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Are you Awake?
by Julia Fairchild
What does it mean to be "awake"? We’ve all heard the story of Buddha’s reply to those who questioned what made him different. It wasn’t that he was in eternal bliss or all knowingness. . .it was simply that he was "awake". My first lesson in being awake came as a result of a problem I had with bedwetting. Since it has served such a joyful purpose, I’ll admit that I wet the bed well into my early 20’s. Even after I was married, if I ever had an extra-tiring or extra-stressful day, I’d wake up in a wet bed. What always happened was that I would dream I had to go to the bathroom, and in my dream, I would go through an elaborate ritual of proving to myself that I was in the bathroom, and that I could let go. Even though it always "felt funny", I convinced myself, by running water on my hands, or squeezing the side of the tub, or the toilet paper, and only the puddle in my bed would convince me that I’d done it again.One day, as I was in the bathroom, it occurred to me that I never have to prove it to myself when I really am awake. It was a brilliant idea! From then on, whenever I found myself having to prove myself to be in the bathroom, I’d waken myself, and get up! That experience became a touchstone for me. I later realized that anytime I find myself feeling "less than" I’d know I was dreaming, and I’d tell myself to Wake Up!In my own healing (awakening) process, and in working with clients, I have noticed that the human body is like a temple for our Selves. There’s the main floor, that part of the structure that we are aware of, our conscious part, that holds memories and plans and hopes and dreams and fears that we can keep track of -- the ten percent of our mind that we use. That’s conscious mind.
Then there’s the basement, that part of our being that holds not only the boiler room, the cafeteria, even the sewage treatment plant, but the old storerooms as well. . . all the family records, the filing and piling systems, that comprise the ninety percent of our psyche that "uses us" – the subconscious mind.
Finally, there’s the upper floor, the "holy of holies", the super-conscious, which is infinite, the door to the collective consciousness, the powers of heaven, the Spirit, the Self, whatever you want to call it.To the extent that one can sort through, become aware of, and reframe the material in subconscious mind, while opening the windows to let Spirit in, integrating these into conscious awareness -- to that degree is one "awake". Added to this joyful picture, came the next insight as I was driving home with my son, Ben, the other day. I commented about his being a "resource" to his family and peers, because he never stops thinking, idealizing, and trying to implement his ideas in reality. As I spoke, the word "re-Source" played itself over for me, and I came to see the word in a new light. Source is all that is – we are each a resource to ourselves and one another. Without the ability to think, to feel, and to act, Source would be unavailable to any of us. Then I got this picture of a fish in the ocean, and realized that we are to Source, as a fish is to water. Not only is the fish in, under, around, and through the water, but science tells us that he IS ninety-nine percent water! And yet, in too many cases, we are as aware of Source as a fish is of water. The only time a fish has any concept of water is when he’s yanked out of it! Yikes!
What was really exciting to understand, is that it is precisely that 10% of our mind that is consciously available to us that serves as the funnel through which Source can pour – the only re-Source we have – unless of course, we open the funnel wider by integrating subconscious and superconscious information.
Morning has broken. . . .and I am waking up!
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