Bridging Happiness

"Sometimes a god comes. He brings a new way to do a thing, or a new thing to be done. A new kind of singing, or a new kind of death. He brings this across the bridge between the dream-time and the world-time. When he has done this, it is done. You cannot take things that exist in the world and try to drive them back into the dream, to hold them inside the dream with walls and pretenses. That is insanity. What is, is."
--from THE WORD FOR WORLD IS FOREST by Ursula K. LeGuin.

'Before' is dream-time. 'After' is world-time. 'Now' is not too late. Lost innocence and undiscovered beauty are lamentable. Uninhibited truthfulness applies to world-time. Pure innocence and unsullied beauty belong to dream-time, but can be intuited in world-time. To advance innocence and beauty requires focus on dream-time. To advance Truth, Wisdom, and (upper-case) Happiness requires focus on world-time; (though some may argue). You are a (lower-case) god, and capable of crossing (back and forth) over the bridge between the dream-time and the world-time. Inner peace comes from crossing (back and forth) over the bridge. Dream-time contains many polar opposites. Dark and Light are from dream-time; it is their respective shadow and reflection that are carried into world-time. Shadows in world-time can lengthen and acquire depth. Reflections in world-time can illuminate and acquire color. Shadows in world-time create a sense of foreboding. Reflections in world-time create a sense of lightness. Exoteric Goodness happens in world-time, but can be intuited in dream-time. Pain and adversity are felt in world-time and rewarded in dream-time. Sanity is determined by world-time. If dream-time (as the numerator) is larger than world-time (as the denominator) ... consider the result. You are a god, and capable of determining your own numerator and denominator. Anarchy works in dream-time. Bureaucracy began as a reflection but has been overtaken by shadows. The bridge will always be open and trafficking will always be active. On the bridge, there is no single point of perfect balance; it is different and constantly moving for each individual, and if multiple individuals share a point of perfect balance, it is purely coincidental. To traverse the bridge in either direction exacts a different toll from each individual; the toll is always paid in world-time. When in dream-time, we do not know. When in world-time we feel compelled to know. Words are unnecessary in dream-time. Words are overused in world-time. Dream-time is all about Humanity. World-time is all about me. World-time requires skepticism. Dream-time requires trust. To be a fool in dream-time will advance learning and growth. To be a fool in world-time risks ridicule and scorn. The 'time' in dream-time is an illusion. The 'time' in world-time is a force. It seems that I am more alone in dream-time, but (I believe) the reality is that I am more alone in world-time. Synergy and interdependence are learned in dream-time and applied in world-time. In dream-time, there is no place to hide. In world-time, there are many, many hiding places. 'Before' is dream-time. 'After' is world-time. 'Now' is not too late.

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