Photo Courtesy of Sound of Heart

April 20, 2016

EDITATION | You are Divine

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As I explained in my first blog post, our entire cosmos is manifested by a singular spirit. This energy is what you are comprised of – you are a spiritual being having a human experience. As the Persian poet Rumi said, “You are not a drop in the ocean. You are the entire ocean in a drop.” In other words, the entire universe is inside of you (this is NOT a metaphor). You were not born into this universe – you were born out of it! As  astronomer Carl Sagan explained, “The nitrogen in our DNA, the calcium in our teeth, the iron in our blood, the carbon in our apple pies were made in the interiors of collapsing stars. We are made of star stuff.”

This ever-present life force lies at the core of all existence. It has been called the Way, Tao, Light and God. In the Bhagavad Gita, a revered Hindu scripture, Krishna explains God’s ubiquitous nature: “By Me, in My unmanifested form, this entire universe is pervaded. All beings are in Me… I am everywhere.” Similar notions of God’s omnipresence are expressed in the Bible: “‘Can a man hide himself in hiding places so I do not see him?’ declares the Lord. ‘Do I not fill the heavens and the earth?’” (Jeremiah 23:24). Essentially, all of Nature is God manifested into various forms. This idea has several important implications.

Firstly, you are God playing the role of yourself. This notion may seem ridiculous at first, depending on your religious upbringing. Many followers of Western religions conceptualize God as a separate entity. This view is far from the truth, as explained in Corinthians 3:16: “Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?” Clearly, you are a body of God. The same spirit within Jesus, Buddha, Gandhi, etc., lies within you – YOU are as Divine as Jesus Christ! As Eastern philosopher Alan Watts explained, “The religion of Jesus was that he knew he was a son of God, and the phrase ‘son of’ means ‘of the nature of.’” However, your ego – who you think you are – is NOT God. People commonly misinterpret this idea by identifying with their ego. Your ego depends on boundaries, which directly opposes the nature of this omnipresent spirit. As Rumi explained, “The ego is a veil between humans and God.”

Secondly, everyone else is God too! As explained in the Bhagavad Gita, “A true yogi observes Me in all beings, and also sees every being in Me. Indeed, the self-realized man sees Me everywhere.” We have been disconnected from each other through racial and religious differences, political divide, social hierarchies, among other cultural ideologies. Each person is a unique personification of God’s spirit – including you! Every person you meet is simply a reflection of yourself – your perception of others is entirely dependent on how you view yourself. As you get to know your inner self, you will obtain a deeper understanding of those around you.

Thirdly, all of nature is God – each and every animal, each and every plant, down to each and every grain of sand! The severed union between humans and the environment has disconnected us from ourselves and from God. Since nature is God incarnate, destroying the environment is evil and immoral. Unfortunately, the financial elite running large corporations are so ego-driven that they value the acquisition of material wealth over the well-being of our planet. As astrophysicist Hubert Reeves explained, “Man is the most insane species. He worships an invisible God and destroys a visible Nature. Unaware that this Nature he’s destroying is this God he’s worshiping.” We can learn a lot from nature, especially in our anxiety-ridden society. As philosopher Lao Tzu observed: “Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.” The most appropriate setting for meditation is nature – you will naturally become one with your environment and come to a greater understanding of your True Self.

Once you apply this knowledge to your meditation and mindfulness practices, you will begin making exponential progress! When you are focused on God, you effectively access your intrinsic God consciousness. Fortunately, you don’t have to meditate in the lotus position to focus on God. You can see God everywhere you look. You can recognize God in everyone you meet. You can devote each of your actions to God – a practice known as karma yoga.  As explained in the Bhagavad Gita, “Engage your mind always in thinking of Me, offer obeisances and worship Me. Being completely absorbed in Me, surely you will come to Me.” As you familiarize yourself with the idea that you are immersed in Divinity, your perception of the world will dramatically change. Mundane activities will transform into miracles taking place in Heaven on Earth! As Thich Nhat Hanh explained, “People usually consider walking on water or in thin air a miracle. But I think the real miracle is… to walk on earth. Every day we are engaged in a miracle which we don’t even recognize.”

I highly recommend reading the Bhagavad Gita to learn more about the fundamental nature of existence. Even if you practice a different religion, you will be able to integrate many of its teachings with your personal beliefs. Gandhi, among countless others, used the Gita as his spiritual guidebook throughout his life. One of the most powerful spiritual experiences I have ever had was the first time I read this book – it thoroughly cleansed my perception, which completely transformed my reality. Namaste, esteemed reader – We are as Gods!