līlā

the divine play

This divine play is often also referred to as maya - the illusion. No matter the language around this topic, total freedom is born out of the absolute knowing that everything within duality is just as divine as that which is beyond. When we see that the experiences brought about by the divine play does not touch our deepest expression of Self, we are truly living the freedom that all spiritual practices point to and promise. However, it is a dance - to truly feel the feels that arise while living in the world of duality, the world of existence, and at the same time embrace the emotions as absolutely divine. Some may say that emotions are less than the Absolute, however others say that this stance merely creates further separation and resistance that will never bring unity. Our mind often wants to judge emotional waves as reactions to duality, however the resistance to the waves says more about someone’s state than the emotional wave itself. If we can hold space for whatever arises, that’s truly living in freedom. Then we can get really intimate with life - and ALL experiences that it brings.

There is nothing wrong with the emotions, they always point us to where we are stuck. And most often it is in the judgement of the experience, pointing to how we are governed by our likes and dislikes. We (consciously or unconsciously) hold certain emotions above others, or dismiss them all (a great way to distract oneself from what lies at the heart of the experience). Once we are totally accepting what is, then emotions can arise - with full expression - and not touch our deepest inner peace (even though externally it may be fully bloomed). There is nothing wrong with expressing emotions. What is unhealthy is loathing ourselves for doing so.

Līlā - the divine play - will serve us continuous experiences to test our inner peace. All of these tests are mere blessings. They show us where we hold on to conditioning and beliefs, where we are stuck in certain patterned responses, or project our expectations onto what we are experiencing in the now. The deeper inner work is to sit with it all, hold space for it all, to stay no matter what, and to see that ‘this too shall pass’. Once we see the impermanence of all experiences, all emotions, all reactions, all judgements, all projections - the impermanence of ALL the layers of our experience - we drop into the stillness of That which lies beneath it all. To live in the world of duality means being served continuous pointers to That. Maya in itself is not the issue, it is in fact just as divine as anything else. What veils our vision is our focus on the play rather than the substratum of the experience. However, the distraction is there for a reason. Without the distraction you wouldn’t be able to see beyond it. We need duality to even think about unity, just as much as we use the likes and dislikes to move beyond them. Each and every day - each and every breath - is serving our inner journey to re-member This.

This human experience is truly a dream within a dream. Our purpose is to wake up out of the dream, yet still being in it. Our mission is to embrace the human condition as divine perfection - as a reflection of the divine - harmonious and perfect with all its ‘imperfections’.