The Clear Sky Theory

I will listen to Dass. My mind is now just like the blue sky; even as I type, many clouds drift above, but I'm focused on one particular cloud. This cloud from the looks of it is definitely irregular. I can't quite figure it out... I hear myself say, "Look for the silver lining!" I didn't see it, so I blinked. Not even a second had passed, but all of a sudden, there were no clouds. Cloudless and clueless, I waited for a cloud to pass, but day turned to night, and the moonlight began to shine bright. The phenomenon felt profound, yet I was restless; there were no clouds, just the moon and the stars.

The Cloudless Night Sky


This was a big change in scenery, but I took a deep breath. The central idea behind the metaphor had remained the same. "Our mind," now, " is like the [night] sky, and [within it] our thoughts" shine bright as stars (Dass, 102). Then, I began focusing on the moon. I felt as if I was stuck on it... I observed the blue Earth. It was covered with many clouds. Truly, there was little blue to be seen at all. Again, I felt trapped. Somewhere between my thoughts and my mind, I was imprisoned within my own space.

Trapped on the Moon!


Right then, a breeze picked up; I realized that I was still on Earth, but I guess I had spent the night on the moon because the night sky was slightly different this time. The stars seemed different, and to my surprise, I was now looking up to only a half moon! Then, a cloud drifted into view and blocked the moon. I felt calm; the cloud had somehow saved me. Then, I realized that tonight the cloud was my thought and the moon was my perception of myself. I realized that if the mind is indeed comparable to the sky then everything we understand is under the lens of the mind's perspective. At times, my thoughts are clouds, and at times, they are stars. Sometimes, I'm on the moon, but with time I change, so my moon must change as well. That is why there was only a half-moon in the sky when I returned to Earth.


The New View (without Rosie)!


Eventually, there will be no moon and that's when I will adapt a new perception of myself, and the moon shall reappear as I develop this new perception to myself. I realize that I'm the "caterpillar pointing up at the butterfly and saying, 'You'll never get me up in one of those things'" (Dass, 103).

Our Skies Are Also Colored



As I continue listening to Dass, I realize that I've begun the process of "letting go" (Dass, 102). I'm disconnected with mind which is the sky, and I am in turn lost within my own self-perception. At times, I'm on the moon, and I see my thoughts as the clouds, but from Earth, I see the stars as my thoughts as well. All this is very confusing, but in order to keep a clear view on the clouds and the stars, the skies must be clear. And, as the blue sky clears, we will undoubtedly be able to view many more stars and even perhaps be able to view other planets. This will help us realize that we are all in one solar system/galaxy/universe. But this will only happen if we have clear skies. Imagine a blue planet from Earth within the range of your vision... If you have a blue sky, you are sure to miss it!

This Is a Clear Sky


That is why we must all clear our skies. It is the only method by which we can truly see each other. We are all spread out in the universe, and we must be able to 'let go,' so that we can all move on together. We must make this leap! Perhaps this is the only way for us to move on from space to hyperspace, by 'letting go.'