Dogs and Dreams

On our morning walk yesterday Meherwan narrated this story:

Mani, Baba's sister, had a cocker spaniel called Peter.  Peter would usually get up early in the morning and accompany Baba to the Mandali Hall where he would lie at Baba's feet and promptly fall asleep.  Peter would have very active dreams, and would be whining and moving his legs as if running.  One day when he was having a particularly action-packed dream Baba had the bell rung to call Mani to Mandali Hall.

When she arrived Baba pointed to Peter and gestured, "See how he is dreaming?  In his dream he is running after many small animals.  He is running here and there, jumping and hunting, and wearing himself out.  But in reality, he hasn't moved an inch, he is resting here safe and sound at My feet!"  Baba then went on to give a small discourse and compared the waking state of the Mandali present to Peter's dreaming state.  In believing their state of consciousness to be reality they did this and that and went here and there, but in reality it is all an illusion and they go nowhere, they are safe at His feet. 

Meherwan then went on to talk about how we make ourselves unhappy or angry because we don't get what we want in our waking dreams.  How we struggle after money and possessions and prestige and status but forget the Only Reality, Baba.  "Make Him your constant companion, remember Him as often as you can and include Him in your day to day activities.  Only then will your dream fade and you will wake to becoming one with Baba." 

Truly, we do chase after the most absurd things - recognition, status symbols, being upwardly mobile, getting ahead - at the cost of other things (still illusory but more important) like our family, our partners and children, our friends.  How often I hear from a client I am working with to reduce life stress, "But I only do it for them (meaning family), otherwise why would I bust a gut and become a physical and mental wreck working so hard to get ahead?"  He cannot see that his kids don't see him, his wife is isolated and bored because her husband leaves early and comes home late or is always travelling.  When he tries to connect with them they already have full lives and don't want to know... but were he to turn his attention within, get to know the Lord who lives in each of us and include Him in his life at work and at home, there would be no conflict.  And slowly but surely he would move towards wanting only to be with his Lord, until he one day becomes one with Him.  Avatar Meher Baba Ki Jai.