DAY 20
Waking up is clearer today than in the past, when the process was considered so mysterious that it seemed totally paradoxical. As one ancient metaphor put it, wanting to wake up is like being a thirsty fish. The fish is thirsty only because it doesn’t realize that it is surrounded by the ocean. Likewise, a person seeking to wake up doesn’t realize that all limitations of the mind are the result of not knowing that the infinite ocean of consciousness is everywhere at every moment.
Limitation begins in the mind but is mirrored by time, space, matter, and energy. This mirroring effect holds good whether you are asleep or awake. The difference is that when you wake up, the physical universe is seen for what it really is, the play of consciousness. Consciousness has no form or boundaries. Being beyond labels and thoughts, it is inconceivable. It is also who you really are.
Hold up your hand and start moving it into various positions, each signifying a meaningful gesture. Act out the part of a police officer directing traffic, a teacher pointing to the blackboard, a lover caressing the beloved’s cheek, a chef whipping up an omelet—whatever strikes your fancy. Reflect on how your hand carried out whatever your imagination wanted it to. Mind and matter were different appearances of the same consciousness. Likewise, your personal reality consists of mind acting to coordinate time, space, matter, and energy. They express the same unlimited possibilities as human imagination.