Consciousness is a long wave coming and going, washing against the shores of our life, reminding us of who we are, then submerging us again in the depths of unawareness. We have no choice but to remember and forget, only to remember and forget again–at the mercy of the fragile flickering flame of awareness within us. The struggle to stay totally awake at all times is futile like never sleeping, never letting go. We must surrender to natural unconsciousness, the rhythmic processes of light and dark, awakening and sleeping, attention and distraction.
To be human is to swim with the tide, to get our heads above water now and then so we can look around and get our bearings. Seeing where we are and where we need to go, we then relax and are pulled back into the undertow, letting ourselves drift into relative unconsciousness, knowing that in time we will surface just in time to take the next breath.
The rhythm of life is one of supreme effort and total surrender. We have the illusion that only effort moves us forward but the waves still carry us onward even as we let go. Something is always happening, trying to come into being with or without our help. Often, misguided efforts at enlightenment serve only to hinder the process. We must respect the natural ebb and flow of consciousness, always asking the question, “How much am I here in the moment?”