Those of us who attempt to walk a spiritual path talk a lot about the idea of waking up—the penultimate moment of universal awareness.

Yet, isn’t the ordinary act of waking up each morning mind-blowing in and of itself?

Each night, we slip into this temporary comatose state, our minds giving way to the cosmic pull of our mortal existence. In that moment of transition between the world of the unknown, and what we call reality, lies the mystery of our existence.

Eckhart Tolle speaks of deep dreamless sleep as a returning to the un-manifested; our minds merging with the Source.

During bouts of depression, I often long to remain in the sleep state, where everything is possible and life simply un-folds as it will—without any effort on my part. I resist waking up to the Samsara world of “reality”, which requires I make decisions, and suffer consequences. Perhaps this waking reality also un-folds as it will, but my ego and attachment to the senses (skandhas) provide an illusion that I am in control, and that I am responsible for all outcomes.

On brighter days, I experience waking up each morning as a rebirth—another shot at life. Rather than wanting to avoid reality, I wake up mindful of the essential mystery and magnificence of being alive, and approach the day with a playfulness—the play of forms.

The existential questions are ever present, as part of my human nature. I am grateful for the opportunity to experience a literal form of waking up each morning.

Perhaps this ordinary and effortless pattern of nature offers insight into the extraordinary experience we so earnestly seek.

~

Relephant:

When You Wake Up on a Difficult Morning.

~~

Author: Roseann Pascale

Image: Waking up Kumbhakarna/British Museum Online Gallery  // Pixabay