We all dream of God, does that make us part of Gods dream? (ritual, Earth)

[Ori]

Are we but an illusion, the construct of a superior mind at sleep?
What is the goal of us?
Are we just microbes?
For whom do we exist?
What is the concept of I?
We view the world as it views us viewing the world, but what will it mean in the end? Do we really want to know? How can you be sure of what you know?
Must man evolve into a higher form before he can know?

[Ormiston]

Originally Posted by orichalcum

Are we but an illusion, the construct of a superior mind at sleep?
What is the goal of us?
Are we just microbes?
For whom do we exist?
What is the concept of I?
We view the world as it views us viewing the world, but what will it mean in the end? Do we really want to know? How can you be sure of what you know?
Must man evolve into a higher form before he can know?

Opportunity!
Regardless of the whys and hows, we have an opportunity.
Regardless of what any of us believes, we wouldn't be able to argue without the opportunity.
Regardless of the goal, we wouldn't be able to decide without the opportunity.
Regardless of what we know, we wouldn't be able to think without the opportunity.

I am a man and we are all men (women ), and I don't think I'll be evolving much more. I do wish, however, be it good or bad, that I did know the truth. And, in the end, we'll either find out or be left in the dark (so so sad?).

Just some further rambling Or...

[michel]

Originally Posted by orichalcum

Are we but an illusion, the construct of a superior mind at sleep?
What is the goal of us?
Are we just microbes?
For whom do we exist?
What is the concept of I?
We view the world as it views us viewing the world, but what will it mean in the end? Do we really want to know? How can you be sure of what you know?
Must man evolve into a higher form before he can know?

I don't believe I am an illusion - especially not the construct of a superior mind at sleep; that superior mind would have to be having a bout of indigestion to have dreams that reprent the world, for one!
Our Goal ? to learn -usually by mistakes - that's the best way of learning, in my mind.
We exist because we do - our minds are not able toounderstand our 'maker'; we exist as part of the whole of nature. The concept of 'I' - look in a mirror. As for 'knowing what 'it is all about' - es, I do believe we have to evolve into higher beings.

[Nitai]

Hare Krishna.

Let me give some Vedic thoughts, which are quite God centered.

# I don't believe I am an illusion.
* Yes, this is perfect conclusion. According to Vedas we are part and parcels of God. That doesn't mean we are God because we can never be quantitatively equal to God. He is the greatest we are minute. But as part and parcels we are qualitatively like Him. We refers to our soul. So, the soul and God have both quality of eternity, knowledge and bliss.
* These common qualities of God and the soul are realized by the process of self-realization. And many attained success. So, anyway, back to the point. As God is reality so are we also real, being His part and parcels.

Our dreams and the stage of awakening are both temporary. The dreams are happening in our subtle body consisting of mind, intelligence and false ego; and the awakened activities are performed with our subtle body and the gross material body together. Both of these bodies are only the covering of the soul, which at the present does not perform any activity nor is enjoying anything. This is because the soul is different from the two bodies mentioned before. Because for the soul the activities of the two bodies are not his activities both the activities of the subtle body during the dream and the activities of the gross body during the stage of awakening are considered to be just like dreams.

THE GOAL - is therefor to find out what are the real activities of the soul. When one understands and begins to perform the activities of the soul the other two types of the bodies will be also engaged. The perfection is to go back to the spiritual realm where one doesn't have to accept subtle and gross material bodies. One can exist there in his pure spiritual existence having an eternal spiritual form. Contrary to this, as long as one engages in the dreamlike activities using the two types of bodies one have to reincarnate life after life.

Here I can just mention that in the Vedas all the activities of the living entities in the material world are said to be observed in the dream of God's expansion called Maha Vishnu. But being transcendental and thus aloof from those activities IOW not affected by the dream, He certainly doesn't experience indigestion.

Hare Krishna

Please chant Hare Krishna and be happy.
Nitai

[Watcher]

God and I in space alone
And nobody else in view
"And where are the people, O Lord". I said
"The earth below and the sky o`erhead
And the dead whom I once knew?"

"That was a dream" God smiled and said
"A dream that seemed to be true.
There were no people, living or dead.
There was no earth, and no sky o`erhead:
There was only myself.... in you".

"Why do I feel no fear?" I asked.
"Meeting you here this way?
For I have sinned I know full well
And is there heaven and is there hell
And is this the Judgement Day?"

"Say, those were but dreams",
the Great God said.
"Dreams that have ceased to be.
There are no such things as fear or sin.
There is no you.... you never have been....
There is nothing at all but Me".

Ella Wheeler Wilcox. "Illusion"

IMHO, Our life being one big illusion makes much more sense then anything else.

[Nitai]

Hare Krishna

An interesting question is when we are in illusion? And the Vedic answer is, when we take this material life as the only reality then we are in illusion. Our illusion or accepting this material world and our material body as the only reality is like accepting the dream to be reality.

1) The real reality is on the spiritual level or on the level of the soul not separate from Krishna. Therefor, to live a life on the physical plane without being aware of the soul and God is just like living in a dreamland no matter whether during the night or during the day. When the soul is awakened to its natural loving devotional activity to God, Krishna, that is its eternal, blissful, spiritual position. That is how one can quit ones Illusory dream-like existence in this material world and go back to the supreme reality, to the spiritual world, where the spirit soul naturally belongs.
2) When the soul is not awakened, it is only a bewildered observer of our night-time and day-time activities which both being not eternal are compared to dreams. Interestingly, every night we have some other dream and every other life we have some other activities in a different body. They are not eternal like the spiritual activities in the eternal spiritual body. Therefor, both of them are compared to dreams.

In the Vedic scriptures there is a description of an expansion of Krishna. That expansion is like e.g. a second candle getting the light. So, just as both candles are equally good similarly the expansion of Krishna called Maha-vishnu is equally good as Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. From the pores of Maha Vishnu billions of material universes come out. We cannot even imagine how big He is just like an ant cannot imagine how big is this universe.

So, as that Maha-Vishnu is sleeping, His dreams are said to be the activities of the conditioned living entities within the material universes. He is neither affected by the activities of all the living entities nor responsible for all their activities. Being always on transcendental position, He is always aloof from the material worldly affairs and patiently awaits when the living entities will turn toward Him.

[Fade]

"Today, a young man on acid realized that all matter is merely energy condensed to a slow vibration. That we are all one consciousness experiencing itself subjectively. There is no such thing as death, life is only a dream and we're the imagination of ourselves. Here's Tom with the weather." - William Melvin Hicks (December 16, 1961 - February 26, 1994)

[Fade]

In the Vedic scriptures there is a description of an expansion of Krishna. That expansion is like e.g. a second candle getting the light. So, just as both candles are equally good similarly the expansion of Krishna called Maha-vishnu is equally good as Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. From the pores of Maha Vishnu billions of material universes come out. We cannot even imagine how big He is just like an ant cannot imagine how big is this universe.

Dude, we can't even imagine how big this universe is...who cares what an ant thinks.

[Fade]

Originally Posted by YmirGF

One would assume that the ant would care.

I invited some ants
to a party in my pants

Now I have...

Ants in my pants.

[Darkdale]

Originally Posted by Orichalcum

Are we but an illusion, the construct of a superior mind at sleep?
What is the goal of us?
Are we just microbes?
For whom do we exist?
What is the concept of I?
We view the world as it views us viewing the world, but what will it mean in the end? Do we really want to know? How can you be sure of what you know?
Must man evolve into a higher form before he can know?

I honestly don't think it matters. In the past, our best ideas have been rather idiotic. People should focus on the stuff that matters. Living their life. Their friends and family. Leaving a better life for your children than your parents left for you and so forth.