is not understanding the magnitude and power of waking sleep. 'Waking sleep' refers to the state in which we live most of the time--identified with, or lost in, our thoughts, our emotions, and our actions. In the first place, we're addicted to our thoughts: believing that our thoughts and opinions are the truth is the veil through which we perceive reality. But we also have difficulty controlling our emotions; in fact, we love to indulge them. Furthermore, we can't seen to stay in the present moment for more than a few seconds at a time; the present is the last place we want to be. Because we are so frequently lost in the obscuring confusion of our thoughts and emotions, we lack the clarity and presence that comes when we are more awake." Id. at 151, 151-152.).