" Who looks outside, dreams, Who looks inside, awakens." - C.G. Jung
The quote by Jung encapsulates the essence of the ancient wisdom teachings on human consciousness and spiritual awakening. Man exist as though looking through a window from within a small confined space or looking from outside into it. Both these aspects of his existence are equally valid as they complement each other, one cannot be without the other no matter how we look at it. We cannot let go totally of one without letting go of the other and it is only with the ability to let go of both or uniting both in a fusion can we become a 'whole being.' To become a whole, complete and perfect is the goal if there is a goal to be achieved for man in his journey through this mortal existence. When the outer and inner aspects of one's being is completely realized and grasped a hold of we become a complete individual acting as one complete whole as the non duality school of thoughts perceive life to be. This happens only when one is able to merge what is within and what is out there with every action taken or when there is no line drawn between what is inner space and what is outer space. This is when dreams becomes reality and reality becomes dreams and when the two is one there is no one looking from within or from without; the observer and the observed is one.
It is almost an impossibility to arrive at this level of existence as a human being especially in this day and age when we are totally bombarded by distraction from every corner and through all our senses 24/7. It would take an enormous struggle to be able to bring our mind to this state of complete abolishment of the dichotomy between our outer and inner states of consciousness. Man is inherently equipped with a 'dual thinking mind,' a mind that is split between what is 'The real' and the 'Unreal.' What is right and what is wrong and so forth; the balance of opposites. It is also in our human nature that we have the tendency to create mental formations in the forms of narratives and stories about about who we are or how we came to be. Subjected to our genetical, cultural and religious make up, we grow up into individuals beings with our mind created or conditioned selves each wearing his/her own mask and playing the role of our allotted existence as part of humanity as a whole. Science has proven beyond doubt the complexities of our human mental and psychic tendencies in relation to our physical senses and attributes. Our mind is and its complexities is still beyond the understanding of the schools of sciences associated to its studies. Questions like what is human consciousness, the human subconscious or the collective unconscious etc. are still being grappled with among researchers. We, as a specie, are still groping in the dark as to the understanding of who we truly are and the what, why and the how of who we are.
There is no doubt that we as a species has evolved quite rapidly over the past few thousand years putting us at the top of the food chain and the most intelligent specie on the planet, however we as a specie have we also evolved to become the most destructive among all other species that threatens the very safety of this planet itself. When and where did we go wrong? Carl Jung rightfully claimed that we have a 'shadow.' Our ugly side, the side that lurks behind the scene and creates havoc and chaos just because it is in its nature to be so. In the religious sense we have negative entities, devils and demons as our unseen companions seeking to influence our every move and actions we take. Most of humanity either live in ignorance or simply in denial of such influences that affects their everyday lives. These are those who live 'looking out' and in dreams and they are often awaken with a nightmare from their sleep. The shadow just as in the physical shadow that walks alongside us cast by light on our body, is always with us and makes its appearance every now and then when we are off balance like having too much of a good thing or simply drifting loosing our sense of awareness/balance.
The Buddha, I always refer to the Buddha simply because I studied Buddhism and try to abide by its teachings and principles; I do not and will never worship the Buddha. As I mentioned earlier the Buddha is considered to be Al Khidr, the immortal soul in Islam who met and taught Moses about Patience and later met Sheikh Kadir Jilani and Ibn Arabi according to their stories. For interested party you can Google these. Einstein declared the Buddha's teaching to be the most scientific approach to life and this is how I saw it from the moment I understood Buddhism. My faith is completely in Allah aza wa jala, Lod of the Worlds. Islam is the religion of my faith. I practice Buddhism when in facing my day to day trials and tribulations as I would now and then practice Taoist philosophy or Vedanta. To me they are all a part and parcel of the manifestations of the Lord's Will, and there is not a leaf that drops from the branch in the forest the He is not aware of; for He is One - Ahad. To believe otherwise is limiting myself from being a part of the Whole I am not claiming to be correct or right in my understanding, as I can be wrong in many of my assumptions, however right or wrong, it is just an error of my own mind and it is and has always been my intention to right my errors as I encounter every test and challenge laid across my path. As I have often admitted to myself and to my Maker, I am a sinner, a transgressor, one who have challenged even God Himself during one of my dark night of the soul and as such I have a whole lot of cleaning up to do before i get anywhere near the Seat of the Lord. However he is to me most of all oft. forgiving and Most Merciful and this I hold to be the Truth I live by.
""The wound is the way that Light enters you." - Rumi
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