The path to Tranquility (spring)
16. Troubles are all caused by half-awake dreams
Troubles are common emotions in our daily lives. In addition to external pressures from work, life, and interpersonal relationships, they often come from inner confusion. Without a deep understanding of past experiences, people cannot predict the future based on real experiences, and can only weave a fictitious consciousness through vague feelings. As a result, everything in front of us becomes erratic, and the heart is in an inexplicable anxiety for a long time.
Most of the troubles of human beings come from the split between body and mind. Animals live directly and instinctively. They do not blame themselves, do not get entangled in right and wrong, good and evil, but live naturally in the present, as if they are in an unconscious dream and never wake up. Although humans have reason and imagination, they often fall into contradictions because their consciousness is not yet mature. People's instincts may be suppressed, and dreams may exceed the load of the body and mind. A person who is eager to pursue his dreams but is afraid of failure at the same time will often stagnate and be exhausted physically and mentally.
The deeper dilemma is that we often regard emotions and habits as our essence, mistakenly believing that is "me". As a result, we live for a false self, but cannot completely break away from reality, and can only wander between half dreaming and half awake. Dreams and reality are intertwined and blurred, and it is difficult for us to focus on our life goals, and we lose the ability to feel the present. For example, a person aspires to become an artist, but due to financial pressure, he can only do a job he hates. The gap between ideals and reality becomes a breeding ground for troubles.
Troubles are not only the result of inner conflict, but also related to our misunderstanding of time. We often get caught up in regrets about the past and worries about the future, while ignoring the value of the present. A person with low self-esteem due to childhood trauma will find it difficult to focus on realizing his current possibilities if he is trapped in this memory for a long time. This misalignment of consciousness makes troubles always follow us.
The key to truly solving troubles is to return to our true self. When we feel troubled, we might as well stop, face our feelings honestly, and start an inner dialogue: "What exactly is bothering me? Where does this emotion come from? How can I transform it?"
For example, a new employee is frustrated by criticism from his boss. If he stops to reflect, he will find that he is actually afraid of being fired and lacks confidence in his abilities. When he realizes that the root of the problem is not external factors but self-doubt, he can choose to shift his focus to improving his abilities instead of being trapped by criticism.
Many troubles also stem from misunderstanding "needs." We often mistake short-term "wants" for long-term "needs," which leads to anxiety and conflict. Re-examining our desires and comparing them to our core values can help us clarify our direction.
For example, a mother felt frustrated because her child was disobedient. At first, she thought she needed her child to listen to her, but later reflected that what she really needed was to establish a relationship of understanding and trust with her child. She let go of her desire to control and instead placed more emphasis on communication and connection, and her frustration eventually disappeared.
Only at the moment of life and death can we truly awaken, abandon illusions and return to reality. However, even if there are no such extreme situations in life, we can still gain this discernment through practice. For example, a middle-aged man suffered from insomnia due to work pressure. He tried to ask himself: "If tomorrow is the last day of my life, will I still worry about it?" Then he realized that health and quality of life are more important, and began to adjust his rhythm and find inner peace.
Our obsession with perfection is also the source of trouble. The more we pursue perfection, the easier it is to fall into the bondage of evaluation. Only by accepting our own imperfections can we unload the burden of the "false self" and live out our true self. For example, there was a student who used to worry that his grades were not as good as others, but later he realized that self-growth is more meaningful than outstanding grades. He turned his attention to daily progress and self-affirmation, and his troubles disappeared.
Everyone may have different interpretations and desires for life, but satisfaction does not come out of thin air. Only with deep understanding and conscious choice can we walk out of the fog of troubles and live in our own bright sky. Animals are natural because of their simplicity, and humans are free because of awakening. When we stop running for the false self and listen to the voice of the true self, we can resolve troubles and let the true value of life shine in the present.
17. Acknowledge and move beyond ignorance
