Lojong 2.) Think all phenomena are like dreams

2. Formal Practice (2-10)

2) Think all phenomena are like dreams. (My reality depends on momentary perception)

This is one of my favorite Lojong sayings.  It means that most of the time we are no more aware of reality during waking life as we are in a dream.  When I am having a dream, things occur that ordinarily would make no sense.  In a dream, I may find myself in any number of inpossible situations, interacting with people long gone from my current world, or observing and interacting with all sorts of odd things.  However in the dream, I do not question these things.  I let them pass as reality, and in fact I do not even notice that these things are odd or impossible. 

Most of the time in ordinarly daily life, we are the same way.  We do not question our assumptions, what we think, or what we feel.  We merely accept these things as reality.  When I understand this saying, I realize that my reality depends on my monentary perception, and that this can change.  What happens when I change my perception of another person from, "he's a liar" to "he does not know"?  What happens when I wake up in everyday life?

It is very amusing to hear misperceptions of what is or is not Buddhist philosophy.  This saying has been distorted, so it is attributed that Buddhists "believe" this world is not real, but that we are all dreaming.  (Hey this would make a great movie plot... oh wait, I think it was already done as "The Matrix".) 

Remember this Lojong saying and be awake during your everyday life!

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