on waking UP … ( 12 / 18 / 2010 )
on waking UP … ( 12 / 18 / 2010 )
“ When we hide from the world , we feel secure . We may think we have quieted our fear , but we are actually making ourselves numb with angst . We surround ourselves with our own familiar thoughts , so that nothing sharp or painful can touch us . When we are constantly recreating our basic patterns of behavior and thought in this manner , we never have to leap into fresh air or onto fresh grass . Instead , we wrap ourselves in our own dark environment , where our only companion is the smell of our own sweat . In the cocoon , there is no dance , no walking or breathing . It is comfortable and sleepy , an intense and very familiar home .
In the cocoon , there is no idea of light at all , until we experience some longing for openness , some longing for something other than the smell of our own dis-ease . When we examine that comfortable darkness – look at it , smell it , feel it – we find it is catastrophically claustrophobic … As soon as we begin to sense the possibility of fresh air , we realize that our arms and legs are being restricted . We want to stretch out and walk , dance , even jump . We realize that there is an alternative to our cocoon : we discover that we could be free from that trap . With that longing for fresh air , for a breeze of delight , we finally re-open our eyes . And to our surprise , we begin to see the light , even though it may be hazy at first . The initial tearing of the cocoon takes place at that point . Thereafter , we realize with ever-increasing clarity that the degraded cocoon we have been hiding in is revolting , and we want to turn up the lights as far as we can . In fact , we are not turning up the lights , but we are simply opening our eyes wider .”
~ inspired by Chogyam Trungpa
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