The Dream Technique

The Truth is Out There??

The cutie made another batch of Tibetan tea so wondrous, so relaxing… I noticed he was making a fresh new batch every time, not warming up the old one. It’s so good to have him near me. I wish he’d never leave.

I watched the waves on the sea, rolling my thoughts along with them...

“John-Lee, I wanna go free. Shell the stickiness of the smoggy city, to soar, to fly to the truth…”

“Aha…”

“…To fly to that higher, pure truth, like what you have in distant worlds. Only I have no idea where to start looking even. You tell me, please, you’re my best friend.”

“Liberty, your truth surely exists, sure, but not in distant worlds. It is inside of you. All you ever wanted to know – is in you, not on the Moon. Not with me either. No Tibetan or American genius would be able to tell you what YOU want and what is true FOR YOU.”

“But on TV they said The Truth Is Out There...”

“Television is good. Very good. As emergency chair, like when you have unexpected guests. Big television better, two guests can sit. Flat screen, not disturb their legs.”

“Also for yacht owners!!” I added.

“Life boat?”

“No way, dude. It’s a depth meter! See, you tie the TV to a long rope, drop it into the sea until it hits the seafloor. You look at the rope marks and you know how deep the sea under your yacht.”

“Wonderful invention, the television,” he said.

A Waking Dream

But what CAN we do, I insisted (although I knew he’d eventually get to it anyway). The Ancient Technique of The Dream, so explained John-Lee, is what would bring me to see where I came from and where I was going. At least this is what I understood at that moment.

It’s not just any dream, he continued and explained, but a GUIDED dream. He would walk me through it.

“Do I have to sleep?” I asked.

He shook his head.

“Will you hypnotize me?”

John-Lee smiled and said: “Don’t go to sleep and don’t go anywhere, Liberty, be here with me. Hypnosis? See, hypnosis neutralizes your power and then I can implant commands – but can I implant real wisdom? By what I told you today about that day with Yu-Dzong in the monastery, do you think I am trying to put my own commands or achieve something else?”

“OK got you. You want me to be here and make up my own mind about what’s true for me and the rest is ass shit.”

“You phrased it with smelly words of wisdom. That is correct.”

“What about drugs? Some claim it can open the mind to things we can’t open otherwise?”

“They do not know The Ancient Technique of The Dream. Besides, it is already clear to you that I want you here and now. Drugs throw you into zones you don’t want to be visiting, definitely not when you are not in control. And they – both light and heavy drugs – they poison you and rot your body at a deadly pace. And last – even if drugs were liberating and it is NOT so – what would you say about this allegory: two young runners get to this famous sports coach who lets them train on crutches. For several years they would have to be assisted by crutches. One runner stays and his friend goes to a less famous coach who has him train on…yes you guessed right…on his own two feet. Who would you say has a better chance at the Olympic Medal?”

“The other guy. OK good I got that. Now let’s get it going. What d’you want me to do now?”

“Liberty, it’s late now. I suggest we make something good for dinner, you go to sleep and tomorrow you wake up fresh and we take it from there. What say you?”

“Sounds cool. Can you cook? Chinese food? No you’re Tibetan what am I saying.”

“I can stir fry such tasty veggies that you’d eat it all and lick your fingers clean.”

“Serious? But I got no wok, only a simple Mediterranean pan.”

John-Lee giggled and said: “No worry. After cooking seven months in the monastery kitchen, where I had to stir-fry with the most impossible tools, and have fifty guys lick their fingers, now no pan is going to stop me. Like they say: You can’t scare a Tibetan Cook with a Mediterranean pan.”

“They say this for real?”

The Technique Is Only The Torch

The next morning, before commencing with the process, John-Lee stressed to Liberty once more that SHE should stay in control of her mind. And harness all of her wisdom to it, because the technique will not do it for her. And he added:

“When I say THE WAY I am not referring to the TECHNIQUE but to your way from where you are now – to your goal, to the mountaintop you want to conquer or experience. The Ancient Technique of The Dream is only THE TORCH to light up the way. And the technique, as sophisticated as it may be, cannot do the work by itself. It is not the road to travel – and not the one who will walk the road. It is THE TORCH. Only the torch.”

“I’m with you,” said Liberty and caressed the back of his hand.

“Very good. Let’s begin.”