Notes on Life and Learning Lessons Chapter 16

The Dream:

A War Against

Women Soldiers

I once had lunch with a few old friends. After talking about many normal things, one married friend narrated his strange dream a few nights ago.

He dreamt that he was in a war, a war where the soldiers used guns like those in the early 20^th century. In the dream, he crawled to the other side and was surprised to see that those shooting at them were women soldiers. In jest, he added that all the women he had a relationship with considered him a friend even after separation. No one would want to “shoot him dead”.

I felt that there was an important message in the dream. I then said that perhaps it was a message from Above and that if he was serious in knowing the message, I could get it for him. He looked curiously at me and said, “Okay. Tell me the message if you really can.”

After a few minutes of silence, I told him that in war, a moment of indecision or a moment of weakness could cost him and his comrades, their lives. “You have to be very brave, quick, and decisive because war is a life-and-death situation. The women soldiers at the other side means that you are now approaching the middle age, you are thinking of getting involved with women other than your wife. Since you are thinking of playing with women, particularly those who are very vulnerable – the poor, the young, the innocent, and those who are lonely and troubled – in a way, it is like going to war against women as you are out to destroy their lives and their future.

“This line of thinking now threatens your life. It also threatens the harmony within your family. Like war, it is a life-and-death situation. So, you have to be brave; you have to be decisive. A moment of indecision, of weakness, of thinking that having an extra-marital affair will boost your quite boring and dull life, can destroy many lives – yours, your wife’s, your children’s as well as the other woman’s life. Like in war, many lives would be destroyed if a single crucial decision is wrongly made. That, my friend, is the message from those Above who are concerned with your emotional, mental, and spiritual growth.”

He stared at me for while. He was silent. It looked like he was trying to grasp the depth of what I said. To break the serious silence, he lightheartedly said, “You know, my dream was in color, just like in the movies!”

And I replied, “To be more accurate, it is just like in real life. The truth is, if I may add a little unusual thing, the war you saw in your dream actually did happen. There were some changes connected with the message, of course. You were once a soldier, a brave soldier. You fought well. Those from Above would like to tell you that now you must be like a good soldier again just like in one of your past lives. You are now facing another battle, a different kind but also a life-and-death situation which I have already told you about earlier. Your dream was also in color to emphasize that it is real. The threat to your family is very real should you desire to add spice to your boring and dull life by having an affair.

“My friend, if I may give you a piece of advice, extra-marital affairs only stimulate the physical body momentarily. But, as a consequence, it distorts you knowledge of what is right and what is wrong, it dulls your feeling of right and wrong. Thereafter, you will have more and more troubles, there will be more and more imbalances in your life. Then, as your sense of right and wrong weakens, you will have more and more troubles, more and more imbalances in your life. Your boring and dull life will get worse. You will suffer mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.

“If you are truly searching for something to boost your boring and dull life, try loving your family more. I know that you give them the material things they need. Yet, there are other things, other equally important things that they need. They need more affection and warmth, more moral and spiritual guidance amidst a deeply troubled world. Spend more time with them. Help your wife and your children become better persons by consciously sharing with them the right way of looking at life and the right way of relating with others.

“And if you have a deeper longing for the Truth, find a worthy cause that helps this world become a worthy place to live in especially for the poor and the oppressed. Such involvement in a worthy cause will deepen your knowledge of what is right and wrong, it will strengthen your sense of and feeling of what is right and wrong. I am sure you will eventually find life more meaningful and exciting.”

It was now time for them to go back to work and we bade each other goodbye. As he stood up to leave, he looked at me and said, “You have changed, my friend I know that you were once radical like me. I never thought that you would end up being spiritual. I am glad we had lunch together. I will seriously think about what you have said. Thank you.”

I smiled ad said, “You are welcome. My friend, I still am a radical. As radicals, we fought against the exploitation of man by man. This includes all forms of exploitation like the exploitation of women by men. My spirituality has not changed this position. In fact, it has deepened my resolve. A true radical is also deeply spiritual although he/she may not be aware of this because his/her thoughts and actions are in accordance with God’s will. The person who is truly concerned with spirituality must also be a radical. To follow God’s will, he must fight injustices that God’s plan to build a truly just world can become real. Radicalism and spirituality are actually two sides of one coin. Unfortunately, one side oftentimes cannot see the other side.

Oh, by the way, don’t thank me for the message. Thank those from Above who actually gave you the message. I only translated their symbolical language for you.”