You know how athletes get mocked for praying to God for help to win a sports competition? Everything has a personified aspect, which is the deeper more meaningful value. When you think of another person, you do not think of them as a machine built of organs, tissues, and flesh. You think of the being… the personified aspect. That is the true meaning of the person. For example, the personified aspect of a beautiful meadow in the early morning mist is a Goddess or Deva of that meadow. Every city has a Deva. Every football team has a team ‘spirit’… a Deva. Every thing, has a corresponding deva, soul, personified essence. That is what gives it meaning. When Einstein was asked if a sunset could be explained in terms of pure physics he said that it could, but if it were, it would lose its meaning.
Now, of course, everything is the unified field. That is just physics. Viewed from the personified perspective, the more meaningful perspective, everything is God. So when an athlete is praying to God for help to win a ballgame, that prayer goes to, or through, the ‘spirit’ of the team, or city, or country they represent. Two opposing teams could each pray to God that they defeat the other. There is no contradiction there. Your team ‘spirit’ and the opposing teams ‘spirit’ are real and essential part of the competition. A healthy relationship with them is essential.
It is normal and natural to feel that. However, limited thinking (that sees it as a contradiction or that knows of no scientific proof that such things have a personified value) has simply sterilized the lives and thinking of many people. It is a matter of innocence… not naivety, but innocence. Naivety is based upon oblivion. Innocence is rooted in purity of soul. To be innocent is to perceive accurately the nature of life and of all things. Innocence is not the denial of rationality. That is oblivion. Innocence is the integration of rationality with unbiased, uncompromised, direct experience. If you were only innocent, you would perceive the Gods, Devas, and Spirits that surround you and orchestrate the entire symphony of life. I am not speaking of emotionality here. I am speaking of clear and direct perception. I am speaking of a life that is capable of observing what is… and then living that. The alternative is to decide what you think life is, and forcing your experiences to conform to that. Science is great, but a limited understanding of it will limit your life.
Yes, there is such a thing as personification on all levels of life. Yes there is such a thing as team ‘spirit’. How remarkable that blinders can be so domineering that life is not seen for what it is. That is a pet peeve of mine. But then again, to be free of that limitation is discovered along the highly elusive path of evolution. There is great beauty in the subtlety that veils the mysteries of life. So maybe ‘pet peeve’ is not the right choice of words.
The way of this world is exquisite.
Beautiful blog. Classes were also awesome. Thank you.
A fascinating perspective on innocence. I would love to say “I got it” today but then again that’s what I said over the weekend retreat when the subject of innocence came up. Thanks.
How timely! Right now I’m facing a major crisis of ‘team spirit’ at the car dealership I work at. This blog allows me and motivates me to speak to the stressed players in a deeper way. I feel confident I can touch them in a way that will benefit all concerned. Thanks Brahmarshi for knowing what I needed before I knew I needed it!
“There is great beauty in the subtlety that veils the mysteries of life.” For me this post contains so much subtle wisdom. It helps me relax. One of my obstacles to truly living is my obsession with getting it right, being clear about what things mean. This post frees me from that. It encourages me to see a gentler, wider perspective, the bigger picture of life. Rather than “focusing on clarity” I now can see the beauty in the process of evolving. How ironic, the less intense my vision, the better the view.
“If you were only innocent, you would perceive the Gods, Devas, and Spirits that surround you and orchestrate the entire symphony of life.” Thank you Brahmarshi for this essay opening the window a bit more on the personified aspect in every thing. It feels so vast and so exquisitely beautiful. May the time come that this innocence is known by each one of us. I wish this for myself and us all. Thank you for having pure eyes to see and lead the way. Blessing to you.
All these lovely comments are much appreciated. And yes, Bill, well said. Life is nestled in the cosmic cushion of the absolute… like a soft pillow with no sharp angles or harsh rubs. When you awaken to the Absolute, that cosmic pillow is always there underlying all that is. The Absolute is pure abstraction, no concrete or rigid clarity. I remember in college, I coined the phrase ‘clarity trips’ to illustrate that… Seems epidemic to demand a clarity trip… In the final analysis, none exists. Emancipation includes emancipation from ‘clarity trips’. You can use them, provided you do not allow them to use you. That would be like trying to shove the sky into a soda bottle. Doesn’t work.
When you rest into your Self, the sound ahhhh emerges from the depth of your being. First syllable of Rig Veda… fully open through, no edges, the pure unmanifest Absolute. Enlightenment means relaxing into that. It is a state of physiology. You can have your boat in the water, but keep the choppy waters of life out of your boat.